Muslims call for imams in the German military
Muslim leaders have slammed the lack of an Islamic spiritual counsellor in the German armed forces in spite of the fact that an estimated 1,200 Muslims serve in the Bundeswehr. More Here….
World population to hit 7 billion by October
Growth is a ‘challenge and an opportunity’ UN says, as activists campaign for easier access to family planning tools. The United Nations commemorates World Population Day against the backdrop of an upcoming landmark event: global population hitting the seven billion mark by late October this year. According to current projections, […]
Politicians Criticize Prize for Putin
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/
Pakistan ‘punished’ in Pipelineistan
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 […]
Women Nudged Out of German Workforce
Germany is a place where gender stereotypes remain engrained in the mind, and in key institutions across society. Only about 14 percent of German mothers with one child resume full-time work, and only 6 percent of those with two. Europe’s economic powerhouse, does not lack pluck: it rebounded from two […]
Cyprus naval base blast kills 12, shuts down power plant
Smoke rise above Cyrprus’ primary electricity generator that was damaged by an explosion’s concussion wave near the Evangelos Florakis naval base in Mari, Cyprus, on Monday. (AP) NICOSIA: Cyprus’s defense minister and army chief resigned after munitions dump blast that killed 12 people on Monday, government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said. […]
Catholic Church to allow access to internal files
The Catholic Church in Germany plans to open up a decade of personnel files to criminologist researchers, according to a magazine report, in a bid to facilitate an independent investigation into sexual abuse at Church-run institutions. News magazine Der Spiegel said bishops have decided to allow the Criminological Research Institute […]
India abandons quest for permanent UN Security Council seat
The Security Council currently has five veto-wielding permanent members—Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States—and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. -File Photo UNITED NATIONS: The intensive six-year campaign by India and three other aspirants for permanent seats on the UN Security Council, Brazil, Germany and Japan has […]
Fossils in Saxony shed light on ancient lizard life
cientists in Saxony have discovered 290-million-year-old fossil skeletons of a previously unknown, tree-dwelling lizard species in a perfectly preserved petrified forest that casts new light on the habits of ancient reptiles. The researchers in Chemnitz have found five well-preserved fossil skeletons of a reptile species that lived more than 50 […]
Taleban commander back on the air in Pakistan
KHAR, Pakistan: One of Pakistan’s most notorious Taleban radio voices is back on the air after the army raided his stronghold last year and drove him across the border into Afghanistan. The resurgence of Maulvi Faqir Mohammed — also one of the Pakistani Taleban’s top commanders — illustrates the resilience […]
‘British Journalists Bend the Truth, Plagiarize Competitors and Break Laws’
News International has decided to close the 168-year-old tabloid News of the World in response to a phone-hacking scandal at the newspaper. German commentators say the affair reveals just how murky the world of British journalism is. more…http://www.spiegel.de/international/
Victim asks for Germany to help save racist killer
Nearly slain by a racist killer in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Rais Bhuiyan is now hoping to prevent the man’s execution on Texas’ death row. On Wednesday, he even asked for the German government for help. Rais Bhuiyan long ago forgave Mark Ströman, the man who in […]
Gene tests for IVF embryos legalised
Couples using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) can have embryos screened to ensure their child will not develop any serious hereditary disease or disability under a milestone law passed Thursday by Germany’s parliament. Within limits, couples will be allowed to have embryos meant for IVF implantation tested. Only healthy embryos would […]
Marine Le Pen’s Populism for the Masses
Marine Le Pen’s Populism for the Masses French politician Marine Le Pen is attracting new voters to the National Front, the right-wing populist party founded by her father, by railing against immigration and globalization. With France’s elections a year away, Le Pen is already polling ahead of President Nicolas Sarkozy. […]
Dear Germany, What Can You Offer Your Immigrants?
Germany is discussing its shortage of skilled professionals, and it hopes to solve the problem by attracting doctors and engineers from abroad. The government acts as if it can just stand there and start calling out for qualified workers from the around the world. But why should they come to […]
The House of Saud paranoia
A very quiet summit recently took place at a North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO) base in Molesworth, in the United Kingdom. Facing the British was none other than Prince Turki al-Faisal, former director general of Saudi Arabia’s feared Mukhabarat (intelligence services), and once a very close friend of slain al-Qaeda […]
UN Says Germany Failing to Tackle Social Inequalites
dapd A child in Wetzlar, western Germany, receiving a free meal from a church charity. A UN committee has sharply criticized Germany’s social and education systems, saying the country fails to provide equal opportunities for immigrants and women. It’s also not doing enough to help poor children and the elderly, the UN says. […]
Women’s Rights in the Arab World – Are Saudi Women Next?
Nowhere in the world are women’s lives more regulated than they are in Saudi Arabia. But, writes Mai Yamani, Saudi women activists are beginning to eloquently demand the removal of restrictions and an end to women’s dependency The unexpected visibility and assertiveness of women in the revolutions unfolding across the […]
Pius ordinations ahead of Williamson appeal
The controversial ultra-conservative Catholic group, the Pius Brotherhood, has ordained four new priests just two days before Bishop Richard Williamson’s appeal against his conviction for Holocaust denial. Bishop Bernard Fellay of the Saint Pius X Society, a Swiss-based Catholic fraternity, ordained the four men at a seminary in Zaitzofen, near […]
The Pharaoh of Thuringia – Archaeologists Puzzle Over Opulent Prehistoric Burial Find
When archeologists recently excavated a 3,800-year-old palace near the eastern German city of Weimar, they discovered about 100 valuable weapons buried next to a massive structure. Now they are puzzling over how an ancient chieftain buried nearby became so rich. In 1877, when archeology was still in its infancy, art […]