13 Aug, 2012

Veterans For Peace: Solution to Nuclear “Crisis” with Iran is not Sanctions and War, It is a Middle East Free of All Nuclear Weapons

This is nothing but a clear declaration of economic war on Iran. These devastating sanctions are not an “alternative” to war; they are part and parcel of a war aimed at forcing a regime change in Iran as an integral part of the US plan for a “Greater Middle East.” Let us not forget the […]

13 Aug, 2012

PressTV – Drumbeat for war on Iran

Evidence supporting is analysis is absent. Rhetoric substitutes for reason. Acting responsibly isn’t considered. Convince Israelis and others to go along with what may harm or destroy them. Forget about rationality and safety. Just act. Disregard consequences. If public opinion expresses opposition, ignore it. If failure looks more likely than success, gamble and chance it […]

13 Aug, 2012

Saudi female athletes: Heroes in London, ‘prostitutes of the Olympics’ at home — RT

Attar and Shaherkhani’s mere participation is seen as a huge victory because it was the first time Saudi Arabia sent female athletes to the Olympic Games. The move is seen as a milestone toward meeting the International Olympics Committee’s (IOC) goal of sex equality and 50/50 participation at the Games. But many in Saudi Arabia […]

13 Aug, 2012

Russian Civil servants to study tolerance — RT

Russian public servants responsible for national policies may soon be obliged to take special courses on the “harmonization” of interethnic relations. The idea may be implemented as part of the strategy for the development of Russia’s national policy, which is currently being drawn up, writes Izvestia daily. Read more: Civil servants to study tolerance — […]

13 Aug, 2012

In Afghanistan, heritage is best left underground – ArabNews

Below ground, the relics are protected from endemic looting, illegal smuggling and the corrosive effects of freezing winters. “There is looting on a large or small scale at 99.9 percent of sites,” says Philippe Marquis, director of a French archaeological delegation in Afghanistan. Middlemen pay Afghans $ 4 to $ 5 a day to dig […]

13 Aug, 2012

PressTV – Israelis protest against possible military strike on Iran

Carrying signs condemning any strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the protesters gathered outside Minister for Military Affairs Ehud Barak’s residence on Sunday and called on him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, DPA reported. The demonstrators accused the officials of acting belligerently and pushing for war with Iran, saying the consequences of such action […]

13 Aug, 2012

Increasing stereotypes threaten European unity – ArabNews

“National resentments in Europe are rising to dramatic levels,” said Vincent Forest, a London-based economist with the Economist Intelligence Unit. “By taking so much time in solving the economic crisis, the Europeans are creating a political and social crisis.” Read more: Increasing stereotypes threaten European unity – ArabNews.

13 Aug, 2012

Australian Borrowers beat path away from big banks – SMH

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show all the growth in new lending to owner-occupiers in the past year was in refinancing. Every week, the banks and other lenders refinance $1 billion of existing loans at better interest rates, as borrowers freed from exit fees vote with their feet. via Borrowers beat path away from big […]

13 Aug, 2012

War Wounds – NYTimes.com

If you want to understand how America is failing its soldiers and veterans, honoring them with lip service and ceremonies but breaking faith with them on all that matters most, listen to the story of Major Richards. via War Wounds – NYTimes.com.

13 Aug, 2012

Sikh Coalition Briefing Paper: How to Talk to Your Children About Oak Creek Tragedy

The Sikh Coalition has collaborated with other national Sikh organizations to produce a one page summary to help parents and teachers address the needs of Sikh children dealing with the shock and confusion of the Oak Creek tragedy. Helping Your Children Understand the Wisconsin Tragedy – Click here to download >>  

13 Aug, 2012

Indian managers in LG quit protesting against South Korean bosses – Xinhua

Several Indian managers have quit India’s largest electronics company, LG, in the past five months after the South Korean company brought in expats at key positions in India, a former senior manager said Sunday. Read more: Indian managers in LG quit protesting against South Korean bosses – Xinhua

13 Aug, 2012

Picture Gallery: When women get drunk

How terrible! When women get drunk Click here: How terrible! When women get drunk – Gallery – MadMud

13 Aug, 2012

Say “No” to Displacement and Demolition in Susiya, West Bank – The United Church of Canada

The people of the village of Susiya, in the South Hebron Hills in the West Bank, are facing the imminent demolition of over 50 homes and other structures, forcibly displacing about 160 people. On June 13, 2012, the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) distributed three maps to the people of Susiya, identifying three areas within the […]

12 Aug, 2012

Press Release Makes Clear Who Will Profit From Drone Operations at National Borders

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles UAVs in border security missions around the world is expanding rapidly as nations apply lessons from NATO UAV operations to their border and national security needs. Read More: Research and Markets: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles UAV for Border Security – Global Market & Technologies Outlook – 2013-2021 | Business Wire.

