The advent of writing is generally viewed in terms of its significance as a cultural advance — less attention is given to its political implications. Yet it looks like the most important function writing originally served was in the management of slavery and the regulation of society. The BBC’s Sean Coughlan reports on efforts to [...]
The Written Word: An Ancient Tool Of Oppression – OpEd
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Muslim Brotherhood Rallies To Morsi’s Side After Mass Opposition Demonstrations
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood called for protests across the country on Sunday to support President Mohammad Morsi as he tries to face down a nationwide backlash against a controversial decree that grants him extensive new powers. The call for protest came after Egypt’s top judges publicly condemned the leader’s new powers, calling Thursday’s decree a “ferocious [...]
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The Rangoon University I Know – OpEd
I could not hold back my tears as I witness the live transmission of President Obama speech at the Convocation hall of my beloved Rangoon University. Exactly half a century ago to be precise on 7th July 1962, the Myanmar Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) turned the centre of learning into the killing fields and is still [...]
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ASEAN Human Rights Declaration: A Pragmatic Compromise – Analysis
The ASEAN Human Rights Declaration is a historic document that sets out a common framework for protection of human rights in the region. While some clauses are controversial, the declaration represents the consensus of members with pragmatic concerns for their security. By Joel Ng THE ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) signed by the heads of [...]
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Suicide Bombers Attack Nigerian Military Church
By Heather Murdock Twin suicide bombers have attacked a church inside a military base in Nigeria’s Kaduna State, a volatile area known for sectarian and religious violence. Reuters news agency quotes a military spokesman as saying 11 people were killed and dozens injured. Authorities say a bus was driven into St. Andrews Protestant Church inside [...]
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Israeli Policies In Gaza Harden British Public Opinion – Analysis
By Harriet Fildes The United Kingdom has been one of Israel’s greatest allies since the state’s inception in 1948, a result of the British Balfour Declaration. The recent escalation of violence has largely been blamed on Hamas by the British media and government, with William Hague, Britain’s Foreign Secretary declaring that Hamas bore “principal responsibility” [...]
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Afghanistan: No Amnesty For Taliban Crimes, Says HRW
The Afghan government should not grant Taliban representatives amnesty from prosecution for serious crimes as part of talks with the insurgent group, Human Rights Watch said Sunday. On November 17, 2012, the chairman of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, Salahuddin Rabbani, told journalists that Taliban officials who join peace negotiations with the Afghan government will receive [...]
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Chinese Economic Espionage Is Hurting Case For Free Trade – Analysis
By Derek Scissors, Ph.D. Trade and investment with China benefits the U.S. This is evident in choices made by individuals and companies every day to buy Chinese goods and work with Chinese partners. Indeed, American business has been the chief proponent of a sound U.S.–China economic relationship. The context makes intense Chinese economic espionage all [...]
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ECB And IMF Propose New ‘Radical’ Greece Debt Plan
The European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have proposed a radical new sovereign debt restructuring plan for Greece, the second such plan in a year, German daily Der Spiegel’s online paper said on Sunday. The plan includes a further write-down of 50 percent of the nominal sum, which would allow a [...]
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Iran Says Victory Of Gaza, Horrendous Tsunami For Israel
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says hard days lie ahead of Israel following the regime’s military aggression against the blockaded Gaza Strip. Larijani pointed to Israel’s “new defeat” in its recent aggression against Gaza, saying, “You should rest assured that the Zionist regime [of Israel] has harder days ahead.” He went on to say that [...]
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Pakistan: Children Among Dead After Taliban Targets Shias
Seven Shias, including four children, were killed on Saturday after the Taliban in Pakistan targeted their procession in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to local police, a remote-controlled bomb detonated close to Dera Ismail Khan during the Shia march to commemorate the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain. The attack, that left seven [...]
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Ashton To Travel To Georgia, Stresses Need Of PM And President To Work Together
Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, will travel to Georgia on Monday where she will meet Prime Minister Ivanishvili and President Saakashvili. Speaking ahead of her trip, Catherine Ashton said, “I am very much looking forward to meeting the Prime Minister and President of Georgia [...]
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Egypt: Militants Bomb Security Bases In Sinai Peninsula
Militants bombed security bases being built in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, injuring three people, authorities said, as the state tries to reassert control over territory that slipped from its grip after the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, Reuters reported. A massive explosion partly destroyed the wall of a security base being built for border guards in [...]
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The Tragedy Of Goma – OpEd
By Theogene Rudasingwa For the last several months Rwandans, Congolese, Africans and the international community have watched as the predictable drama from Paul Kagame’s regime plays out once again in the Kivu region of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. With the birth of M23, the Kigali regime re-engineered the mutation of an old proxy force, [...]
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Hurricanes And Individualism: Lessons From Historic Sandy – OpEd
By Horace G. Campbell Tropical storm Sandy swept through from the Caribbean up the Eastern Seaboard of North America in the last week of October 2012. The date is itself important because by the end of October, it had been expected that the Hurricane season was over. But this massive Hurricane called a ‘super storm’ [...]
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Gaza Still Boils In Suffocating Siege – OpEd
By Stephen Lendman Pillar of Cloud settled nothing. Little changed for 1.7 million Gazans. Suffocating siege continues. Israel provoked two border incidents. One Palestinian was shot and killed. Others were wounded. They threatened no one. These type incidents are commonplace. They won’t end. Palestinians are blamed for Israeli crimes. Daily life continues as before. Israel [...]
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Teenage Girls Dance Their Way To Better Mental Health
(CORDIS) — Depression, stress, fatigue and even headaches suffered by young girls can be alleviated through regular dance, according to a study that monitored 112 Swedish girls from the ages of 13 to 19. The study, titled ‘Influencing Self-rated health among adolescent girls with dance intervention’ was run by physical therapist, Anna Duberg from Örebro [...]
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True Lies Behind Operation Pillar Of Defense – OpEd
By Ershad Abubacker The first casualty in any war is Truth, and the latest escalation in violence between Israel and Gaza was no different. Israel and the mainstream media fed by it repeated the rhetoric that the rockets fired from Gaza was the pretext for the current crisis and Israel just ‘retaliated’ to the situation [...]
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Civilian Casualties: International Laws And Sri Lanka Bashing – OpEd
By Shenali Waduge How many wonder as to the practicality of ONLY soldiers going through all the rules and regulations in an intense battleground situation when the terrorist enemy are not signatory to any international humanitarian laws and possesses the means to retaliate with brutality? When the enemy thrives and survives on its ability to [...]
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Qatar Looks To Gaza As The Map Continues To Shift – Analysis
By Marco Scacchi Just few weeks before the beginning of the Operation Pillar of Defense, the emir of Qatar became the first head of state to officially visit the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, ending more than five years of diplomatic isolation for Hamas- since the Hamas-Fatah conflict broke out. This visit represents a new set [...]
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