Distinction in travel journalism
Is independent travel journalism important to you?
Click here to keep it independent

26 Apr, 2013

Shock: Tom Brokaw Acknowledged That America’s Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost| Alternet

April 25, 2013 | “The stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost.” — Reverend Jeremiah Wright In 2008, the hysterical backlash to the above comment by Barack Obama’s minister became a high-profile example of one of the most insidious rules in […]

more…

26 Apr, 2013

New film looks at ‘War on Whistleblowers’ – The Washington Post

The Obama administration’s approach to federal whistleblowers has been likened to “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” On the good doctor’s side, President Obama has important accomplishments in protecting the rights of whistleblowers. Yet whistleblower advocates are fuming at the administration’s actions against federal employees whom it considers to be leakers of national security information. “There’s […]

more…

26 Apr, 2013

Visa holders targeted for tax fraud – Sydney Morning Herald

Details of one million Australian visa holders will be compared with tax office records in a data-matching investigation targeting fraud and tax law breaches. The Australian Tax Office has announced it will seek and collect names and addresses and other details of the holders of 27 types of visas, including skilled workers under the contentious […]

more…

25 Apr, 2013

A train on fire – America’s waning empire – English pravda.ru

The USA is a train on fire, in love with war; so puffed with ignorant, patriotic pride that it is unaware it’s careening out of control, on a destination of complete self destruction. The danger lies when war becomes a way of life and an accepted part of national culture. All aggression is redefined as […]

more…

25 Apr, 2013

State terrorism and double standards – English pravda.ru

The degrading and inhuman treatment they are subjected to remind inmates that Guantanamo is a space for outright denial of the law, and a disgraceful example of the criminal network set up by the White House at the time of George W. Bush to kidnap, imprison and torture suspected terrorists or citizens of the Arab […]

more…

25 Apr, 2013

America’s War on Islam 2.0 – English pravda.ru

Waging war at home or abroad requires enemies. America creates them when none exist. Imperial strategy demands them. Post-9/11, Muslims were targeted for political advantage. Post-Boston bombings, America’s war on Islam continues. Muslims are “war on terror” scapegoats. Washington’s Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia wars rage. It’s the wrong time to be Muslims […]

more…

24 Apr, 2013

Is Tourism The Most Destructive Enterprise? – YaleGlobal

Travel has grown exponentially since the 1960s, and tourism employs more people than any other industry. As political developments have opened borders, as new technologies in aviation and communications provide new access, few destinations go unexplored, suggests Elizabeth Becker, author of Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism. She explains that any human endeavor […]

more…

24 Apr, 2013

Suu Kyi can’t wait forever to defend minorities – The Japan Times

LONDON – Last month, as the anti-Muslim violence in Myanmar spread from Rakhine state in the western part of the country to the central city of Meiktila, Aung San Suu Kyi sat among the generals on the reviewing stand as the army marched past on Armed Forces Day. She is seen as a saint by […]

more…

24 Apr, 2013

Blowback: Suspect in Boston Attack Cites U.S. Wars as Motivation | Alternet

The Boston bombings appear to be a case of blowback for U.S. wars overseas. 19-year-old suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told U.S. interrogators that the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were a main motivation for the attack on the Boston Marathon, which killed three people. A fourth man, a MIT police officer, was gunned down the […]

more…

23 Apr, 2013

Robert Scheer: 277 Million Boston Bombings – Truthdig

The horror of Boston should be a reminder that the choice of weaponry can be in itself an act of evil. “Boston Bombs Were Loaded to Maim” is the way The New York Times defined the hideousness of the weapons used, and President Obama made clear that “anytime bombs are used to target innocent civilians, […]

more…

22 Apr, 2013

How Boston Exposes America’s Dark Post-9/11 Bargain | Alternet

To put it mildly, this has been a bad week for democracy and a worse one for public discourse. In the minutes and hours after the bombs went off in Boston last Monday, marathon runners, first responders and many ordinary citizens responded to a chaotic situation with great courage and generosity, not knowing whether they […]

more…

22 Apr, 2013

Business of divorce gets more lucrative – Sydney Morning Herald

General manager of IBISWorld (Australia) Karen Dobie said the average cost of a straight divorce was $3600 per couple, while a contested one was just under $10,000. The research found the number of divorces in Australia had risen from 47,209 a year to 51,311 in the past five years. In that time the overall cost […]

more…

21 Apr, 2013

Activist Post: FBI Caught in a Web of Lies in Boston

Fact: the FBI has been involved in staging numerous fake terror plots using patsies to make themselves look like heroes when they stop the attack. Now they’ve been caught in a web of lies surrounding one that went live and resulted in the deaths of Americans. Question: In what world are they not the prime […]

