Middle East

Turkish court gives go-ahead to demolish Gezi Park

"Istanbul’s administrative court gave a green light to demolish city’s Gezi Park, which was at the center of heated nationwide protests sparked by the decision to get rid of the park and turn it into a monument to the Ottoman Empire. The protests against the construction spread nationally since late May, growing into a larger opposition by those unhappy with Erdogan’s 'authoritarian style of rule.' The park has turned into a cradle of anti-government unrest, where the protests quickly became violent as police used teargas and water canon to disperse protesters. The demonstrations resulted in the death of four people and around 7,500 injured." Continue reading →

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Death toll rises in Egypt following clashes

"At least six people were killed in overnight clashes in Cairo between supporters and opponents of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, the health ministry has confirmed to Al Jazeera. The clashes late that night saw the use of birdshot, gunfire and molotov cocktails, witnesses said. Police then intervened, firing tear gas to disperse the crowd. Earlier in the day, Adly Mansour, Egypt's interim president, renewed appeals for reconciliation. 'We want to turn a new page in the country’s book with no hatred, no malice, no division,' he said in a pre-recorded speech that also highlighted the importance of the army in Egypt's history." Continue reading →

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‘Are We Rome?’ Was A Questioned Asked and Answered Long Ago

"The US hunts down and kills very many innocents abroad by drone. It’s a bit of a sport—so much so that decadent New Rome has even established a 'new medal that honors drone pilots and computer experts' for their long-distance killing prowess. War-time slaughter has just been industrialized, streamlined, made more efficient in our times. Compare the demographic and economic indices of countries the US has invaded—for their own good, of course, but without their consent—before and after the 'merciful' intervention. The latter-day Rome has mechanized the warfare-state’s killing and has refined its propaganda wing to an art." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Are We Rome?’ Was A Questioned Asked and Answered Long Ago

CoinAva allows Iranians to buy and sell bitcoins

"Citizens of Iran now have their own bitcoin market website, CoinAva. The site aims to educate people about bitcoin and allow them to buy and sell the digital currency. A spokesperson for CoinAva said bitcoin isn’t yet very popular in Iran, but said that once a few people start talking about it, its popularity will increase rapidly. The Iranian government believes anything based on the internet is suspicious, according to the spokesperson, but he thinks bitcoin has more potential to do positive than negative things for Iran and its government." Continue reading →

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Afghanistan’s first recorded bitcoin transaction?

"The sun beat down at a blistering 120 degrees in the Helmand desert. The air was dry and tense as the two bitcoin entrepreneurs, Adam Locklin and yours truly, shook hands and made a deal in bitcoin. A Partagas robusto cigar traded hands, I sent Adam 0.1 BTC, and so concluded what we believe to be Afghanistan’s first recorded bitcoin transaction. This simple trade comes with a few lessons if bitcoin is really going to work in Afghanistan and other remote parts of the developing world." Continue reading →

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Indian forces shoot six Kashmir protesters dead

"Indian paramilitary forces Thursday shot dead six people protesting at an incident involving the troops at an Islamic school in Kashmir, police said. The angry protesters clashed outside the BSF base on Thursday with troops who started firing, witnesses said. About a dozen rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces in Kashmir since 1989, either for independence or for a merger with Pakistan. The fighting has left tens of thousands, mostly civilians, dead. Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan have each administered part of Kashmir since the partition of the subcontinent after the end of British rule in 1947. Each country claims the territory in full." Continue reading →

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Afghan customs fines hike cost of U.S. military pullout

"A customs dispute between the Afghan and US governments has disrupted the withdrawal of American military equipment, dramatically inflating the cost of the drawdown, defense officials said. With Afghan authorities insisting the United States owes millions of dollars in customs fines and trucks carrying hardware being blocked at border crossings, the Americans have started flying out most equipment by air at great cost. The Afghan government is insisting that US forces pay $1,000 for each shipping container leaving the country that lacks what it calls a valid customs form. And authorities now claim the Americans owe $70 million in fines." Continue reading →

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Al Qaeda militants flee Iraq’s Abu Ghraib in violent mass break-out

"Hundreds of convicts, including senior members of al Qaeda, broke out of Iraq's Abu Ghraib jail as comrades launched a military-style assault to free them, authorities said on Monday. The deadly raid on the high-security jail happened as Sunni Muslim militants are gaining momentum in their insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government that came to power after the U.S. invasion to oust Saddam Hussein. Suicide bombers drove cars packed with explosives to the gates of the prison on the outskirts of Baghdad on Sunday night and blasted their way into the compound, while gunmen attacked guards with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAl Qaeda militants flee Iraq’s Abu Ghraib in violent mass break-out

Dubai offers gold to fight obesity epidemic

"Dubai's government will pay residents in gold for losing those extra pounds as part of a government campaign to fight growing obesity in the Gulf Arab emirate. The 30-day weight-loss challenge was launched on Friday to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. For every kilogram dropped by Aug. 16, contestants who register from Friday can walk away with a gram of gold, currently worth about $42, Dubai's civic authority announced as part of its 'Your Weight in Gold' initiative." Continue reading →

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Dutch woman arrested for ‘recruiting Syrian jihadists’ to fight alongside rebels

"Dutch authorities have arrested a 19-year-old woman suspected of recruiting jihadists to fight alongside radical Muslim rebels in Syria, a prosecution spokeswoman said on Monday. There is growing concern in the Netherlands about young Dutch Muslims being enlisted to fight in Syria, with a British study in April saying at least 107 Dutch citizens were fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the war-torn country. Police arrested the woman in Zoetermeer, a small city just east of The Hague, on Wednesday after families filed complaints with the authorities that their relatives had gone to fight in Syria." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDutch woman arrested for ‘recruiting Syrian jihadists’ to fight alongside rebels