By Testriono, The Daily Star Recent cases of religious intolerance in Indonesia have led some observers to worry that U.S. President Barack Obama’s praise of religious tolerance in Indonesia during his visit in November 2010 was exaggerated. Public statements and decrees from Indonesian government officials have discredited religious minority groups […]
BEIRUT: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has reportedly requested that the Lebanese Army commander post, which is traditionally allocated to a Maronite Christian, be given to a Shiite. Berri’s proposal was made during talks with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Al-Liwaa newspaper reported Tuesday. It said Berri pointed out to […]
(CNN) — A science camp set up by a teenager is helping disadvantaged girls in Jordan gain confidence to aim for a university education. The two-week SciGirls — for 44 talented 12-15-year-olds from the Jabal Al-Natheef district of Amman — has been set up by 17-year-old Palestinian Canadian, Yara Sifri. […]
From the archives: Obama v Bush Entourage Obama‘s entourage was believed to consist of about 500 people – including 200 secret service agents. The Obamas, whose US security codenames are Renegade andRenaissance, were also reportedly joined by a team of medics, chefs and White House staff. The Bushes, whose alternate US identities […]
A campaign group has said the US president should order a criminal investigation into alleged torture sanctioned by the Bush administration. Human Rights Watch (HRW) says there is “overwhelming evidence” of torture ordered by George W Bush. The former president has defended some of the techniques, saying they prevented attacks […]
During her 2007 trip to Liberia, Angela Merkel received a white chicken as a traditional welcoming gift. In Germany, most people think of wars, poverty and hunger when they think of Africa. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s stopover on the continent, where she will travel to three countries in just three days, is unlikely to […]
One of Germany’s most prestigious prizes will reportedly be given to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Some leading politicians are questioning whether such a top honor should go to a man who leads a country with serious human rights problems. More:http://www.spiegel.de/international/
A secretive plan to sell tanks to Saudia Arabia has caused a furor within Germany’s governing coalition, members of which are demanding an explanation. The deal, which violates a tradition of avoiding weapons sales in conflict areas, signals a fundamental shift in German arms trade. Is Chancellor Angela Merkel’s foreign […]
KUALA LUMPUR (July 12, 2011): Raja Aziz Addruse, one of Malaysia’s most respected lawyers, passed away at about 1pm today at his residence in BukitTunku, here. He was 75. Raja Aziz who hailed from Chemor, Perak, had recently sought treatment in Singapore for cancer-related ailment and was reported to be […]
Before the end of 2011, Pakistan will start working on its stretch of the IP (Iran-Pakistan) gas pipeline – according to Asim Hussain, Pakistan’s federal minister for petroleum and natural resources. The 1,092 kilometers of pipeline on the Iranian side are already in place. IP, also known as “the peace […]
LONDON:The official visit by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to the United Kingdom beginning Tuesday is an opportunity for both sides to take stock of the current state of bilateral ties with an eye towards steering them to new heights.Describing Kuala Lumpur-London ties as substantial and multi-faceted, Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK […]
Where do the world’s most stressed women live? Posted by: CNN, Natalie Robehmed (CNN) – A recent study released by the Nielsen Company that examines the consumer and media habits of women in emerging and developed countries has found that women in India are the most stressed – and they […]
Op-ed: We tend to feel isolated, but recent events show Israel does have friends in the world Being alone is something that we Jews are used to. From our inception, we walked a different path as outsiders to the larger religious, cultural, and national identities. Our tradition taught that it […]
The vast majority of young Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia appear to disapprove of the traditional acceptance of polygamy but remain reluctant to openly support interfaith marriages or premarital sex, a new survey shows. In the survey coordinated by two German-based cultural organizations, 86.5 percent of 1,496 Indonesians interviewed and 72.7 percent […]
An Ahmadi man was shot dead last evening around 8 pm as his car approached his office in Nawabshah, Sindh, Pakistan. Malik Mabroor Ahmad, a renowned advocate and president of the local Ahmadiyya Muslim Community fell victim to anti-Ahmadiyya hate campaign by the Islamist extremists. According to the reports an armed man casually […]
// Pak defence minister said his country could not afford to keep forces deployed at the Afghan border following the suspension of US aid. Times of India ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday threatened to pull back its troops from the border with Afghanistan, as defence minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar said his […]
Fireflies or lightning bugs make light within their bodies. This process is called bioluminescence and is shared by many other organisms, mostly sea-living or marine organisms. Fireflies light up to attract […]
No matter how much it cost, sole Super Power has to stay at top in the production of lethal weapons. http://www.cnbc.com/id/42858812?slide=5
I HAVE wonderful friends. In this last year, one took me to Istanbul. One gave me a box of hand-crafted chocolates. Fifteen of them held two rousing, pre-posthumous wakes for me. Several wrote large checks. Two sent me a boxed set of all the Bach sacred cantatas. And one, from […]
Taliban claims responsibility for death of Ahmed Wali Karzai, considered the ‘super governor’ of southern Afghanistan. Ahmed Wali Karzai, half brother to the Afghan president and one of the most powerful men in the country, has been killed by one of his own bodyguards, according to a member of his security team. […]