(2024-03-08). The New Atheism at 20: How an Intellectual Movement Exploited Rationalism to Promote War. counterpunch.org Inspired by the attacks of September 11th, the New Atheism appeared on the scene shortly after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It became immediately clear that the Four Horsemen were exploiting Enlightenment principles to justify the bombing of women and children in third world nations. Muslim terrorists are not aggrieved by Western foreign policy, the authors claim, but rather by their fanatical devotion to their faith. The decimation of Iraq was not motivated by elite US strategies to control oil markets, but because "god" told Bush to invade. The state does not exploit religious differences for cynical realpolit…
(2024-03-08). Breaking the Mold: Gender Discrimination in the Airline Industry. aclu.org 
As a child in New Jersey, I grew up hearing stories of my mother's flight attendant days in South Korea. A few stuck out to me even at a young age — such as hearing she needed to maintain a certain weight to get into the flight attendant program and that she had to quit her job once she got married. I couldn't understand why my mother had to quit her dream job, the job that allowed her to travel to Hawaii and Paris, the two places she had always wanted to go since she was little, just because she got married. My mother also told me how women either lied about being married to keep their jobs or were pres…
(2024-03-08). Syrian Women: Turning Challenges into Opportunities. icrc.org Photo gallery | Over the past thirteen years of conflict, Syrian women's lives were characterized by hardship, displacement, loss, and pain.
(2024-03-08). The New Atheism at 20: How an Intellectual Movement Exploited Rationalism to Promote War. counterpunch.org 
Inspired by the attacks of September 11th, the New Atheism appeared on the scene shortly after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It became immediately clear that the Four Horsemen were exploiting Enlightenment principles to justify the bombing of women and children in third world nations. Muslim terrorists are not aggrieved by Western foreign policy, the authors claim, but rather by their fanatical devotion to their faith. The decimation of Iraq was not motivated by elite US strategies to control oil markets, but because "god" told Bush to invade. The state does not exploit religious differences for cynical realpolit…
(2024-03-08). The inspiring journey of Chawan: From disability to inclusion. icrc.org
(2024-03-08). Sri Lankan family knifed to death in Canadian capital Ottawa in rare mass murder case. scmp.com Six people, including a mother and four children were killed, but the father survived and is in hospital.
(2024-03-08). There will be reading and singing and dancing even in the darkest times: The Tenth Newsletter (2024). mronline.org 
Amidst the genocide against Palestinians and the war in Congo, human beings cling to hope. Saleem, in Rafah, dreams beyond the present, of Red Books Day and a brighter future.
(2024-03-08). Severe ME patient Millie's sister tells the Canary the situation is 'heartbreaking'. thecanary.co A young woman who lives with severe ME is still being dangerously neglected by an NHS hospital — despite interventions, media coverage, a petition, and social media uproar. The situation is such that her sister has told the Canary her family are concerned she is "declining daily" — and that the situation is "heartbreaking". What …
(2024-03-08). PEC Expresses Grief over the Demise of two Bangladeshi Reporters. pressenza.com 
Geneva: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, expresses profound grief over the demise of two Bangladeshi journalists in a devastating fire that took place in Dhaka. The carnage on 29 February 2024 snatched away the lives of at least 46 people including Abhishruti Shastri and Tusar Hawlader, both of whom worked for Dhaka-based online media outlet Thereport. live. The colleagues and family members identified the bodies of Abhishruti and Tusar at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue. Abhishruti Shastri. Tusar Hawlader | "It's shocking that two young reporters had to lose their l…
(2024-03-08). India exceeds coal production and shipment targets. tvbrics.com 
For the period April 2023 to February 2024, production was 126.80 million metric tonnes…
(2024-03-08). North Korea showcases nuclear & missile arsenal amid US-South Korea provocations. albawaba.com ALBAWABA – North Korea displayed its armaments during an artillery drill as a show of force in retaliation to the joint military drill between the US and South Korea. With North Korea's artillery systems potentially dangerous and potentially causing large civilian casualties in the case of an assault, analysts have warned that this move has increased tensions in the region.The Ministry of Defense in North Korea has strongly condemned the joint exercise, called "Freedom Shield Exercise," calling it "provocative" and "reckless." On a visit to a military base in the western part of the nation, North Korean leader Ki…
(2024-03-08). Thanks To The Migrants For Sharing Music And Food, etc… indybay.org Thanks To The Art, Culture, Music, Food, and Grace Shared By The Migrants Coming To America! The Painting On My Wall, Is Called "The Woman With The Yellow and Green Hair."