12 Aug, 2012

Is Opinionated Journalism Actually Better at Getting People Involved in Politics? – Alternet

A new study finds that opinionated reporting might be better at motivating the politically unengaged. Read more: Is Opinionated Journalism Actually Better at Getting People Involved in Politics? | Alternet.

12 Aug, 2012

Why You Should Get a 3 Week Paid Vacation – Alternet

Most Americans only get two weeks off right now. But many don’t even take the full two weeks out of fear of losing their jobs. One in four gets no paid vacation at all, not even holidays. Overall, Americans have less vacation time than workers in any other advanced economy. Read more: Why You Should […]

12 Aug, 2012

The Top Ten Differences Between White and Non-White Terrorists – Alternet

There is nothing you can do about white terrorists. Gun control won’t stop them. No policy you could make, no government program, could possibly have an impact on them. But hundreds of billions of dollars must be spent on police and on the Department of Defense, and on TSA, which must virtually strip search 60 […]

12 Aug, 2012

Why are Western media selectively blind? – People’s Daily Online

At the Olympic Games, the world is indeed flat. There are dozens of foreign coaches in Chinese delegation who help Chinese athletes gain a better understanding of world sports development while in table tennis and gymnastic competitions there are also some Chinese coaches who mentor Western athletes. In the Olympic arena, China has already reflected […]

12 Aug, 2012

Vietnam Now World’s Top Coffee Exporter – Xinhua

According to the Association of Coffee and Cocoa of Vietnam ( VICOFA), due to the global and domestic economic downturn, coffee processors and consumers have diverted to Robusta coffee and this is where Vietnam has an advantage because it ranks top in the world in Robusta production. In addition, major coffee growing countries, like Brazil […]

12 Aug, 2012

Xinhua: Strategic calculations behind U.S.-Iran confrontation on Syria

Syria is a heavyweight and key domino in the Middle East arena, while Iran is vital to global energy supplies. The two nations, and the Middle East at large, are unlikely to let outside powers like the United States to impose a future on them. After all, they need to shape their own future by […]

12 Aug, 2012

Hoffa Statement on Romney Choice of Paul Ryan

The following is a statement by Jim Hoffa, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters: “By choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney is doubling down on his campaign to make the American middle class poorer so the rich can get richer….. Read the rest: Hoffa Statement on Romney Choice of Paul […]

12 Aug, 2012

EUROPA Culture Summit: Case for investment in culture as strong today as it has ever been, says Vassiliou

European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou: “Culture and the arts have the power to transform individual lives and help bring countries together. The over-arching aim of the European Union’s policy in this area is to promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, to unlock the potential of culture for creativity and innovation, […]

12 Aug, 2012

Americans’ Views of TSA More Positive Than Negative

The TSA in recent months has come under increased scrutiny, with some members of Congress calling for the agency to be privatized or disbanded. However, the current survey results, from Gallup interviewing conducted July 9-12, indicate that the average American has a more positive than negative impression of the TSA, even if the average American […]

12 Aug, 2012

Book review: How Israeli school textbooks teach kids to hate – The Electronic Intifada

In an important new book, Palestine in Israeli School Books, Israeli language and education professor Nurit Peled-Elhanan …… examines 17 Israeli school textbooks on history, geography and civic studies. Her conclusions are an indictment of the Israeli system of indoctrination and its cultivation of anti-Arab racism from an early age: “The books studied here harness […]

12 Aug, 2012

Vanuatu gives market power to small cocoa farmers – ABC Radio Australia

Andreas Lombardozzi, Managing Director, African Pacific Vanuatu Ltd: Even in terms of some fair trade certification, once that grower is certified under that relationship he doesn’t own that, he doesn’t have that data at hand, and so it is very difficult for him to say ‘Oh I’ve got Fair Trade but I want to sell […]

12 Aug, 2012

Israel allows Egypt to use ‘terror-fighting’ gunships in Sinai – JTA

Editor’s Note: Egypt needs Israeli permission for this? Whatever happened to Egyptian sovereignty? JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Cabinet reportedly has agreed to allow Egypt to use gunships in the Sinai peninsula. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said Friday that the Egyptian government had asked Israel for its agreement to introduce attack helicopters to “fight terrorists” who […]

12 Aug, 2012

Prepare for What Is Coming: ‘There is a Very Present Danger that is Facing Every American’

Mass electronic surveillance systems, tens of thousands of drones, riot police, the training of military assets for domestic policing, and the introduction of legislation and executive orders to respond to widespread national emergencies through martial law declarations are all pointing to the same thing. Elements within the government of the United States and the cabals […]

