Snowden’s Snowballs

If you were going to make the USA your biggest enemy, shhhurely you’d plan your travel arrangements a little better?  One way ticket to Mars anyone?

Edward Snowden’s grand whistleblowing revelations have not saved lives and were not super urgent so why did he not fly to a safe country before  making his announcements?  He could then skip along to the respective embassy that he would apply for asylum  and hey presto, relief and a new start while the USA initiated life-long legal proceedings for extradition.

Whilst Edward Snowden’s revelations have

From Bullets to Bracelets

I’ve never seen a bullet and I’ve never held a gun.  I am of course British where guns are not the norm.  After the awful shooting incident at the school in the USA the gun debate is back in the front pages over there.

The Mayor of Newark, USA, appeared on a talk show recently showing his Calibre Collection: a collection of bracelets made from melted down guns and bullets seized

Losing The Plot Over Peace

The Nobel peace prize already began losing credibility, just like the Oscars, when it was awarded to the newly elected President of the United States of America, Barak Obama.  This time the Nobel committee have gone one step worse and awarded the prize to the European Union.

The long drawn out explanation included praise for being democratic, for not being at war and for sticking together at times of crisis and conflict.

Not the News

One would imagine that the sudden creation of 300,000 refugees and mass panic in the world’s largest democracy would warrant a news story in the United Kingdom but apparently not.

In recent days in Assam, a region in north east India has seen a surge in attacks between Hindus and Muslims in the area and there have been accusations of ethnic cleansing.

Assange: A Battle for Free Speech?

Is Julian Assange a hero of democracy and freedom of speech or someone who fell foul of technology like a celebrity who didn’t think before hitting ‘send’?

Technological improvements and new product launches promising instant and global communication pour out across the world almost monthly.  We are still naïve about the reach of the mass communication tools in our possession often to our detriment as recipients of fines for racist tweets are finding out.

Did Julian Assange honestly believe that there would be no consequences

Insincere Sympathy

Six Sikh worshippers were killed in the USA today by a ‘domestic terrorist’ and this is only days after the gunman broke loose on Batman fans in Aurora, Colorado.

After awful atrocities like these there often appears to be much hand-wringing and squirming amongst politicians who at once want to show sympathy whilst distancing themselves from the gun law debate.

Calorific Cops

Obese members of the Pakistani Punjab police force have been to told to lose weight by the end of the month or receive a pay cut.  The target they are aiming for is

Violent Politics

A Norwegian friend at university once made a hilarious impression of MPs at the House of Commons with their napping and sudden jeering.  It was the 90s and I confess his impression was accurate at the time although thank goodness things have changed.

The British political chamber is mild, however, compared to Indian, Pakistani and now shockingly that of GREECE.  I was surprised when I saw my first televised fist fight in Indian parliament but nothing prepared me for the physical attack on live television between a Greek far-right politician and two women MPs.

Do As I Say…

Some people say bad things happen in 3s and it would certainly seem so for IMF Head, Christine Lagarde this week.

First, she told the Greeks off for not paying taxes then she compared the IMF to a payday loan company and finally it has been drawn to the attention of the public that in fact Christine Lagarde does not pay tax in her current role even though she earns more than the President of the United States (who does have to pay tax).

The most disturbing and telling of these three things

Parallel Lives

I wouldn’t say I had a routine but usually my day consists of going to work, having lunch with friends, after work dinner or drinks and an evening at a gallery here or museum there, shopping and so on.   I’m currently in my family home in Scotland and as I sit watching the Pakistani news channels for a few minutes a day with my mum (trying to understand the Urdu and failing badly) it’s hard to believe that we share the same planet and I am shocked with the daily instability there.

In half a week so far there has been: 1 x plane crash, 1 x wedding shootout, 1 x bomb at a major train station.  In this summary I have not included

Google Becomes an Activist

Google announced that it has donated $11.5 million to coalitions around the world to help both fight slavery and help those currently enslaved find rescue and freedom.

I think it’s wonderful that such a large organisation seemingly disconnected

The Guide is Gone

On Sunday morning, India and South Asians around the world awoke with the sad news that Dev Anand passed away.  The 88 year-old superstar and icon was in London on a trip to launch a season celebrating his career in Indian cinema with Channel 4.