more…

21 Apr, 2013

PressTV – US most obvious false flag attack yet

In 2005, President Bush (43) appointed Michael Chertoff, an Israeli citizen, as director of the Department of Homeland Security. It was Chertoff’s job, while Secretary of DHS, to place all law enforcement, counter-terrorism, and domestic surveillance operations under Israeli control. This was done by directing all contracts to Israeli companies, all equipment, all training, and […]

more…

21 Apr, 2013

It’s an old numbers game. What if they’re wrong? – The Washington Post

As the U.S. budget wars repeatedly demonstrate, GDP (gross domestic product), unemployment, inflation and trade statistics determine how the government spends (or does not spend) trillions of dollars. These numbers also shape whether large businesses invest or don’t, and whether small businesses spring to life or remain ideas to be acted on later. Our debates, […]

more…

21 Apr, 2013

Whistling in the dark – Hindustan Times

It’s common enough in India, and not quite foreign to the United States, where the pressure cooker has been around for nearly 75 years. You could purchase one from Macy’s in Manhattan, or from the desi bazaar at Jackson Heights. Though given its post-Boston infamy, I won’t be surprised if potential buyers have to undergo […]

more…

21 Apr, 2013

Jim Dean, PressTV – Israeli-riddled FBI uses proxy info to blame Muslims for Boston terror

The long series of FBI manufactured terrorists operations organized from beginning to end using proxy informants who brought them easily influence people on the fringe of the Muslim community is a scandal. This includes a court system who put a stamp of approval on process. The FBI is now held in contempt by much of […]

more…

20 Apr, 2013

After Boston Bombing, Everyone Is Being Watched–and Everyone is Watching | Alternet

April 19, 2013 | FBI special agent and head of the bureau’s Boston office Richard DesLauriers has been running an crowd-sourced campaign for information about suspects in the Boston marathon bombing that left three dead and more than 170 wounded. So far, it appears to be working–but it also may herald in an unexpected end […]

more…

20 Apr, 2013

‘Premanisme’, a root cause for violence in Yogyakarta | The Jakarta Post

=========

As Yogyakarta develops and becomes Indonesia’s second most-popular tourist destination after Bali, the city that is dubbed the heart of Javanese culture is also witnessing its service sector growing, as can be seen in the emergence of numerous nightspots. Such nightspots have led to the birth of private security services, referred to as preman (thugs) […]

more…

20 Apr, 2013

Workaholic Indians use technology to find work-life balance – Indian Express

With as many as 64 per cent Indians describing themselves as workaholics, their reliance on technology to strike a work-life balance has increased more than ever, according to a new study. In fact, 91 per cent of the Indians surveyed admit that the widespread use of technology has enabled them to achieve a more ‘flexible’ […]

more…

20 Apr, 2013

Buddhist monk uses racism and rumours to spread hatred in Burma – The Guardian

His name is Wirathu, he calls himself the “Burmese Bin Laden” and he is a Buddhist monk who is stoking religious hatred across Burma. The saffron-robed 45-year-old regularly shares his hate-filled rants through DVD and social media, in which he warns against Muslims who “target innocent young Burmese girls and rape them”, and “indulge in […]

more…

19 Apr, 2013

U.S. Mayors: “Senators Did Not Hear the Gunshots That Were Heard Around The World”

=========

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — United States Conference of Mayors President Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter  issued the following statement after the Senate’s rejection today of various amendments focused on reducing gun violence: “It is with deep disappointment that the nation’s Mayors today watched the Senate reject amendment after amendment that would have strengthened […]

more…

19 Apr, 2013

Perspective: Home is Where the Overwhelming Majority of Violence Occurs | Alternet

Domestic violence is the number one cause of injury to women. The incidents add up to more than all the rapes, muggings, and car accidents women experience each year. One out of every four women in the U.S. will be physically injured by a lover in her lifetime. That translates into a woman being assaulted […]

more…

19 Apr, 2013

Majority in U.S. Want Wealth More Evenly Distributed – Gallup Poll

PRINCETON, NJ — About six in 10 Americans believe that money and wealth should be more evenly distributed among a larger percentage of the people in the U.S., while one-third think the current distribution is fair. Although Americans’ attitudes on this topic have fluctuated somewhat over time, the current sentiment is virtually the same as […]

more…

19 Apr, 2013

Bomb response refreshingly honest – Commentary – Sydney Morning Herald

Let’s clear something up: our responses to terrorism are not about the loss of innocent life. We think they are because that’s the first thing we talk about. We use the suffering of victims to emote, and we look at the attacks through that prism. But it’s never really about the victims. It’s about us. […]

