The World Bank | — “Some regions will have too much water and others will have too little, according to a comprehensive new study on climate change by the World Bank Group. This look at the effects of a warming world on the Middle East, Latin America and Central Asia is awash with suggestions to […]
It is Time for the PLO to go to the UN, Int’l Criminal Court for Palestinian Independence
By Nadia Hijab and Diana Buttu (Ma’an) | — Al-Shabaka is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self-determination within the framework of international law. This policy brief is authored by Nadia Hijab, Executive Director of Al-Shabaka, and Diana Buttu, a lawyer who previously […]
In Slam at Hard Liners, Iran Leader Khamenei’s Aide Calls For End To Criticism Of Nuclear Talks
By Golnaz Esfandiari (RFE/RL) A top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for an end to domestic criticism of Tehran’s nuclear negotiations with major world powers. Former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, who advises Khamenei on international affairs, said on November 30 that since the supreme leader has endorsed an extension […]
Why it makes Economic Sense for Universities to Divest from Fossil Fuels
By John Quiggin, The University of Queensland The controversy ignited by the Australian National University in October, when it decided to sell its shares in seven resources companies, has raised two important questions about divestment from assets such as fossil fuels. The first is whether divestment is an economically prudent choice, and the second is […]
Is Turkey letting Daesh/ISIL Weapons & Fighters Cross Freely to Syria?
DeutscheWelle [DW] | — “Supplies of weapons and fighters bound for Islamic State militants are crossing over the border from Turkey into Syria, mostly unhindered.” DW: “Goods crossing Turkish border bound for IS | Journal”
Americans’ Personal Freedom falls to 21 in World
The Young Turks | — “”Americans’ assessments of their personal freedom have significantly declined under President Obama, according to a new study from the Legatum Institute in London, and the United States now ranks below 20 other countries on this measure. The research shows that citizens of countries including France, Uruguay, and Costa Rica now […]
20% Efficiency gain through Printing Blu-Ray Disc Patterns on Solar Panels
Northwestern University News | — Megan Fellman writes: “An interdisciplinary research team [from Northwestern University] has discovered that the pattern of information written on a Blu-ray disc — and it doesn’t matter if it’s Jackie Chan’s “Supercop” or the cartoon “Family Guy” — works very well for improving light absorption across the solar spectrum. And […]
Egypt’s Female Genital Mutilation Shame and the Failure of Prosecution
Human Rights Watch | — (Beirut) – Egyptian authorities need to take clear action to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) following the country’s first trial on the crime ending in acquittals, Human Rights Watch said today. A trial this month in Egypt centered on the death of a 13-year-old girl in 2013. […]
The Workers Movement and Class Struggle in the Egyptian Revolution
Middle East Eye “The 2011 Egyptian revolution is usually thought of as an uprising against dictatorship and corruption, with the aim of establishing a European or American style democratic system. But underlying the protests was a powerful labour movement that conflicted with neoliberalism, inequality and privatisation. Four years on, the same contradictions and conditions that […]