12 Mar, 2016
Kyoto taxis specializing in foreign tourists begin one-year trial | The Japan Times
KYOTO, Mar 1, 2016 Kyodo– A one-year trial run for taxis aimed at non-Japanese tourists started Tuesday in the city of Kyoto, the first such service in Japan aimed at enhancing the experience for overseas visitors. The “foreigner-friendly taxis” accept credit cards, have space for two large suitcases and drivers who are able to communicate […]
more…12 Mar, 2016
No freedom without dissent – The Hindu
There is an opinion that India has come into its natural inheritance only after the election of a majority government in May 2014. It is argued that the past 60-odd years of the Indian Republic were a mere epilogue to an empire and a Western era that had not fully died in 1947. The Nehruvian […]
more…12 Mar, 2016
The issue of nationalism: A sinister pattern underway – The Hindu
Everything is projected through the lens of a narrow Hindutva definition of nationalism, leaving no room for tolerance and pluralism. Questioning the death penalty is attacked as anti-national; studying in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is anti-national; being a human rights worker in Chhattisgarh is anti-national; the ‘right to report’ is anti-national; and asking for transparency […]
more…4 Mar, 2016
Iranian musician forced to stop Cologne concert after audience members jeer and shout ‘speak German’ – The Independent
An Iranian harpsichordist has described his shock after being forced to stop a concert in Cologne following calls to “speak German” and jeering. Mahan Esfahani, who has won numerous awards and teaches at London’s prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama, was performing at the Kölner Philharmonie when the furore broke out on Sunday. As […]
more…1 Mar, 2016
From Birthright to HP, Israel Gave Billions to Private Contractors Without Tenders – Ha’aretz
Israel’s government has spent 31.6 billion shekels ($8.1 billion) over the last five years awarding contracts to companies and other organizations without any kind of competitive bidding process, an analysis conducted by the Public Knowledge Workshop for The Marker shows. More than 3,900 bodies, the biggest by far a company called Sarel that purchases medical […]
more…24 Feb, 2016
Indian Greenpeace campaigner blasts growing assault on freedom, dissent and democracy
Over the last few days, different parts of our fine nation have churned, with activists championing a variety of causes and students reclaiming their democratic right to debate issues like the death penalty, tribal rights, Dalit access to education, forests under threat from mining interests and state repression. As democratic voices rise to levels that […]
more…24 Feb, 2016
Google slashed taxes by $3.4b using European subsidiaries – Sydney Morning Herald
Google saved $US2.4 billion ($3.4 billion) in worldwide taxes in 2014 by shifting €10.7 billion ($16.7 billion) in international revenues to a Bermuda shell company, Alphabet Inc., the parent of the Web-search provider, regulatory filings show. The amount Google moved through its Dutch subsidiary, Google Netherlands Holdings, and then on to Bermuda represents the bulk […]
more…24 Feb, 2016
Ban RSS, India’s No 1 terror organisation: Former Maharashtra cop – Hindustan Times
Maharashtra’s former inspector general of police SM Mushrif on Tuesday accused the Intelligence Bureau (IB) of being hand-in-glove with right-wing extremists, and called for a ban on the RSS describing it as India’s No.1 terror organisation. At the launch of the Bengali version of his book “RSS – Country’s Greatest Terror Organisation”, Mushrif also termed […]
more…24 Feb, 2016
Biometric data carts to cut waiting times at Japanese airports | The Japan Times
The amount of time visitors to Japan spend waiting at airport passport control gates, believed to help form their first impressions of the country, may soon become noticeably shorter thanks to the introduction of special equipment carts. The Justice Ministry said Tuesday it will debut a new passport control system this fall at the earliest […]
more…23 Feb, 2016
Academy disavows Oscars gift bag featuring Israel travel junket | The Electronic Intifada
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has filed a lawsuit against Distinctive Assets, the company distributing a luxury gift bag to Oscar nominees which includes an all-expenses paid trip to Israel sponsored by the Israeli government. “Distinctive Assets has been falsely representing that its extravagant ‘gift bags’ [are] redistributed by the Academy, at […]
more…22 Feb, 2016
25% of Japan’s disabled have trouble making ends meet | The Japan Times
Tokyo – At least 1 in 4 disabled people in Japan has difficulty making ends meet, with the poverty rate running twice the average of nondisabled individuals, according to a study led by a Keio University professor. Atsuhiro Yamada’s team studied the results of a 2013 government survey on people’s lives to identify the relative […]
more…22 Feb, 2016
Israeli Winner at Berlin Film Festival Calls Israeli Government ‘Fascist’ at Movie Screening – Haaretz
Israeli director Udi Aloni made headlines in Berlin when he called the Israeli government “fascist” at a Q&A session about his award-winning film “Junction 48.” Aloni, whose Arabic-language hip-hop film featuring mostly Palestinian actors, said that Germany shouldn’t supply Israel with submarines because of its fascist government. He also mentioned at the session Palestinian hunger-striker […]
