31 Aug, 2011

Australian report calls on employers to give people with a disability a go

Minister for Employment Participation, Kate Ellis today released the Employer perspectives on recruiting people with disability and the role of Disability Employment Services study. This new study shows that while employers generally agree that people with disability have a good attitude towards work, many continue to operate under the misconception that people with disability will […]

31 Aug, 2011

UK debt: Britain plunges into danger zone after Labour’s 10-year borrowing binge | Mail Online

Britain’s debt levels are dangerously high and are damaging the economy, according to one of the world’s leading financial watchdogs. Debt in the UK grew faster than in any other major economy in the last decade to £180,000 per household. It means the country is in the danger zone following a ten-year borrowing binge under […]

31 Aug, 2011

High unemployment blights Palestinian lives – UN report

The economy of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) grew by 9.3 per cent last year, but that expansion was not enough to reduce the area’s 30 per cent unemployment rate, the United Nations trade and development arm said in a new report released today. Gaza saw a 15 per cent growth, while the West Bank’s […]

31 Aug, 2011

America’s FBI goes rogue — Redress Information & Analysis

Aaronson looked at over 500 terrorism-related cases taken up by the FBI and found that over half of them involved the bureau’s stable of 15,000 informants. Many of these are ex-felons and con men who are often paid well if their efforts result in an arrest and conviction. So what, you might say. Using informants […]

31 Aug, 2011

Young Americans flock to Israel to join army

Hundreds of new immigrants from the U.S. landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Tuesday. An unprecedented 104 of the 360 new arrivals, came to enlist in the Israeli army. Brig. Gen. Eli Shermeister, the Chief Education Officer, was among a delegation of officials on hand to greet the 18 to 22 year olds. […]

31 Aug, 2011

9/11 children’s colouring book sparks controversy over portrayal of Muslims – thestar.com

The publisher of a controversial new children’s colouring book entitled We Shall Never Forget 9/11: The Kids’ Book of Freedom is defending the publication, saying it is simply an educational tool for teaching kids about “what a group of radicals did” to the United States. The book purports to tell the story of the September […]

31 Aug, 2011

US to Help “Reform” Kyrgyzstan Educational System

Dr. Dan E. Davidson, CEO of American Councils, recently returned from a trip to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, where he and American Councils’ country director, Cale Wagner, met with President Roza Otunbayeva to discuss current needs and opportunities for educational development in Kyrgyzstan. “Kyrgyzstan is a strategically important nation for the U.S. and a country […]

31 Aug, 2011

Meet the Shady Dallas Mega-Billionaire Industrialist Pouring Money into Rick Perry’s Coffers | AlterNet

Like so many Republican officials of the tea party persuasion, Rick Perry despises the Environmental Protection Agency—a feeling he has expressed repeatedly in speeches, lawsuits, legislation and even a book titled “Fed Up!” Perhaps that is only natural for the governor of Texas, a “dirty energy” state where the protection of air, water and human […]

31 Aug, 2011

How the Surveillance State Protects the Interests Of the Ultra-Rich | | AlterNet

In the aftermath of the riots that rocked London this summer, the Conservative prime minister’s first response was to call for a crackdown on social networking. Despite data collected by the Guardian showing a strong correlation between poverty and rioting, the government denied that its brutal austerity policies contributed to the desperation and rage of its young people. […]

31 Aug, 2011

Republicans Now Want to Blackmail UN Into Doing Their Bidding | AlterNet

If “moving to another continent” is your contingency plan should the present incarnation of Republicans gain more power, think again: House Republicans are set to introduce a bill that would use the US contribution to the United Nations budget (20 percent of it) as leverage to force the organization to change how it operates, reports […]

31 Aug, 2011

Stephen Zunes on Lessons from the Libyan Revolution | Tikkun Magazine

Another problem with the way Qaddafi was overthrown is the way in which NATO so blatantly went beyond the mandate provided by the United Nations Security Council to simply protect the civilian population through the establishment of a no-fly zone. Instead, NATO became an active participant in a civil war, providing arms, intelligence, advisers and […]

31 Aug, 2011

Statement by Kazakhstan on Int’l Day against Nuclear Tests

August 29, 2011, marks the 20th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site which witnessed more than 450 nuclear explosions. In December 2009, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution, put forward by Kazakhstan, to proclaim August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The example of Kazakhstan, where […]