english.palinfo.com (2024-03-08). UN: 37 Palestinian mothers killed every day in Gaza 
An estimated 9,000 women have been reportedly killed by Israeli forces in Gaza to date, UN estimates revealed on Women's Day.
imemc.org (2024-03-08). Day 153 Update: Israel's Continued Bombings Kill Dozens In Gaza" 
The Israeli army continued for the 153rd day the bombing of various parts of the Gaza Strip, and the wiring and detonating of entire residential blocks across the coastal region, killing dozens and wounding hundreds.
dailysabah.com (2024-03-08). 60K Gazan pregnant women languish in malnutrition: Health Ministry 
About 60,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip are facing malnutrition and dehydration due to Israel's conflict with the enclave, the Health Ministry reported Thursday, just ahead of International Women's Day on March 8.
mediaite.com (2024-03-08). Biden's State of the Union 'Illegal' Comment Deserves to Be Seen in Context 
On Thursday night's State of the Union address, President Joe Biden upset some progressives and Latino members of Congress when he went off script and used the word "illegal" in reference to an undocumented migrant.
euobserver.com (2024-03-08). Gaza is also a war on women: where are European feminists?On International Women's Day, European feminists must break their deafening silence on the unspeakable horrors facing women and girls in Gaza.
Palestinian women have become "victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and an unfolding genocide", according to Reem Alsalem, the UN's special rapporteur on violence against women and girls.
yahoo.com (2024-03-08). U.N. Human Rights Council says Israel West Bank settlement plans amount to war crimesThe Human Rights Council on Friday released a report saying that the expansion of settlements "amount to the transfer by Israel of its own civilian population into the territories that it occupies, which amounts to a war crime under international law."
yahoo.com (2024-03-08). Biden promised unity, but State of the Union speech was loud, angry, partisanIn his State of the Union address Thursday night, he gave a speech that was partisan, dishonest and, at times, incoherent. It wasn't an update on America, nor was it hopeful, unifying or inspiring.
Biden seemed mad and divisive and occasionally slurred his words and struggled to enunciate.
yenisafak.com (2024-03-08). Hamas describes deaths of Palestinian detainees at Israeli military facilities as 'war crimes' 
Haaretz daily says 27 detainees from Gaza died at Sde Teiman and Anatot facilities or while being questioned in Israeli territory
(2024-03-08). Five British Special Forces arrested for incident in Syria two years ago. thealtworld.com The global clandestine operations of British special forces are in violation of international law | Recent reports in the The soldiers remain on active duty and are claiming that the individual posed a threat and "intended to carry out a suicide" attack. The incident is alleged to have taken place two years ago. | Unsur…
(2024-03-08). Discarding Old Theories on the Path to Finding the First Humans Outside Africa. counterpunch.org 
When I began studying human prehistory in the mid-1990s, little did I know that I would witness a paradigm shift in our understanding of when the first humans settled in Western Eurasia firsthand. At the time, I was preparing my master's thesis about the stone tools from the Caune de l'Arago cave, an Acheulian site situated in the picturesque
(2024-03-08). PMPI General Assembly: "TWENTY: Transformative Work on Environment and Nature's Rights Through the Years" Day 2. pressenza.com 
Bacolod, Western Visayas, Philippines — On March 5, 2024, more than two hundred organizations, including faith-based groups, NGOs, and people's organizations nationwide, participated in the second day of the 7th Philippine Misereor Partnership Incorporated (PMPI) General Assembly. | Most. Rev. Cosme Damian R. Almedilla, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Butuan, who celebrated the mass, took off from the gospel on forgiveness and highlighted that if God always forgives, people can ultimately forgive. Still, he warned that nature might not be able to forgive if humans continue to harm them and violate their rig…
(2024-03-08). Hong Kong-U.S. trade still flourishing. ecns.cn In a testament to their enduring partnership, Hong Kong and the U.S. have forged a "robust" trade relationship over the past year.
