By Kuldip Nayar dawn.com Dongria Kondh tribals walk in front of Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, center wearing white, in the Niyamgiri Hills near Lanjigarh, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010. – Photo by AP. Some 80,000 farmers protested near Parliament House in New Delhi last week against the paltry compensation paid by the government for the land it took over in “public interest”. An 1847 act empowers the state to acquire land in dire eventuality. The UP government has taken over hundreds of acres to build an express Yamuna corridor for industry. True, the … Continue reading Waiting for Rahul?

by Faris Islam Watching the footage of the aftermath of the Lahore blast, it’s tragic how familiar a sight this has become across Pakistan. Too often, our national discourse been filled with angry citizens taking the law into their own hands. Before the Lahore bombings, we witnessed the gruesome lynching of two teenagers in Sialkot, a few weeks earlier Karachi erupted into flames of arson and looting following the murder of MPA Raza Haider. Prior to that, my home city of Karachi also burnt and bled after the Ashura blasts and of course, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Scenes of … Continue reading The need to confront violence and injustice

We cannot afford to shun Pakistan The world must not abandon Pakistan to the religious extremists Michael Nazir-Ali The Guardian, Saturday 4 September 2010 Article history On a recent Pakistan International Airlines flight from Karachi to Lahore, a local – and somewhat revealing – fashion show played out on the TV screens. Among those having to watch were a large number of people returning from the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. This scene is but a microcosm of contemporary Pakistan. On the one hand, there are signs everywhere not just of personal piety but of a narrow and intolerant ideology … Continue reading We must not abandon Pakistan to Mullahs

Five Ways You Can Help Pakistan (and the Rest of Us) by: Sarah van Gelder  |  YES! Magazine | Op-Ed A woman in Kalabagh, Pakistan, drinks dirty floodwater. Waterborne diseases continue to pose great risk to millions of people affected by the devastating floods. (Photo: United Nations Development Programme / Flickr) As the world comes to terms with the mind-boggling scale of the tragedy in Pakistan, many Americans are asking what we can do to aid the flood victims. Some may hesitate to contribute to flood relief because we associate Pakistan with qualities we don’t admire—nuclear proliferation, religious fundamentalism, the oppression of … Continue reading Five Ways You Can Help Pakistan

Flying the Flag; Faking the News Friday 03 September 2010 by: John Pilger, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed (Photo: DVIDSHUB / Flickr) Edward Bernays, the American nephew of Sigmund Freud, is said to have invented modern propaganda. During the First World War, he was one of a group of influential liberals who mounted a secret government campaign to persuade reluctant Americans to send an army to the bloodbath in Europe. In his book, “Propaganda,” published in 1928, Bernays wrote that the “intelligent manipulation of the organised habits and opinions of the masses was an important … Continue reading Flying Flags; Faking News; Fox Fcuking

A small town in France that built the country’s only council-funded UFO landing pad has received its first craft after a 34 year wait. By Henry Samuel in Paris Published: 5:18PM BST 03 Sep 2010 telegraph.co.uk The local mayor decreed that extraterrestrial visitors would be exempt from airport tax Photo: CORBIS Arès, near Bordeaux, southwestern France, has decided to try and attract Martians to its triangular “UFOport” with its very own fake Martian craft. Made by a local artist, the man-made UFO “landed” on the strip yesterday and, it is hoped, will entice any hesitant extraterrestrials in search of a … Continue reading French town’s UFO landing pad welcomes first visitor

Two police officers have been suspended from driving duties after they stopped a suspected drink driver then wrote-off his sports car by crashing through a garden wall. Published: 4:21PM BST 03 Sep 2010 telegraph.co.uk The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution after the police officers crashed it Photo: MEN The high-powered Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was driven across a grass verge, then across the garden of one luxury home and through the neighbour’s garden fence before ending up on its side. Both officers, who are under investigation, were found inside the vehicle. One suffered minor injuries and the other was left severely shaken. They … Continue reading Police officers suspended after writing off suspect’s sports car

Bono could have been prime minister, says Tony Blair Former prime minister claims in memoir that U2 frontman could have ended up in No 10 if he hadn’t chosen pop over politics Sean Michaels guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 September 2010 10.42 BST Article history ‘An inspirational speaker’… Tony Blair on Bono of U2. Photograph: Getty ImagesIn a memoir filled with profound navel-gazing, political bombshells and a few purple-prose love scenes, Tony Blair has also found time to salute U2‘s activist frontman, claiming he “could be … prime minister”. Blair’s new book, A Journey, is the hottest thing in bookshops this week. … Continue reading Bono – Prime Minister ?

Morrissey reignites racism row by calling Chinese a ‘subspecies’ Remark came in attack on animal welfare in China, with singer having faced repeated criticism on race comments Read Simon Armitage’s interview with Morrissey in full Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 September 2010 21.30 BST Article history Morrissey, the former Smiths singer and author of the song Meat Is Murder, is a long-term vegetarian, animal rights advocate and campaigner against circuses and zoos. Photograph: Jake Walters for the GuardianFor almost three decades, indie rock icon Morrissey has made almost as many enemies as devoted fans willing to hang on his every … Continue reading Morrissey