Europe

Putin warns of Ukraine ‘civil war’

Source: Asia Times: Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Ukraine is “on the verge of civil war”, speaking to German Chancellor Angela Merkel after Ukrainian armed forces retook control of a military air base in the east of the country, part of an action the White House described as […]

Britain’s youngest parents: Mother, 12, gives birth to 7lb baby girl after falling pregnant at primary school to a boy aged 13

Mother met boyfriend a year ago and was 11 when baby was conceived Pair from London have combined age of 25 and ‘intend to stick together’ At 27, the girl’s mother is also now one of UK’s youngest grandmothers Charity: ‘They will be dependent on others, financially and emotionally’ Britain’s previous […]

Religion itself is not the main variable

Source: The Economist: Arun Kundnani, a British-born scholar who is now an adjunct professor at New York University, is a different sort of leftist. He is not Muslim, either by background or conviction, but he maintains that “Islamophobia” is a thinly disguised form of racial prejudice, and that on both sides of […]

Repressed Brits, evil Mexicans, Arab villains: why are Hollywood’s animated movies full of racist stereotypes?

theguardian: by Steve Rose — Perhaps it’s a matter for the film classification boards. They could put a warning on the certificate: “Contains mild fantasy violence, very mild language, a white-supremacist subtext, and grotesquely derogatory portrayals of ethnic minorities.” Or: “Probably won’t make your child into a racist, but sure […]

Why Italy might not exist in five years

Source: The Local For many foreigners, Italy seems to have a strong, unified identity. But its language, food culture, religion and history often blind the outsider to the fact that many Italians themselves fail to identify with the Italian state – and many are so disillusioned that they would like […]