more…

19 Apr, 2013

The US, a Nation of Idiots? Commentary – Sydney Morning Herald

Next time the US struts the world stage, claiming American exceptionalism, setting itself out as leader of the so-called free world, it risks being dismissed as a nation of idiots. It’s too easy to defer to strong polling support for gun control and to just vent about the Senate and the House – after all, […]

more…

18 Apr, 2013

Our secularisms – Indian Express

Often, secularism is a kind of gesture of reaching out, as Nitish Kumar hinted: recognising that the topi has the same place as the tilak. Faced with the organised violence of rightwing mobs, this is a valuable gesture. But this politics has limitations. It rests on creating coalitions of fear: the topi being swamped by […]

more…

18 Apr, 2013

‘Muslims are evil. Let’s kill them all’: US TV commentator’s Twitter rants

While public officials were urging caution in the immediate aftermath of the bomb attack on the Boston Marathon, some were quick to apportion blame. One of those was conservative commentator Erik Rush, who provoked a furious reaction after seemingly advocating the killing of Muslims in response to the attack. Rush is a columnist for Worldnutdaily […]

more…

18 Apr, 2013

Changes in H1B visas to affect Indian IT firms – Indian Express

The proposed changes in the issuing of H-1B visas, the highly sought after US work permits, will badly affect the Indian IT firms which depend heavily on these work visas. The changes under the Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) put a curb on use of H-1B visa for those companies which have a higher ratio of […]

more…

17 Apr, 2013

Japan’s depopulation time bomb – The Japan Times

The progress in the graying of the nation means that the need for social services for residents such as medical and nursing care services will increase. The population decrease means that the nation’s total tax revenues will decline. As a result, grants from the central government to local governments will diminish. Both the central and […]

more…

17 Apr, 2013

Japan’s population falls by record level – The Japan Times

Japan’s population fell by a record 0.22 percent to 127.515 million as of last Oct. 1, while people aged 65 or older surpassed the 30 million mark for the first time, the government said Tuesday. The figures are from a survey by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry. The decline of 284,000 in the total […]

more…

17 Apr, 2013

US ‘pivot’ policy destabilizing Asia-Pacific region – China Daily Commentary

By Li Xiaokun (China Daily)

Beijing, April 17, 2013 – The US “pivot” to the Asia-Pacific, including the country’s expanding military presence and consolidation of military alliances, has destabilized the region, according to a Ministry of National Defense report issued on Tuesday. Military experts said Beijing has no problem with Washington seeking involvement in the region’s prosperity, but it is […]

more…

17 Apr, 2013

Boston Marathon Bombing: Who Do They Plan To Blame?

While many people might immediately dismiss the concept, any student of true and unadulterated history has to eventually admit this fact: Governments exploit crisis. Sometimes, they merely take advantage of the ensuing chaos and aftermath of a disaster they had nothing to do with directly. Other times, they create those disasters themselves in order to […]

more…

17 Apr, 2013

Popular Resistance: Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh on the Boston Bombings

At first I thought I should not comment on the Boston bombings as it is obvious that we in Palestine, under siege and regular bombardment would clearly sympathize. But then I saw the usual pundits on mainstream media trying to spin the tragedy to serve racism. The Israeli Consul-General in Boston told the Jerusalem Post […]

more…

17 Apr, 2013

Bill Blum: Mass Violence, Gun Control and the American Culture of Death – Truthdig

Although the term “culture of death” largely has been used by the right wing to promote its anti-abortion agenda, it more aptly applies to what Rich Broderick, an unheralded journalist who writes for the online Twin Cities Daily Planet, describes as a “culture that embraces a soulless free-market idolatry in which the value of everything, […]

more…

16 Apr, 2013

$40 Billion Arms Deal for Israel: Why Obama’s Palestine Rhetoric Rings Hollow | Alternet

Words are important and the significance of the president articulating the obvious to an Israeli audience—that Israeli-Palestinian peace cannot be established as long as Israel continues to deny Palestinians self-determination and justice—should not be underestimated. However, Obama’s refusal to acknowledge, much less rectify, the seminal role that U.S. diplomatic and military support for Israel plays […]

more…

15 Apr, 2013

Israel is a country running from its future – Haaretz

The anti-Zionist settlement enterprise is casting its shadow over Israel’s future. The settlements depend on ignoring the existence of a huge Palestinian population that Israel cannot control, and anti-Zionist steps that threaten to turn Israel into a non-democratic country where a dark style of religion holds sway. There is no greater harm to Judaism than […]

more…

15 Apr, 2013

U.S. visa waiver bill stymied over Arab Americans entering Israel – Haaretz

A legislative effort led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to enable Israelis to enter the United States without visas may be stymied by the government – Israel’s government. The hitch is Israel’s inability or unwillingness to fully reciprocate, something required for visa-free travel to the United States. Israel, citing security concerns, insists […]

more…

13 Apr, 2013

African American Investors Optimistic About Economy, but Concerned About Retirement

