Category Archives: Global Politics

String of Nighttime Fires Hit Predominately Black Churches in Four Southern States | Hatewatch

“From slavery and the days of Jim Crow through the civil rights movement and beyond, white supremacists have targeted the Black church because of its importance as a pillar of the Black community, the center for leadership and institution building, education, social and political development and organizing to fight oppression,” Love wrote.

“Strike at the Black church, and you strike at the heart of Black American life,” the writer added.

The most recent fires occurred early today at the Glover Grover Baptist Church, in Warrenville, S.C., and at the Greater Miracle Apostolic Holiness Church in Tallahassee, Fla.

Federal agents have been brought in to assist local officials in determining the unknown cause of the fire at the Glover Grove Baptist church. In Tallahassee, fire officials say the fire that totally destroyed the Apostolic Holiness Church may have been caused by a tree limb falling on overhead electrical lines.

via String of Nighttime Fires Hit Predominately Black Churches in Four Southern States | Hatewatch.

Maryn McKenna: What do we do when antibiotics don’t work any more? | TED Talk | TED.com

Penicillin changed everything. Infections that had previously killed were suddenly quickly curable. Yet as Maryn McKenna shares in this sobering talk, we’ve squandered the advantages afforded us by that and later antibiotics. Drug-resistant bacteria mean we’re entering a post-antibiotic world — and it won’t be pretty. There are, however, things we can do … if we start right now.

via Maryn McKenna: What do we do when antibiotics don’t work any more? | TED Talk | TED.com.

In Egypt, fearing the worst | World | DW.COM | 23.06.2015 Back to the Future of Dictatorship

When Esraa disappeared without a trace, Duaa Mahfouz El-Taweel said she immediately knew what to do: The next day, she ripped off all the photos decorating her elder sister’s bedroom walls. Three weeks later, Duaa, a softly-spoken 22 year-old student, reached for her mobile phone and scrolled through her pictures. She pointed to a grainy, slightly skewed shot showing several colorful collages of her sister smiling into the camera, laughing and hugging friends. Today, only a few shreds of blue-tack remain stuck to the walls.

Sitting on her sister’s bed in a small flat in a lower class neighborhood in Cairo, the many cuddly toys Esraa loved so much lined up neatly beside her, Duaa shrugged. “Everyone knows you have to do that.”

It was, she said, the normal thing to do once a relative or friend went missing: “We try to hide as much stuff as possible that tells you what kind of a person this really is.” Otherwise, she added matter-of-factly, the intelligence services might decide to abduct anyone else shown in the photos. Three of her close friends and about a dozen of her acquaintances had been detained in recent months and she was taking no risks.

via In Egypt, fearing the worst | World | DW.COM | 23.06.2015.

Republicans Tread Carefully in Criticism of Confederate Flag – aka: cowardice

The challenge for Republicans has been great as they seek to broaden their party’s appeal while trying not to risk offending the conservative white voters who venerate the emblem.mf.gif

 

 

via Republicans Tread Carefully in Criticism of Confederate Flag.

David Cameron (aka: the 1% troll): British bill of rights will ‘safeguard legacy’ of Magna Carta | Law | The Guardian

In a speech at Runnymede Green King John Cameron will heap praise on the influence of Magna Carta worldwide in spreading freedom and the rule of law, and say every Briton should be proud of its influence. But he will stray into controversy by saying that “the good name of human rights has sometimes become distorted and devalued”.

He will say: “For centuries, Magna Carta has been quoted to help promote human rights and alleviate suffering all around the world. But here in Britain ironically, the place where those ideas were first set out, the good name of human rights has sometimes been distorted and devalued. It falls to us in this generation to restore the reputation of those rights – and their critical underpinning of our legal system. It is our duty to safeguard the legacy, the idea, the momentous achievement of those barons. And there couldn’t be a better time to reaffirm that commitment than on an anniversary like this.”

via David Cameron: British bill of rights will ‘safeguard legacy’ of Magna Carta | Law | The Guardian.

Republican Party presidential hopeful Chris Christie calls for war with China: Shanghaiist

Christie has been trying to set himself apart from other candidates in the crowded Republican Party field. His belligerent rhetoric on China looks like an effort to win over neo-conservatives with an eye on foreign policy.

While sabre-rattling is all well and good on the campaign trail, that is assuming he decides to throw his hat into the ring, it is another matter altogether to come up with a coherent strategy by which China can be confronted. The Obama administration has been trying and failing for several years now.

That being said, China bashing is almost obligatory for presidential candidates these days. Late last month, Republican candidate Carly Fiorina declared that the Chinese “can’t innovate” and aren’t “terribly imaginative.” And let’s not forget Mitt Romney’s determination to label China a currency manipulator.

via Republican Party presidential hopeful Chris Christie calls for war with China: Shanghaiist.

Half of Africa joins in a free trade zone

 Good move to grow internal markets as alternative to depending on EU, US, China, India for sales of exports and purchasing imports.

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African leaders have established a single free trade area encompassing 26 countries and 625 million people in eastern and southern Africa. And next week, they’ll kick off a process to negotiate an all-Africa trade pact.

via Half of Africa joins in a free trade zone.

India – Police said to have set fire to journalist, causing his death

Reporters Without Borders is dismayed to learn that Indian journalist Jagendra Singh died on 8 June from the 60 percent burn injuries he received when police accompanied by a government official raided his home in Shahjahanpur, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, on 1 June

A well-known critic of Uttar Pradesh state government minister Ram Murti Verma, Singh had accused the police of deliberately setting fire to him during the raid. He died in a hospital in Lucknow, the state capital.

Singh named police inspector Sriprakash Rai as the person who set him on fire. Relatives and other eye-witnesses confirmed his version of the events.

Singh also accused Verma of subjecting him and his family to a “reign of terror” because of Singh’s investigative reporting and comments about him. Singh recently posted an article on Facebook about Verma’s alleged involvement in land seizures and illegal mining.

After he died, his family refused to cremate the body until the police registered their complaint. The police finally opened an investigation into suspected murder, criminal conspiracy and intimidation, provisionally detaining Verma, the police inspector and four other suspects the day after Singh’s death.

A police representative nonetheless denied Singh’s version, claiming that Singh set light to himself to avoid arrest. He did not say why the police wanted to arrest him.

We are shocked to learn of Jagendra Singh’s tragic death and we offer his family and friends our condolences,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Asia-Pacific desk.

We note that an investigation into this terrible crime has been opened and we hope it will be as thorough and as transparent as possible so that all the perpetrators and instigators are quickly identified.

Ismaïl added: “We also hope that the justice they receive will be exemplary. The most severe sentences must be passed on those found guilty. Their senior government positions or membership of the police should have absolutely no impact on the way the justice system functions in this case. The most severe sanctions must be taken against those who will be found guilty. ”

A journalist for more than 15 years, Singh worked for leading India dailies such as Amar Ujala, Hindustan and Swatantra Bharat before focusing on social networks.

Ranked 136th out of 180 countries in the <a href=”http://index.rsf.org/

via India – Police said to have set fire to journalist, causing his death.