Feng Hao | (ChinaDialogue) | – – Lives in northern China are shorter than in the south because of air pollution from heating, reports Feng Hao In Beijing, the switch from coal to gas heating has reduced levels of tiny particles (PM2.5 and PM10) in November by 55% and 46% on last year (Image: Nick McIntosh) Each year, the winter chill creates […]
Archives for December 2017
Ignoring Rohingya Ethnic Cleansing is Creating another Palestine
Middle East Monitor | – – The international community must act swiftly on the Rohingya crisis or the world will create another Palestine. That was the stark warning issued by a delegation from the Middle East in a meeting with the Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament on Tuesday. The members of the delegation included representatives […]
Oil Giants’ $180 Bn Binge on Plastics to *Permanently* Pollute Oceans
TeleSur | – – Major chemical and petroleum companies knew about the copious amounts of water pollution caused by them as far back as the 1970’s. Oil giants will put colossal funding in plastic production raising the production by 40 percent over the next decade, and in turn risking a “permanent pollution” scenario in water […]
Trump’s disastrous Year in the Middle East: Syria
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Trump on the campaign trail said many self-contradictory things about the Syrian civil war. He wanted to carpet bomb ISIL, which had a strip of territory in the far east of the country. He wanted to send in 30,000 US troops, he said at one point. […]
Why the Israeli Right is wrong to put Hopes in Trump’s Jerusalem Decision
Shlomo Ben-Ami | (Project Syndicate) | – – Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital may have been bombastic, but it will not change much. It does not preclude the city’s eventual division into two capitals as part of a peace settlement, much less guarantee Israel sovereignty over all of Jerusalem as its […]
Riyadh releases more royals in corruption probe, Demands $6 bn from Alwaleed
Middle East Monitor | – – Saudi Arabia’s authorities have released a number of detained royals allegedly involved in corruption in public office. The move came after a settlement was agreed with the suspects, the daily Okaz reported yesterday. The pro-government newspaper added that the detainees, who had been held in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in […]
Dogs! Israeli Minister Harasses Palestinian mothers visiting Jailed Sons
Ma’an News Agency | – – “The group has estimated that some 40 percent of Palestinian men will be detained by Israel at some point in their lives.” BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — An ultra right-wing Israeli minister verbally harassed Palestinians from Gaza as they traveled on a bus to visit their imprisoned relatives in southern Israel’s […]
What does the Muslim Scripture say about the Birth of Jesus?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | The Qur’an, the scripture Muslims believe was brought from God by the Prophet Muhammad (d. 632), has a number of passages that mention Mary and the virgin birth of Jesus. The Chapter of Mary, 19:16, says (my interpretation): And mention in the Book Mary, when she withdrew from […]
Trump to rich Cronies at Mar-a-Lago: “You all Just got a lot Richer” (Video)
Demarco Morgan | CBS News | (Video News Report) | – – “”You all just got a lot richer,” Mr. Trump told friends at his exclusive Palm Beach club after signing the new tax overhaul into law” CBS News: “Trump touts tax bill to friends at Mar-a-Lago” – @demarcoreports