more…22 Feb, 2016
The emperor’s new nationalism – The Hindu
From Hyderabad to Jawaharlal Nehru University, from the death of Rohith Vemula to the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, a clear political agenda by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party can be discerned. At first flush, this is a party whose top leaders — and they include members of the Union Cabinet — are all too willing […]
more…20 Feb, 2016
Cabbies march in Madrid against Uber-type services | The Japan Times
MADRID – Thousands of taxi drivers protested Thursday in Madrid over competitors such as Uber, echoing similar recent demonstrations in neighboring France. French drivers joined the thousands of protesters in the Spanish capital who sported banners that read “No to unfair competition,” denouncing among other grievances the planned deregulation of the sector. Spain’s cabbies fear […]
more…20 Feb, 2016
6 Habits Of A Happy, Solid Couple – Sydney Morning Herald
The beginning of any relationship is more often than not completely exhilarating. It’s a time when your partner can do no wrong and all of the things that once bothered you seem to float away because YOU ARE IN LOVE! And that’s all that matters. But as we know, eventually life gets back to normal. […]
more…20 Feb, 2016
South African water conference called off amid protest at Israel’s role | The Electronic Intifada
A South African conference on water has been canceled following protests against the planned participation of an Israeli diplomat. Arthur Lenk, Israel’s ambassador to South Africa, was scheduled to take part in a “water summit” on 26 February. Lenk’s involvement prompted one of the main speakers, Lorenzo Fioramonti from the University of Pretoria, to withdraw. […]
more…20 Feb, 2016
A battle for India’s soul – Arab News
This is not a debate about nationalism, Kashmiri separatism or the independent thinking spaces that great universities like JNU represent. What is unfolding, from Hyderabad to Delhi, is a battle for India’s soul. It is not enough for the BJP to capture the reins of power in the name of universally appealing slogans like development […]
more…20 Feb, 2016
Full text of Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader’s speech which India considers “sedition” – Hindustan Times
“Few media works were saying that JNU runs on the money from our taxes and subsidies and this is right! It is absolutely right that JNU runs from taxes and subsidies but we want to put up a question- what is a university for? A university is for the critical analysis of the society’s consensus. […]
more…20 Feb, 2016
Polish magazine’s ‘Islamic rape of Europe’ cover sparks outrage – The Guardian
A Polish magazine has published a highly inflammatory front cover showing a white woman being assaulted by three pairs of dark-skinned male hands under the headline “The Islamic rape of Europe”. The cover of this week’s edition of wSieci (the Network), a mass-market politically conservative magazine, triggered outraged responses on social media. Some Twitter users […]
more…19 Feb, 2016
An Open Letter To Fellow Indian Citizens – By Rutuja Deshmukh Wakankar, Countercurrents.org
15 February, 2016 Dear Fellow Citizens, Today I write to all of you and especially the Indian upper and middle class (emphasize mine), as one amongst you. We are at the brink of destruction; by we I mean us as a nation. I fully understand the implication of my statement, which is very serious in […]
more…17 Feb, 2016
Cologne sex assaults: Muslim rape myths fit a neo-Nazi agenda – The Independent
Dark myths about sexual assaults in Cologne came into sharp focus last week when a female television journalist was attacked live on air. Esmeralda Labye, a reporter from Belgium, was covering the German city’s annual carnival when three men variously touched her breasts, kissed her and simulated intercourse behind her back. It followed claims of […]
more…3 Feb, 2016
India on the slippery slope towards McCarthyism – The Hindu
By Peter Ronald Desouza No substantive discussion in a university can be anti-national as long as protocols of discussion are maintained. Dissent must be heard. No one would want to be called anti-national for it brings in its wake the primordial passions of hate and anger onto oneself. It produces self and social censorship. This […]
more…3 Feb, 2016
A Sufi, a Sikh and their message of love: A journey from Lahore to Amritsar – DAWN.COM
It is noteworthy that Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikh faith, includes the kalaam (poetry/works) of renowned Sufis like Baba Fareed of the Chishtiyyah Sufi order. And hence, aptly, the kalaam of popular Sikh poet Ravidas jee resounds at the Shrine of Mian Mir in Lahore today as a reminder of humanity […]
more…31 Jan, 2016
Inside the booming Muslim fashion industry – Al Jazeera English
Anas Silwood moved to Jordan from Britain to study Arabic back in 2000. The 20-something was supposed to stay for only a few months, but he soon decided Amman was the place he wanted to be. He learned Arabic, converted to Islam and settled. “Every time I went back to the UK I had the […]
more…31 Jan, 2016
Davos is the problem, not the solution — RT Op-Edge
For the majority of people of the planet, but not for the super, super rich, things have gone backwards since the first Davos meeting was held. That’s no coincidence as Davos – for all the ’progressive’ waffle about ‘stakeholder theory’ and the ’global public interest’ – is all about maintaining an elite-friendly, neoliberal economic order […]
