Higher Food Prices Loom in 2011

VOAvideo | December 29, 2010 - 2010 ends with food prices on the rise in many parts of the world and reserve supplies tight. That has some experts nervous that another shock could return food prices to levels that triggered violence in 2008.





Thats what VoA says, what about the reasons of commodity futures trading?

Julian Assange freedom of the press & response to critics.

TYTInterviews | December 22, 2010 ::

Global migrants is 214 million today :

france24english | December 17, 2010 :: USA - MIGRATION: The sunny beaches of Miami, Florida, are a dream-like destination for many of the 42 million migrants including Indians that flock to America every year... Despite the uncertainty surrounding migration policies worldwide, the number of global migrants is expected to nearly double from 214 million today, to 405 million in 2050.

Whistleblowers: Daniel Ellsberg on WikiLeakers Bradley Manning

ForaTv | December 14, 2010 - "Pentagon Papers" whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg weighs in on the case of U.S. Army P.F.C. Bradley Manning, who currently stands accused of leaking over 260,000 secret U.S. diplomatic cables to the website WikiLeaks. "I recognized someone who was in the same spirit as I was forty years ago," says Ellsberg. "He's a hero of mine."

WikiLeaker & WikiLeaks whereabouts :

As WikiLeaks’ Assange Freed on Bail, Alleged Military Leaker Bradley Manning Imprisoned under Inhumane Conditions.

A high court in London has upheld a decision to grant bail to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. But what about U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning? The Army intelligence analyst has been held for the last seven months on suspicion of leaking the massive trove of government documents to WikiLeaks. Salon.com blogger Glenn Greenwald says Manning is being held under conditions that constitute cruel and inhumane treatment—and even torture.

The WikiLeaker - in prison & tortured?

The US Army's Treatment Of Alleged WikiLeaker Bradley Manning Is A Disgrace

According to Glenn Greenwald at Salon, the US Army has kept alleged WikiLeaker Bradley Manning in solitary confinement at Quantico for the past 7 months and refused to allow him basic necessities like exercise, a pillow, and sheets.

If this is true, it's a disgrace. It's also conduct unbecoming of the US military.

Now, before you go howling that whatever treatment Manning is getting is actually way too good for him because he's a traitor who should just be taken out and shot, let me be clear:

It may well be that Manning should be taken out and shot.

He just shouldn't be subjected to these petty and demeaning punishments in the meantime.

Business Insider - 15 Deceber 2010 |  Read more:

Is WikiLeaker Bradley Manning Being Tortured?

Salon's Glenn Greenwald thinks it could be called that.

In sum, [Pfc. Bradley] Manning has been subjected for many months without pause to inhumane, personality-erasing, soul-destroying, insanity-inducing conditions of isolation similar to those perfected at America's Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

Manning, 22, has been in custody since his arrest five months ago for allegedly leaking thousands of classified documents to Julian Assange. He has yet to be charged with anything.

Greenwald spoke to a number of people "directly familiar" with Manning's conditions including Lt. Brian Villiard, a Quantico brig official.

Here's a fuller description:

Business Insider - 15 December 2010 |  Read more:

Kuwait shuts down Al Jazeera office.

AlJazeeraEnglish | December 13, 2010 - Kuwaiti authorities have closed down the office of the Al Jazeera news channel in Kuwait City.

In a statement, Kuwait's ministry on Information described Al Jazeera's coverage as "intervention in a Kuwaiti domestic issue". It follows a police crackdown on Wednesday in which four Kuwaiti MPs and at least a dozen others were injured.

Al jazeera's Shiulie Ghosh reports

WikiLeaks turning reporters into "computer screen journalists"

AlJazeeraEnglish | December 12, 2010 - Inside Story : WikiLeaks and the craft of journalism

As Wikileaks continues to feed media outlets with thousands of classified US diplomatic cables, how serious is the threat by WikiLeaks to other media outlets? And how is WikiLeaks shaping the media industry? Is it the beginning of a new media form?

VoA starting a character assassination on Julian Assange.

WikiLeaks' Assange Is Hero to Some, Villain to Others

VOAvideo | December 13, 2010 - WikiLeaks' release of classified U.S. government cables has angered politicians, emboldened free speech supporters and unleashed hackers onto websites of companies and individuals they believe oppose the site's founder Julian Assange.

The Guardian Interview : Julian Assange answers your questions.

Fwoggie:

I'll start the ball rolling with a question. You're an Australian passport holder - would you want return to your own country or is this now out of the question due to potentially being arrested on arrival for releasing cables relating to Australian diplomats and polices?

Julian Assange:

I am an Australian citizen and I miss my country a great deal. However, during the last weeks the Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, and the attorney general, Robert McClelland, have made it clear that not only is my return is impossible but that they are actively working to assist the United States government in its attacks on myself and our people. This brings into question what does it mean to be an Australian citizen - does that mean anything at all? Or are we all to be treated like David Hicks at the first possible opportunity merely so that Australian politicians and diplomats can be invited to the best US embassy cocktail parties.

girish89:

How do you think you have changed world affairs?

And if you call all the attention you've been given-credit ... shouldn't the mole or source receive a word of praise from you?

Julian Assange:

For the past four years one of our goals has been to lionise the source who take the real risks in nearly every journalistic disclosure and without whose efforts, journalists would be nothing. If indeed it is the case, as alleged by the Pentagon, that the young soldier - Bradley Manning - is behind some of our recent disclosures, then he is without doubt an unparalleled hero.

guardian uk | Fri 3 Dec 2010 - read full report :

Cancun Summit Ends Without Solving Emissions Puzzle.

