[ wow – that was fast … ] In just five years, China has surpassed the United States as a trading partner for much of the world, including U.S. allies such as South Korea and Australia, according to an Associated Press analysis of trade data. . Article here
Geopolitics
The Israeli Arab conflict is the result of interactions of superpowers in the early 20th century. British and French strategic interests in the Middle East were related to the Mediterranean trading route, which went from the Suez channel to Indian markets. But the presence of the Ottoman navy based in […]
The U.N. General Assembly voted today to approve Palestinians’ request to be upgraded to a “non-member observer state,” defying opposition by the U.S. and Israel. Article
In a massive blow to multinational agribiz corporations such as Monsanto, Bayer, and Dow, Peru has officially passed a law banning genetically modified ingredients anywhere within the country for a full decade before coming up for another review. . Read the rest here
[ The basic problem here – is lending people money … … when they don’t have any money … … and then charging interest. ] A general strike is underway across Europe today as millions are protesting spending cuts and tax hikes they say have deepened the region’s economic crisis. […]
A group of Nobel peace-prize winners, prominent artists and activists issued a call for a “comprehensive military embargo against Israel” following the recent hostilities in Gaza. [youtube]H8amgsXRdZQ[/youtube] In a letter, the group denounces the United States, European Union and several developing countries for what it describes as their “complicity” through weapons sales […]
The Spanish government is expected to vote Thursday in favor of granting Palestine observer status at the United Nations despite a warning from Israel that such a move could limit Spain’s influence in any future peace negotiations. “If Spain and the European Union want to be part of the solution, […]
[ … just in case anyone still thinks it’s a ‘civil’ war ] A Syrian newspaper yesterday published the names of 142 foreign fighters from 18 countries the regime said were killed alongside rebels in Syria’s conflict. . Read the rest here