more…31 Jan, 2016
Meet the whistleblower who helped expose Google’s tax avoidance – The Independent
Like millions of others this weekend, Barney Jones is filling in his tax returns. The forms detailing earnings and expenditure are not for the faint-hearted, and completing them seldom gives satisfaction – even when you’ve just played a key role in adding an extra £130m to Britain’s coffers. The whistleblower who helped to reveal how […]
more…31 Jan, 2016
The “war on terror” has only created more terror, while costing each U.S. household $75,000: Jill Stein ~ News Forage
The “war on terror,” Stein pointed out, has only created more terror, while costing each U.S. household $75,000. “That’s not going to make people terribly enthusiastic for it, particularly when you point out that all this has done is create failed states, worse terrorist threat, whether you look at the Taliban, the globalization of al-Qaeda, […]
more…27 Jan, 2016
Protesting Sikh removed from Trump’s rally – Times of India
WASHINGTON: A turbaned Sikh man was forced out of Donald Trump’s rally in the US state of Iowa after he interrupted the Republican presidential frontrunner’s speech by displaying a banner that read ‘Stop Hate’. The man, wearing a bright red turban, started his peaceful protest impromptu, when Trump was addressing an impressive campaign rally on […]
more…25 Jan, 2016
Stan Grant’s speech on racism and the Australian dream goes viral – The Guardian
The veteran journalist and Wiradjuri man, Stan Grant, has told a Sydney audience that racism is “at the heart of the Australian dream,” as he delivered a sobering speech about the impact of colonisation and discrimination on Indigenous people and their ancestors. It has provoked a powerful reaction from Australians, going viral on Facebook with […]
more…21 Jan, 2016
Foreign policy that blindly follows the US isn’t in our national interest – Sydney Morning Herald
When Prime Minister Turnbull visits the Oval Office this week, he faces clear choices about the kind of foreign policy leadership he offers Australia. In an ideal world, our Prime Minister would be confident and forthright about Australian values and interests, supportive of the American approach where this aligns with our own, and critical where […]
more…21 Jan, 2016
Shaikha Moza: Technology is killing Arabic language | GulfNews.com
Manama: Shaikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), has lamented the inability of the Arabs to preserve their language by misusing modern communication technology. “Our failure to effectively use modern communication techniques has led to an inability to preserve the Arabic language,” Shaikha Moza said during her […]
more…21 Jan, 2016
Need tolerance in India very badly, says Nobel laureate Amartya Sen – Hindustan Times
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on Wednesday asserted India needs tolerance “very badly” but also underscored the importance of skeptical tolerance. Sen, an alumni of erstwhile Presidency College which has now developed into the Presidency University, discussed the influence and contributions of early 19th century poet Henry Louis Vivian Derozio in education and society. “The general […]
more…18 Jan, 2016
Foreign tourism emerges as bright spot amid Japan’s dim economic prospects | The Japan Times
With few positive signs of recovery for Japan’s slumping economy, foreign tourism remains a sole ray of hope, and tourism authorities, local governments, industry players as well as retailers are eagerly awaiting another possibly record-breaking surge in Chinese tourists during next month’s Chinese New Year holiday. Though economists say a tourism boom alone won’t bail […]
more…16 Jan, 2016
Mossad proxy faked violent Facebook anti-Semitism | The Electronic Intifada
An Israeli legal group with intimate ties to the state’s intelligence agencies has admitted to faking an ostensibly pro-Palestinian Facebook page and using it to post anti-Semitic statements including “Death to all the Jews.” The Israeli group has also filed a lawsuit against Facebook, for allegedly permitting Palestinian “incitement.” Shurat HaDin claims to be a […]
more…15 Jan, 2016
Alan Rickman’s pro-Palestinian Gaza play was also censored by theater | The Electronic Intifada
In 2005, Rickman directed the initial London run of My Name is Rachel Corrie, a play based on the writing of the US activist crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza two years prior. Rickman had been moved to produce the work, staged at London’s Royal Court Theatre, after reading Corrie’s published emails […]
more…13 Jan, 2016
Airbnb lists homes in illegal Israeli settlements – Al Jazeera English
Jerusalem – Dozens of listings on the online accommodation service Airbnb show immaculate cottages, elaborate breakfasts and rolling hillside views “in Israel” – but what is not stated is that the properties are located in Jewish settlements and outposts on occupied Palestinian territory. One shows a tidy, three-bedroom rental home with an idyllic courtyard framed […]
more…13 Jan, 2016
Jewish-Israeli band making waves with Arabic song – Al Jazeera English
A girl band in Israel has been making waves after its debut single became the first song entirely in Arabic to top the charts in Israel. “Habib Galbi” by the band A-WA – made up of three sisters – gives traditional rhythms and lyrics from Yemen a hip-hop treatment. It’s a song that has been […]
