COAS cancels Independence Day celebrations General Kayani cancelled the celebrations so the funds can be used for flood relief instead. PHOTO: AFP ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Thursday cancelled the military celebrations of August 14 and September 6 this year and said the savings will be utilised for flood relief activities. A special Corps Commanders’ Conference was held at General Headquarters to review flood situation in the Country and ongoing relief and rescue activities by the Army. According to ISPR, Participants took comprehensive overview of the flood situation and ongoing relief and rescue operations by … Continue reading COAS cancels Independence Day and concentrates on helping flood victims

Obama to host Iftar on Friday: White House President Obama will hold an Iftar meal at the White House on Friday. PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama will on Friday join an evening meal to break the daily fast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramazan, the White House said. The hosting of Iftar will be held in a dining room at the White House, his spokesman said. Obama participated in a traditional Ramazan meal in September 2009, where he praised Islam as an integral part of the United States. Earlier this week the president offered his … Continue reading Invitation to the White House Iftari

A hysterical turn to ‘race’ in New Zealand A Maori MP’s comments about intermarriage have sparked talk about bloodlines, when it’s cultural survival that’s the real issue Alice Te Punga Somerville guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 August 2010 12.16 BST Article history Earlier this month, controversial Maori party MP Hone Harawira stated to a newspaper journalist that he “wouldn’t be comfortable” if one of his children was dating a Pakeha (European New Zealander). He went on to clarify that he is “just like every other New Zealander, except [he] is comfortable in recognising that prejudice exists.” Whether Harawira is a media spectacle, … Continue reading Maori racism?

What explains the tight-fisted response to the Pakistan floods The steady drip of negative ‘terror’-obsessed media coverage has done Pakistanis a great disservice Catriona Luke guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 August 2010 14.00 BST Article history Compare and contrast: within days of the 2004 tsunami, £100m had poured into Oxfam, the Red Cross and other charities, and by February 2005 when the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) closed its appeal, the total stood at £300m. The Haiti earthquake appeal closed with donations of £101m. The DEC total for the Pakistan floods appeal has just reached £10m. . The reasons for this disparity aren’t … Continue reading The steady drip of negative ‘terror’-obsessed media coverage has done Pakistanis a great disservice

Iraq must be put back together piece by piece. A truth and reconciliation commission might be just the place to start Hayder al-Khoei guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 August 2010 09.00 BST Article history A truth and reconciliation commission might enable Iraqis to begin to heal old wounds. Photograph: Khalid Mohammed/APReconciliation is a word loathed by many Iraqis who want to reverse the injustices of the last 30 years. A tyrannical regime, two bloody wars, several rebellions, genocide and a decade of sanctions later, every Iraqi has a painful story to tell. Members of my family were persecuted, arrested and executed by … Continue reading What South Africa could teach Iraq

Peace summit or the height of folly? Can an activists’ peace summit at the top of Mont Blanc help bridge the abyss of Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Khaled Diab guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 August 2010 14.00 BST Article history Peace activists from Israel’s University of Haifa on the summit of Mont Blanc. Photograph: AP With Israel-Palestine diplomacy leading nowhere and the situation steadily worsening in recent years, even the most optimistic doves have had their wings clipped by the hawks who prey on every fledgling initiative, often before it has had a chance to hatch. Against the backdrop of this political vacuum, a … Continue reading A Jew and Arab go to Mont Blanc…

It’s failing to make a case for its survival as university cuts bite. But theology’s value as an academic discipline is incalculable Sophia Deboick guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 August 2010 14.34 BST Article history Bangor University has announced that its school of theology and religious studies will close in 2013, merging with the theology department at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in a cost-cutting exercise. With university budget cuts of £200m planned, the loss of the department is unlikely to be an isolated case. At the University of Birmingham’s school of philosophy, theology and religion, one of the largest … Continue reading Theology is a crucial academic subject

An easy way to win an online argument It seems most people will happily go along with majority opinion. Knowing this gives online debaters a useful weapon Darragh McManus guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 August 2010 15.23 BST Article history Wasn’t it Churchill who said there was no lower form of opinion than public opinion? Loth as I am to agree with old boggly-eyes, on this he was right. Or to put it another way, most people are morons and easily swayed by the majority, as explained in this comment by AllyF, which drew on an academic study about opinion-making, to be … Continue reading Win an online argument