The US Republicans have created a Frankenstein monster Karl Rove and the neocons were the inspiration for the Tea Party. But they’ve lost control and now it threatens to overwhelm them Michael Tomasky guardian.co.uk, Thursday 16 September 2010 21.30 BST Article history Carl Paladino stood at the victory podium and bellowed: “Tonight the ruling class knows. They have seen it now. There is a people’s revolution.” Paladino, the Tea Party-backed candidate whom New York Republicans nominated for governor on Tuesday, crushed his establishment opponent – a former congressman with a somewhat moderate reputation – by two to one. This was after … Continue reading Tealibanisation of US Republican Party?

Why have we allowed the conservative interpretation of religion to dominate discourse? The current floods in Pakistan have confirmed what some have suspected for years – that the underlying polity in Pakistan is irrevocably inept and dysfunctional. That the citizens of Pakistan have suffered under a broken polity. There is renewed scrutiny and critical commentary on political and social discourse in Pakistan due to the floods. However, there is one area which forever escapes this new found spirit of critical enquiry in the Pakistani media, and that is the issues of religious authority and religious institutions. Ever since the so … Continue reading Stop the free ride for mullahs

tribune.co.uk Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf speaks to the press in Hong Kong on September 15, 2010. PHOTO: AFP HONG KONG: Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday he would launch a new party on October 1, as the retired general plots a return to the frontlines of the restive country’s turbulent politics. Musharraf also accused Afghan President Hamid Karzai of lacking “legitimacy” but urged the West to stay the course against the Taliban and not to abandon the restive region. “I’m going to a declare a party on October 1…. We have to bring about a new political … Continue reading Musharraf to launch political party on October 1

Hannibal the killer swan murders 15 rival birds who dare to venture onto his pond Located in the picturesque surroundings of Pembroke Castle it was once filled with dozens of beautiful swans. But less than a year later Castle Pond is now home to just one rather brutal inhabitant: Hannibal. Since arriving on the pond in February he has slaughtered 15 other birds in a terrifying rampage and maimed scores more. Public enemy number swan: Hannibal (left) has murdered 15 birds and left countless others injured, including the bird on the right who was lucky to be saved by a … Continue reading Killer Swan

Scientists’ amazement as new species of giant elephant shrew is captured on camera in remote Kenyan jungle A giant elephant shrew caught on camera in a remote African forest may be a new species, scientists said today. The bizarre mammal, which has a long, flexible, trunk-like nose, was discovered in the Boni-Dodori forest in north-eastern Kenya. Camera traps were set up in the remote forest after Grace Wambui, a fellow of the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) Edge of Existence programme which is examining the wildlife of the area, spotted an elusive elephant-shrew she did not recognise. The mystery animal … Continue reading Giant Elephant Shrew

America’s First Muslim President Muslim Americans helped elect George W. Bush, but now they’re leaving the Republican Party in droves. It didn’t have to be this way. BY SUHAIL A. KHAN | foreignpolicy I’ve been involved in politics for well over two decades, so you can imagine how proud I was when I learned that my newly retired mother had signed up to volunteer during the 2008 presidential primary campaign in our native California. But even though she was a longstanding Republican, it came as little surprise that the candidate for whom she was volunteering was not. After years as … Continue reading American Muslims and Jews in 1930s Germany…

The wireless charging device that will power up your mobile from across the room It could spell the end to tangled charger leads and your favourite gadget running out of power just when you need it most. Japanese firm Fujitsu has unveiled technology that uses magnets to recharge more than one gadget at once – entirely without wires. The system means that devices can be charged up at a distance of a several metres and could lead to wireless charging ‘hotspots’ in public places by 2012. Fujitsu demonstrates two lightbulbs lighting up using its wireless charging technology Two mobile phones … Continue reading wireless charging device

Extraordinary moment an elephant teetered on two legs to reach tasty treat from tree branch Teetering on two legs, this elephant showed he aims high when it comes to getting a good meal. The animal wasn’t daunted when faced with pulling some tasty pods from the branches of a particularly tall tree. Instead of simply shaking the tree trunk and catching his meal when it fell, he stretched himself to his full height to elegantly pluck it from the branches. It is thought this elephant, a 40-year-old male, is the only one of his herd who has learnt the extraordinary … Continue reading Elephant stands on two legs