=========

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– April 10, 2013 –African American investors report high levels of confidence in their financial future, along with optimism about the political and economic future of the country, according to a recent Wells Fargo nationwide survey. Despite proactive planning and intentional cuts in spending, African American investors remain focused on day-to-day living expenses, […]

more…

13 Apr, 2013

10 Mistakes of the Iraq War – NYTimes.com

Ten years after the start of the war, Colonel Spain and Terry Turchie, the former deputy assistant director of the terrorist division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have co-written “Breaking Iraq,” published by the History Publishing Company. The book is an assessment of 10 decisions made by the American military and government that derailed […]

more…

10 Apr, 2013

Obama’s Peace Antics In Israel – Four More Years Of This?

By Ramzy Baroud, www.countercurrents.org

31 March, 2013 – At the precise moment US President Barack Obama’s Air Force One touched down at Ben Gurion Airport on March 20, persisting illusions quickly began to shatter. And as he walked on the red carpet, showered with accolades and warm embraces of top Israeli government and military officials, a new/old reality began […]

more…

8 Apr, 2013

Media demonising Muslim community: Markandey Katju – Indian Express

“Discrimination” against Muslims is giving rise to a feeling of injustice among them, Press Council Chairman Markanedya Katju today claimed and rebuked the media for what he described as “demonising” Muslim community through “irresponsible” journalism.” Whenever a bomb blast occurs or such incident takes place, within an hour or so many TV channels start showing […]

more…

7 Apr, 2013

Tony Blair and Iraq: The damning evidence – The Independent

Hitherto unseen evidence given to the Chilcot Inquiry by British intelligence has revealed that former prime minister Tony Blair was told that Iraq had, at most, only a trivial amount of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and that Libya was in this respect a far greater threat. Intelligence officers have disclosed that just the day […]

more…

7 Apr, 2013

David Ignatius: America the war-weary and war-wary – The Washington Post

The discussion here arose during an off-the-record conference organized by a Washington group. One of the topics was possible U.S. involvement in Syria, and it provoked an intense conversation. Many members from both parties made clear how uneasy they are about new U.S. adventures in this part of the world, no matter how noble-sounding the […]

more…

7 Apr, 2013

Academic boycott of Israel approved by Irish union | The Jewish Chronicle

The Teachers Union of Ireland has voted to boycott all academic collaboration with Israel, including research programmes and exchange of scientists. It is thought to be the first full academic boycott enforced by a European teaching union. A motion, calling for all members of the union to end work with Israeli counterparts, was passed unanimously […]

more…

7 Apr, 2013

India’s rich are the problem – The Hindu

The import bills on account of both oil and gold do not seem to fall much despite rising prices and slowing GDP growth. A feature of both these commodities, especially gold, is that it is the rich that largely account for the growth in their demand. Over the year ended September 2011, demand for gold […]

more…

6 Apr, 2013

Time to revisit the Vienna Convention – The Hindu

The past three decades have witnessed an increasing effort on the part of western countries to unilaterally introduce changes in the application of the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations to the detriment of diplomats of developing countries. They say that this aggressive approach is in keeping with new standards of humanitarian and labour laws. However, […]

more…

6 Apr, 2013

Asia Times Online : Now for a vacation in Gaza, maybe

GAZA CITY – “We wanted to help foreigners in Gaza, so we created an English map of Gaza City,” says Amir Shurrab, one of the minds behind the foldable Gaza Tourist Map. At the time a lecturer for the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS), Shurrab led a team of Geographic Information System (GIS) professionals […]

more…

6 Apr, 2013

Asia Times Online : After Iraq, the moral abyss still gapes

The only message American children will take away from the war in Iraq is that if you repeat a boldfaced lie enough, it will someday become accepted truth. And as a corollary, saving face is much more important than admitting a mistake, no matter how destructive the outcome. Unfortunately for these children, manipulating the truth […]

more…

6 Apr, 2013

Asia Times Online: The time of the Global South has finally come

It is not so far-fetched to imagine Walter Benjamin’s Angel of History succumbing to the temptation, and stressing that the time of the Global South has finally come. Oh yes, it will be a long, arduous and winding road. But would the Google/Facebook generation need only one textbook detailing the stuff of dreams, trials and […]

more…

5 Apr, 2013

Air France fined for kicking pro-Palestinian activist off Israel-bound flight | Haaretz