more…13 Jan, 2016
An Open Letter to President Obama from the “Israeli General’s Son” – Desertpeace
By Miko Peled When America voted for you the first time, many people were very optimistic. A man with an African Muslim father, an African Muslim name and what seemed like a caring heart and a brilliant mind. That was both refreshing and promising. You came into office with big promises, your first inaugural address […]
more…11 Jan, 2016
Saudi-Iran row to impact Mideast economy | GulfNews.com
Dubai: The Saudi-Iranian tensions could impact not just the economy of Iran, but also that of the wider Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, analysts have said. It could also affect investors’ appetite for risk, “spell increased volatility” in the financial markets and create pressure on oil prices. “[The] impact of the conflict on key […]
more…11 Jan, 2016
16 students deported from US, ‘hassled’ at Hyderabad airport – Hindustan Times
The ordeal of 16 students from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, who had gone to the US seeking admission in educational institutions there but were sent back from New York, continued despite landing back home as they alleged that they had been kept waiting for around six hours at the international airport in Hyderabad over some […]
more…7 Jan, 2016
Why aren’t we calling the Oregon occupiers ‘terrorists’?
As of Sunday afternoon, The Washington Post called them “occupiers.” The New York Times opted for “armed activists” and “militia men.” And the Associated Press put the situation this way: “A family previously involved in a showdown with the federal government has occupied a building at a national wildlife refuge in Oregon and is asking […]
more…4 Jan, 2016
Banks exploit your personal data to stave off competitors – Sydney Morning Herald
Thanks to advances in computing power and customers’ embrace of digital finance, banks know more than ever about what their customers are up to: whether it’s browsing the web, shopping online, visiting the mall, or interacting on social media. Already, they are busily harnessing this vast amount of data to sell products to customers before […]
more…2 Jan, 2016
2015: The year India discovered intolerance – Amrith Lal, The Indian Express
Early January, Tamil writer Perumal Murugan put up on his Facebook wall the first notice of a growing trend in India society. Pummelled to submission by caste groups who took exception to his treatment of social relations in his novel, Mathorubagan (One-part Woman), Murugan announced the death of his authorial self. “Author Perumal Murugan is […]
more…31 Dec, 2015
Richest 10 per cent in UK ‘own half the country’s wealth’ – The Independent
The richest 10 per cent of households in the UK own nearly half of the country’s total wealth, while poorest the half of households represent just nine per cent, new official statistics reveal. Findings from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also reveal that wealth inequality is growing, with the richest tenth of society seeing […]
more…31 Dec, 2015
How the Israel boycott movement struck major blows in 2015 | The Electronic Intifada
In September 2014, on the eve of the Jewish new year, Israel’s leading financial daily named Omar Barghouti among the 100 people most likely to influence the country’s economy in the following year. Calcalist, the business supplement of the mass circulation newspaper Yediot Ahronot, said that the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, which Barghouti helped […]
more…30 Dec, 2015
The true price of happiness: Three important lessons for a good life
Harvard professor Robert Waldinger is the director of a 75-year study following the lives of 724 men. It is the longest happiness study ever conducted. In a new TED talk, Waldinger revealed the three main findings of the study and they weren’t being able to buy the world’s most expensive wine, becoming famous or being […]
more…26 Dec, 2015
What If Jesus Had Been Born In 2015 In The American Police State? – Countercurrents
The Christmas narrative of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one. The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so that they could be counted.There being no room for the […]
more…26 Dec, 2015
The checkpoint-ridden journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, today – Al Jazeera English
The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, today Mary and Joseph would have to pass through Israeli checkpoints, occupied land, illegal settlements and separation wall. See the interactive report and read the rest: The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, today – Al Jazeera English
more…23 Dec, 2015
What If Jesus Had Been Born In 2015 In The American Police State? – Countercurrents.org
The Christmas narrative of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one. The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so that they could be counted.There being no room for the […]
more…22 Dec, 2015
Americans Name Terrorism as No. 1 U.S. Problem – Gallup Polls
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, Americans are now more likely to name terrorism as the top issue facing the U.S. than to name any other issue — including those that have typically topped the list recently, such as the economy and the government. About one in […]
more…21 Dec, 2015