31 Aug, 2011

Most US Muslims feel targeted by terror policies – Forbes.com

WASHINGTON — More than half of Muslim-Americans in a new poll say government anti-terrorism policies single them out for increased surveillance and monitoring, and many report increased cases of name-calling, threats and harassment by airport security, law enforcement officers and others. Still, most Muslim-Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in […]

31 Aug, 2011

WellStep Atlanta Announces Expansion of Alcohol Treatment Program

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WellStep Atlanta, http://www.WellStep.com, an outpatient treatment center in Roswell, Georgia in north suburban Atlanta, announces the expansion of its multidisciplinary outpatient alcohol treatment program. Specialized alcohol treatment offered includes outpatient detoxification, medication management for alcohol cravings, and coordinated referrals for counseling and psychiatric evaluation/treatment as needed. Outpatient detoxification, usually the initial step in alcohol treatment, […]

31 Aug, 2011

Deloitte Launches Collaborative Online Community for Business Analytics

NEW YORK, Aug. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Today Deloitte is launching realanalyticsinsights.com, a social media website for industry insiders to offer analytic insights, share knowledge and best practices, and problem resolution. Updated regularly, the website is designed to foster a collaborative environment connecting specialists, clients, researchers, academics, media and other interested parties. “The objective in […]

31 Aug, 2011

Hurricane Irene could never take from Americans what the banks already have | The Guardian

Even as it cast about desperately for dramatic disaster footage, the broadcast media covered the storm with manic single-mindedness, revelling in the rhetoric of siege and assault. A “big threat to the US” would “viciously” make its way up the coast, “menacing”, “taking aim”, and “pounding” the nation. Singularly uninterested in weather misery elsewhere, the […]

31 Aug, 2011

Free school built by Sikh community prepares to open doors | The Guardian

Nishkam – which means selflessness or altruism in Punjabi – will be the Midlands’ first “Sikh ethos” school and one of just five Sikh schools in the country. It will also be one of the first 24 free schools introduced under the coalition government. The school, which will have compulsory Punjabi lessons for all pupils, […]

30 Aug, 2011

NATO faces ‘catastrophic success’ in Libya – People’s Daily Online

The international community is universally worried that Libya will likely become the second Iraq or Somalia, and some even forecasted that Libya would likely be divided into three parts. The war and the inevitable future chaos caused by war will make the Libyan People the biggest victim and affect the regional and global peace and […]

30 Aug, 2011

For Syria, what is ‘left’? – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

It is a concrete rationale that fuels opposition to Israel’s apartheid regime and the United States’ duplicitous and violent policies in the Middle East. It is a concrete rationale that imbues the condemnation of and struggle against authoritarian rule in the Arab world. It is a concrete rationale that inspires and necessitates the support of […]

30 Aug, 2011

Preventing violent extremism – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

While sitting on a beach as part of my annual August pilgrimage to the family homeland in New England, I normally try to avoid anything even remotely strenuous, either physically or mentally. It was thus against my better judgment that I acceded this year to the entreaties of several journalists of my acquaintance to examine […]

30 Aug, 2011

University staff asked to inform on ‘vulnerable’ Muslim students | The Guardian

University staff including lecturers, chaplains and porters are being asked to inform the police about Muslim students who are depressed or isolated under new guidance for countering Islamist radicalism. The move has resulted in deep discomfort among university lecturers and student union officials who wish to combat terrorism but say the new strategy is an […]

30 Aug, 2011

Blair and Bush planned Iraq war without second UN vote, letter shows – The Guardian

Britain and the US were planning to take action against Saddam Hussein without a second UN resolution five months before the invasion of Iraq, a newly released letter from Tony Blair’s office shows. A letter from Blair’s private secretary reveals that “we and the US would take action” without a new resolution by the UN […]

30 Aug, 2011

Don’t expect China et al to save the world ?? – Focus discussion – People Forum

China’s problems are already well recognised. The country’s growth has been fuelled over the past decade by an ever-growing trade surplus that has reached unsustainable levels. China’s leaders must refocus its economy away from export-oriented manufacturing and towards domestic sources of demand, while managing the job losses and social unrest this restructuring is likely to […]

30 Aug, 2011

Train speeds drop in major overhaul – People’s Daily Online

BEIJING – More high-speed trains, including those on trunk lines, will be running at slower speeds from Sunday, greatly altering the country’s train schedules. According to the new schedule issued by the Ministry of Railways, high-speed lines with a designed speed of 350 km/h will be allowed to run at 300 km/h from Sunday. Lines […]