A court in France fined Air France 10,000 euros $12,800 on Thursday for ordering a pro-Palestinian activist to disembark from a Tel Aviv bound flight because she was a non-Jew, AFP reported. The student in question, Hori Ankour, was trying to fly to Israel last April in order to take part in the “Welcome to […]

more…

5 Apr, 2013

Australia Advances Asian Century Agenda

=========

Prime Minister’s office, Canberra, 04 APRIL 2013 – The Australian Government  has appointed an additional three senior figures with extensive experience in Asia to the Strategic Advisory Board on Australia in the Asian Century. Mr Hamish Tyrwhitt, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Leighton Holdings, Professor Margaret Gardner AO, Vice-Chancellor of RMIT, and Ms Rebecca Dee-Bradbury, […]

more…

4 Apr, 2013

How Digital Technology Has Helped Unleash a Devastating New Era of Propaganda | Alternet

Whereas a generation ago, dissent and biting satire were allowed in the “mainstream”, today their counterfeits are acceptable and a fake moral zeitgeist rules. “Identity” is all, mutating feminism and declaring class obsolete. Just as collateral damage covers for mass murder, “austerity” has become an acceptable lie. Beneath the veneer of consumerism, a quarter of […]

more…

4 Apr, 2013

Reign of terror by Juggle-Bandhi : Jug Suraiya’s blog-The Times Of India

While gender terrorism has been a chronic disease in Indian society, the gang rape of the young woman whom the TOI named Nirbhaya seems to have opened a Pandora`s box of gender assaults being reported from across the country. It is not that these savage crimes did not occur previously; it is that media attention […]

more…

4 Apr, 2013

Chomsky: The Cruelty That Keeps Empires Alive | Alternet

The need to humiliate those who raise their heads is an ineradicable element of the imperial mentality. In the case of Israel-Palestine, there has long been a near-unanimous international consensus on a diplomatic settlement, blocked by the United States for 35 years, with tacit European acceptance. Contempt for the worthless victims is no small part […]

more…

4 Apr, 2013

Feature: Gaza fishery stagnant after Israel tightens blockade – Xinhua

GAZA, April 3 (Xinhua) — The Israeli decision to reduce Gaza’s fishing zone from six nautical miles to only three nautical miles off the coastline “spoiled the fishing season,” 55-year-old fisherman Mohamed Bakker said. “Why does Israel punish us?” Bakker complained while sitting on the off-white sands of Gaza beach beside his fishing boat, referring […]

more…

4 Apr, 2013

Women tourists avoiding India after sex attacks | GulfNews.com

New Delhi: The number of foreign women tourists visiting India has dropped by 35 per cent in the past three months following a spate of sex attacks that have made global headlines, a new survey has found. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) says overall tourist arrivals are down 25 per […]

more…

3 Apr, 2013

War and politics from a left-Christian perspective: Crumbling Official 9/11 Story Calls US Legitimacy into Question

Were the Twin Towers, and the thousands of people inside them, blown to bits by explosives? That is what many of the 9/11 victims’ family members believe. Robert McIlvaine, whose son Bobby was murdered in the Twin Towers on 9/11, has stated that roughly half the family members share his suspicion that the Towers were […]

more…

3 Apr, 2013

One of Canada’s largest student association endorses BDS against Israel – | Haaretz Daily

One of the largest student association in Canada passed a resolution endorsing the global boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel. With the passage late last week of the resolution, York University’s student association joins two others in Canada – the University of Toronto and Concordia University graduate student associations – in endorsing the BDS […]

more…

2 Apr, 2013

Global economy improving but Europe lags behind, says OECD

=========

PARIS, 28/03/2013 (OECD Media release) – Global economic activity is picking up, but the continuing crisis in the euro area is delaying a meaningful recovery, the OECD said in its latest Interim Economic Assessment. The Assessment, presented in Paris by Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan, says that the G7 economies are expected to grow at […]

more…

2 Apr, 2013

Hate, Congress and the FBI: Rethinking How We Track Hate Crimes in America | SikhNet

About two months ago, a woman in New York City, Erika Menendez, was charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime. Menendez was responsible for the death of Hindu American Sunando Sen: He was crushed by an oncoming train when she pushed him onto the tracks of an elevated subway station. Queens District Attorney Richard […]

more…

1 Apr, 2013

When George Bush invaded Iraq, life imitated art – Voices – The Independent

Born-again Christians often don’t realise their ‘God-given’ right to invade Iraq destroyed one of the oldest Christian communities in the Middle East Read the rest: When George Bush invaded Iraq, life imitated art – Robert Fisk  – The Independent.