12 Aug, 2012

The US Treasury’s Secret $2.4 Trillion Secret

Details about a secretive government program to bail out money-market mutual funds are finally coming to light. Acting without any explicit Congressional authority, the U.S. Treasury guaranteed in excess of $2.4 trillion of money market funds after the giant Reserve Primary Fund “broke the buck” following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. The program, which ended […]

12 Aug, 2012

“I can’t dictate methods of Palestinian struggle”: Israeli boycott activist interviewed | The Electronic Intifada

Raised in Raanana, a town near Tel Aviv, Barkan has been arrested on many occasions and held in custody five times. Describing himself as a “privileged Jew,” he readily acknowledges that he has been treated far more leniently by the Israeli authorities than are Palestinians. At one demonstration in the village of Bilin, he was […]

12 Aug, 2012

Appeal from U.S. Alternative Media: Learn the Lessons, Help Fight Right-Wing Lies

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Appeal from Don Hazen, Executive Editor, AlterNet Push Back against the Campaign Lies and Voter Suppression by the Religious Right and Radical Bully Billionaires We Need Your Help Right Now!! I know it is still the heat of summer, but our political future is being decided now. The radical right, with the Koch brothers and […]

12 Aug, 2012

‘Netanyahu, Barak mulling fall strike on Iran’ – Israel News, Ynetnews

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Barak admits it is clear that Iran will respond to an attack on its nuclear facilities, also by utilizing Hezbollah. This will result in casualties and fatalities and every day of fighting will cost NIS 1.5 billion (approx. $375 million). Read more: ‘Netanyahu, Barak mulling fall strike on Iran’ – Israel […]

12 Aug, 2012

American Police Now “Israeli-DHS Trained,” Precursor To Dictatorship

90% of terrorism, worldwide, including many of the mass killing incidents, all show a pattern of involvement by intelligence organizations. Almost all “terror threats” and “staged announcements” are traced to groups tied directly to the same people who show up at our door with the “cure” to a disease they themselves create. Read more: .

11 Aug, 2012

Stratfor emails reveal secret, widespread TrapWire surveillance system — RT

Former senior intelligence officials have created a detailed surveillance system more accurate than modern facial recognition technology — and have installed it across the US under the radar of most Americans, according to emails hacked by Anonymous. Every few seconds, data picked up at surveillance points in major cities and landmarks across the United States […]

11 Aug, 2012

Countercurrents: Soldiers Who Refuse To Kill

The beginnings of resistance among the troops arose out of their growing awareness that their commanders were using them in a competition for the most fire fights, the most kills, and the most prisoners. The needs of this competition outweighed justice or even strategy. Returning to base with innocent prisoners was far preferable to returning […]

10 Aug, 2012

Truthout: The Secret Tie That Binds US and Israel

Israel’s myth of insecurity and Americans’ myth of homeland insecurity foster the fear of Iran. Indeed the myths demand the fear: Someone has to play the threatening enemy to make the myths believable. A myth of insecurity, with the sense of vulnerability and victimization that it breeds, is the most fundamental tie that binds the […]

10 Aug, 2012

Why Do We Freak Out About Terrorist Acts Less When They’re Carried Out by White Right-Wingers? | Alternet

In the name of counterterrorism, many Americans have given their assent to indefinite detention, the criminalization of gifts to certain charities, the extrajudicial assassination of American citizens, and a sprawling, opaque homeland security bureaucracy; many have also advocated policies like torture or racial profiling that are not presently part of official anti-terror policy. What if […]

8 Aug, 2012

Palestine Refugee Girl’s Story Wins International Writing Award

www.unrwa.org

1 August 2012, Jerusalem (www.unrwa.org) — When Israeli bulldozers arrived to demolish her home, 14-year-old Palestine refugee Salha Hamadin called on her pet Hantush to take her somewhere far away until they finished. Hantush, a flying lamb, took Salha on an adventure to Spain, where she met with the Barcelona football team’s Lionel Messi, who […]

5 Aug, 2012

U.S. Mayors Launch TV Ad Campaign To Demand Gun Control

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NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the bipartisan coalition of more than 700 mayors working to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, today released a television advertisement as part of the campaign to “Demand A Plan” from President Obama and Governor Romney on how they will reduce […]

3 Aug, 2012

Spotlight on Corruption in Education in Asia-Pacific: UNESCO Interview

By Panya Laongthong and Rojana Manowalailao, UNESCO Bangkok

Bangkok, 26.07.2012 — Corruption in the education sector has been a severe problem, which has hindered quality and effectiveness of education all over the world. Muriel Poisson, Programme Specialist at the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO), has been the task manager of a project on ‘Ethics and Corruption in Education’ under which research […]