30 Aug, 2011

West Asia, North Africa face tough transformation – People’s Daily Online

The countries in West Asia and North Africa that were involved into the unrest face common problems, such as the serious imbalance in their economic and social development as well as the lagging pace of reforms and related institutional development. Many countries still maintain the economic and political structure of a tribal society after their […]

30 Aug, 2011

In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir by Dick Cheney – The Washington Post

The genre of statesman’s memoir rarely produces self-criticism, or even much candor. Apparently, the point is to redeem your large advance from the publisher with a brisk, self-complimenting account of your life and times, with emphasis on your moment in the limelight. There should, of course, be a dash of “news” and a few frank […]

30 Aug, 2011

Global fiscal reactor meltdown contains a warning for Japan | The Japan Times Online

Public finances are melting down in Europe, in America and of course Japan. The situation is going nuclear, left, right and center. It’s not so much China Syndrome as it is Global Syndrome. Operators manning those fiscal reactors ought to have vented their radioactive gases a long time ago. Nobody seems to have thought about […]

30 Aug, 2011

The feudal lords of power | The Japan Times Online

Confrontations between power companies and governors have various roots, but the main one is that the former are far more powerful than the latter. This overwhelming influence stems primarily from the enormous investments that power companies make to build or renew facilities to generate, transform or distribute electricity. Such investments have been necessary to keep […]

30 Aug, 2011

Kids stopped from playing outside cause depression, suicide risk – Indian Express

The American Journal of Play asked a group of experts to investigate the near-extinction of free play and its effects on children and society. The experts said that without free outdoor play, children are prone to obesity, poor physical health and are unable to develop social skills. “Over the last 50 years opportunities for children […]

30 Aug, 2011

How long before the dominoes fall? Robert Fisk in The Independent

Like all the others, Libya suffered from the cancer of the Arab world: financial – and moral – corruption. Will the future be any different? We have spent far too much time honouring the courage of Libyan “freedom fighters” as they scurried across the desert floor, far too little time examining the nature of the […]

30 Aug, 2011

The Age of Outrage…for The West – People Forum

The world speeded up. Stress levels soared. Idle moments evaporated. Egos expanded. Devices became hand-held. Money outpaced politics. Rage surged. As Leonard Cohen put it: “The poor stay poor. The rich get rich. That’s how it goes. Everybody knows.” Except that everybody is at a loss. When David Cameron rushes back from Tuscany (a k […]

30 Aug, 2011

Soft approach conceals devious new US strategy – People Forum – People’s Daily Online

The use of smart power has nothing to do with building a more “friendly and modest” national image, but is aimed at long-term strategic goal. The US is determined that the maintenance of global dominance, which guarantees the security and prosperity of US, shall never be weakened. It also believes that only by holding onto […]

30 Aug, 2011

Perry talks foreign policy, says US troops shouldn’t answer to world ‘debating societies’ – The Washington Post

SAN ANTONIO — Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry discussed foreign policy Monday, telling the nation’s oldest major veterans organization that U.S. forces must be led by American commanders rather than “multilateral debating societies.” Addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ annual convention in San Antonio, the Texas governor urged the United States to renew its commitment […]

30 Aug, 2011

U.S. Tactics in Libya May Be Model for Use of Force – NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — It would be premature to call the war in Libya a complete success for United States interests. But the arrival of victorious rebels on the shores of Tripoli last week gave President Obama’s senior advisers a chance to claim a key victory for an Obama doctrine for the Middle East that had been […]

30 Aug, 2011

Palestinians prepare symbolic chair for world tour ahead of UN bid – Haaretz

The Palestinians are hoping to secure a seat at the United Nations next month. They already have the chair for it. Palestinian activists said Monday they would take the chair on an international tour to dramatize the Palestinian Authority’s quest for UN recognition of a Palestinian state. via Palestinians prepare symbolic chair for world tour […]

30 Aug, 2011

Israel’s Image Won’t Improve Without Policy Changes – Forward.com

I’m an adman and a marketer. And I can tell you, from my years creating ads for products from Coca Cola to Apple Computer, if people keep reading about some bad ingredients in the ketchup, very few people will buy the bottle, no matter how much money and creativity you pack into the marketing. No […]

30 Aug, 2011

Turkish doctors call the tune with traditional musical cures – The Guardian

Standing by the bed of a Cypriot patient who has just undergone vascular surgery, Dr Bingür Sönmez consults a screen monitoring pulse and blood pressure. Then a colleague pulls out a flute and starts playing a popular Turkish tune. If that appears an unusual approach to modern medicine, then it is. But according to doctors […]