more…

1 Apr, 2013

Racist rant: tourists abused on Sydney bus

In the video, a Caucasian man yells at a middle-aged man and woman of Korean appearance about the Japanese bombing of Australia during World War II and calls the pair “f—ing bastards”. Before the camera started rolling, the man yelled racist taunts such as, “Do you f—ing speak English?”, “Japanese c—s” and “why did you […]

more…

1 Apr, 2013

Israeli Defence Forces must stop arresting children – Haaretz Daily

Twenty-seven Palestinian children were ambushed and arrested by Israel Defense Forces soldiers in Hebron on March 20. Eighteen of them were less than 12 years old, the minimum age at which they can legally be held responsible for a crime. This large-scale roundup was arbitrary. Soldiers arrested every child they saw on the street − […]

more…

1 Apr, 2013

The Treason of the Intellectuals – Chris Hedges – Truthdig

The rewriting of history by the power elite was painfully evident as the nation marked the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. Some claimed they had opposed the war when they had not. Others among “Bush’s useful idiots” argued that they had merely acted in good faith on the information available; if […]

more…

31 Mar, 2013

The War in Iraq Ten Years Later – How Cheerleader Journalism Fueled the Fire

We can imagine that George Bush, Dick Cheney, Tony Blair and the other masterminds behind the Iraq war and occupation have lost little sleep over the destruction they’ve wrought. The narcissism and sociopathic personalities they share seem, sadly, to be all too common among the political and military leaders around the world, in Bush’s America […]

more…

31 Mar, 2013

Popular Resistance: Easter Resurrection of Palestine

“What would Jesus do” is a question that hovers in the background of this troubled land. Well, actually the land does not have feelings to be troubled so let us say the troubled inhabitants of this land. I am certainly troubled as most Palestinian Christians and Muslims are. We are troubled because we cannot even […]

more…

31 Mar, 2013

U.S. Firm filing lawsuits on behalf of brain tumor victims, allegedly from cell-phones

=========

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 27, 2013 – Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing clients in cell phone radiation lawsuits, notes that a new study has found that radiation from cell phones may cause damage to brain tissue. According to a report from the Daily Mail, researchers with Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety […]

more…

31 Mar, 2013

Colbert King: A too-candid camera at Starbucks – The Washington Post

It was a Saturday in April, a good day for sightseeing in our nation’s capital. After walking around, William A. Yockey, his wife, Lindsay, and their 5-year-old daughter, K.Y., visited a Starbucks coffee shop in the 300 block of Seventh Street NW, a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol and the Mall. As it turned […]

more…

31 Mar, 2013

Sundown in America – NYTimes.com

As the federal government and its central-bank sidekick, the Fed, have groped for one goal after another — smoothing out the business cycle, minimizing inflation and unemployment at the same time, rolling out a giant social insurance blanket, promoting homeownership, subsidizing medical care, propping up old industries (agriculture, automobiles) and fostering new ones (“clean” energy, […]

more…

31 Mar, 2013

White men have much to discuss about mass shootings – The Washington Post

Imagine if African American men and boys were committing mass shootings month after month, year after year. Articles and interviews would flood the media, and we’d have political debates demanding that African Americans be “held accountable.” Then, if an atrocity such as the Newtown, Conn., shootings took place and African American male leaders held a […]

more…

30 Mar, 2013

PressTV – Horror in Israel: 30,000 Mossad spies exposed

The hack, initially exposing a hidden network of 30,000 covert operatives, some openly labeled “hitman,” came only days after Israel admitted to their 2010 act of piracy and terrorism against the Freedom Flotilla.Now the Israeli regime has filled the internet with threats against “Anonymous,” if detailed information on their terror cells is leaked.After all, who […]

more…

29 Mar, 2013

Ten years on, Western leaders have learned nothing from Iraq disaster – Globaltimes.cn

Does the 10th anniversary of Washington’s Iraq War mean anything to the leaders who took us into war? No. Because, so far, there has been no indication that they have learned any lessons. Then US president George W. Bush and UK prime minister Tony Blair lied to their respective government and people in order to […]

more…

29 Mar, 2013

Little-known U.S. surveillance tool raises concerns by judges, privacy activists – The Washington Post