3 Aug, 2012

Women in EU Public Sector Face Higher Risk Of Losing Jobs: ILO Report

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GENEVA (ILO News) 30 July 2012- Women working in the public sector in countries of the European Union (EU) have been particularly hard-hit by recent cutbacks in jobs, wages and benefits, according to a joint ILO European Commission study titled “Public Sector Adjustment in Europe”. In a chapter on gender,  the study (made public on […]

1 Aug, 2012

Global Banking Greed Responsible for Financial Crisis and Only Set to Get Worse

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Basingstoke, UK (PRWEB UK) 31 July 2012 – Global banks have been in varied scandals now for many years and as UBS has announced that they have lost millions due to a poor investment into social media website Facebook, Marketing Quotes asks why nothing is being done to protect customers. Since 2007, most banks have […]

1 Aug, 2012

Jewish Group Demands Romney Apologise to Palestinians

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The following statement was issued on July 31 by Jewish Voice for Peace (www.jvp.org) Yesterday in Jerusalem, Governor Mitt Romney made some statements that were not only wrong, but frankly, prejudiced and ignorant. Romney declared that “cultural differences” were the reason the Palestinian economy is not doing as well as Israel’s, without even acknowledging the Occupation. […]

1 Aug, 2012

Arab Americans Blast Republican Party’s Spread of Xenophobia, Hate & Ignorance

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Washington, DC (www.adc.org) July 31, 2012 — The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is appalled at the continued bigotry and racism coming from factions from within the Republican Party, including the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, Governor Willard “Mitt” Romney. On a recent trip to Israel, Romney directed racist and derogatory comments towards Palestinians. Romney’s actions are in line […]

31 Jul, 2012

China “On Right Track For Growth Model Change”

By Zheng Yangpeng and Lu Yanyu (China Daily)

Beijing, July 27, 2012 – The dramatic rise in the price of land, labor and raw materials, and a 30 percent appreciation of the renminbi since 2005, have seen China fast losing the historic cost advantages that helped fuel arguably the most dramatic economic rise in history. But after several visits to China, Anders Aeroe […]

27 Jul, 2012

Pew Poll: U.S. Public Follows “Batman” Shooting Story But Maintains Views on Guns

Pew Research Centre

23 July 2012 – About half of the public says they very closely followed news about the deadly shooting rampage shortly after midnight Friday morning in a movie theater in Colorado, making this one of the most closely followed stories so far in 2012. Fully 48% say they followed this news very closely, according to […]

25 Jul, 2012

Patil: Beware of “Divisive Agendas”

Speech by Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil on the Eve of Demitting Office of the President of India, 24 July, 2012

Dear Citizens, On the eve of demitting office of the President, I express my personal greetings and good wishes to all of you. During the last five years, I had the opportunity to interact with a number of citizens from different fields and walks of life. I received great respect, affection and support from you […]

23 Jul, 2012

U.N. Mulls Crisis Management: Data, Data Everywhere, But How Trustworthy?

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United Nations, 19 July 2012, Department of Public Information – Reaching people most in need during complex crises — sparked by conflict, extreme weather or natural disaster — required humanitarian actors to better use, validate and share information from a range of sources throughout the programming cycle, the United Nations Economic and Social Council heard […]

23 Jul, 2012

Losing Competitive Edge, U.S. Cities Seek Billions to Upgrade Infrastructure, Create Jobs

U.S. Conference of Mayors Media Release

PHILADELPHIA, PA, 2o July 2012 – Following a three-day meeting here seeking input from the nation’s mayors, the U.S. Conference of Mayors will be issuing an urban agenda for job creation in the days to come and will challenge the presidential candidates and the U.S. Congress to support and pass its recommendations, said USCM President […]

20 Jul, 2012

For a Borderless World: 72 Nationalities on a Swedish Theme Park Ride Set New Guinness Record

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 GÖTEBORG, Sweden, 19 July 2012, (BUSINESS WIRE) — In conjunction with the 38th annual Gothia Cup football tournament held in Gothenburg, Sweden, a new world record was made at Liseberg Amusement Park in the category of “Most nationalities on a theme park ride”. There were 72 different nationalities represented in the record, which included players […]

20 Jul, 2012

Struggling to Maintain Global Dominance, U.S. Waging War on Three Fronts

Dr Paul Craig Roberts

The Russian government has finally caught on that its political opposition is being financed by the US taxpayer-funded National Endowment for Democracy and other CIA/State Department fronts in an attempt to subvert the Russian government and install an American puppet state in the geographically largest country on earth, the one country with a nuclear arsenal […]

20 Jul, 2012

China Explains Syria Veto: Regime Change Should Not Be Determined By External Forces

Author: Zhong Sheng, (People's Daily Online)

July 18, 2012 – The political solution is the only way to resolve the issue of Syria. Some states still do not abandon their intention of changing Syrian regime by external forces. This is one of important reasons why the mediation of Special Envoy Kofi Annan is difficult to go on and the resolutions of […]

