That seems true for the Democratic Republic of Congo at the moment. Papers, blogs and broadcasts have been awash with a variety of news stories from the DRC in recent days. And they've not been particularly positive. Over the weekend, hundreds of people were reported to have drowned in separate boat accidents and reports suggest that fishermen rushing to the aid of one of the sinking ships were

The 57 bodies were found in a mass grave last November in a remote mountainous area of Maguindanao, a province on the southern island of Mindanao. Among the victims was the wife of Esmael Mangudadatu, Toto, who had been on her way to file his election candidacy papers. www elvis presley autopsy video silver infinity pendant 24 wallpaper selling beaded ornaments bead s

Highlights Beijing Lawyer Tried Again by Railway Courts: This past week, Beijing lawyer Wang Yu (王宇) was tried for a second time for “intentional injury” by the Tianjin Railway Court after spending over a year in detention. Wang, who was detained and charged seven months after getting into dispute with railway workers in Tianjin in May 2008, had he

Human Rights House of Iran reports that at present there are more than 600 political prisoners kept in the Iranian prisons. The figure might be higher but information is hard to verify the correct figure. Out of the 600 prisoners: 173 are kept in the Evin prison; 354 are serving sentences and 246 are in detention waiting trial. Of those who have received sentences, 94 got more than 10 years

How do people survive the unimaginable stress of living in the slums of Mumbai? Or as victims of human trafficking, trapped in present day slavery Or as a child living on the streets and railway platforms Or as the sole surviving member of a family afflicted with Aids? Stories of hope and inspiration arising from the daily struggle to survive feature in the book 'Find

How do people survive the unimaginable stress of living in the slums of Mumbai? Or as victims of human trafficking, trapped in present day slavery Or as a child living on the streets and railway platforms Or as the sole surviving member of a family afflicted with Aids? Stories of hope and inspiration arising from the daily struggle to survive feature in the book 'Find

The latest news on Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman at risk of stoning in Iran, is far from reassuring. It's being claimed that she's been lashed – 99 times – because a photograph of her without a chador covering has been published. As readers of The Times will know, this relates to a photo published by that newspaper last month, though the paper later said this was

An Israeli army officer who fired the entire magazine of his automatic rifle into a 13-year-old Palestinian girl and then said he would have done the same even if she had been three years old was acquitted on all charges by a military court yesterday.

The soldier, who has only been identified as "Captain R", was charged with relatively minor offences for the killing of Iman al-Hams who was shot 17 times as she ventured near an Israeli army post near Rafah refugee camp in Gaza a year ago.

The manner of Iman's killing, and the revelation of a tape recording in which the captain is warned that she was just a child who was "scared to death",

Source: Not guilty. The Israeli captain who emptied his rifle into a Palestinain schoolgirl | World news | The Guardian

The Pac-Man-style video game is based on a real-life tussle involving endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. India’s Tata Steel has been building a deep-water port along the coast of Orissa, in eastern India, less than 15 kilometers from one of the biggest nesting sites of the endangered turtle. The environmental organization Greenpeace launched the game last month on Pac-Man’s 30th anniversary to protest the project.

Source: Campaign 2.0: Turtle vs. Tata, the Game - India Real Time - WSJ

The English Defence League uncoveredFormed less than a year ago, the English Defence League has become the most significant far-right street movement since the National Front. The Guardian spent four months undercover with the movement, and found them growing in strength and planning to target some of the UK's biggest Muslim communities

Source: The English Defence League uncovered | UK news | guardian.co.uk

Today Indian Minister of Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh announced that he has rejected Vedanta's proposed bauxite mine in the Niyamgiri Mountain, Orissa, India. In addition, the clearance process for the expansion of the Lanjigarh refinery has been suspended. This represents a victory not only for the Dongria Kondh, but for indigenous and tribal people throughout the world.

Source: Bianca Jagger: A Landmark Victory for Indigenous and Tribal Rights

Hafiz Mughees, 19, and Hafiz Muneeb, 15, were going to visit relatives in Buttar village when some people caught them and accused them of being robbers. In a brazen display of mob justice, they killed the brothers by beating them with sticks and iron rods in the presence of policemen. The mob then hung up the bodies of the two brothers in a square.

Source: Two brothers (19 years and 15 year ) murdered brutally by mob in Pakistan.

Seventeen US soldiers from a Colorado military base who mostly served in Iraq have been linked to violent killings and attempted killings since their return to US soil. Three of them came from one platoon - highlighting how a generation of American soldiers are struggling to cope with life after military service.
"I was having a total mental breakdown. Every day we were getting in battles, and never having a break, it seemed like, it was just crazy.

Source: Fort Carson soldiers' killing spree after Iraq combat

It is my observation that the world is suffering from not living to its highest potential.

We still have racism sexism homophobia and all other forms of ignorance. That ignorance unfortunately permeates nearly every culture in the so-called “developed” countries.

Until we understand how this ignorance comes about then it is possible that we will not able to make a different choice about it.

I think I have one possible explanation of how this ignorance comes about and stays in our culture. It’s not the one and only right explanation, but it is something that I have thought about and I would like to offer it forward for you to think about.

Source: You Know Yourself

India's environment ministry has refused permission for the UK mining group Vedanta to extract bauxite in the eastern Indian state of Orissa.

Source: BBC News - India rejects Vedanta mine plans for Orissa