19 students barred from boarding US-bound Air India flight in Hyderabad | The Indian Express
Air India barred 19 students from boarding its flight to the USA on the grounds that the two universities in which they had secured admission are under “scrutiny” by American authorities. The national carrier asked its staff to not allow the 19 students to board its flight to San Francisco at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport […]
more…21 Dec, 2015
Indonesian film explores anti-Muslim discrimination in the US – The Jakarta Post
Acha Septriasa and Abimana Aryasatya mark their return to the screen after starring in 99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa (Ninety-nine Lights in the European Sky) and its two sequels — the predecessors of their latest film Bulan Terbelah di Langit Amerika (Split Moon in the American Sky). The latest film, Bulan Terbelah, gives a glimpse […]
more…19 Dec, 2015
Instilling fear in Americans – Arab News
By Sabria S. Jawahar Following the San Bernardino, Calif., shootings and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s call to ban entry of all Muslims to the United States my non-Muslim mother-in-law and stepdaughter expressed their fears over my safety when I come to the United States. It was particularly alarming to me since my husband’s family […]
more…19 Dec, 2015
‘Palestinian children live in trauma without end’ – Al Jazeera English
Rafah, Gaza Strip – Ismail Abu Shebab, a shy 11-year-old taking a break from school, opened his mouth to speak – but the overhead roar of Israeli warplanes made his words nearly inaudible. As the aircraft came closer, Abu Shebab grew silent. “I’m ready to talk,” he said after a few moments. Abu Shebab suffers […]
more…19 Dec, 2015
Guess who demanded £330,000 for a 20-minute speech at a world hunger event? – The Independent
Over the weekend, it was reported that Tony Blair pulled out of addressing The World Hunger Forum in Stockholm because his £330k price tag for turning up and talking just couldn’t be met. According to one source, the food company organising the event, Eat, dropped Blair because “his star power is fast diminishing”. But regardless […]
more…19 Dec, 2015
Defying prejudice, more Americans learn Arabic – Al Jazeera English
New York, United States – Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric tells one story about the modern day US. But, students painstakingly learning Arabic’s right-to-left script in classrooms across the country tells another. While fewer Americans speak Arabic than English, Spanish, Chinese or even Tagalog, it is perhaps the nation’s fastest-growing language and is […]
more…19 Dec, 2015
Sikh man on US flight mocked, labelled bin Laden by co-passenger – The Times of India
NEW YORK: An elderly Sikh man in the US was filmed while sleeping on a flight by a co-passenger who posted the video online with a title ‘Would You Feel Safe’ and a description that says “flying with bin laden.” Darshan Singh, who was travelling on a Jetblue flight from New York to California in […]
more…19 Dec, 2015
The joy of Canada delivered from Stephen Harper’s darkness to Justin Trudeau’s light – The Independent
by Robert Fisk Let us now praise famous men… Justin Trudeau comes to mind. “Canada is back,” the country’s new Prime Minister told the climate conference in Paris – and closed the door on the bigoted, aggressive Canada which his Conservative predecessor had been trying to create. It’s nice to write a story that’s an […]
more…17 Dec, 2015
Vegetarian diets could be bad for environment – The Independent
Eating a healthier diet rich in fruit and vegetables could actually be more harmful to the environment than consuming some meat, a US study has claimed. Lettuce is “over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon”, according to researchers from the Carnegie Mellon University who analysed the impact per calorie of different […]
more…17 Dec, 2015
More Than 200 South African Scholars Back Academic Boycott of Israel – Haaretz
More than 200 South African scholars pledged support for an academic boycott of Israel in a statement made on Tuesday. The scholars said they would not accept invitations to visit Israeli academic institutions and would not participate in conferences organized or funded by them. They will, however, continue to work with Israeli colleagues individually, if […]
more…17 Dec, 2015
US Sikhs feel vulnerable, join with Muslims to combat backlash – The Times of India
CHICAGO: Pardeep Kaleka spent several days after 9/11 at his father’s South Milwaukee gas station, fearing that his family would be targeted by people who assumed they were Muslim. No, Kaleka explained on behalf of his father, who wore a turban and beard and spoke only in broken English, the family was Sikh, a southeast […]
more…13 Dec, 2015
Republican senator visits mosque to reject Donald Trump’s Muslim ban — Sydney Morning Herald
Washington: Donald Trump’s call on Monday to bar all Muslims from entering the US provoked a variety of reactions from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, ranging from silence to gentle disapproval to full-throated condemnation. But only one visited a mosque to speak up for religious tolerance and American unity. Senator Jeff Flake, of Arizona, attended a Friday afternoon […]
more…12 Dec, 2015
Jewish billionaire’s Foundation banned as ‘threat to Russian national security’ – RT
