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Meir Margalit is a Jerusalem City Councilman representing the Meretz party. He is also a founder and coordinator of ICAHD: Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (of Palestinian Homes) In an interview he explains that there will be national elections in…

A record 111 countries voted Thursday for a moratorium on capital punishment at a keynote UN General Assembly human rights meeting. Although not legally binding, campaigners say the vote held every two years sends a strong signal to the slowly…

Germany and Switzerland: two solid financial rocks in the EU crisis or just fantastic at “social maquillage”? (with thanks to Mr. Kundera). These days the EU is going through serious growing pains. The economic disciplining is in full motion and…

With just hours to go before the 21st of December arrives in the author’s home country of Australia, one of the first places on the planet to see if the Mayan doomsday prophecy will be proven true or false, John…

The Arabs – a history By Eugene Rogan – Published by Basic Books, 2009 Review by Tony Henderson, chairman, Humanist Association of Hong Kong Where do you start? Like just where DO you start? Mr Rogan, an Oxford don who…

 A report is just out from Food and Trees For Africa (FTFA) regarding the Permaculture Food Garden that was started by a community in the township of Soweto. The project is benefitting from a US$1000 prize won by Earthwalker Paul…

Singers Harry Belafonte and Pete Seeger hosted the “Bring Leonard Peltier Home in 2012 Concert” at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Friday to raise awareness of Peltier’s 37-year ordeal and plea for executive clemency from President Obama.…

Britain will slash its military force in Afghanistan next year, withdrawing nearly 4,000 troops as local security forces become increasingly capable, Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday. Cameron told parliament that the current force of 9,000 British troops would be…

As the Helsinki conference on the Establishment of a Zone Free of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East failed to materialise, civil society organisations gathered to express their frustration and try to channel it in a positive direction. …

In 2009 the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the conservatives, lost power in the Japanese Diet for the first time in over 50 years. They had spearheaded Japan’s rise from the ashes of defeat in 1945. By David Jack The Japanese…