8 Feb, 2014

A voice D.C’s Jewish leaders don’t want you to hear – The Washington Post

By Sharon Jacobs On Tuesday, I got an e-mail from the Washington DC Jewish Community Center: The JCC was refunding me for a ticket I had purchased to an event in its “Authors Out Loud” series. I had paid to hear David Harris-Gershon, whose memoir, “What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who […]

7 Feb, 2014

Cambodia Attracts Some 460,000 Chinese Visitors In 2013, Up 38%

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia Feb. 4 (NNN-Xinhua) — Cambodia greeted about 460,000 Chinese tourists last year, up 38 percent from 333,900 in a year earlier, according to a report of the Ministry of Tourism. China is the second largest source of tourists to Cambodia after Vietnam, the report said. Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said last […]

7 Feb, 2014

Chomsky: No Wonder the World Is Terrified of America — We’re the Biggest Threat | Alternet

February 5, 2014 –  As the year 2013 drew to an end, the BBC reported on the results of the WIN/Gallup International poll on the question: “Which country do you think is the greatest threat to peace in the world today?” The United States was the champion by a substantial margin, winning three times the […]

7 Feb, 2014

6 Offensively Overpriced Products We Can Do Without | Alternet

Unless you’re a member of the 1%, you’re likely to wince when you open up your heating bill or pick up a gallon of milk. But as much as you might lament about the rising prices of everyday staples, there are many common products that you can ditch to save yourself a wad of cash. […]

7 Feb, 2014

UK recession led to a divorce every five minutes in 2012 – The Independent

The number of couples divorcing went up in the aftermath of the recession, according to the latest official figures, which show 13 divorces happened every hour in 2012. There were 118,140 divorces in 2012, up 0.5 per cent on 2011, the Office for National Statistics said. Almost half of these occurred in the first 10 […]

7 Feb, 2014

FBI will be asked to probe corporations accused of illegally accessing data on private individuals – The Independent

The blue-chip hacking scandal has taken a new twist as it emerged that the FBI is set to be called in to investigate eight companies accused of hiring UK-based private investigators that illegally obtained private information about the public. The Information Commissioner has announced he will contact authorities in America after his inquiry found several […]

7 Feb, 2014

Violent video games may affect moral judgement in teens | The Indian Express

Spending too much time playing violent video games may delay development of moral judgement in teens, a new study has found. Teens who play violent video games for long hours may be prevented from getting involved in different positive social experiences in real life, and in developing a positive sense of what is right and […]

7 Feb, 2014

India warns US of consequences on visa reform – Hindustan Times

India has warned the United States of consequences for its companies if lawmakers tighten visa rules on high-tech firms as part of an immigration overhaul. Ambassador Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that India would see a decision to restrict certain temporary visas for skilled workers as a sign that the US economy is becoming less open for […]

7 Feb, 2014

Hindu fundamentalist group RSS ‘behind bombing of Muslim targets’ – Arab News

Three months before India elects its new national government, terrorism charges have come back to haunt Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), a Hindutva organization and parent body of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party in the country. Aseemanand, an accused in blasts that rocked various parts of India between September 2006 and September 2008 […]

7 Feb, 2014

Twitter ‘considering legal options’ over US Govt data requests – theguardian.com

Twitter has called for greater freedom to report government security requests as part of its latest transparency report. The report discloses only those national security requests that are permitted by the US Department of Justice (DoJ), which Twitter says hampers “meaningful or sufficient transparency for the public”. “Allowing Twitter, or any other similarly situated company, […]

6 Feb, 2014

Dallas Museum Lands a Rich Trove of Islamic Art – NYTimes.com

While Texas may have the fifth largest Muslim population in the United States by some estimates, its public art collections have only recently begun to reflect the 14-century sweep of Islamic history. But on Friday, with the stroke of a pen — sealing a complex agreement hashed out over months — the Dallas Museum of […]

6 Feb, 2014

Australian Broadcasting Corp rebuts military criticism of asylum seekers reports, urges more openness

Canberra, 4th February 2014 – The Australian Broadcasting Corporation issued the following statement to rebut criticism by the Australian government and the military about coverage of the way asylum seeker boats are being handled, and allegations of mistreatment of the asylum-seekers. The statement by Mark Scott, Managing Director, and Kate Torney, Director News, says, “Claims […]

6 Feb, 2014

Tourist arrivals in Laos exceed forecast targets

Foreign tourist arrivals to Laos in 2013 reached 3,779,490 visitors for the year, exceeding the official target of more than 3.4 million, statistics showed. The 2013 arrivals also surpassed targets forecast for 2015 of around 3,750,000 visitors, according to statistics from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. The 2013 figures represented a big increase […]

