As the world observed the International Anti-Corruption day on December 9, 2008, India slipped further in the global corruption perception index released annually by corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI). In India corruption is widely seen as contributing to poverty, stifling economic growth, debasing democracy, a midwife to terrorism, trafficking of women and threat to human security.
On December 30, the last working day of the French Presidency of the 27-member European Union, the Foreign Ministers met in Paris to analyse the conflict in Gaza and to propose a cease-fire. President Nicolas Sarkozy is now on his way to the Middle East to talk with the officials of Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and Israel about such a cease-fire and follow-up negotiations. Nicolas Sarkozy
Stop bombing Gaza demonstration in New York City, December 30th 2008 in front of the Israel consulate. Held in solidarity with demonstrations all over the world.Photo: Stanley W. Rogouski
Oil is what most of us think of as a strategic resource, yet in the long run it is soil which is the more important. Even so, people's eyes tend to glaze over when talk turns to soil conservation, maybe because it's so much easier to see the immediate relevance of rising gas prices and climate change in these days of peak oil.Photo: Andrew Kokotka
Walter Agredo works with the Cali, Colombia chapter of the Committee in Solidarity with Poplitical Prisoners, which provides ongoing direct support to hundreds of prisoners and their families throughout Colombia. Recently the group launched a campaign against the extradition of political prisoners to the US.
Plans for a Missile Defense System in Europe, located in Poland and the Czech Republic have become too dangerous to continue by the U.S. and its European allies because of possible Russian retaliation, including the threat of nuclear attack. Russia now is threatening the U.S. and making plans for missile deployment in their territories while the U.S. is sitting back and refusing to change course on its plans to "defend" Europe against Iran. Military aggression is on the march.
Copyright Toward Freedom 2019