(2024-03-08). 900 luxury watches go missing in a $13M scam. albawaba.com ALBAWABA — Japanese authorities are on the hunt to return 900 luxurious worth $12.6 million to their 190 owners, as they were on a watch rental site called Toke Match before the site's owner, who is suspected of selling he loaned from an owner back in January, fled to Dubai as reported by local media.The Osaka-based site, Toke Match, was a rental site that would loan luxurious goods like premium Rolex, Omegas and Tag Heuers watches from wealthy individuals to clients. Operated by mother company, Neo Reverse, which had terminated the service by the end of Jan. and announced plans to return all watches to the…
(2024-03-08). Bill Gates is "inspired" by digital ID and smart farming projects in India. expose-news.com Bill Gates spent four days in India meeting with political leaders, government officials, scientists, "philanthropists" and others. According to Gates, The Gates Foundation funds more work in India than in any other …
(2024-03-08). Pakistan: 'Imran Khan has been the beneficiary of hatred towards the ruling parties'. greenleft.org.au 
Green Left's Federico Fuentes spoke to Pakistani socialist Ammar Ali Jan of the Haqooq-
(2024-03-08). More Than Half a Million People Evicted in India in 2023: Report. orinocotribune.com The Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), in its latest report titled "Forced Evictions in India: 2022 & 2023," This report, the sixth in a series of annual publications by HLRN on evictions, highlights a significant surge in the number of home demolitions in India between 2022 and 2023, particularly impacting the poor and marginalised populations. | Over this period, more than 150,000 houses were demolished by Indian authorities, resulting in the forceful…
(2024-03-08). More Than Half a Million People (5 Lakh) Evicted in India in 2023: Report. orinocotribune.com The majority of evictions (58.7%) were conducted under the pretext of 'slum' clearance, 'encroachment' removal, or 'city beautification' initiatives, while other reasons included infrastructure projects (35%), environmental projects (4.7%), and disaster management efforts (0.7%). | The Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), in its latest report titled "Forced Evictions in India: 2022 & 2023," This report, the sixth in a series of annual publications by HLRN…
(2024-03-08). Electricity disconnected to over one million Sri Lankans amid soaring tariffs. wsws.org Sri Lankans currently pay some of the highest electricity bills in South Asia, according to recent survey by the Verité Research agency think tank.
(2024-03-08). Depreciating ringgit creating political problems for Malaysian government. wsws.org The fall in the ringgit, growing national debt, and the rising cost of living are all having a serious impact on the stability of Malaysia's ruling coalition.
(2024-03-08). Seis personas de Sri Lanka fueron asesinadas en Canadá. telesurtv.net El homicidio múltiple fue ocasionado por un joven de 19 años que era amigo de la familia asesinada.
(2024-03-08). In Sri Lanka women are the principal victims of the IMF and of microfinance. cadtm.org
(2024-03-08). In Bangladesh, globalization results in hardship for women workers. cadtm.org
(2024-03-08). Feminist Movements In Pakistan: Challenges and Struggles. cadtm.org Asma Aamir writes about the Pakistani feminist movements history and current practices, their challenges and ways forward. This article is an edited version of her speech in the 13th International Meeting of the World March of Women, which happened in October 2023, in Ankara, Turkey.