6 Feb, 2014

Stay sober? No thanks – I’m British : The Guardian

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett Mine is shaping up to be a varied and illustrious binge-drinking career. From the first time I got drunk, at 14 – having boldly decided that a two-litre bottle of White Lightning cider was the best way to get over a breakup (and land me in hospital) – to guzzling beer through […]

5 Feb, 2014

‘Useless’ TSA scanners provided endless fodder for employees, former agent alleges — RT USA

The Transportation Security Agency was aware that, before they were even introduced, the full-body scanners used at airport security checkpoints were flawed, according to a former TSA agent who alleges employees regularly peered and laughed at travelers. Jason Edward Harrington, who spent years for the TSA as he studied for a creative writing degree, wrote […]

5 Feb, 2014

Ontario court upholds removal of children from ‘Jewish taliban’ sect – Haaretz

A judge in Ontario has upheld a Quebec youth court ruling ordering the removal of 14 children belonging to the Lev Tahor ultra-Orthodox sect, The Montreal Gazette reported Monday. Ontario judge Stephen Fuerth ruled that the Quebec court, which ordered in November to place the children in temporary homes for a period of 30 days, […]

5 Feb, 2014

Head priest of Badrinath temple arrested for ‘molestation’ – Hindustan Times

The head priest of the Badrinath temple Keshawan Namboodiri has been arrested for wrongful confinement and outraging the modesty of a woman. Namboodiri has been suspended by the shrine’s administration after he was produced at a court and sent to a fortnight’s judicial custody on Tuesday. A 28-year-old woman has alleged that she was molested […]

5 Feb, 2014

Mining project approved in middle of India’s finest elephant reserve – Hindustan Times

Environment minister Veerappa Moily has obliged his Cabinet colleague and steel minister Beni Prasad Verma by approving an iron ore mining project in the middle of India’s best reserve for tuskers, Singhbhum Elephant Reserve in Jharkhand. The Steel Authority of India’s Durgaiburu iron-ore mine in Saranda forest division of Jharkhand will now get 635 hectares […]

4 Feb, 2014

Robert Scheer: The Super Bowl of War: Three Decades of Failure in Afghanistan

A Budweiser commercial during the Super Bowl, that annual celebration of violence as sport, featured a most joyous homecoming for a U.S. veteran of the Afghan War. It was a fitting tribute to the fact that he survived, but you would have to be drunk on Bud not to notice that the three decades since […]

2 Feb, 2014

Flights interactive: See the planes in the sky right now | theguardian.com

To mark 100 years of passenger air travel, our stunning interactive uses live data from FlightStats to show every one of the thousands of commercial planes currently in the air, charts the history of aviation since 1914, and asks what comes next for the industry Click here: Flights interactive: see the planes in the sky […]

2 Feb, 2014

The Jewish billionaire brothers ‘trying to buy America’ – The Independent

Two billionaire brothers who have poured their fortune into a network of charitable organisations that are dedicated to supporting Republican causes and candidates have been drawn into an unusual and very public spat with the Majority Leader of the US Senate, Harry Reid. Senator Reid, a Democrat, provoked a new round of recriminations when, in […]

31 Jan, 2014

Grief for Great Barrier Reef, say environmentalists – Sydney Morning Herald

They are two of Australia’s most celebrated places of natural beauty, sitting at either end of the country. Both are world heritage protected. And in the eyes of conservationists both took significant blows on Friday. In Australia’s north, a final permit was granted to allow the dumping of millions of tonnes of dredging sludge in […]

31 Jan, 2014

RT News: Canada’s electronic spy agency tracked travellers at airports – new Snowden leaks

Documents released by US whistleblower Edward Snowden show the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) used airport Wi-Fi to track passengers from around the world. Travelers passing through a major Canadian airport were potentially caught up in a vast electronic surveillance net, which allowed the nation’s electronic spy agency to track the wireless devices of thousands […]

31 Jan, 2014

PressTV – Short people prone to paranoia: Study

Scientists have found that feeling shorter makes people more susceptible to feelings of paranoia and inferiority as well as extreme mistrust. A team of researchers from Britain’s Oxford University used virtual reality (VR) technology to decrease the height of 60 adult women who were travelling on a computer-simulated Tube train by 25 centimeters. The volunteers […]

31 Jan, 2014

Coming soon: Clear US customs at Dubai International | GulfNews.com

Dubai: Emirates passengers could be next in line to avail of the American pre-clearance customs procedures in the UAE following the opening of a post in Abu Dhabi last week. Passengers began using the region’s first United States pre-clearance customs checkpoint at Abu Dhabi International on January 24. The post, manned by US customs officials, […]