30 Aug, 2011

Gaza’s girl surfer battles pollution and prejudice – The Guardian

Twelve-year-old Sabah Abu Ghanim drags her board through the water as the sinking sun glints on the eastern Mediterranean. The wind has got up a little, and she is hoping the surf will follow – enough, at least, for her to ride the waves. “I feel the sea belongs to me,” says the Gaza surfer. […]

30 Aug, 2011

Magicians of monetarism have very few tricks left up their sleeves – The Independent

Somehow, investors have got it into their heads that the world is run by magicians always capable of pulling rabbits out of hats. Last week was a case in point. Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve, gave a speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at the annual shindig of central bankers, academics and […]

30 Aug, 2011

We’re all terror suspects now – The Guardian

Every air passenger is treated with suspicion since 9/11, regardless of appearance. Global traveller Pico Iyer has had to put up with it all his life. +++++++++ I’m sitting in the expansive spaces of Renzo Piano’s four-storey airport outside Osaka, sipping an Awake tea from Starbucks and waiting for my bus home. I’ve chosen to […]

30 Aug, 2011

Catholic clergy ‘abused children for decades in County Donegal’ – The Guardian

County Donegal in Ireland is about to have its bucolic image shattered by a report into how paedophiles, both clergy and laity, abused children for decades. An investigation into clerical sex abuse in the Catholic diocese of Raphoe in County Donegal is about to report its findings, which are expected to be damning. Meanwhile, new […]

29 Aug, 2011

More American Awakening: Exposing the Islamophobic “network of hate”

Imtiaz Muqbil

An investigative report by the Centre of American Progress has exposed the individuals and institutions cited by the Norwegian terrorist suspect Anders Behring Breivik in his manifesto. The report shows how they are funded, the “lies and myths” they have spread and how they have influenced the U.S. policy agenda to justify the “war on […]

29 Aug, 2011

WikiLeaks cables expose Washington’s close ties to Gaddafi

US embassy cables released by WikiLeaks on Wednesday and Thursday expose the close collaboration between the US government, top American politicians and Muammar Gaddafi, who Washington now insists must be hunted down and murdered. Washington and its NATO allies are now determined to smash the Libyan regime, supposedly in the interests of “liberating” the Libyan […]

29 Aug, 2011

Special treatment gives Israeli mobsters free access to US soil: WikiLeaks | The Electronic Intifada

Known Israeli organized crime bosses are able to travel freely to the United States, unlike counterparts from Italy, China and Central America, because the State Department has failed to apply US law to them. It appears that at least one prominent Israeli crime family member was able to reach the United States with a specific […]

29 Aug, 2011

War: Too Big to Fail | Truthout

America’s war in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, more than ten years ago. America’s war in Iraq began on March 20, 2003, almost nine years ago. Toss in the six months we have been engaged in the Libyan conflict, and what you have is the United States at war for a combined total of […]

29 Aug, 2011

Wall Street’s Not-So-Little Secret – Truthdig

In 2008, the 10 biggest U.S. banks and brokerage firms took $829 billion in emergency loans from the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve. Who got what had been a secret, but thanks to months of litigation, an act of Congress and the work of numerous reporters, we now know. Morgan Stanley, the largest borrower, […]

29 Aug, 2011

South Asian Social Forum to be held in Dhaka Nov 18

The South Asian Social Forum 2011, an international platform to address different contemporary issues for a peaceful South Asia, will begin in Dhaka on November 18. The five-day forum will be held, for the first time in Bangladesh, from November 18-22. University of Dhaka (DU) will co-host the programme. DU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr AAMS Arefin […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | Reviving Ramadan

In the wake of the revolutions that have taken place across the Arab world in 2011, this year’s Ramadan has been marked by a revival of religious spirit. It has also been affected by a change in Egyptian mentality that has gone hand in hand with the humane cause of Ramadan. Friends often have Iftar […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | An equal and opposite reaction

So goes one of the fundamental laws of physics. In the face of recent “actions” in the West — economic crisis and rampant Islamophobia, there is an inexorable “reaction”, as the eternal values of Islam continue to manifest themselves Ramadan exemplifies the powerful spiritual calling of Islam. Dry fasting is more a test of the […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | The US’s defective crystal ball

In the aftermath of the 11 September terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon, US research centres and think tanks came under attack for their failure to predict these events and for their inability to gauge the situations in Arab and Islamic societies. Not only had the Middle East experts in these agencies […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | Israeli game over