Although I was not a huge fan and must confess

Germany Opens Old Wounds

In recent weeks Germany’s decision to tax Belgian pensioners and widows that receive pensions has been implemented leaving them understandably upset.  This is not least because they were former slave labourers forced to work for Germany during the war and the pension was meant to provide compensation.

Some of these pensioners are in their 80s and suffered years of trauma once they returned home.  The rate of tax Germany wants to charge

Who’s The Daddy?

As Unesco members voted overwhelmingly in support of independent Palestinian membership the USA decided to show everyone who the daddy is by withholding its funding

Back of the Bus

I can’t believe this is happening, but a New York bus service that is run by Orthodox Jews is being investigated for making women sit in the back of the bus.

The story was uncovered

Body of Evidence

As Libyans queue to see the, now decomposing and gruesome, body of Gaddafi a body of another kind – the pathetic United Nations – seeks to charge the soldiers responsible for killing Gadaffi under international war crimes!

It does make me wonder whether the closest these government pen pushers ever got to a war

The Stolen Baby Scandal

Spain has a dirty secret that has finally been exposed and investigated: over the course of five decades the country’s government, in collaboration with the doctors and nurses and the Catholic Church, stole new born babies from families regarded as unfit in order to sell them to apparently more deserving families.

Billionaire Blair

I can’t stand the sight of him or his voice.

Earlier this week Channel 4 showed a Dispatches documentary highlighting Tony Blair’s potential conflicts of interest and billionaire lifestyle since leaving British politics.

Christmas Comes Early To Saudi Arabia

Two bits of progressive news from The Kingdom of Men in one month?  First the underwear sales staff news and now the news that the Saudi King announced yesterday that women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to vote from 2015 (don’t get too excited) and women will be permitted to run for election for local government.  In The Independent newspaper King Abdullah was quoted as saying “Because we refuse to marginalise women in society in all roles that comply with sharia…” has HRH been living in another country all his life?

Did You Hear The One About The Smoking Baby?

Sadly this is not a sick joke. Yes, this Indonesian toddler smokes 2 packets of cigarettes per day and he is not alone.  If you didn’t hate tobacco companies enough already I think this would do it.

Obviously he is too young to buy his own fags

34 C?

News from a country that would be bottom of my list of places to visit… Saudi Arabia.  They are slowly dragging themselves into the 21st Century by allowing women to sell lingerie.  OMG can you believe it?

Yes until now women had to turn up to a store and have their size guessed by a

Apple A Day

A headline that knocked Libya from the No.1 spot is indeed global news: Steve Jobs handed in his resignation as CEO of Apple and the world blinked in disbelief and fear for the innovation black hole it could create.

I haven’t bought into the Apple Way Of Life quite as wholeheartedly

Sadness And A Strange Relief

The atrocities in Norway were I’m sure shocking for all of us as we listened in disbelief at the loss of life in and the sadistic manner in which the killer carried out his killing spree.  However, even while the news broke as a non-practicing Muslim my stomach turned twice: once for the victims and their families but secondly for the wrath of the media

The Girl Who Cried Wolf

Dominique Strauss-Kahn was released on bail and freed from house arrest as the case against him collapses thanks to his victim’s past and our prejudices.

The victim has a shady past and so now, according to an article in the New York Times, although the police privately believe DSK probably is guilty it will be a difficult case to win.  The police compared it to cases such as when prostitutes are raped where the perpetrator can often get away.

Zip Your Lips

A Dutch court ruled yesterday that the right-wing politician was not guilty of inciting hatred but his comments came under free speech.  While Islamic groups in The Netherlands won right of appeal the politician is declaring a day of victory for freedom of speech (a pretty over-used declaration).

The politician compared the Quran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf and called for a halt to Muslim immigration.  While I think all types of right-wing extremists have jaded views I do think he is right to also declare that he won the right to debate Islam in public.