31 Jan, 2014

Horror in Philippine online child sex abuse village | Manila Bulletin

IBABAO, Cebu (AFP) – In a remote Philippine village, toddlers played oblivious at a nursery as the house next door became part of a horrifying child pornography ring, with live footage of children performing sex acts being streamed online to paedophiles around the world. The depraved scenes in the bungalow were being repeated in many […]

31 Jan, 2014

Why the boycott of Israeli Universities is gaining ground – Veterans News Now

Israel bombed the science center of the University of Gaza during the 2009 assault on the Gaza Strip which also killed 1400 residents of Gaza, one third of whom were children. Two of the main universities on the West Bank, Birzeit University and Bethlehem Universities have been closed repeatedly by the Israeli military for extended […]

31 Jan, 2014

Israel’s Planned Occupation of the Internet | Desertpeace

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said at the Cybertech conference in Tel Aviv that he wants to create a coalition of leading companies to turn the internet from a curse into a blessing. In the wake of a reported breach of Defense Ministry computers, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu talked of the importance of cyber […]

31 Jan, 2014

Two U.S. bankers working in London commit suicide in just two days | Mail Online

Two top ranking American bankers working in senior positions in London have committed suicide in the space of two days. Gabriel Magee, a 39-year-old JP Morgan bank executive, died early this morning after he jumped 500ft from the top of the bank’s European headquarters. His body was discovered on the ninth floor roof, which surrounds […]

31 Jan, 2014

Judge Orders NYPD To Begin Turning Over anti-Muslim Spying Documents

A federal judge has ordered New York City to begin a process to hand over investigative documents from the New York Police Department’s surveillance of Muslims as part of a long-running lawsuit. In an order issued Thursday, U.S. District Judge Charles Haight, Jr. said there was a “manifest” need for further legal discovery, which could […]

31 Jan, 2014

China Daily lists “fabulous destinations” with no visa trouble

Visa applications can be cumbersome for Chinese ordinary-passport holders who want to travel abroad, so why not consider destinations with easier or no visa procedures? China has signed mutually visa-free agreements with four countries – San Marino, Seychelles, Mauritius and the Bahamas. Chinese ordinary-passport holders enjoy conditional visa-free treatment in six countries and regions, such […]

31 Jan, 2014

The world’s hottest destinations for 2014: Sydney Morning Herald

Traveller’s globetrotting contributors cast their votes for the big six countries set to make their presence felt next year. Read the rest: The world’s hottest destinations for 2014

31 Jan, 2014

Saddle up for a bumpy Year of the Horse, warn astrologers | Manila Bulletin / AFP

by AFP, January 29, 2014 – Conflicts, disasters, record high temperatures, an economic chill in Asia and more trouble for Justin Bieber — the upcoming Year of the Horse is set to be a dramatic one, say Hong Kong feng shui masters. With the Year of the Snake slithering into history, they say that the […]

30 Jan, 2014

Leaked document records 330 U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan – Bureau of Investigative Journalism

The Bureau for Investigative Journalism is today publishing a leaked official document that records details of over 300 drone strikes, including their locations and an assessment of how many people died in each incident. The document is the fullest official record of drone strikes in Pakistan to have yet been published. It provides rare insight […]

30 Jan, 2014

Matt Miller: The real state of the union is inescapable – The Washington Post

I’m always torn when watching a State of the Union speech. I agree with the vision of America that Barack Obama laid out. Trouble is, I’ve agreed with it since I first heard Bill Clinton lay out the same vision when I followed Clinton into the White House as an aide in 1993. Yet in […]

30 Jan, 2014

Angela Merkel: US surveillance “violates trust, spreads mistrust” – theguardian.com

Angela Merkel has used the first, agenda-setting speech of her third term in office to criticise America’s uncompromising defence of its surveillance activities. In a speech otherwise typically short of strong emotion or rhetorical flourishes, the German chancellor found relatively strong words on NSA surveillance, two days before the US secretary of state, John Kerry, […]

30 Jan, 2014

Photos prove Islam’s most holy relics being demolished in Mecca – The Independent

The authorities in Saudi Arabia have begun dismantling some of the oldest sections of Islam’s most important mosque as part of a highly controversial multi-billion pound expansion. Photographs obtained by The Independent reveal how workers with drills and mechanical diggers have started demolishing some Ottoman and Abbasid sections on the eastern side of the Masjid […]

28 Jan, 2014

A Green Challenge to America’s Asia-Pacific Pivot – FPIF

Cetacean lovers are celebrating the recent, brash statement of newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, in her condemnation of Japan’s “inhumane” tradition of dolphin slaughter. Now that she finds herself professionally and geographically smack-dab in the middle of President Barack Obama’s “Pacific Pivot” toward Asia, she has the opportunity to cast more light […]