Israel should comply with the Egyptian demand to increase its military and security presence in this area to levels that would enable Egypt to assert its full control over the border area that, ultimately, will serve the interests of both sides. Certainly, a favourable Israeli response on this question will go a long way to […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | Front Page | Flagging real change

The demonstration continued with zeal in front of the Israeli embassy. As protesters unsuccessfully targeted the flag on top of the embassy building with fireworks one young man took matters into his own hands. He decided to climb up the building, remove the blue and white symbol of Israel and replace it with the Egyptian […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram interviews Mahmoud Jibril, Libyan rebel leader – Region – World – Ahram Online

Moving from security concerns to economic ones, Jibril expressed extreme unease about the shortage of funds available to the TNC, describing the effectiveness of a newly formed government without money as a “car without petrol.” When asked about the promise of governments to unfreeze Libyan assets and loans offered by Turkey and the US, Jibril […]

29 Aug, 2011

Arab Revolution through Egyptian Eyes – Politics – Egypt – Ahram Online

There is consensus in Egypt against Libya’s embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi. Widely viewed by the public as a dangerous madman, Gaddafi’s four-decade reign, it is felt, must come to terms with its demise. It had initially seemed as if Gaddafi would follow in the footsteps of Mubarak and Ben Ali, but the picture changed when, […]

29 Aug, 2011

Orascom Development’s Samih Sawiris handed prison sentence – Ahram Online

An Egyptian court sentenced the executive chairman of real estate and hotels firm Orascom Development to two years in jail for manipulating the firm’s stock price and providing incorrect data on its finances, a judicial source said. Samih Sawiris was also fined 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($8,401) and denied the right to trade in the stock […]

29 Aug, 2011

In Britain, a Meeting on Limiting Social Media – NYTimes.com

LONDON — British officials and representatives of Twitter, Facebook and BlackBerry met Thursday to discuss voluntary ways to limit or restrict the use of social media to combat crime and periods of civil unrest, while trying to dodge charges of hypocrisy and censorship that trailed Prime Minister David Cameron’s call to restrict use of the […]

29 Aug, 2011

West looks to avoid Iraq errors in post-Qadhafi Libya | Jordan Times

BRUSSELS – If there is one pitfall Western officials appear determined to avoid in Libya, it is making the same mistakes that were made in Iraq eight years ago. It is not so much the way the six-month conflict in Libya has been pursued, with France, Britain and others providing support to the rebels from […]

29 Aug, 2011

Executives scarce thanks to push for women on boards

THE unprecedented number of women directors appointed in the past year may have narrowed the gender divide on boards, but there is growing concern that they are being plucked from a diminishing pool of senior executives. Penny Bingham-Hall, who left a senior executive role at Leighton Holdings to join Australia Post and BlueScope Steel, said […]

29 Aug, 2011

Australians want greater equality in wealth share

WHEN it comes to wealth, even the richest people think the rich have too much – but few Australians have any idea of how skewed the distribution really is. A study prepared by Empirica Research and the Harvard Business School for the trade union movement as part of its planning for the October tax summit […]

29 Aug, 2011

An imperfect triumph in Libya – Washington Post

With Moammar Gaddafi still at large and an uncertain future ahead for the Libyan people, one hesitates to make categorical judgments about the Obama administration’s recent intervention. A few things, however, can be said. The toppling of Gaddafi’s 42-year dictatorship is a big victory for the ongoing pan-Arab revolution. The political map of the Middle […]

29 Aug, 2011

25 years later, how ‘Top Gun’ made America love war – Washington Post

Americans are souring on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The military budget is under siege as Congress looks for spending to cut. And the Army is reporting record suicide rates among soldiers. So who does the Pentagon enlist for help in such painful circumstances? In June, the Army negotiated a first-of-its-kind sponsorship deal with […]

29 Aug, 2011

MLK memorial is a testament to King’s victory over the defiant – Washington Post

Sunday marks the 48th anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington. It is fitting that we recall what that day did and did not produce. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech did not spark an “aha” moment, causing the South to repudiate segregation in all its ugly forms. Neither did the […]

29 Aug, 2011

Bachmann: US ‘king daddy dogs’ in energy resources, but environmentalists locking them up – Washington Post

POINCIANA, Fla. — Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann claimed Saturday that the United States has more fuel resources than any other country, but blamed what she termed “radical environmentalists” for bottling up American energy policy. With untapped oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off the nation’s coasts, shale oil in Western states, […]

