According to international nuclear inspectors, a Russian scientist helped the Iranians with technical know-how and also helped them conduct complex experiments on ways of detonating a nuclear weapon. The fact that this information was revealed excitedly on the New York Times has more political reasons than any real danger from either the Russian scientist or the Iranian nuclear hounds.

The U.S. has been trying to create the image of an impending calamity due to Russian aggressive behaviors when the real reason why Russians are growing increasingly aggressive is because they have their own fears. The Iranians may or may not pose a threat to the world, but a bigger threat to the world lies in the form of American foreign policies and propaganda such as the one about the Russian scientist. What appalls me is that a venerable newspaper like the New York Times is also not immune to prejudice and, directly or indirectly participates in the dissemination of American propaganda.

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It is surprising to note that Muslims in the U.K have a greater freedom than anywhere else and they receive governmental grants and funds to build mosques in prime locations in British cities including London. A predominantly Christian society, the British have been quite tolerant in accepting immigrants and also allowing them to practice their personal beliefs. However, the fate of Christians in the Muslim world is one that has to be dealt with cautiously. Christians have been persecuted and marginalized in most Middle Eastern countries and recently, in India too.

However, the idea is to live peacefully and with religious tolerance. Though Atheism and non-religious societies are always welcome and of course safer too, it is difficult to change the way people think. If the British decided to avenge the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and promptly persecute the Muslims of Britain, it would be harking back to the Middle Ages. The Old Testament law of an eye for an eye and a hand for a hand would not work in a modern society and free societies must set up an example by not tolerating ‘other’ religions but in fact discouraging overt religious behaviors anywhere. In fact, avoiding religious topics and stopping the funds for religious institutions would do well and the money could be diverted to saner purposes like education and research.

The concept of religious tolerance must be thought over and when it is thought over, we would know that there really isn’t much to think, except allow others to live productive lives while we live our own live productively.

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Via: Guardian

Sharon Stone has been the daughter of controversy ever since she crossed or didn’t cross her legs in that notorious movie a couple of decades ago, which we all know. The smoking blonde has always managed to gain publicity whether negative or positive. This time however, she has gained a lot of negative publicity thanks to her bad mothering skills, which apparently are as much in mess as her. Californian officials have criticized and also rejected her request to change her child’s custody arrangements.

They have blamed her for overreacting to her son Roan’s medical issues. The court was especially infuriated with Stone’s suggestion that her son must be treated with botox as his feet were smelly. Now it has also come to notice that Bronstein will have complete custody over the boy and Stone may just have to worry endlessly if he would be taken care of by the jubilant father properly. The crux of the matter is not the custody of the child or Stone concern for her son’s health but the fact that celebrities usually end up over reacting to every tiny incident no matter what.

Probably, the entire attention and media glare showered and sometime forced upon them make them notice even small changes and worry about that endlessly. Probably the celebrities must be left alone and allowed to live a life in privacy. And the ones that like to be in the media glare are best avoided.

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Via: IMDB

Robert Mugabe has been one of the most enigmatic and disastrous leaders to ever walk this planet. White farmers have been ousted from their land and have been subjected to heinous treatments under a lawless government. The fact that Mugabe still is in power and that the power sharing business has no value is a matter of great concern to me. What I refuse to accept is that a white man can be killed because his ancestors were bad to the black.

What we are seeing right now is a reverse racism where white people have been subjected to racial attacks in Zimbabwe and South Africa. In fact, many Southern African leaders have supported white killings and many have been killed too. Of course all these incidents are seldom reported because of the so called ‘white man’s guilt’. The guilty must definitely be brought to justice and handed over to law. But the farcical nature of the entire issue is that there is neither any law nor any justice.

I would like to ask the readers which court of justice could try and hang Mugabe and his cronies or the political but terrorist-like Zanu PF that is in fact behind President Robert Mugabe! This is shocking and unacceptable that we continue to watch such incidents take place in a modern and developed society.

Via: TimesOnline

It’s more than shocking when I read Maati Saari’s merciless psychedelic killing spree that took ten of his classmates’ lives and also his own post the massacre. The most horrible part of the whole scene was when he put them on fir post the massacre. The victims have been left beyond recognition due to the results of the severe burns received by the corpses. What dumbfounded me the most is the bold step that he took by uploading a video on YouTube, which shows him shooting at a range. The question is, why couldn’t the Law react to this illegal video on time? Reports validate that this particular video was posted on Finnish social networking site and with circulation it had reached the YouTube.

It seems to me that the Law is washing its hands off and not taking the charged completely on its own, obviously for political issues. But who will control this killing spree which is reported to occur frequently especially in educational institutes. It’s a tough nut to crack, as nothing seems to be conspicuous. Nobody has the precise clues as to why this heinous crime is committed by the school and college students. What stimulates these youngsters to take themselves into this scandalous crime should be the Law’s concern. This merciless crime should be nipped in the bud not by the Law alone but collectively which involves all the citizens.

Educational institutes are no more safe. Acquiring education has equally become as dangerous as facing a troop of army in the battlefield. Who will save the innocent people now? Whose fault is it that the innocent lives have been taken forcefully. Maati Saari killed his ten classmates but who will control this insane crime? How many more Maati Saari are people going to withstand? Acting upon this serious issue at once will perchance ameliorate the safety of the innocent people. It’s time to wake up and be harsh on the concerned people who are responsible for this kind of an unforgiving crime. One must obliterate this crime forever. Can a one person alone do this? Possibly not, so join your hands together and allow no more such a crime to be registered in the history.