28 Jan, 2014

Brit stockbroker fired, flees Singapore over “poor people” comments – The Independent

A British businessman who mocked the poor has fled Singapore after receiving death threats and losing his job as a wealth fund manager. Anton Casey caused an uproar in the country after posting a series of abusive photographs on Facebook where he called a local taxi driver a “retard” and referred to commuters as “the […]

28 Jan, 2014

Lifestyle disorders top health issues in Arab world – Arab News

PARIS: Heart disease and stroke have replaced infectious disease as the top causes of early death in the Arab world, tracking the West in a trend toward lifestyle disorders, The Lancet reported Monday. An international consortium of scientists compared the state of health in the 22 countries of the Arab League in 1990 and in […]

28 Jan, 2014

U.S. exporting anti-Muslim sentiment worldwide – Dispatches from the Underclass

Gadeir Abbas, Staff attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): I agree wholeheartedly that the fear of Islam, the fear of Muslims, is a notion I think has been cultivated by policy choices at the federal level. The use of airport screenings, that inevitably cultivates and reflects the bias that people have against Muslims, has […]

28 Jan, 2014

Spy Agencies Scour Phone Apps for Personal Data – NYTimes.com

When a smartphone user opens Angry Birds, the popular game application, and starts slinging birds at chortling green pigs, spies may be lurking in the background to snatch data revealing the player’s location, age, sex and other personal information, according to secret British intelligence documents. In their globe-spanning surveillance for terrorism suspects and other targets, […]

28 Jan, 2014

Scarlett Johansson ad becomes online meme for Israeli-Palestinian conflict — RT News

The web has been flooded with images featuring Scarlett Johansson Photoshopped into some grim pictures of West Bank territories. A major political meme these days has been inspired by the actress’s cooperation with an Israel-based company. The images appeared following announcements of Johansson becoming brand ambassador for SodaStream, a firm which operates a factory in […]

27 Jan, 2014

Ariel Sharon: The legacy of a psychopath | GulfNews.com

In a display of political and diplomatic hypocrisy, most western leaders praised the late Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon for his transformation from a fierce fighter for Israel to a man who took initiatives to make peace with the Palestinians. Israeli President Shimon Peres described him as a “brave military leader”, while Swedish Foreign Minister […]

27 Jan, 2014

Airlines to ease rules on liquids, gels in carry-on items of transit pax – Japan Times

CHIBA, Jan 26, 2014 Kyodo – The transport ministry has decided to ease carry-on restrictions for liquids and gels carried by travelers who are catching connecting flights from abroad, ministry sources said. The restrictions are being loosened in line with the global trend toward relaxing baggage controls that were put in place for international flights […]

27 Jan, 2014

German TV: Snowden says NSA also spies on industry – DAWN.COM

BERLIN: Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden claimed in a new interview that the US agency is involved in industrial espionage. In the interview aired Sunday night on German public television broadcaster ARD, Snowden said if German engineering company Siemens had information that would benefit the US, but had nothing to do with national security needs, […]

26 Jan, 2014

Academics unlock the secret behaviour of Britain’s contract killers – The Observer

They are classified as novices, journeymen, dilettantes or masters. They are Britain’s hitmen – killers who ply their deadly trade in return for cash, and who for the first time have become the subject of a major academic study. The killers typically murder their targets on a street close to the victim’s home, although a […]

26 Jan, 2014

The Independent Exclusive: Eating disorders soar among teens – Social media blamed

The number of children and teenagers seeking help for an eating disorder has risen by 110 per cent in the past three years, according to figures given exclusively to The Independent on Sunday. ChildLine says it received more than 10,500 calls and online inquiries from young people struggling with food and weight-related anxiety in the […]

26 Jan, 2014

Australian Tax Office nets $430m from the rich – Sydney Morning Herald

Scores of the country’s wealthiest people have been caught up in a huge government blitz that has recouped more than $430 million in unpaid taxes and fines last year. High-profile figures recently caught up in the crackdown include racing identity Sean Buckley, art dealer John Ioannou and entrepreneurs Bob Jane and Geoffrey Edelsten, who together […]

26 Jan, 2014

What do Israel and Australia have in common? – Al Jazeera

By Dr Vacy Vlazna, Coordinator of Justice for Palestine Matters. Is it just me, or do you also see a thread of colonial superiority and racism binding US, Australia, and Canada to Israel? Think about it. All are ex-British colonies and like Israel, have a dark history of atrocities committed against their respective indigenous peoples […]