29 Aug, 2011

Cesium release equal to 168 Hiroshima A-bombs | Japan Times Online

The amount of radioactive cesium ejected by the Fukushima reactor meltdowns is about 168 times higher than that emitted in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the government’s nuclear watchdog said Friday. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency provided the estimate at the request of a Diet panel but noted that making a simple comparison between […]

29 Aug, 2011

UN envoy Prosor: Israel has no chance of stopping recognition of Palestinian state – Haaretz

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, sent a classified cable to the Foreign Ministry last week, stating that Israel stands no chance of rallying a substantial number of states to oppose a resolution at the UN General Assembly recognizing a Palestinian state in September. Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office, meanwhile, said Prime […]

29 Aug, 2011

The future has arrived early | The Asian Age

The future has arrived a little ahead of schedule. On the 12th day of Anna Hazare’s fast, the Lok Sabha debated the Lokpal legislation and unanimously agreed to the three points that Mr Hazare insisted on — the law should ensure that every state has a Lokayukta, all government departments should have a citizen’s charter […]

29 Aug, 2011

India erupts in joyous celebrations – Hindustan Times

From Ramlila Maidan to Ralegan Siddi — Anna Hazare’s village — celebrations at full blast replaced days of protests as the Gandhian broke his fast on Sunday, with his supporters marking “people’s victory” with dancing, waving of the tri colour and handing out of sweets and flowers. The festivities which began last night after Parliament […]

29 Aug, 2011

Nation’s victory, thousands begin march from India Gate – Hindustan Times

Thousands gathered at India Gate this evening to celebrate victory of Anna Hazare’s crusade against anti-corruption took the nation by storm. The Gandhian on Sunday broke his 12-day fast declaring that electoral reforms will be on top of his agenda. After days of protests, festivities which began last night after Parliament passed a resolution agreeing […]

29 Aug, 2011

PressTV – ‘Israel cannot stop Palestinian state’

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor says Tel Aviv has no chance of stopping states that are set to vote for the recognition of a Palestinian state at the General Assembly. In a classified cable to the Israeli Foreign Ministry last week, Prosor said that Israel will not be able to rally a substantial […]

28 Aug, 2011

Asia Times Online : THE ROVING EYE: Disaster capitalism swoops over Libya

Think of the new Libya as the latest spectacular chapter in the Disaster Capitalism series. Instead of weapons of mass destruction, we had R2P (“responsibility to protect”). Instead of neo-conservatives, we had humanitarian imperialists. But the target is the same: regime change. And the project is the same: to completely dismantle and privatize a nation […]

28 Aug, 2011

The Hindu : Opinion : Getting the regional act together

An appreciable level of seriousness underscores the government’s thinking on pressing ahead with the bid for iron ore blocks in the fabulous Hajigak mines in Afghanistan as well as to sponsor the Steel Authority of India proposal to set up a steel plant in that country. The Hajigak mines hold an estimated reserve of 1.8 […]

28 Aug, 2011

The Hindu : 4 Indians among MIT’s top 35 innovators

Two Indians and two persons of Indian origin figure among Top 35 Innovators under-35 in the latest list of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Technology Review, the world’s oldest Technology Magazine established in 1899. Ajit Narayanan, Invention Labs, Chennai and Aishwarya Ratan, Yale University, who were part of TR35 India Winners announced in March 2011, […]

28 Aug, 2011

Asia Times Online : Israel turns tables on Turkey

True to style, Israel is looking around the region for comfort and companionship with anyone who might also have an intractable problem with Turkey – it didn’t have to look far across the Mediterranean. The two-day visit by the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, to Tel Aviv, which ended on Thursday, was much more […]

28 Aug, 2011

Asia Times Online :: Israel wages war on Iranian scientists

Asia Time Online’s sources in Tehran have confirmed the account presented at the trial, stressing that Israeli intelligence is using highly trained lone operatives to attack Iran’s scientific human resources. Communication methods are kept as simple as possible in the belief that as the operatives are not known to Iranian intelligence, public modes of communication […]

28 Aug, 2011

Palestine: arduous odyssey of statehood – Media Monitors Network (MMN)

Now after spending two decades as an observer state, Palestine is seeking full membership in the United Nations. When the General Assembly convenes on September 13, it will also decide on whether to accept Palestine as an official and sovereign state or not. However, the Palestinians have a long way to go to realize statehood […]