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Via: TimesOnline

Backpackers are the soft targets for the notorious and merciless thieves in Southeast Asian cities especially in Phnom Penh. It surprises me to know that the thieves have obliterated the conventional way of bag snatching and they have adapted the unconventional art of bag snatching, like comfortably knocking off the victims while they are on a motorbike ride. This sends the warning bell to the Backpackers who are already alienated by the locals.

The precautionary measures taken by the Backpackers by carrying their bags in the front and stretching a helping arm around their bags simply do not seem to be of any help when these thieves outsmart them completely. If you thought, you could take care of yourself without facing any problems, you could yet once again be proven wrong for the these thieves are well equipped with weapons which could do you harm any moment.

So, the trick is to be on a high alert and walk in groups in the streets and not alone. It shocks me to learn that the crime rate has risen in Phnom due to the deterioration of its economy. Survival of the fittest has once again come into practice literally. You must be smart enough to brave the animal instincts of those thieves who may hack you off any moment. So, arm yourself with high alerts and a defending weapon perhaps.

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Via: GadLing

This is the classic debate between print media and blogging that has been going on for a long time now. It’s amusing to see how columnist Chris Watson describes his plight as his role at the 150-years old daily newspaper called Santa Cruz Sentinel in California seems to be ‘evolving’. Looks like after enjoying the warmth of a good and comfortable readership, Watson got a rude shock when he was asked to contribute on contract basis and was given less column-inch space to write in. Well, the dude leaves a smile on your face when he ends his article (please read ON A BLOGSITE) with a very cheeky ‘Got any writing jobs? Contact me’.

Hey, it is not the end of a generation. C’mon, agreed that blogs are THE big thing today and stalwarts like filmmaker Shekhar Kapur have ventured into it with a warning to print journalists that they may be out of job soon if they don’t start blogging. I am not trying to negate that after all, I too am a blogger and would never like to be called a hypocrite. All I want to say is that, each form of media has its special place. There may be alterations in the domination scale of course, but all DO exist in harmony. To be honest, don’t we all still like to pick up a newspaper each morning even when we know that we can catch more updated news on TV or the radio, and the same applies to blogs.

Via BookCriticsCircle

Blogosphere never falls short of controversies and commotions. The latest of the latter variety being over ‘fair use of content’ by the ever growing community of bloggers. Every thing was going smooth until the old and worthy AP raised an eyebrow over its content being used by any Tom , Dick and Harry on the internet. Linking to AP news stories or quotes, now becomes objectionable to the powers-that-be in this (non-profit) cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the US. The latest victim being Drudge Retort! One eye brow raised lead to many voices raised on net in the previous days.

Accordingly, Associated Press decided to be a pussyfooter and is now set to define guidelines, that will determine which and how much news to be uplifted and used by the bloggers. It surely seems to be in the mood of curtailing favours to the bloggers family on the pretext of the violation of the‘fair use’ doctrine. This move reminds me of the bedtime children story where a cold-hearted giant (AP here) shuns the use of his beautiful garden, as a playground by the chirpy kids!!!(we bloggers).Personally, I find this decision rather barbaric and not in tune with today’s time of free knowledge shairing and pooling.

Coming back to the ‘fair use’ doctrine, which allows small bits of copyrighted work to be harmlessly used as excerpts, forms the essence of blogging. With this thing is mind and healthy intentions any one can quote portions from articles written by journalists and experts and discuss them at length in his/her blog. Normally, its considered a safe practice because of its ubiquity. The question arises, why then AP got so-called ‘offended’ when the so-called ‘offender’ took pains to link to it? From what I can make out, the poor blogger only had intentions to provide trustworthy source to the readers (hence the linking to AP ensued). But one thing is clear, the oldtimer has gained good amount of bad publicity over internet following its sue-game. The stage is set on fire and it would be interesting to follow, what comes next from both the sides of the fence (read internet-the interface between news gatherers and news viewers). As of now, it seems Associated Press is certainly not glad to be associated with the common blogger!

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Indian chapter of Transparency International conducted a fresh survey, Global Corruption Barometer 2007 among 1069 respondents revealed that political parties grab the lion’s share in the field of corruption.
As high as 76 percent of the respondents opined that political parties are “extremely corrupt”. The Police are only the competitor that goes neck and neck.
The recently conducted Gujarat assembly election is before us to show how low the parties campaigned against one another. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are no exceptions to evidence the character of our politicians. No doubt few watch such programs.
Politicians who claim to posses’ blood of patriotism even do not know the lines of our National song or National anthem. Gone are the days when leaders and politicians exerted themselves for the betterment and upliftment of the common man.

Presence of MPs and Legislators in the Houses some time well below the mandatory quorum exhibits their loyalty towards nation and people.

Nations must eye at heightening level of CORRUPTION.

Declared the last week in Indian government they would delay final negotiations because the left party not accept the nuclear deal, setting off a new round conjecture that the deal was in terminal refuse. American officials approved in this week they were taken aback by the varied single but remained optimistic, therefore engaged in every day conversations with Indian counterparts. Indian administrator and policy political analyst said that while the management apparent backpedaling had left PM. MM Singh weakened; it could finally help him convince his critics that he would not slight their views. How all that quiver out will decide whether the accord, the focus of new bilateral relationships, can withstand the high temperature of Indian domestic politics.

Via inform