Wonderful editorial in the Northern Territory News: The Federal Government’s attempt to gag journalists reporting on asylum seekers in the Territory is contemptible – and laughable. Contemptible because it is undemocratic; laughable because it won’t work. Canberra has told the NT News it broke the law by speaking to an asylum seeker. It also said…
London and its torturing allies
Christopher Hitchens may be sharing his bromance with Tony Blair in the latest Vanity Fair, but back in the real world away from elite cocktail party chatter, Britain stands condemned: UK authorities passed information about British nationals to notorious Bangladeshi intelligence agencies and police units, then pressed for information while the men were being held…
Say after me; Serco isn’t that hard to spell
The issue of Australia’s immigration detention centres is routinely misreported/ignored by corporate media. British multinational Serco runs all the country’s centres – not that you’d know that by reading most media reporting – and here’s just a few latest examples of where this information routinely lies (ie. a black hole): One: Hundreds of asylum seekers…
Israel feels light tap on wrist and marches on regardless
I’m sure Israel is shaking; two close allies chastise Israel and then do absolutely nothing about it. That’s pointless loyalty: Britain and Australia urged Israel to refrain from settlement building on the West Bank and called for a “return to direct talks” between Israel and the Palestinians. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Middle…
Our world is addicted to risk to fund our lifestyle
Naomi Klein at her very best speaking recently at a TED conference in Washington DC:
Jaipur Literature Festival approaches
Sharing and hearing stories and experiences with a global audience is one of the most satisfying parts of my work. In that spirit, I’m honoured to be invited to the Jaipur Literature Festival in India that starts later this week. I’m a guest of the festival and will be involved in two major sessions: Reporting…
Oh what a glorious arms race
China gives the Pentagon its biggest boost for years by daring to develop a sophisticated arms industry.
Lest we forget why we should not fight foreign wars
Martin Luther King Jr on American TV in 1967 urging all Americans to refuse fighting in Vietnam. His message resonates decades on:
Turkey happy to help US torture “suspects”
This is what “diplomacy” means: Turkey allowed the US to use its airbase at Incirlik in southern Turkey as part of the “extraordinary rendition” programme to take suspected terrorists to Guantánamo Bay, according to a US diplomatic cable. Turkey’s involvement in the controversial programme was revealed in a cable dated 8 June 2006, written by…