26 Jan, 2014

Qatar World Cup: 185 Nepalese died in 2013 – The Guardian

The extent of the risks faced by migrant construction workers building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been laid bare by official documents revealing that 185 Nepalese men died last year alone. The 2013 death toll, which is expected to rise as new cases come to light, is likely to spark […]

26 Jan, 2014

Copenhagen: The Happy Capital – The Guardian

Copenhagen is the happiest city in the world, but why? Is it the parks, the city beaches, safe cycling or award-winning food? Locals tell The Guardian where visitors can tap into the city’s happy vibe. Copenhageners are really opening up. Culturally Danes are not as restrained as other Scandinavian countries and you see that in […]

26 Jan, 2014

Understanding the boycott of Israel’s universities – The Washington Post

U.S. academics are not in the lead here. Matters are far more developed in Europe, where faculties have fought to divest and boycott Israel and where the European Union is moving toward labeling products from illegal Israeli settlements. But U.S. academics recognize a special mission: Israeli institutions that benefit from the occupation do so with […]

26 Jan, 2014

South African PR leak exposes how big pharma subverts govt policy – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Pharmaceutical industry’s machinations to interfere in a country’s policymaking to protect their interests have been exposed yet again, this time in South Africa. The leaked plans of a public relations firm hired by the American and South African pharmaceutical multinational companies revealed how pharma planned to launch a campaign to discredit and subvert […]

25 Jan, 2014

Bali attracted 3.27m foreign tourists in 2013 – Bali Daily

Bali has exceeded its target of attracting 3.1 million foreign tourists last year, as the number of direct foreign tourist arrivals to the island reached 3.27 million. The provincial Tourism Agency on Wednesday released the official data on the number of foreign tourists visiting Bali from January to December 2013, which amounted to 3,278,697 people. […]

24 Jan, 2014

Children with Disabilities present a unique Ramayana on wheels – The Hindu

If you think that a wheelchair is a sign of disability, watch the children of Ability Unlimited Foundation take to their ‘wheeled legs’, for their knack, talent and aptitude for classical dance and music would make people sitting in the audience feel edgy. With steely nerves of experiencing the pleasure of fine arts, these “differently […]

24 Jan, 2014

Changing the rules of the game in India – The Hindu

India is yet again on the cusp of a battle for deeper democratisation. The data from nationwide surveys have repeatedly shown that Indians increasingly view their elected representatives and political parties as uncaring, unreachable, unresponsive, untrustworthy, and unrepresentative. This overarching anger against the functioning of legislative institutions (particularly Parliament), political parties, and elected representatives has […]

16 Jan, 2014

Indonesian migrant workers’ remitted US$7.35 billion in 2013 | The Jakarta Post

The National Labor Placement and Protection Agency BNP2TKI said the realization of overseas remittances by Indonesian migrant workers amounted to Rp 88.6 trillion (US$7.35 billion) during the period of January-December 2013, with an exchange rate assumption of Rp 12,000 per dollar. The amount is greater than the money remitted by foreign workers in the same […]

16 Jan, 2014

Hong Kong bid to better manage “excessive number” of Mainland China visitors

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HONG KONG, (Xinhua), 2014-01-15 — Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung said Wednesday that Hong Kong needs to attract mainland visitors in an appropriate and orderly manner in light of Hong Kong’s economic and social situations. Delivering his annual policy address at the Legislative Council, Leung said that tourism is one of Hong Kong economy’s […]

16 Jan, 2014

UN Says Pace Of Fanatic Jewish Settler Attacks on Palestinians Up Fourfold

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QUSRA, West Bank, Palestine, Jan 15 (NNN-WAFA) – The annual rate of Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians has almost quadrupled in eight years, U.N. figures show, buttressing claims that Israeli security forces have largely failed to stem the so-called “price tag” campaign, in which Jewish fanatic thugs cut down trees, deface mosques and beat Palestinian […]

16 Jan, 2014

One Aussie student’s tips on how to survive a gap year – Sydney Morning Herald

By Harriet Forster Of the 220,000 young Australians offered a university place last year, almost one quarter deferred their study. Many of these will head overseas for their gap year. I’m now safely ensconced back home in Sydney with my family, and can reflect on my 12-month gap year in Britain. I spent 2013 at […]

16 Jan, 2014

Australia plans to put Big Business in charge of own tax – Sydney Morning Herald

The Australian Taxation Office wants to allow big business to oversee its own tax returns, internal documents reveal, despite the potential for conflict of interest, greed and even corruption. The Tax Office has been working on a “transformational” plan to fundamentally change Australia’s corporate tax system with companies allowed to use their own accountants to […]