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has recognized George Soros’s Open Society Institute and another affiliated organization as undesirable groups, banning Russian citizens and organizations from participation in any of their projects. In a statement released on Monday, prosecutors said the activities of the Open Society Institute and the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation were a […]
more…12 Dec, 2015
Australian and Islamic extremists are the same – Afghan refugee girl tells BBC News
When Mr Shortis went on in the video to claim he and Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic state, would agree on their interpretation of Islam, Ms Haidary said she realised that in some ways Islamic extremists and Australia’s most militant anti-Islamic group were exactly the same. “They go straight on the Koran,” she […]
more…12 Dec, 2015
Edward Snowden meets Arundhati Roy and John Cusack: War, Greed & Terrorism – The Guardian
We talked about war and greed, about terrorism, and what an accurate definition of it would be. We spoke about countries, flags and the meaning of patriotism. We talked about public opinion and the concept of public morality and how fickle it could be, and how easily manipulated. It wasn’t a Q&A type of conversation. […]
more…12 Dec, 2015
Reclaiming India for democracy – Jairus Banaji, The Hindu
There is a growing sense that the centralisation of power in the hands of ‘one man’ and a sheer lack of competence at the level of the PMO have triggered a breakdown in the normal routines of government and caused disaffection in the ranks of the bureaucracy. Political interference in the Reserve Bank’s jealously guarded […]
more…1 Dec, 2015
S. African journalist exposes more lies by Blair and Bush over attack on Iraq
Tony Blair went to war in Iraq despite a report by South African experts with unique knowledge of the country that showed it did not possess weapons of mass destruction, according to a book published on Sunday. God, Spies and Lies, by South African journalist John Matisonn, describes how then president Thabo Mbeki tried in […]
more…30 Nov, 2015
Egyptian writer blasts West’s duplicitous policies on fighting terror
The recent backlash against Egypt in connection with the plane crash has nothing to do with the plane crash and everything to do with international bias and misjudgement. When it comes to fighting terror, international policy is simply duplicitous. It all depends on who is being targeted, and what the outcome is for them. When […]
more…29 Nov, 2015
Aamir Khan is the true son of India: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra | The Indian Express
Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra says superstar Aamir Khan, who has been embroiled in a controversy for his comments on intolerance, is a true son of the soil and does not have to prove anything. The 50-year-old “PK” star during an award function in the national capital had said he has been “alarmed” by a number […]
more…29 Nov, 2015
The war on terror and the terror of war – DAWN.COM
We live in a world where wars are not fought anymore, but felt. A world where war has seeped into human hearts, silently and sinisterly, manifesting itself through the most trivial of human emotions. We live in a world where the battlefield is not a place anymore, but a condition. A world where the most […]
more…28 Nov, 2015
Lies, Terror and the Drive to War – PravdaReport
It is all about “narratives”, the buzz word coined by US propaganda. The point 0f a narrative is, however, that it needs to be consistent, whether it is a fairy tale or a spinned story. Many official narratives have become unraveled to the point where few people out there still believe them. This is the […]
more…27 Nov, 2015
RSS India’s number 1 terror group: Former Mumbai police officer – The Times of India
KOLKATA: Claiming that the activists of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have been indicted in at least 13 terror cases across India, former Maharashtra inspector general of police S M Mushrif on Thursday described the BJP’s ideological mentor as India’s number one terrorist organisation. “RSS activists have been chargesheeted in at least 13 cases of […]
more…27 Nov, 2015
Paris attacks: Women targeted as hate crime against British Muslims soars – The Independent
Muslims living in Britain have suffered more than 100 racial attacks since the terrorist atrocities in Paris, figures prepared for ministers reveal. A report to the Government’s working group on anti-Muslim hatred, seen by The Independent, shows a spike in Islamophobic hate crime of more than 300 per cent, to 115, in the week following […]
more…27 Nov, 2015
Myopia epidemic: Kids urged to go outside and drop devices – or risk blindness – Sydney Morning Herald
Maxime Jalbert Locke has been told to spend more time outdoors. The 11-year-old has also been told to limit time on devices. The reason? He has been diagnosed with myopia. When asked what caused his myopia, he said it was caused ‘a bit’ by looking at screens. About 30 per cent of myopia is genetic. […]
more…27 Nov, 2015
The downside of too much technology: Young people with ‘old eyes’ | The Japan Times
Growing numbers of people in their 20s and 30s are reporting vision trouble. The cause is spending too much time staring at small screens. Staring too much at tiny details in the confined space of a small screen results in a condition known as presbyopia, a term derived from Greek words meaning “old eye.” The […]