Federal investigators in Northern California routinely used a sophisticated surveillance system to scoop up data from cellphones and other wireless devices in an effort to track criminal suspects — but failed to detail the practice to judges authorizing the probes. The practice was disclosed Wednesday in documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by […]

more…

29 Mar, 2013

Facebook and the disintegration of the human – Al Jazeera

The ostensible function of social networking sites is, of course, to bring people closer together. The same function is attributed to the process of neoliberal globalisation. Despite obvious superficial increases in interconnectedness in both cases, however, the fundamental outcome is alienating. In the latter instance, ‘interconnectedness’ has been characterized by enhanced disparity in socioeconomic conditions […]

more…

29 Mar, 2013

Why Thailand and Greece spell tragedy for Australian travellers

More than 100 Australians died in Thailand and a further 60 died in Greece last year, making these two countries – for different reasons – among the places where Australians are most likely to meet their end while overseas. While the deaths in Thailand were largely due to illness or accident, most in Greece were […]

more…

28 Mar, 2013

Nokia India slapped with Rs 2,000 cr fine over tax evasion – Indian Express

The Income Tax department has served a Rs 2,000 crore demand notice on Finnish mobile firm maker Nokia for alleged evasion of taxes in its business transactions in the country. The department had on March 21 asked the firm to submit the amount of Rs 2,000 crore in about a week’s time, I-T department sources […]

more…

28 Mar, 2013

The Alternative Power Structure to the American Empire Keeps Growing Stronger | Alternet

The BRICS meet in Durban, South Africa, this Tuesday to, among other steps, create their own credit rating agency, sidelining the dictatorship – or at least “biased agendas”, in New Delhi’s diplomatic take – of the Moody’s/Standard & Poor’s variety.  They will also further advancethe idea of the BRICS Development Bank, with a seed capital […]

more…

28 Mar, 2013

Abraaj Group exhibits extraordinary Middle Eastern art – Ahram Online

The Abraaj Group Art Prize 2013 was awarded to proposals of installations by five emerging artists from the Middle East: Iman Issa from Egypt; Hrair Sarkissian from Syria; Vartan Avakian and Rayyane Tabet from Lebanon, and Huma Mulji from Pakistan. The artists have been working with guest curator Murtaza Vali for the past six months […]

more…

27 Mar, 2013

Senior churchman says Christians, Muslims need Israeli military’s OK to pray

In the run up to Easter Week, a very special time for Christians, the Patriarch pointed out that access to their holy places will be limited, difficult and in the control of the Israelis. “It is impossible for any external pressure to change anything,” he added. “Israel alone decides whether to go forward with peace […]

more…

27 Mar, 2013

Russian oligarch exposed over Israeli citizenship | National Post

A Russian oligarch who has maintained high-level influence in Moscow since the close of the Cold War resigned his seat in Russian parliament Tuesday after the National Post revealed he held dual citizenship and had extensive assets in Canada. Vitaly Malkin tried for almost 20 years to relocate to Canada, investing millions in Toronto, but […]

more…

26 Mar, 2013

The 147 People Destroying the World | Alternet

Can 147 people perpetuate economic injustice – and make it even worse? Can they subvert the workings of democracy, both abroad and here in the United States? Can 147 people hijack the global economy, plunder the environment, build a world for themselves that serves the few and deprives the many? There must be some explanation […]

more…

23 Mar, 2013

China’s media challenge in Africa: Battling the Western Perspective

By Ngari Gituku (China Daily)

2013-03-22 – Even a cursory look at the African media will reveal its uncanny similarity between Eurocentric media trends and the contours of Sub-Saharan African press, which can be attributed to historical reasons. The contact Africa has had with the West over the years has a lot to do with how the average African processes […]

more…

23 Mar, 2013

More Chinese Returning Home from Studies Abroad

=========

BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) — A total of 272,900 Chinese students returned home after finishing their education abroad in 2012, up 46.6 percent from 2011, said a senior human resources official on Thursday. Since China’s reform and opening up began in 1978, 1.09 million Chinese who studied abroad have returned home, said Yin Weimin, minister […]

more…

23 Mar, 2013

China, Brazil to ink deal on currency swap

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) — Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Friday that the People’s Bank of China (PBC) and Brazil’s Central Bank are expected to sign a currency swap accord soon. Hong made the remarks when asked to comment on remarks made on Thursday by Brazilian Trade and Industry Minister Fernando Pimentel. Pimentel said […]

more…

23 Mar, 2013

Iraq war caused me to lose my country – The Washington Post

When people ask me, “Was the war worth it?,” I am often unsure how to respond. The world is a better place without a tyrant like Saddam Hussein. But poor U.S. post-invasion planning helped unleash sectarian furies that will plague not just Iraq but the broader Middle East for decades. I think a better question […]

more…

20 Mar, 2013

Pakistan makes Wagah crossing more India-friendly – The Hindu

Pakistan has evidently gone the extra mile to be welcoming towards Indians entering through the Wagah border road crossing in Punjab. Possibly in anticipation of greater traffic — particularly from the northern parts of India — Pakistani authorities have for the first time put up signposts in Hindi for the convenience of Indians travelling in. […]

more…

20 Mar, 2013

Loopholes for rich make China’s estate tax meaningless

By You Yunting (Global Times)