11 Jan, 2014

Character at heart of global leadership – The Jakarta Post

Most people think that the higher you go, the more authority and control you have. But our research finds that in today’s complex, global environment, the higher you go, the more you get things done because of the goodwill and trust you develop, not because of your formal authority. Global leaders need to establish personal, […]

11 Jan, 2014

Ontario man says U.S. wrongly put him on no-fly list – CBC News

A Whitby, Ont., business owner is growing frustrated about his inability to fly overseas to visit family, which he says is a result of his name wrongly appearing on the U.S. no-fly list. Omer Qureshi was supposed to catch a flight to visit family in Pakistan last Saturday, but was to find out he wouldn’t […]

9 Jan, 2014

PressTV – Dutch giant pension fund PGGM boycotts Israeli banks

One of the world’s leading pension fund management companies, the Netherlands’ PGGM, has boycotted Israeli banks over Tel Aviv’s continued illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Dutch pension giant decided to withdraw all its investments from Israel’s five top banks, saying the decision was made because Tel Aviv’s settlement construction in the […]

9 Jan, 2014

Moral sense skewed by intoxicatingly violent culture – Sydney Morning Herald

The legal age for alcohol consumption is 18, but age is no measure of moral integrity. The 21st century is a time of skewed moral development. The failure to recognise the implications of punching someone in the face with significant force cannot purely be blamed on alcohol – if so, then why doesn’t every intoxicated […]

9 Jan, 2014

Obesity ballooning in developing world – Arab News

LONDON: The number of obese and overweight people in the developing world nearly quadrupled to almost a billion between 1980 and 2008, a think-tank report said Friday. There are now far more obese or overweight adults in the developing world than in richer countries, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) said. The London-based institute said more […]

8 Jan, 2014

Alcohol-related violence: Help clean up Sydney’s streets, and win $2500 – Sydney Morning Herald

The Sydney Morning Herald is launching a competition for people to help take a stand against alcohol-related violence on the city’s streets. We are asking readers to come up with a 30-second video advertisement or poster campaign aimed at curbing the prevalence of alcohol-related violence. It won’t be easy. But there is a precedent. In […]

6 Jan, 2014

Demeaned at Ben-Gurion airport: ‘Now you know what Jews endured’ – Haaretz

by Amira Hass Only half an hour before her flight from Israel, D. was standing almost completely naked while an Eastern European-looking security inspector touched her arms, legs and hips. “She also put her fingers in the inside top rim of my underwear,” the young and – may I add, brilliant – doctoral student wrote […]

3 Jan, 2014

Greens push for bans on liquor advertising – Sydney Morning Herald

The Greens will push for a ban on the promotion of alcohol in sport, arguing that it provides a loophole for the alcohol industry to target children. Greens health spokesman Richard Di Natale said he would move for a Senate inquiry into alcohol promotion to children when Federal Parliament returns next month. Senator Di Natale […]

3 Jan, 2014

Church protest reveals realities of life in modern Bethlehem – The Guardian

by Giles Fraser The Rev Lucy Winkett is having trouble sleeping. This is because her church on Piccadilly has decided to erect a full-size copy of the Israeli separation barrier to block off her Christopher Wren church. And because she lives above the shop, the grim presence of this temporary structure is with her all […]

2 Jan, 2014

Christmas spike in domestic violence keeps courts busy on New Year’s Eve | The Guardian

Most of the courtrooms across England and Wales shut up shop between Christmas and new year. But not court six. Along with football derby days, the festive period is prime time for domestic abuse, according to Greater Manchester police (GMP). Tensions over money and unrealistic expectations about having the “perfect” Christmas, combined with excessive alcohol, […]

2 Jan, 2014

Could you manage a year without booze? – The Independent

If you vow never to drink again after waking up on New Year’s Day morning, chances are you won’t be alone. Whether deciding to have a break from alcohol is a new year’s resolution, a dose of sponsored sobriety courtesy of Alcohol Concern’s Dry January or Cancer Research’s Dryalthlon or simply a case of feeling […]

29 Dec, 2013

2013: Year of the person – Arvind Kejriwal – The Times of India

In a country of 1.2 billion, choosing Person of The Year can be as tough as getting Manmohan Singh to smile. But when you push Narendra Modi off the front pages and primetime television, when you force Rahul Gandhi into hyperactive mode on the corruption issue, and when you shut up rivals who called you […]

29 Dec, 2013

Mortgage rise will plunge a million UK homeowners into ‘perilous debt’ – The Observer

More than a million homeowners will be at risk of defaulting on their mortgages and losing their properties in the wake of even a small rise in interest rates, a bombshell analysis reveals. Borrowers who have failed to pay down their mortgages when interest rates have been at record low levels now face being overwhelmed […]