19 Jul, 2012

How Short-sellers Reap Huge Profits From ‘Hunting’ Chinese Companies

Author: Luo Lan, People's Daily Overseas Edition

(People’s Daily Online), July 18, 2012 – Overseas-listed Chinese companies have been suffering from short selling in the past two years. The Chinese concepts stocks listed in the United States have been frequent targets of short-selling funds. By spreading rumors about Chinese companies’ “poor management” and “suspicious accounting,” these funds first drive a stock’s price […]

19 Jul, 2012

What Burgers, Pizzas, Ice-Creams Have Done to the U.S.

by Elizabeth Mendes

WASHINGTON, D.C. July 18, 2012, (Gallup media release) — Most Americans say obesity is an “extremely” or “very serious” problem to society, the 81% who do so is up significantly from 69% in 2005, the last time Gallup asked this question. Americans now see obesity as a more serious societal issue than cigarettes — a […]

18 Jul, 2012

Nelson Mandela Foundation Calls For UN to Act on Israeli Violations

Mazin Qumsiyeh, Ph.D. www.qumsiyeh.org

The right wing Zionists keep invoking “anti-Semitism” and the events of WWII to try to deflect any legitimate criticism of their cherished idol: the apartheid state of Israel. But this is no longer working. The list below just gives a glimpse from the past few days. Even puppets of the Israel lobby like Hillary Clinton […]

18 Jul, 2012

We Need Free Thinkers Or Society Will Shrivel Up and Die

Chris Hedges

July 9, 2012, (AlterNet) – Cultures that endure carve out a protected space for those who question and challenge national myths. Artists, writers, poets, activists, journalists, philosophers, dancers, musicians, actors, directors and renegades must be tolerated if a culture is to be pulled back from disaster. Members of this intellectual and artistic class, who are […]

17 Jul, 2012

Alzheimer’s Study: Sleep Duration & Disorders Indicators of Cognitive Decline

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Four studies reported today at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2012 (AAIC 2012) in Vancouver suggest a relationship between sleep quality and quantity and risk of cognitive decline, and that interventions to normalize sleep duration and correct sleep disorders may not only improve quality of life, but […]

17 Jul, 2012

ADB to Include Renminbi, Indian Rupee in Trade Finance Program

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MANILA, 17 July 2012 (ADB Media release) – Intra-regional trade transactions using renminbi and Indian rupee are expected to rise, prompting the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to start supporting deals denominated in these two Asian currencies under its Trade Finance Program (TFP). ADB’s Board of Directors today approved the inclusion of renminbi and Indian rupee […]

17 Jul, 2012

First Global Ranking of Accredited Online MBAs Released

NEW YORK, July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The first Global ranking of accredited online MBAs offered by the world’s top business schools, 2012 QS Distance Online MBA Rankings, has been released today on TopMBAConnect.com. The report, created by world education leader QS, was developed in direct response to the market increase in both the number […]

15 Jul, 2012

China’s Economy: Glass Half Full, Not Half Empty

By Zhu Qiwen (China Daily)

Beijing, 2012-07-14 – Media fanfare about China’s economic slowdown, though somewhat exaggerated, shows the high hopes that global investors have pinned on the world’s second largest economy, especially with the United States and Europe still struggling with their debt problems. Before China released its growth figures for the first half of the year on Friday, […]

15 Jul, 2012

Taoism Also Part of China’s “Soft Power”

Zhao Qiguang, People's Daily Overseas Edition

Beijing, July 11, 2012 – Chinese culture enjoys increasing influence in the world. What makes it so attractive? What are the challenges facing it? Over the past eight years, the Confucius Institute has made remarkable achievements in promoting the Chinese culture and language worldwide. From the Mississippi to the Nile, the Chinese learning craze is […]

15 Jul, 2012

China’s Int’l Investment Position Reaches US$1.79 Trln

Xinhua

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) — China’s net international investment position at the end of March reached 1.79 trillion U.S. dollars, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) announced Friday. The net international investment position measures the difference between a country’s external assets and liabilities. At the end of March, China’s external financial assets totaled 4.89 […]

15 Jul, 2012

Olympics Uniforms: Will US Pay The Price To Be ‘Patriotic’?

