By William J. Astore | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – Jump into your time machine and let me transport you back to another age. It’s May 2001 and the Atlantic Monthly has just arrived in the mail. I’m tantalized by the cover article. “Russia is finished,” the magazine announces. The subtitle minces no words: “The […]
Popular Protest against US-backed Government in Kabul: What is going On?
By Solaiman M. Fazel | (Informed Comment) | – – Two days after a deadly blast in Kabul’s diplomatic quarter, why did thousands of residents and civil society activists participate in a protest near Kabul’s presidential palace calling for the resignation of President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah? There are several lingering […]
Qatar in the Cross-Hairs – How Bad can it Get?
By Brian Whitaker | ( Al-Bab.com ) | – – The extraordinary propaganda offensive against Qatar which has been raging in sections of the Arab media for the last couple of weeks shifted from words to deeds yesterday when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt in effect placed Qatar under siege. There are four possible […]
The Climate Catastrophe Trump Promotes: Bangladesh between Flood and Drought
World Bank | (Video Clip) – – “Due to its geographical position, Bangladesh is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Watch how communities in areas afflicted by recurring floods or droughts are finding solutions to cope with climate change.” World Bank: “With or Without Water: Coping With Climate Change in Bangladesh”
Is breathtaking Iran your next Tourist Destination?
By Frud Bezhan | ( RFE/RL) | – – Stunning landscapes, famous hospitality, and numerous World Heritage sites. Iran’s potential as a holiday destination is vast, but foreign tourists have largely avoided the country ever since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The reasons are numerous. The visa process can be lengthy and complex. Some female […]
Israel: 50 Years of Occupation Abuses
Human Rights Watch | – – Ramp Up Pressure for Accountability on all Sides (Jerusalem) – Fifty years after Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip, it controls these areas through repression, institutionalized discrimination, and systematic abuses of the Palestinian population’s rights, Human Rights Watch said today. At least five categories of major violations […]
Ariana Grande One Love Manchester Benefit: Response to Terror
Ariana Grande One Love Concert | Manchester | (Video Clip) | – – Ariana Grande returned to Manchester with some special guests to remember the victims of the attack which took place after her gig on May 22. Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Take That, Robbie Williams, Niall Horan, Little Mix, Pharrell […]
It isn’t just Trump: The American System is Broken
By Jeffrey D. Sachs | (Project Syndicate) | – – NEW YORK – US President Donald Trump’s ravings against the 2015 Paris climate agreement are partly a product of his ignorance and narcissism. Yet they represent something more. They are a reflection of the deep corruption of the US political system, which, according to one […]
US faces risks as Trump misreads the Middle East
Francis Ghilès | (OpenDemocracy.net) | – – Militarising the region further and taking sides in a recently concocted sectarian conflict will likely end in tears. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, Saudi King Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al Saud, US First Lady Melania Trump, and US president Donald Trump. Picture by Balkis Press/ABACA/ABACA/PA Images. All rights reserved.The […]