29 Dec, 2013

How Hollywood cloaked South Sudan in celebrity and fell for the ‘big lie’ – The Observer

This is a country, not yet two and a half years old, whose birth has been soaked in celebrity like no other. As well as Clooney, Matt Dillon and Don Cheadle have been occasional visitors who have tried to use their star power to place the international public firmly in the corner of this plucky […]

29 Dec, 2013

Australian doctors join forces to challenge govts over alcohol laws

After witnessing the high price of alcohol-related violence, eminent medical specialists from St Vincent’s Hospital have issued an ultimatum to governments to rein in rampant alcohol abuse. Pointing to street assaults blamed on drunkenness, including attacks that left two men in neighbouring beds in the hospital’s intensive care ward before Christmas, the hospital’s specialists are […]

28 Dec, 2013

Happiness factors on retreat in the U.S.

Research from the American Enterprise Institute identifies faith, family, friends and work as the four great sources of happiness. The problem is that all four sources are in retreat in the U.S., especially among men. Read the rest: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/12/27/commentary/happiness-takes-faith-family-friends-and-work/

28 Dec, 2013

Commentary: When the world recognized Indonesia as an equal – The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s independence proclamator, the late Muhammad Hatta, was asked regarding events he personally considered most significant in the nation’s revolutionary struggle. He named two: Aug. 17, 1945 and Dec. 27, 1949.No Indonesian would be ignorant of the former. Few Indonesians are mindful of the latter. If Aug. 17, 1945 was Independence Day, then Dec. 27, […]

26 Dec, 2013

PressTV – Google, Yahoo back doors to US intel agencies: Ex-security official

A former White House security official has revealed that big Internet companies like Google and Yahoo illegally provide US intelligence agencies with the private data of their users. Richard A. Falkenrath, a former US Deputy Homeland Security Advisor, said in a Tuesday interview with Bloomberg television that the “US government has too much access to […]

25 Dec, 2013

Madagascar’s forests vanish to feed taste for rosewood in west and China | The Guardian

Blood-red sawdust coats every surface in the small carpentry workshop, where Primo Jean Besy is at the lathe fashioning vases out of ruby-coloured logs. Besy and his father are small-scale carpenters in Antalaha in north-east Madagascar, and are taking advantage of a recent resurgence in demand for wood from the bois de rose tree, prized […]

25 Dec, 2013

Freedom of Speech: An “Endangered Species” – Pravda.ru

Although most Americans claim to venerate the ideal of “freedom of speech,” when it comes to actual practice there are few purists. “Free speech” purists recognize that defending the right to freedom of speech is not the same as endorsing what a speaker has said; therefore, purists recognize that viewpoints they disagree with should be […]

25 Dec, 2013

Britain’s worsening homelessness crisis – The Guardian

Advisers at Shelter’s national helpline are doing everything they can to make the call-centre office feel like a cheerful environment. Tinsel with Christmas baubles has been hung from the ceiling, tiny silver Christmas trees and felt reindeer have been stuck on the tops of computer screens, cotton-wool icicles are hanging from the windows, and colleagues […]

25 Dec, 2013

Indonesia cave reveals history of ancient tsunamis | The Jakarta Post

A cave discovered near the source of Indonesia’s massive earthquake-spawned tsunami contains the footprints of past gigantic waves dating up to 7,500 years ago, a rare natural record that suggests the next disaster could be centuries away — or perhaps only decades. The findings provide the longest and most detailed timeline for tsunamis that have […]

23 Dec, 2013

Indian diplomat row: US actions reflect a questionable motive – Hindustan Times

When Douglas Kent, the US Consul General in Vladivostok, in an accident while driving his personal car from a gym crippled a Russian, the victim was unable to get compensation. The US Embassy in Moscow claimed full immunity and the injured was denied compensation on the ground that the US official was acting within the […]

23 Dec, 2013

Greenwald Reveals ‘Crux’ of NSA Spying: The ‘Elimination of Individual Privacy Worldwide’

Appearing via live feed before an EU Commission committee on mass surveillance Wednesday, independent journalist Glenn Greenwald revealed what he believed to be the “crux” of the reporting on the NSA so far. “The reason I know this is what they are attempting to achieve is because they say it over and over and over […]

23 Dec, 2013

Artistic lampooning of Marina Bay Sands | The Jakarta Post

Ken Pattern, a Canadian-born artist who has called Indonesia home for the past 25 years, is renowned for his drawings and stone lithographs that meticulously document the changing urban landscape of Jakarta. His latest exhibition, “On Marina Bay”, focuses on a very different city: Singapore. The pieces in this collection depict surreal and absurd versions […]