Protesters outside the Cancun Climate Summit, December 5th, 2010. (Photo:EvolveLove)

Cancun, Mexico (Tierramérica) - "We are the coldest country in the world... so global warming is good for us. The warmer it is, the bigger the harvests... They talk about stopping deforestation of the tropical jungles to fight climate change, but we don't have tropical jungles."

The frankness of Russian lawmaker Viktor Shudegov revealed an "inconvenient" truth, the ongoing lack of awareness about global warming, in a parallel meeting to the climate change summit hosted by Mexico in the resort city of Cancún, Nov. 29 to Dec. 10.

Shudegov synthesised how difficult it is for public opinion in a country like Russia to take up the challenge of climate change, despite being the most serious global problem -- according to scientists -- that humanity will face this century.

Truthour 11 Dec 2010 - read full post .

Damaging Planet Earth :: Urgent need to address

Nature's sting: The real cost of damaging Planet Earth


The global cost of replacing insect pollination is around $190bn every year

You don't have to be an environmentalist to care about protecting the Earth's wildlife.

Just ask a Chinese fruit farmer who now has to pay people to pollinate apple trees because there are no longer enough bees to do the job for free.

And it's not just the number of bees that is dwindling rapidly - as a direct result of human activity, species are becoming extinct at a rate 1,000 times greater than the natural average.

The Earth's natural environment is also suffering.

In the past few decades alone, 20% of the oceans' coral reefs have been destroyed, with a further 20% badly degraded or under serious threat of collapse, while tropical forests equivalent in size to the UK are cut down every two years.

11 October 2010 : BBC News  :: read more ::

Climate Conference in Mexico Puts Off Major Decisions for Future Conferences:

VOAvideo | December 11, 2010 - The latest United Nations Climate Change Conference drew to a close in Cancun, Mexico, Saturday with agreements on a number of issues, including the creation of a world fund to help poor nations deal with global warming. Participants said the meeting was a success, in that it kept the process going with hopes of achieving a comprehensive, legally binding treaty at a future conference. But, as VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Cancun, there are still some political roadblocks ahead

Charles and Camilla attackers were protesters against tax dodgers

A coalition of violence: yesterday, a new and sinister British political movement was born

Windows in the Topshop store on Oxford Circus were smashed (Photo: Getty)

When Charles and Camilla were – in the words of David Cameron – “nearly attacked” by a violent student mob, they were being slowly driven down Regent Street in a Rolls-Royce. But as this Google map – a digital tool used by the rioters – shows, the epicentre of the protests was Parliament Square and Victoria. So perhaps that’s why the future king and his protection officers were caught out. What on earth were the rioters doing on Regent Street?

The answer, I think, is in the picture above, which shows the windows of the Topshop store on Oxford Circus smashed, with prepared notices declaring: “Tax dodgers – pay your tax!”. As the Daily Mirror reports, the shop was targeted at about 7pm:

read full report : telegraph 10 Dec 2010 

The arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

December 7, 2010 - Dr. Mark Ellis, exec. director, International Bar Association, discusses the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. (CNN.com)

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange arrested in London :: Swiss bank freezes his legal defense fund.

The founder of the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been arrested by the Metropolitan Police.

The 39-year-old Australian denies allegations he sexually assaulted two women in Sweden.

Scotland Yard said Mr Assange was arrested on a European arrest warrant by appointment at a London police station at 0930 GMT.

He is due to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court later.

Mr Assange is accused by the Swedish authorities of one count of rape, one of unlawful coercion and two counts of sexual molestation, alleged to have been committed in August 2010.

Police contacted his lawyer, Mark Stephens, on Monday night after receiving an European arrest warrant from the Swedish authorities.

BBC News 7 Dec 2010 :: read full report.

Swiss bank freezes his legal defense fund.

AlJazeeraEnglish | December 06, 2010 - The lawyer for Julian Assange, the founder of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, has said he and his client are arranging a meeting with British police. 

British authorities had earlier received an international arrest warrant for Assange from Sweden.

Meanwhile, a Swiss bank account held by Assange for donations to the whistleblower website and his legal defence has been frozen.

ConDem coalition Govt. smashes British Education System:

Student Protest: Clare Solomon debates Tory MP Roger Gale.

adycousins | November 11, 2010 - University of London Union president Clare Solomon debates with Tory MP Roger Gale on the Jeremy Vine show : How do we view the student demonstrations? Were they a reawakening of political activism or just mindless violence.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in trouble :

on Interpol wanted list :







Ecuador offers residency

Ecuador has offered Julian Assange, the founder of the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, residency in the country.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kintto Lucas said his country's government wanted to invite Mr Assange to Ecuador to give him the opportunity to speak publicly.

He said Ecuador was concerned about some of the alleged American activities revealed by Wikileaks.

Earlier this year Sweden refused an application from Mr Assange, who is Australian, for residency there.

"We are open to giving him residency in Ecuador, without any problem and without any conditions," Mr Lucas said.

BBC News : 30 Nov 2010

legal action on Wikileaks.

AlJazeeraEnglish | November 29, 2010 - The White House says it may take legal action after the Wikileaks website published hundreds of secret memos sent by US embassies.

The messages reveal growing concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions, with Saudi Arabia pushing the US to act.

There are also unflattering remarks about the leaders of America's European allies, and apparent suspicion of the UN.

Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna reports Washington.

US mulls legal options against WikiLeaks.

AlJazeeraEnglish | November 30, 2010 |  - What legal repercussions will Wikileaks and its founder, Julian Assange, face? Assange is neither a US citizen nor a resident, so the extent of the reach of US law is in question.

Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna reports on what legal recourse the US government has in dealing with Assange in the wake of the embarrassing leak of the diplomatic cables.