March 15, 2013 – Earlier this month the China Institute for Income Distribution at Beijing Normal University released a report arguing that the imposition of a tax on inherited assets of more than 5 million yuan ($803,500) would be a major step toward narrowing the country’s widening income gap. Such claims have naturally stirred up […]

more…

20 Mar, 2013

Business as unusual in India – Sitaram Yechury – Hindustan Times

Our international positioning, say on Iran, Syria or the downgrading of support to the Palestinian struggle etc, is increasingly becoming one of toeing the US line, thus, making our foreign policy subservient to US global strategic interests. In a sense such a change was inevitable given the unabashed embrace of neo-liberalism and its trajectory of […]

more…

19 Mar, 2013

A Witness to 4 Iraqi Wars, but No More – NYTimes.com

Today, three years after most American soldiers withdrew from Iraq, we see that the whole country is on the brink of another round of sectarian war. Once again there are assassination campaigns by killers using silenced weapons, threats to force Sunni and Shiite families from their neighborhoods, and car bombs striking here and there all […]

more…

19 Mar, 2013

Truthdig – The Last Letter: A Message to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From a Dying Veteran

To: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From: Tomas Young My day of reckoning is upon me. Yours will come. I hope you will be put on trial. But mostly I hope, for your sakes, that you find the moral courage to face what you have done to me and to many, many others who […]

more…

19 Mar, 2013

Endgame for monetary policies

Otaviano Canuto (China Daily) & Project Syndicate

2013-03-15 – Much of the hype surrounding last month’s meeting of the G20 finance ministers and central bankers in Moscow was dedicated to so-called currency wars. But the crucial issue of long-term investment financing was largely neglected, even though the endgame for the unconventional monetary policies introduced by some advanced economies will require the revitalization […]

more…

19 Mar, 2013

Cheney’s legacy in Iraq – By Ramzy Baroud

Ramzy Baroud

Cairo, Al Ahram Weekly, 13 March 2013 – Al-Qaeda linked groups are wreaking havoc in Iraq, with deaths reported almost on a daily basis as a result of their ever-innovative killing tactics. The rise of militant violence throughout the country is happening within the framework of worsening sectarian tensions, which underlines a real national crisis […]

more…

19 Mar, 2013

Planning vital to future of China’s diplomacy

By Sun Ru (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-03-15 – Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of planning in tackling situations both at home and abroad, and to lay a solid foundation for the country’s peaceful development. This, he said, should be the guiding principle for China’s diplomacy. The complicated domestic and foreign situations have created new challenges for China. […]

more…

18 Mar, 2013

West “ignored evidence from senior Iraqis” that WMDs did not exist – The Independent

Two senior Iraqi politicians told Western intelligence that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction on the eve of the 2003 invasion – but their warnings were ignored and then not reported to the subsequent Butler inquiry, according to a major new investigation. Vital intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq 10 years […]

more…

18 Mar, 2013

Ten years on, Iraq still grapples with war’s legacy – The Hindu

It’s been more than six years since a bomb ripped away the eyes from Shams Karim, killed her mother and left the little girl, now seven, blind and disfigured for life. Psychiatric drugs help control her outbursts of crying and screaming. Throughout Iraq, there are tens of thousands of victims like her whose lives are […]

more…

17 Mar, 2013

US drone attacks a failure, creating more problems – Pakistani Scholars

Associated Press of Pakistan

WASHINGTON, March 15: The United States drone paradigm is not working as aerial operations in pursuit of elusive al-Qaeda are fueling militancy and adding to the woes of marginalized tribal societies, scholar Akbar S Ahmed told a Washington think tank. Dr Ahmed was speaking at the launch of his latest book at the Brookings Institution, […]

more…

17 Mar, 2013

Asia Times Online : Europe’s odd policy in Palestine

Only a few international law experts would defend Israel’s fervent settlement constructions on occupied Palestinian land. Yet there has been little interest from Western powers to pressure Israel to cease its illegal activities. Without US and European funding it would have been nearly impossible for Israel to build settlements and transfer more half a million […]

more…

17 Mar, 2013

Iraq war damaged Britain, says new poll – The Independent

More than half the British public believes involvement in the Iraq war damaged the country’s reputation around the world, a new poll reveals today. On the 10th anniversary of the invasion, the survey by King’s College London (KCL) and Ipsos Mori shows opposition to UK involvement is the majority view. But most people still think […]

more…

17 Mar, 2013

Days before Obama visit, NYT publishes pro-Palestinian manifesto | Haaretz

Days before U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel, the New York Times magazine has published an unusually pro-Palestinian cover story entitled “If There is a Third Intifada, We Want to be the Ones who Started It.” The 7,000-word article, written by author and freelance journalist Ben Ehrenreich, depicts the struggle of the Tamimi family […]

more…