more…27 Nov, 2015
Aamir Khan’s right to speak – The Hindu
In the Bharatiya Janata Party Parivar’s revised reckoner, actor Aamir Khan is now a villain giving India a bad name. It happened the day he joined forces with writers, actors and scientists and re-opened the debate on intolerance in the country by voicing his own concern and his wife’s anxiety and thoughts, perhaps fleeting, of […]
more…27 Nov, 2015
Hindu party leader offers hotel staff Rs 100k to slap Muslim actor, party says not official view — Hindustan Times
A leader of the Punjab unit of the Shiv Sena has offered Rs 1 lakh (Rs 100,000) to anyone who slaps Bollywood actor Aamir Khan for his comment on ‘growing intolerance’ in the country. The Shiv Sena, however, said on Thursday the remark was not the official view of the party. “Any person who slaps […]
more…27 Nov, 2015
What has a 15-year ‘War on Terror” achieved? – Interview with the Prime Minister of Australia
LEIGH SALES:Billions of dollars have been spent since 9-11, numerous civil liberties have been curtailed, Australians have been told the whole way along that it was to make them safer and to defeat terrorism around the world and yet here we are in 2015, told today that we’re less safe than we’ve ever been. Don’t […]
more…27 Nov, 2015
India’s religious intolerance flap: Aamir Khan’s comment is just the tip of the iceberg | Asia Times
By Amrita Mukherjee Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan recently stirred a storm on Indian social media by publicly remarking that his wife, Kiran Rao (who is a Hindu by birth), had asked him whether they should move out of India due to rising religious intolerance. Aamir (a Muslim) drew the ire of right wing Hindu politicians […]
more…24 Nov, 2015
States of Terror – Chris Hedges – Truthdig
It is nearly certain that we will endure, sooner rather than later, another catastrophic terrorist attack on American soil. The blundering of our military into the Middle East; the failed states that have risen out of the mismanagement and chaos of Iraq and Afghanistan; the millions of innocents we have driven from their homes, terrorized […]
more…24 Nov, 2015
PressTV – ‘Israel was prime force behind 9/11’: American Scholar
An American scholar and journalist in Wisconsin says not only was the Zionist regime the primary force behind the 9/11 attacks, it was Israeli spies working for Mossad – not Arab Muslims – who celebrated the burning Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Dr. Kevin Barrett, a founding member of the Scientific Panel for the […]
more…24 Nov, 2015
Attacks on American Muslims are growing uglier by the day. It must stop – Washington Post
In the week since the Paris attacks, the American conversation has escalated with frightening and jaw-dropping speed to include registration of U.S. Muslims, internment camps, closed borders. The tone is actually worse than it was after the Sept. 11 attacks on our own soil. Registration by religion? Sounds like Nazi Germany, not a country with […]
more…23 Nov, 2015
Turn off the TV, Islamic Terrorism is a Fat Lie – Moroccan World News
Rabat – Terrorism is a lie. It simply does not exist and is an example of yet another manufactured word that takes on a meaning far more insidious than the people who supposedly perpetrate the crime. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to see it or hear it fall, does […]
more…14 Nov, 2015
China’s mobile Internet users hit 875 mln
BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) — The number of people in China using mobile Internet has surpassed 875 million, according to an industry report released on Tuesday. China has the world’s largest population of mobile Internet users. The value of the market is expected to exceed 2.3 trillion yuan (362.2 billion U.S. dollars) by year end […]
more…14 Nov, 2015
Chinese leader vows faster economic structural reform
BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) — China will accelerate economic structural reform on the supply front to lend more steam to sustainable growth, President Xi Jinping said Tuesday. Proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy will be applied to offer a stable macro environment for economic restructuring, Xi told a meeting of the Central Leading Group […]
more…14 Nov, 2015
Obesity on the rise among Filipinos
MANILA, Philippines Nov. 9 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Philippines National Nutrition Council (NNC) has expressed alarm over overweight and obesity which is becoming an “emerging problem” in the country, saying that this will result in a future generation of unhealthy Filipinos. “Unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle are now resulting in many Filipino children being overweight and […]
more…14 Nov, 2015
GCC States Able to Withstand Oil Price Decline – Minister
DOHA, Qatar, Nov 10 (NNN-KUNA) – Kuwait Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Electricity and Water, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, said, the GCC States are able to withstand the ongoing decline in oil prices, through their cooperative consensus inside the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah […]
more…14 Nov, 2015
China to start direct trading between RMB, Swiss Franc
BEIJING, (Xinhua), 10 Nov 2015 – China announced Monday that it will allow direct trading between the Chinese yuan and Swiss Franc in the inter-bank foreign exchange market starting from Tuesday. The move will lower trading costs for China and Switzerland, facilitate use of the two currencies in bilateral trade and investment and boost economic and […]