By Li Yang ( China Daily)

Beijing, 2012-07-14 – Reports that the pride of America will be wearing uniforms that were made in China at the Olympic Games in London next month have produced the time-honored response from China-bashing politicians in the United States. “This action on the part of the US Olympic Committee is symbolic of a disastrous trade policy […]

15 Jul, 2012

China: U.S. Sows Seeds Of Discord In South China Sea

(China Daily Editorial)

Beijing, 2012-07-13 — By calling for all parties to engage in talks to resolve the South China Sea disputes, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has once again demonstrated that the United States is trying to interfere in the maritime disputes that only involve China and a few members of the Association of Southeast Asian […]

10 Jul, 2012

Deutsche Post DHL Study on “The World in 2050” Outlines Five Future Scenarios

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Bangkok, 10 July 2012: With its release of the study of the future, “Delivering Tomorrow: Logistics 2050”, Deutsche Post DHL is taking a far-reaching look into the future of trade, business and society. The study examines five different scenarios of life in the year 2050. These five visions of the future are based on a […]

5 Jul, 2012

How US Uses Sanctions to Hold the World Hostage

Ruan Zongze, People's Daily Online

Beijing, July 05, 2012 – The U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently said as China and Singapore have greatly reduced their oil exports from Iran, the United States have decided to give the two countries exemption on Iran oil sanction. The observing period is six months and extendable. The recent situation of the Middle […]

4 Jul, 2012

The Great American Mirage

By Stephen S. Roach (China Daily)

2012-07-03 – In September 1998, during the depths of the Asian financial crisis, Alan Greenspan, the US Federal Reserve’s chairman at the time, had a simple message: the US is not an oasis of prosperity in an otherwise struggling world. Greenspan’s point is even closer to the mark today than it was back then. Yes, […]

27 Jun, 2012

China Advocates South America Trade Deal

By Qin Jize in Buenos Aires and Wang Chenyan in Beijing

2012-06-27, (China Daily) – A free trade deal between China and Mercosur, the South American trade bloc, was proposed on Monday by Premier Wen Jiabao. Analysts said that the deal, if signed, will carry a number of benefits for the highly complementary economies. “We share extensive common interests and we have great potential for further […]

27 Jun, 2012

2012 Shaping Up as Worst Year Ever for Journalists

By Peter Richards

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jun 25 2012 (IPS) – It’s the type of honour roll that journalists would prefer not to be on. But as an emotional Allison Bethel-McKenzie read out the names of the 72 journalists who have made that grim list so far this year, even Trinidad and Tobago’s president, George Maxwell Richards, […]

27 Jun, 2012

Chinese Middle Class Key to Consumption

By Hong Liang (China Daily)

Beijing, 2012-06-26 (China Daily) – Economists have been talking for years about the need to boost domestic consumption to achieve more balanced and sustainable economic growth. To be sure, consumer spending, especially in the larger cities, has been increasing rapidly in the past decade or so. But the rate of increase has persistently lagged behind […]

27 Jun, 2012

China Urges ASEAN To Be Independent

Beijing, June 25, 2012 (China Daily) – China has urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations not to be a bystander or “a tool of major powers” to cope with the new challenges in the current global political and economic atmosphere. “ASEAN should exercise its independent judgment to move this region forward. If […]

27 Jun, 2012

Why Are Chinese Listed Companies Withdrawing From US Market?

Source: People's Daily, Author: Yuan Quan and Xie Weiqun

Beijing, June 26, 2012, (People’s Daily Online) – Alibaba.com Limited officially delisted from the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited on June 20, 2012. Delisting seems incredible but the Alibaba.com Limited was not the only one choosing to withdraw from the stock market. On Nov. 2, 2011, Harbin Electric Inc. officially withdrew from the NASDAQ […]

27 Jun, 2012

Chinese Experts: U.S. Economy Cannot Survive on “Cardiac Stimulants”

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition, Author: Luo Lan

Beijing, June 25, 2012 (People’s Daily Online) — The market is paying extremely close attention to the question that whether the United States will launch a third round of quantitative easing (QE3) soon. The Federal Reserve is still holding the conference, but the market’s anticipation on the QE3 has strengthened. On June 19, the three […]

7 Jun, 2012

Planned Israeli Settlements In West Bank Violate International Law, Says UN Envoy

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United Nations, 7 June 2012 (UN News Centre) – A top United Nations envoy today reiterated that all settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territory represents a breach of international law, after the Israeli Government announced it will build 300 new units in the Beit El settlement. “All settlement construction – whether on private Palestinian […]

5 Jun, 2012

UN Security Council Told: If Opportunity Missed, Dangerous ‘One-State’ Solution Could Result

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United Nations, (UN Department of Public Information) 29 May 2012 – Describing a mix of positive potential in the recent “quiet engagement” between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, as well as concurrent destabilizing events, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process warned the Security Council this morning that if current opportunities were not seized […]

5 Jun, 2012

As Power Shifts, West Will Lose Ability To Push The Rest

Prof Ramesh Thakur

CANBERRA, 4 June 2012 — The United Nations is located at the cross-section of Interdependence Avenue and Multilateral Cooperation Street in Manhattan. But its destiny lies at the intersection of Indifference Avenue and Hostility Street in Washington. That was the case, at least, under the George W. Bush administration through the mode of John Bolton, the United […]

5 Jun, 2012

Changing Face of Landscape Where Jesus Once Walked

Mazin Qumsiyeh Ph.D.