28 Aug, 2011

Wikileaks: Absence Of Israeli Visas Hinders West Bank

Summary: Israeli immigration practices are limiting West Bank enterprises’ ability to conduct business, according to contacts working on the planned Rawabi housing/commercial estate. Because only companies and NGOs registered in Israel can apply for Israeli work permits, West Bank companies, like Rawabi, cannot get work permits for their non-Palestinian consultants, employees, or investors. This restriction […]

28 Aug, 2011

Ten of thousands take to the streets in social protests across Israel – Haaretz

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday night to participate in demonstrations protesting the high cost of living in Israel. In Tel Aviv, around 10,000 protesters marched from Habima Square to the intersection of Ibn Gvirol and Shaul Hamelech streets, where a rally was held. Noam Shalit, the father of captured […]

28 Aug, 2011

Lebensraum as a justification for Israeli settlements – Haaretz

Until now Israel had supported the occupation of the territories with two pillars: history and security – its right to inherit the land and its obligation to defend it. In recent weeks a third pillar was added, which all these years was hidden under straw and stubble. And maybe it’s not a pillar but a […]

28 Aug, 2011

Not a Gandhi, but his protest good for India – Hindustan Times

Britons, more familiar with the other Hazare — the late cricketer Vijay — have also been learning about Anna and his movement. The Lokpal Bill has figured prominently in the British media, with several newspapers running editorial and comment pieces by well-known India hands. “Mr Hazare does not have, or aspire to, anything like Gandhi’s […]

28 Aug, 2011

Robert Fisk: Prosecuting war crimes? Be sure to read the small print – The Independent

It’s good to see bad guys behind bars. Especially if they’re convicted. Justice is better than revenge. And justice must be done for the relatives of the victims as well as for the dead. Part two of the Mubarak trial this month was a case in point. Egyptians want to know exactly who ordered the […]

28 Aug, 2011

Parliament passes unanimous resolution on Anna’s demands – Hindustan Times

Heeding to Anna Hazare’s demands, Parliament today adopted a ‘Sense of the House’ on three key issues raised by him with regard to the Lokpal Bill with an aim of persuading him to end his 12-day hunger strike. The ‘Sense of the House’ was adopted with thumping of desks without any voting after an extraordinary […]

28 Aug, 2011

People out on roads to celebrate Anna’s victory – Hindustan Times

Scores of people came out on the roads in Delhi to express their elation over the victory of activist Anna Hazare, whose three key demands on the Lokpal bill were accepted by Parliament on Saturday. Sporting Anna caps, waving the tricolour and shouting slogans, people were seen heading towards India Gate. Some people were found […]

28 Aug, 2011

Tolerance and amity | Jordan Times

King Abdullah’s meeting with heads of the Orthodox churches in the Middle East is a reminder to the international community and the Arab countries that Muslims and Christians in the region, and indeed elsewhere in the world, of the need for peaceful religious accommodation and for constructive and collaborative relations. The King proudly referred to […]

28 Aug, 2011

Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in light of the new realities | Jordan Times

Peace in the Middle East is crucially dependent on the extent to and the manner in which the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty will be upheld. The treaty shows clearly the inequality between the demands of the new realities and the old mechanisms that has seen a calm political exchange between the two countries for the past […]

28 Aug, 2011

No security for Israel without accommodating neighbours | Jordan Times

With the Arab Spring of protest reaching Israeli shores, and with several political parties rallying against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there emerges a surrealist scene in the way Israel is conducting itself. Backed by one of the strongest military powers in the world – including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons – and allied with […]

28 Aug, 2011

Continue fight against graft: Aamir to public – Hindustan Times

It was a star-studded moment at the Ramlila Maidan with Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Sonu Nigam making an appearance on the 12th day of Anna Hazare’s protest. The crowd broke into a collective cheer as the celebrities made an appearance on stage. Aamir and Anna Hazare shared the centrestage and later the actor sent […]

28 Aug, 2011

‘Bring corporates under Lokpal’ – Hindustan Times

The Left parties, ignored by the government’s crisis managers in backchannel consultations, lent a favourable voice to the government on select issues in the Lokpal debate on Saturday. While in Rajya Sabha CPM’s Sitaram Yechury argued for widening the definition of corruption and cited practical difficulty in bringing the huge bureaucracy under the Lokpal, CPI’s […]