23 Dec, 2013

Spying: A paradox of democracy | The Jakarta Post

Rather than advancing freedom and equality, inescapable surveillance enforces a form of authoritarianism that undermines both. It degrades the ability of members of society to challenge and organize against government and corporate injustices. The loss of cultural freedom stifles individual creativity and the unfettered community interaction necessary to keep power in check and to advance […]

23 Dec, 2013

Millions of coconut trees lost to ‘Yolanda’ to hurt global supply | Manila Bulletin

KUALA LUMPUR/MANILA – The destruction of an estimated three million coconut palms in last month’s deadly typhoon in the Philippines is set to squeeze global supply for years of the tropical fruit used to make products from fuel to health drinks. Even before Typhoon Haiyan tore through the Philippines, the United Nations had warned that […]

22 Dec, 2013

Chinese bamboo texts reveal ancient medical cures

CHENGDU, Dec. 18, (Xinhua) — Chillies for a headache and a bull’s urine for jaundice: These are the latest deciphered messages of how Chinese people two millennia ago cured themselves, and their horses. The 920 medical bamboo slips, together with other historical relics of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC- 9 AD), were found in a […]

22 Dec, 2013

Democracy, Deception, Deceit – they’re all the same

How many times have you seen a person elected into office on all manner of promises, only breaking those promises immediately after coming to power? In your democratic process, what power/authority do you have to enforce his compliance to promises made? After all, this was a simple contract, a vote for a promise. Don’t tell […]

22 Dec, 2013

Friending Fresh Air – Connecting Kids to Nature in the Digital Age

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Reston, Va. (PRWEB) December 20, 2013 – The advancements in technology over the last decade have changed the way children spend their free time, up to 10 hours a day inside according to the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. A great deal of this indoor time often includes using technology which, if unmonitored, may have an […]

22 Dec, 2013

Obama review panel: Strip NSA of power to collect phone data records | The Guardian

The National Security Agency should be banned from attempting to undermine the security of the internet and stripped of its power to collect telephone records in bulk, a White House review panel recommended on Wednesday. In a 300-page report prepared for President Obama, the panel made 46 recommendations, including that the authority for spying on […]

22 Dec, 2013

Cleaning China’s air may cost US$300 billion

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BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) — A total of 1.75 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) will be invested from 2013 to 2017 to deal with China’s worsening air pollution, an environment expert said on Wednesday. Wang Jinnan, deputy head of the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning, said at the 4th Caixin Summit in Beijing that […]

22 Dec, 2013

China rejects U.S. GM corn shipment

BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) — China has rejected 12 batches of U.S. corn shipments tainted with a genetically-modified (GM) strain not approved by the country’s agriculture ministry, its leading quality supervisor said on Friday. Shipments totalling 545,000 tonnes were found to contain the unapproved MIR162, a strain of insect-resistent transgenic corn, the General Administration of […]

22 Dec, 2013

U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership is a corporatist power grab – Sydney Morning Herald

by William Pesek Self-awareness often eludes US officials who push American interests on Asia. John Kerry’s visit to Vietnam was a case in point, as the Secretary of State implored the government to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In his pitch earlier this week, Kerry said the US-led trade deal would bring ”transparency” and ”accountability” to […]

22 Dec, 2013

China Embarks On Four-Dimensional Mode Of Economic Growth

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BEIJING, Dec 18 (NNN-XINHUA) — In a development which has grabbed global attention, China has embarked on a four-dimensional mode of economic growth which focuses on safe, balanced, inclusive and green development as proposed at the central government’s just-concluded work meeting. Experts say the new mode, which centres on economic restructuring and seeks urbanization in […]

22 Dec, 2013

Little Palestinian town of Bethlehem wants tourists back – The Washington Post

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — There’s been something missing in the birthplace of Christianity: Christians. For years, Palestinian Christians have been quietly abandoning the place where Jesus is said to have been born in a manger. Middle-class residents here have packed their bags for less chaotic lives in Latin America, Europe and the United States. Tourism […]

21 Dec, 2013

‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ a Scorsese epic of American greed

Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese plumbs the depths of the debauched, hedonistic lifestyle of a 1990s convicted stock swindler and the world of high finance in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a cautionary tale about excess, lust and greed. The film, which opens in US theaters on Christmas Day, is based on the memoir of disgraced […]

21 Dec, 2013

Dave Eggers: US writers must take a stand on NSA surveillance | The Guardian

Yes, it’s been strange to live in the USA in this, the era of the NSA. Not just because of the National Security Agency’s seemingly boundless and ever-more-invasive collection methods, but because, for the most part, Americans have been proceeding as usual. In the wake of the Snowden revelations, there’s been some outrage, and a […]