By James Ayre The US’s sometimes pseudo-antagonist, Iran, is apparently planning to spend $60 million on solar PV power projects this year, according to recent reports. That represents a pretty significant uptick in the country’s investment into solar energy — up from “just” $12 million last year. The focus is reported to be on rural […]
90% of NSA Data from non-Targets, 1/2 accounts had info on US Citizens
By Jon Queally Washington Post reveals unprecedented look at how 'voyeuristic' spy agency manages private communications it collects New reporting by the Washington Post based on materials leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden reveals an unprecedented view of how the private information of millions of "ordinary people" are caught up in the spy agency's massive […]
Shiite Volunteers: Asset for Iraqi Army or Drawback?
By Daoud al-Ali | Baghdad | niqash | Volunteers on the streets of Baghdad who have responded to the call to defend Iraq. Thousands of Shiites have volunteered to fight Sunni extremists in Iraq. But in the clashes between extremist groups and volunteers, the illegal Shiite militia groups are proving by far the best fighters […]
Highway Patrol Officer aims Knockout Punches at Woman along Freeway
CNN: “A highway patrol officer was caught on camera hitting a woman with what a witness says were “knockout punches.” Aviva Shen at Thinkprogress writes: “The officer said the woman was walking barefoot along the freeway on Tuesday and refused to stop when asked. The video shows the cop tackle her, pin her down, and […]
Egypt’s Generation Gap over Gen. al-Sisi: Arguing with your Mom
By Amr Kotb This conversation about the political situation in Egypt provides a good example of the generational gap numerous young Egyptians are struggeling with. My mother and I have been arguing over the past ten months. Since August of last summer, she – an ardent supporter of the January 25 revolution – has been […]
Can Palestinians ever Get a Break in the American Press?
By: Yazan al-Saadi As tragedy and uninterrupted terror strikes the besieged Palestinian population once more, Western media outlets have been busy producing and presenting articles and television reports on the events taking place. These “news reports” – for the lack of a better terminology – are presented as factual and true, objective and neutral, unblemished […]
Top Things you need to know about the next Israeli-Palestinian crisis
By Hugh Lovatt “Destroying Hamas infrastructure and removing its leaders could also lead to de-centralisation” The abduction and killing of three young Israelis has brought to the fore painful memories for Israelis of the second Intifada. But in spite of their horrendous fate levels of violence on both sides have actually remained relatively low over […]
China’s New Soft Power: Transformers 4, X-Men & Hollywood
By Chris Homewood, University of Leeds What do The Amazing Spider-Man 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Godzilla have in common? Aside from belonging to the summer blockbuster class of 2014, they all feature China in some form or another. Many of these Chinese moments are fleeting – the future X-Men, for example, mount […]
How are Iran’s Special Forces intervening in Iraq?
By Golnaz Esfandiari To help Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s government battle militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Iran could potentially offer significant assistance through its powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which reportedly has been active in Iraq during the past decade, analysts say. What Can Iran Offer? Afshon […]