BETHLEHEM (4 June 2012) : It seems like yesterday that we watched Israeli tanks rolling down the hills towards our sleepy town of Beit Sahour 45 years ago today. As a child it was the most frightening sight. The second stage of the Zionist expansion on the land of Palestine unleashed terror that our generation […]

5 Jun, 2012

UN Chief Upholds Role of Women, Youth in Peaceful Settlement of Palestine Conflict

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Paris, (UN Department of Public Information) 30 May 2012 – Stressing the important role of Palestinian women and youth in achieving a durable peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a greater say for both groups in decision-making, as he kicked off the United Nations International Meeting in Support of the […]

5 Jun, 2012

Impact of Israeli Occupation on Housing, Health Care, Jobs for Palestinian Women, Youth

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PARIS, (UN Department of Public Information) 30 May 2012 — The Israeli occupation’s harsh socio-economic impact on Palestinian youth and women and the subsequent challenges and home-grown and global efforts to improve their lot were examined this afternoon as the United Nations International Meeting on the Question of Palestine held its first plenary session in […]

5 Jun, 2012

Speakers Outraged at Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Civilians

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PARIS, (UN Department of Public Information), 31 May 2012 — The role of information technology in Palestinian social cohesion and state-building, strategies to bolster education and the need to hold Israel to account for human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territory were examined this morning as the United Nations International Meeting on the Question […]

5 Jun, 2012

Call for Different Kind of Diplomacy to Resolve Palestine Conflict

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PARIS, (UN Department of Public Information) 31 May 2012 — The need to change the Israeli mindset towards Palestinians, dismantle Israeli settlements, apply rights-based diplomacy to end the conflict, and better coordinate civil society and United Nations efforts on the ground took centre stage as the United Nations International Meeting on the Question of Palestine […]

29 May, 2012

Human Rights: China Hits Back At “Uncle Sam’s Hypocrisy”

China Daily Commentary

BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhuanet) — In response to the United States’ biased annual country reports on human rights practices released on Thursday, China’s Information Office of the State Council issued its own report on Friday revealing the true human rights situation in the US. The report, titled the “Human Rights Record of the United States in […]

16 Apr, 2012

Gallup Poll: Bulgaria, Yemen Top Countries With Most “Suffering”, Thailand, Brazil Least

Elizabeth Mendes, www.gallup.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. 13 April 2012 — An average of 13% of adults worldwide rated their lives poorly enough to be considered “suffering,” according to Gallup surveys in 146 countries in 2011. The percentage rating their current and future lives poorly enough to be considered suffering was as high as 45% in Bulgaria and as low […]

14 Apr, 2012

U.S. Congressional Candidate Calls for Release of Israeli Nuclear Whistleblower

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New York, NY (PRWEB) April 12, 2012 – 21 April 2012, marks the first day in the 9th year since Mordechai Vanunu, Israel’s Nuclear Whistle Blower emerged from 18 years in a windowless tomb sized cell after telling the truth and providing the photographic proof that led nuclear physicists to conclude Israel had manufactured upwards […]

13 Apr, 2012

Civil Liberties in the US: Big Brother is Getting Bigger

Jack A. Smith, Global Research, April 10, 2012

Source: The Activist Newsletter. Government surveillance and attacks on the privacy of American citizens were bad enough under the Bush regime but they are getting even worse during the Obama years. In addition to retaining President George W. Bush’s many excesses, such as the Patriot Act, new information about the erosion of civil liberties emerges […]

5 Apr, 2012

Global Downturn Hits Aid Funding to Developing Countries – OECD

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Paris, 4 April 2012, OECD News Release – – In 2011, members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD provided USD 133.5 billion of net official development assistance (ODA), representing 0.31 per cent of their combined gross national income (GNI). This was a -2.7 % drop in real terms compared to 2010, the […]

27 Mar, 2012

One Trillion Euros in Bailout Funds Needed to Kick-Start a “Stalling Europe” – OECD

Paris, 27 March 2012, (OECD Media Release) – Euro area finance ministers meeting this week need to boost the firepower of the European stability funds to at least one trillion euros, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said today. The current level of commitment to the rescue funds is not enough to restore market confidence, he said. […]

25 Mar, 2012

Arab Revolutions Will Not End Until The People’s Suffering Ends

CAIRO, 22 March 2012 (AlAhram Online) – The strength of the earthquake that created the Arab revolutions stems from the sufferings of the Arab nation and will not stop so long as those sufferings continue. Therefore we think that democracy or democratic rights in Arab countries are not only necessary but also inevitable. And despite […]

25 Mar, 2012

Exhausted Russian Reporters Plan to Protest Against Protests – RIA Novosti

Russian media employees who are sick and tired of the incessant pro- and anti-government protests in Moscow have set up a Facebook group “Journalists Against Demonstrations” and are planning their own counter-event. via Exhausted Reporters Plan ‘Anti-Demonstration Protest’ | RIA Novosti.