The Boy Is Mine

Imagine that the social stigma for delivering a baby girl is so high that some women deny that they gave birth to a girl and claim that their baby boy was taken from them after birth.  Imagine that you’re an oldie enjoying retirement and four middle aged people turn up at your door claiming to be your children and demanding property and inheritance rights.

Food Fight

The UN made an ominous prediction that 2011 would be a year of food riots around the world.  Rioting has been predicted even in Britain – something I doubt will happen, not a very British reaction to rising prices is it? We just moan and pay.

Food grain price increases will of course affect developing nations much more and I have seen prices rise on an almost monthly basis in India

Maltesers Melt Away From Religion

72% of Maltese voted in favour of legalising divorce in a referendum over the weekend, a welcome move towards the 21^st Century.  Their prime minister is gutted though as he led the ‘no’ campaign on the majority Catholic island. 

Copy Cat Outfitter

Urban Outfitters have had their long history of copying (or “taking inspiration from” as the industry prefers to call it) confirmed once again.  As reported online, a jewellery designer has had her designs copied, even down to her descriptions.

Disappearing Act

It is now acknowledged that the nuclear reactors at Fukushima went into meltdown in early days therefore they were also turning out nuclear waste into the envionment from the early days.  How shocking though that this is actually not terribly news worthy and that Ryan Giggs’ super-injunction is.  My Indian broadsheet gave the Japan nuclear story precisely 4 cm and 1 sentence of column space.

Eurovision Debt Contest

What is going on in Euro zone, another country joins the downgrade top of the pops every week. Today Germany’s cost of borrowing increased, Italy yesterday, Spain last week and we’ve been reading about the Greek and Irish crises for some time now.  Without wanting to seem like a card carrying Tory, why are we legally obliged to help these countries in their bailout when we have enough of our own financial problems to deal and we do not use the Euro? 

The Talented Mr Singh

It’s a story that would confirm my mum’s long-held belief that my generation of British Asians are not very bright when it comes to dealing with real South Asians as they are far too chalaak (clever).  An Indian man, his wife and his brother have been arrested in Delhi for befriending people of Indian origin in the UK to find out what property they owned in India

Racism Pays

The Obama campaign embarked on a cheeky way of raising cash by laughing at the people who demanded to see his birth certificate to prove he qualified to run for president. 

The Cashew Crunch

What would drive women to abort foetuses and choose a life without children?

In a village in Kerala where cashew nuts grow and are treated with endosulphan pesticides, women have chosen these drastic self imposed measures to prevent serious birth defects in children born as the surrounding soil and water became contaminated. 

Hot Rabbit

Is anyone feeling slightly uncomfortable with some of the coverage of the rape allegation made against IMF Chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn ?

A lot of the reports, particularly in the French press, relate to his innocence (well, for someone who is nicknamed Hot Rabbit and The Great Seducer, I think we should wait and see what happens). 

Finding Madeleine

Kate McCann launched a book today to help raise funds for their continuous search for Madeleine. This story still makes me very sad, my little niece was 2 when Madeleine disappeared and I remember not wanting to let her out of my sight even in the garden.

Also today, the McCanns published an open letter in a newspaper addressed to David Cameron pleading for his intervention in Madeleine’s case (he has). The Portuguese authorities closed the case after 14 months

The Real Thing

What a hypocrite Osama bin Laden was. The Indian Express reported that he used to get deliveries of Coca Cola to his house.

As You Were

Now that Enemy No 1 has been killed can we all go back to normal now with international civil liberties?  Will governments now claim that Al Qaeda is even more of a threat as they seek revenge for the USA’s revenge killing in this Abrahamic tit-for-tat? 

Misplaced Love Actually

Dear Diary,

After reading one of today’s newspapers, I had a chilling thought.  What happens if someone falls in love with you and it’s not reciprocated? Two unfortunate women in India found out: one was beheaded and the other was doused in kerosene and died in hospital, her mother also murdered by the same vengeful man.

I tell others of stories like this not as a side-show spectacle

Step Up

Like 2 billion people around the world, I watched the Royal Wedding yesterday, elegant bride, beautiful dress yada yada, great event and so on.  The person I was most impressed with was the Queen in her high heels.

How impressive is it that the Queen is in her eighties and still rocks heels?