more…14 Nov, 2015
China plans new regulations to protect taxis from app-based cars
HANGZHOU, 10 Nov 2015, (Xinhua) – China’s transport authorities have decided to step in to help the traditional taxi industry, under pressure from app-based car services. The Ministry of Transport has just concluded soliciting public opinion in preparation for drafting a plan to improve taxi drivers’ incomes while solving urban traffic problems. Most of taxi […]
more…14 Nov, 2015
China briefs foreign diplomats on its next five-year plan
Beijing, (People’s Daily Online), November 10, 2015 – The International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a thematic briefing for foreign diplomats to explain the outcomes of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2015, as a response to the […]
more…10 Nov, 2015
Many German Managers Not Strengths-Focused – Gallup
by Marco Nink Helping employees to set and achieve goals is a crucial responsibility for managers. But to encourage excellence, it’s important for managers to do more than hand their workers a job description or a list of tasks to be accomplished. To empower employees to take initiative and inspire high performance, the best managers […]
more…10 Nov, 2015
More Data Doesn’t Always Mean Better Insights – Gallup
by Ilana Ron Levey and John Timmerman As technology advances, it’s tempting for companies to believe that gathering more data and crunching more numbers will consistently lead to better customer insights. But Gallup finds that’s not always the case, particularly in the business-to-business (B2B) arena. Here’s why: For B2B companies, success hinges narrowly on the […]
more…7 Nov, 2015
The Most Brazen Corporate Power Grab in American History – Chris Hedges – Truthdig
The release Thursday of the 5,544-page text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership—a trade and investment agreement involving 12 countries comprising nearly 40 percent of global output—confirms what even its most apocalyptic critics feared. “The TPP, along with the WTO [World Trade Organization] and NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement], is the most brazen corporate power grab […]
more…5 Nov, 2015
U.K. filmmaker backs protest against Modi – The Hindu
Leslie Udwin, who made the critically acclaimed documentary India’s Daughter, has voiced her support for protests organised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to London on November 12. Ms. Udwin however insisted that has not been personally involved in organising any of the Modi-related protests. Recent news reports have said that she issued […]
more…5 Nov, 2015
In India, portents of a religious autocracy – The Hindu
With the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) being the fountainhead of Hindutva, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government being strongly influenced by the RSS, we may ask: “Are we moving towards a Hindu religious autocracy which would move the country away from rationality and reason and, thus, democracy?” Unfortunately, it seems so. In any rational […]
more…5 Nov, 2015
Hotels in Delhi step up security after sting claims beef sale – The Hindu
Several five Star Hotels in New Delhi and South Delhi have been provided additional security cover after a sting operation purportedly showed them as serving cow meat. Talking to The Hindu a senior police officer said that the security was enhanced in the light of warning from right wing groups who have demanded action and […]
more…5 Nov, 2015
Dear Modi Sarkar, respect intellectuals and please respond – Hindustan Times
Right after documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan returned his National Award, he appeared for a television interview and said the current regime has ushered us into “early stages of nascent fascism”. Patwardhan – the director of hard-hitting documentaries like Ram ke Naam, Father, Son, and Holy War and Jai Bhim Comrade – was asked in return […]
more…5 Nov, 2015
Hindutva hardliners seek review of population policy to counter Muslim growth – Hindustan Times
The RSS on Saturday sought a review of the population policy to counter “severe demographic changes” in India, flagging what it considers a high rate of growth among Muslims in the country. The Hindutva outfit – considered the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP at the Centre – passed a resolution on the contentious issue […]
more…5 Nov, 2015
Divided India observes Unity and Integration day – Hindustan Times
India’s yawning political divide was on full display on Saturday as the country failed to put up a united front in paying tributes to two of its foremost leaders, Indira Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on Saturday. Various states ruled by different political parties marked the death and birth anniversaries of the former prime minister […]
more…5 Nov, 2015
As the October Protests rage on – The Hindu
By Zoya Hasan Even as this is being written, the campaign started by 40 writers returning the Sahitya Akademi awards to the government to protest against the growing climate of intolerance, is still unfolding. More and more artists, painters, filmmakers, scientists, historians and academics have joined their ranks in the past month to register their […]
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