28 Aug, 2011

Peace and Constitution, the Anna Way – Hindustan Times

Since last Monday a motley group of likeminded people are gathering at Basantapur Square in central Kathmandu every evening to protest. Their inspiration is Anna Hazare. But while the septuagenarian Maratha is on fast seeking an end to corruption in India, this group in Nepal is clamouring for a different cause. They want an early […]

28 Aug, 2011

Victory for People’s democracy – Hindustan Times

After 12 days of drama, diatribe and dialogue, social activist Anna Hazare announced the withdrawal of his fast that started on August 16, as thousands cheered at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, and many more hailed the ‘victory’ across the country. Hazare has lost seven kg as he survived only on water for 300 hours, but showed […]

28 Aug, 2011

China to allow foreign direct investment in RMB – People’s Daily Online

Foreign investors will be able to make direct investments in China with RMB obtained legally from overseas, according to the draft guidelines on RMB foreign direct investment (FDI) recently issued by the Ministry of Commerce. The ministry is currently soliciting public feedback on the new rules. This regulatory framework for cross-border RMB FDI will be […]

28 Aug, 2011

China pledges more efforts to promote int’l law in Asia – People’s Daily Online

BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — State Councilor Dai Bingguo said Saturday that China was ready to work with other Asian countries for the development of international law in Asia. Dai made the remarks when addressing an opening ceremony of a conference of the Asian Society of International Law. He said peace, development and cooperation had […]

28 Aug, 2011

Micro blogs are the voice of the people – chinadaily.com.cn

As the sole ruling party in China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) must listen attentively to the people’s complaints. So micro blogs deserve attention from the authorities. Long and stable rule is based on constructive interaction between governors and citizens. The longer the rule is, the more carefully the governors should listen to people’s […]

28 Aug, 2011

US should weigh up one vital change – chinadaily.com.cn

What do the United States, Liberia and Myanmar have in common? Answer: They are the only three countries which have not officially adopted the metric system. What about the US and Belize? They are the only two nations that use Fahrenheit instead of Celsius to measure temperature. A daily hassle for an expat living and […]

28 Aug, 2011

Weak world conditions to curb trade growth in 2011 | Economy | chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING – China’s foreign trade is unlikely to grow as fast in 2011 as it did last year due to weakening global demand and rising costs, Vice-Minister of Commerce Jiang Yaoping said on Tuesday. The country’s trade grew by a robust 34.7 percent in 2010. “China’s imports and exports will be seriously influenced, as the […]

28 Aug, 2011

Investment secures wealth for security – chinadaily.com.cn

Wealth security is an important component of state security. In China, the wealth of the State has increased faster than that of residents since the 1990s thanks to tax, financial and State-owned enterprise reforms. The fiscal revenue of the Chinese government was 8.31 trillion yuan ($1.32 trillion) last year, and foreign exchange reserves touched $3 […]

28 Aug, 2011

China to review foreign M&A | Policy and Regulation | chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING – A new regulation issued by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Friday states that the government will review mergers and acquisitions of domestic companies by foreign investors for national security purposes. If any mergers and acquisitions involving foreign investors are determined to be a threat to national security, those deals should be terminated, […]

28 Aug, 2011

University research addresses Thai silk research, product development

Silk is Thailand’s most elegant natural fiber, used mainly for textile manufacturing. Due to a decline in prices in worldwide markets for the famed fiber, Mahasarakham University researchers have developed innovative and varied products made from silk in order to help silk farmers to claim additional income from silk production when the market prices of […]

28 Aug, 2011

PressTV – ‘World dictators to fall in 21st century’

Iran’s Ambassador to Oman Hossein Noushabadi says the 21st century will witness the fall of dictators all over the world. “The second decade of the 21st century is [to witness] the end of the lives of the world’s dictators,” Noushabadi was quoted by Mehr News Agency as saying on Friday. “It has been predicted that […]

28 Aug, 2011

5 Reasons Capitalism Has Failed – AlterNet

We live in interesting times. The global economy is splintering. U.S. voters hate all politicians and there’s political unrest throughout the world. The root cause of this turmoil is the failure of the dominant economic paradigm — global corporate capitalism. The modern world is ruled by multinational corporations and governed by a capitalistic ideology that […]

28 Aug, 2011

How Fox News and the GOP Help The Ultra-Rich Get Even Richer — AlterNet

For years, America’s super-rich and their allies in Congress and the media have tried to deny that a tiny elite was growing astronomically wealthy at the expense of the vast majority of Americans. But the vast gaping canyon between the richest 1 percent and Corporate America, on the one hand, and the rest of us […]