| I would like to talk about Pakistan, a country that has not a secular State, like Turkey and others. It is officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, run by the federal and provincial governments, following (…) | – |
(2024-03-08). Pakistan: Squeezed between IMF programmes and political repression, young people are leaving the country. cadtm.org
(2024-03-08). In 9 Charts: India's Growing Debt Problem Has 'Crisis-Like Symptoms'. cadtm.org
(2024-03-08). Hamas' Hamdan: We Are Not Fighting Alone, Victory is Closer than Ever. english.almanar.com.lb 
Top Hamas representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan told Al-Manar on Thursday that the Palestinian resistance is not fighting alone and that the Axis of Resistance is offering all forms of support. In an interview with Al-Manar's Panorama Today, Hamdan stressed that the "victory is closer than ever." "What we are receiving from the battlefield is …
(2024-03-08). #IWD2024: Jordan radio show honours Gaza's 'women martyrs'. newarab.com 
(2024-03-08). India's Modi to visit Kashmir, first time since 2019. newarab.com 
Prime Minister Modi's government stripped the
(2024-03-08). Irish-Iraqi activist Eljuboori released with charges dropped. newarab.com 
An Irish- The Irish Department of…
(2024-03-08). US, Turkey kick off talks to explore improving ties. newarab.com 
The Senior US and Turkish officials are set to meet at the State Department for several rounds of talks focusing on topics spanning…
Country: Japan | Source: Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation | Please refer to the attached file. | On New Year's day of 2024, while some parts of the world were celebrating, Japan was met with a 7.6 magnitude earthquake 7km north-northwest of Suzu, located on the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture. Reportedly there were 238 deaths, 1,179 people injured and 19 people missing. | On the 13th day since the earthquake, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation's (BTCF) volunteers had already provided 7,129 hot meals to hospitals and temporary shelters as the first stage of humanitarian aid. | Nearly two months after the earthquak…
Country: Philippines | Source: Government of the Philippines | Please refer to the attached file. | I. Situation Overview | On 04 January 2024 at around 4: 22 AM, an armed conflict occurred at Del Gallego, Camarines Sur. | Source: DSWD Field Office (FO) V | II. Status of Affected Areas and Population | A total of 24 families or 120 persons are affected in one (1) barangay in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur (see Annex A).
Country: Philippines | Source: Government of the Philippines | Please refer to the attached file. | I. Situation Overview | Forecasted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the Shear Line, spanning from 8 to 20 January 2024, brought adverse weather conditions across multiple regions namely: Regions V, X, XI, and Caraga. Its effects resulted to persistent heavy rains that led to flooding and landslides while, scattered thunderstorms contributed to heightened weather instability. Livelihoods of farmers were adversely affected, due to continuous heavy rai…
Country: Philippines | Source: Government of the Philippines | Please refer to the attached file. | I. Situation Overview | On 16 February 2024, an armed conflict transpired in Brgy. Pantao, Munai, Lanao del Norte between Dawlah Islamiyah — Maute Group (DI-MG) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), resulting in injuries. Two days later, on the 18th of February, another clash occurred in Brgy. Lindongan, Munai, with nine (9) reported dead and seven (7) injured. Following this, on the 21st of February, a military operation targeted the suspected hideout in Brgy. Matampay, Munai, causing casualti…
Country: Philippines | Source: Government of the Philippines | Please refer to the attached file. | I. Situation Overview | On 28 February 2024 at around 3AM, an armed conflict transpired between the troops of the 61st Infantry (Hunter) Battalion and Communist NPA Terrorists (CNT) of Southern Panay Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay in the Municipality of San Joaquin,, | Iloilo which resulted in the displacement of affected families / individuals and several reported casualties. | On March 04, 2024 at around 4: 40 PM, series of encounter occurred in Brgy. Igsolique, Miagao, Iloilo and Brgy. Igcabito-on during the…
Country: Philippines | Source: Government of the Philippines | Please refer to the attached file. | I. Situation Overview | On 29 January 2024, the Municipalities of Compostela, Monkayo, and New Bataan in Davao de Oro along with the Municipalities of Bunawan and Rosario in Agusan del Sur reported initial effects of the trough of a Low Pressure Area (LPA). | On 01 February 2024, incidents of flooding caused by sustained heavy rains from the Trough of the LPA were reported in the Province of North Cotabato in Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) and in the Province of Maguindanao del Sur in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Reg…
A gifted producer and writer I know was traveling to Rome last week. I told him I was jealous. At the risk of over-romanticizing when so much is raining down on so many right now, Rome strikes me as precisely the sort of place where the grimmer realities of life should be transcended. I have 
Jim McIlroy reviews Damage, written and directed by Australian filmmaker Madeleine Blackwell, which is a moving allegory about the destruction caused by war and the increasing alienation suffered by an elderly woman in a capitalist society abandoning those in need.
Recently news media announced the transfer of 141 of Yellowstone's bison to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Most of the media and many conservation groups hailed this as "restoring" bison to the plains. What is not said is that this transfer to the tribe, and all other previous transfers are destroying the wild bison genome.