Bangladesh fails Sidr victims

Seen on: YouTube

Life after Cyclone Sidr, has been mixed for its survivors. After a year of promises by the mostly corrupt Bangladeshi administration, people are putting their lives back-together with assistance from non-governmental organizations.

Obama And The Presidency

Seen on: CBS News - 60 Minutes

Since Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the USA, he has largely remained out of sight, getting high-level government briefings and conferring with his transition team. But he eventually surfaced, alongside his wife Michelle to give 60 Minutes his first post-election interview.

The Oxford Project

Sarah Palin would call this place, and these people, the real America - Joe the Plumber country. But Oxford's plumber, Calvin Colony, keeps pet lions ("You can train 'em, but you can never tame 'em") and makes annual treks to a nudist resort in the Caribbean. The Oxford Project is full of such small, exquisite discoveries - personal stories that defy and debunk the stereotypes of smalltown America.

Via Philadelphia Inquirer

Obama and the Middle East

Seen on: The Economist

A new approach to the Middle East is necessary, says Dr Claire Spencer of Chatham House. But first, Barack Obama must lower expectations.

The American Empire Project

Seen on: Charlie Rose

A hour with linguist, political activist & writer Noam Chomsky. He talks about the crisis in the Middle East and the communicative power of Internet. Professor Chomsky also discusses his book, "America's Quest for Global Dominance".

The 'Swazi' Pimp

King Mswati III arrives for celebrations marking his 40th birthday. He arrived in the stadium in a new BMW - one of 20 bought for the occassion.

> Reuters Pictures

The Beatles Tapes

Seen on: YouTube

Imagine if the US-Army stayed in bed for a week.., the tension would be released.

Read a Chapter and Pass It On!

Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty
“I don’t know … there must be a simple way. The borrower comes back with his or her deposit receipt, presents it to the cashier, and the cashier gives back the money. Whatever accounting the bank does is the bank’s business.”

The manager shook his head but did not answer. “It seems to me your banking system is designed to be anti-illiterate,” I countered.

About the Author
Muhammad Yunus was born in 1940 in Chittagong, a seaport in Bangladesh. The third of fourteen children, five of whom died in infancy, he was educated at Dhaka University and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study economics at Vanderbilt University. In 1972 he became the head of the economics department at Chittagong University. He is the founder of the Grameen Bank.

Innovator for the Poor

Seen on: YouTube

In response to the overwhelming poverty in Bangladesh, Fazle H. Abed created the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee. His organization has helped lift millions out of poverty through comprehensive microfinance programs in Bangladesh.

Related Link > Image Day - Perfect Fit?

Image Day - Born Free

Polar bear cub Flocke jumps in the water at the zoo in Nuremberg. Four-month old Flocke -- German for snowflake -- has until now been kept behind closed doors.

> Reuters Pictures

The Fifty-Million Dollar Note

A Zimbabwean holds a newly issued fifty million dollar note. The country is in a severe economic and political crisis, with official inflation figures at over 100,000 percent. The new note is worth the equivalent of three loaves of bread.

> AP Images

Top 10 Political Websites

This list features the websites for key political party websites based on US Internet usage. This ranking list has been customized to feature only select websites.

1. The Huffington Post


2. BarrackObama.com


3. CNN Political Ticker


4. Free Republic


5. RealClearPolitics


6. HilaryClinton.com


7. Politico


8. Elections: Fox News


9. Daily Kos


10. Election: MSN

Note: Hitwise data is based on US market share of visits, which is the percentage of online traffic to the Lifestyle - Politics category, from the Hitwise sample of 10 million US Internet users. Hitwise measures more than 1 million unique websites on a daily basis, including sub-domains of larger websites.

Hitwise categorizes websites into industries on the basis of subject matter and content, as well as market orientation and competitive context.

Source - Hitwise - week ending March 8, 2008 - based on market share of visits.

The Torture of Tasneem Khalil

The torture of journalist Tasneem Khalil by Bangladesh's notorious military intelligence agency highlights abuses under the country's state of emergency and the government's failure, Human Rights Watch has said in a new report.

The 39-page report, "The Torture of Tasneem Khalil", graphically details Khalil's 22-hour ordeal in May 2007 in Bangladesh's clandestine detention and torture system -- a setup well known to the government & ordinary Bangladeshis.

"Rampant illegal detention and torture are clear evidence of Bangladesh's security forces running amok," said Brad Adams, of Human Rights Watch.

"Bangladesh's international friends need to make the eradication of torture a top priority in their relations with Bangladesh," said Adams.

Excerpts from Tasneem Khalil's statement:
"[A member of the arresting party] jumped up from the chair, pulled out a revolver, pushed it against my lips, and started shouting, 'You are under arrest.' I started shouting back, telling them that what they were doing was illegal."

"Then they asked me about my connections with Human Rights Watch. I told them I work as their consultant. When they inquired further, I told them I had worked with Human Rights Watch since 2006. I worked with Human Rights Watch on a report about extrajudicial killings by RAB. That suddenly infuriated them so much that all of them started hitting the table with hands and sticks and started shouting at me. 'How dare you write against our brothers in RAB?"

"They started beating me again mercilessly, from all possible directions with hands and batons and kicks. I said I would not do those things again. But one person said I had already 'made the blunder'."

Via Bangladesh-Blogger

Dr David Kelly - The Last Interview

Seen on: Google Video

Interview with and overview of his work as AEA inspector in Iraq and Russia.

The Broken People - Part one

Seen on: YouTube

Reporter Ramita-Navai travels through India exposing the horrific plight of the country's millions of Dalits: literally "the broken people".

Once Upon a Time in Iran - One

Seen on: YouTube

A steady drumbeat of leaks suggests that the US and/or Israel may attack Iran sometime over the coming months. Once Upon a Time in Iran is a road movie featuring pilgrims and presidents: a journey to the spiritual heartlands of the Iranian people and a tale of martyrdom that defines their view of aggressors.

Iran jails Bahai 'propagandists'

Iran has sentenced three members of the Bahai faith to four years for security offences and 51 others to suspended terms.

The authorities said they were proselytising in the southern city of Shiraz under the cover of helping the poor. They were convicted for propaganda against the system in the southern city of Shiraz, a judiciary spokesman said.

Via BBC

Wanted: Water

The waters of the Yangtze have fallen to their lowest levels since 1866, disrupting drinking supplies, and posing a threat to endangered-species.

The government also revealed yesterday that the country's most prosperous province, Guangdong, has just had its worst year since 1949.

But the immediate concern is the Yangtze, which supplies water to millions of people in a delta that accounts for more than 40% of China's economic output.

"Before 1996, we were short of water for three months of the year, but now there are only three months when we can use water as normal," Wu Chunping, the vice-manager of Jianli county's water utility, was quoted by Xinhua.

Via Guardian-Unlimited

Face to Face with Allen Ginsberg

Seen on: Google Video

Allen-Ginsberg talks about writing private-poetry. He saw his generation fade away in madness, and started writing unpublishable poems.

Explicit and vivid interview, by Jeremy Isaacs. Still some-how relevant today.

Cutting crime in London

The Liberal-Democrat Mayoral candidate Brian-Paddick has promised to cut crime in London by 20%.

He said: "I have a track record of performance against Londoners' number one concern; crime... It's time for someone who can stop the slaughter on our streets. Mr Paddick, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police in May 2007, will be competing with mayor Ken-Livingstone, and the Tory candidate Boris-Johnson.

As the Met-Police Commander for Lambeth, his approach to cannabis - which saw officers cautioning rather than arresting - brought him to prominence.

Via BBC