( Jacobin NL) On Monday 29 May 2023 I stood with my granddaughter and my son-in-law in front of the Proclamation Monument in Jakarta, with the two more than life-size bronze statues of the Indonesians Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, who on 17 August 1945 proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Indonesia. In between them […]
Archives for August 2023
Palestinians welcome China’s new Middle East Role, but they want more than Mediation
by Ramzy Baroud RamzyBaroud ( Middle East Monitor ) – It is feasible for China to continue playing an important role in mediating Middle East conflicts. In fact, it already has. In the case of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, however, mediation is hardly the issue. Even before Beijing successfully managed to achieve reconciliation between […]
How Microplastics are making their Way into our Farmland
By Branaavan Sivarajah, Carleton University; and Jesse Vermaire, Carleton University | – (The Conversation) – Microplastic pollution is a global environmental problem that is ubiquitous in all environments, including air, water and soils. Microplastics are readily found in treated wastewater sludge — also known as municipal biosolids — that eventually make their way to our […]
Trouble for Abraham Accords: Saudis Try to establish E. Jerusalem Consulate for Palestinians, but Extremist Israeli Gov’t says, “No!”
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Quds Press reports that Saudi Arabia has given its ambassador to Jordan, Nayef al-Sudairi, an extra portfolio of consul in East Jerusalem. He presented his credentials to Majid al-Khalidi, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Saudis did not coordinate this appointment with the Israelis, and it is the […]
How Lebanon was shaped by its Great Famine in WW I
Brand, Tylor. Famine Worlds: Life at the Edge of Suffering in Lebanon’s Great War. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2023. Review of Tylor Brand, Famine Worlds: Life at the Edge of Suffering in Lebanon’s Great War (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2023). Munich (Special to Informed Comment) – Suez, Gallipoli, Kut al-Amara, and Jerusalem saw […]
Afghanistan under Taliban: Repression, Humanitarian Crisis, Abuses against Women Threaten Millions
(Human Rights Watch ) – (New York) – Taliban authorities have tightened their extreme restrictions on the rights of women and girls and on the media since taking took control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, Human Rights Watch said today. Over the past two years, Taliban authorities have denied women and girls their rights […]
As Climate Crisis increases Rainfall, We need “Sponge Cities” with Stormwater Drains and Floodable Parks
By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland ( The Conversation) -Tune into news from about any part of the planet, and there will likely be a headline about extreme weather. While these stories will be specific to the location, they all tend to include the amplifying effects of climate change. This […]
After Maui: Why Sultan al-Jaber both is and isn’t the Right chief for the COP28 Climate Summit
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Sultan al-Jaber, the controversial chairman of the COP28 climate conference, is a United Arab Emirates businessman extraordinaire. His role and that of COP28 appear all the more important in the wake of the terrifying wildfires that swept the tropical island (!) of Maui this week and destroyed the ancient capital […]
We have one more Chance to end Child Poverty in America
By Kassidy Jacobs When I was born into poverty, the deck was stacked against me in all aspects of life — from educational opportunities and health care to the future earnings I could expect. Now I’ve graduated from college and I’m poised to start my first post-college job. What made the difference? Hard work, yes […]
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