24 Mar, 2012

China Wonders Whether U.S. Can “Influence Israel” to Avoid Another War

By Tao Wenzhao (China Daily)

2012-03-23 – With space for diplomatic solution to nuclear issue narrowing, hopes for peace are pinned on forthcoming talks with Iran. It seems to be a consensus of the US Republican and Democratic parties that the Iran nuclear issue is the most pressing diplomatic concern for the United States at the moment. The George W. […]

24 Mar, 2012

Economic Downturn Impact: U.S. Car Purchases Hit, U.K. Shifting from Buying to Hiring

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Ramsey, NJ (PRWEB) March 23, 2012 – The U.S. auto industry is likely to become a casualty of high gasoline prices. Persisting high gasoline prices could drive down demand and add to the financial troubles of the already vulnerable auto industry. Further, a sharp slump in auto sales has immense potential to affect the economy […]

24 Mar, 2012

China Daily Commentary: U.S. Double Standards On Iran Sanctions

China Daily Commentary

2012-03-23 (China Daily Commentary) — Once again the United States is trying to throw its weight around and impose its unilateral vision on other countries. The US imposed tough new sanctions at the turn of the year, aimed at preventing other countries from importing Iranian oil and conducting transactions with its central bank in a […]

19 Mar, 2012

Opinion: “Out of That Damned Spot”

There are some things that are true, and will always remain true. One truth is that you cannot create a modern, secular society from a primitive theocracy, controlled by tribal leaders and war lords, infested with corrupt politicians, and drug trafficking thugs. Added to this toxic misery a violate populace of desperately poor, uneducated, hysterics. […]

19 Mar, 2012

Ahram Online presents: The Idiot’s Guide to Egypt’s presidential elections 2012

The presidential election will be held in Egypt on 23 and 24 May 2012. If no candidate garners more than half the vote in the first round, the top two candidates will face one another in a runoff on 16-17 June. A new president will be named by 21 June, a timeframe that allows the […]

19 Mar, 2012

The Unstoppable Legacy Of The War On Terror By Karen J. Greenberg

Warning signs abound that 2012 will be another year in which, in the name of national security, those rights and liberties are only further Guantanamo-ized and abridged. Most notably, for example, despite the fact that genuinely dangerous enemies continue to exist abroad, there is now a new enemy in our sights: namely, American oppositional types […]

16 Mar, 2012

Bite your tongue: Russians wearying of Western criticism — RT

The Levada Center, a polling agency, released data on a nationwide survey taken in February that shows a marked trend toward domestic opposition to outside criticism – from the West in general, and the United States in particular. The percentage of Russians who believe that Moscow should stop paying attention to criticism from the West […]

15 Mar, 2012

U.S. Job Insecurity, Debt Keep Retirement Confidence at Historic Lows

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WASHINGTON, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — A new survey says Americans’ confidence in their ability to afford a comfortable retirement remains at historically low levels in the face of job uncertainty and financial insecurity. The 2012 annual Retirement Confidence Survey, released by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) in Washington, and co-sponsored by the […]

15 Mar, 2012

400,000 Young Americans Indicate, “Gas Prices Are Too Damn High” as Prices Top $4

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WASHINGTON, March 14, 2012 –(BUSINESS WIRE) — Generation Opportunity today announced a new social media platform, the Facebook page “Gas Prices Are Too Damn High,” with over 400,000 fans. The page provides a forum for young Americans hit hard by the rising cost of gasoline coupled with the financial stress caused by the poor economy […]

10 Mar, 2012

Israelis build the world’s biggest detention centre – The Independent

Israel is to begin construction soon on a vast detention facility in the Negev desert to house the thousands of immigrants that cross illegally into Israel from Egypt every year. Human rights groups fear that the detention centre, the largest of its kind in the world, with a capacity to hold 8,000 migrants, will turn […]

10 Mar, 2012

Half of UK’s young black males are unemployed – The Guardian

More than half of young black men available for work in Britain are now unemployed, according to unpublished government statistics obtained by the Guardian which show the recession is hitting young black people disproportionately hard. The new figures, which do not include students, also reveal that the youth unemployment rate for black people has increased […]

10 Mar, 2012

Asia Times Online : Nuclear power back from the grave

While staggering amounts of radiation were released into the environment (the danger of new discharges lurks: even the plant director acknowledges that the reactors are “still rather fragile”), the global nuclear industry seems unfazed. Its executives have good reasons to be cheerful, despite the gloom that had started to spread among them last year. The […]