Bahraini ‘reformers’ in Washington, courtesy of American spinmeisters
By Justin Elliot in ProPublica. Earlier this month, a group of three young Bahrainis arrived in Washington to talk about reform in the small Persian Gulf nation, which has been rocked by Arab Spring protests for the last year. The delegation, including an NGO worker and a tech entrepreneur, both Western-educated, represented...
Tributes pour in for longtime Vancouver councillor
Former Vancouver councillor, mayoralty candidate and long-time housing activist Jim Green has died following a battle with cancer.. Green died peacefully at home with his family at 6:15 a.m. PST Tuesday, a statement issued by Mayor Gregor Robertson's office said. Green was battling a recurrence of the lung cancer he had two...
Canadians call for enquiry on alleged robocall election fraud
Over 20,000 Canadians have joined with online campaigning organization Leadnow.ca to call for a full and independent public inquiry into an alleged systematic voter deception phone campaign that targeted likely non-Conservative voters in key ridings during the May 2011 election. Since the campaign launched on Friday, 20,000...
GLOBAL: Vigils in solidarity with Tibetans
Since early February 2012, a series of global vigils have taken place in all over the world to express solidarity with Tibetans, following a call from Kalong Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sangay. As February 22 is the Tibetan New Year, activists are calling for another round of solidarity action. Lobsang Sangay's statement can be...
UK politician foresees nuclear Iran triggering new Middle Eastern cold war
British Foreign Secretary William Hague has described a possibility of a new cold war in the Middle East due to the Iranian nuclear programme. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon suggests negotiating with Iran by asking it to disprove the allegations of developing nuclear weapons. "If [the Iranians] obtain nuclear ...
B.C. families the big losers in Liberal budget said Nelson Creston MLA Michelle Mungall
By Bruce Fuhr, The Nelson Daily The B.C. government website said the 2012 provincial budget delivered in the legislature Tuesday by Finance Minister Kevin Falcon “lays a firm foundation for the future”. Nelson/Creston MLA Michelle Mungall disagrees with Minister Falcon’s prediction. “It’s pretty clear that the B.C. Liberals...
Iran cuts oil exports to France, Britain
The Huffington Post TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has halted oil shipments to Britain and France, the Oil Ministry said Sunday, in an apparent pre-emptive blow against the European Union after the bloc imposed sanctions on Iran's crucial fuel exports. The EU imposed tough sanctions against Iran last month, which included a freeze of ...
Time to zip John Baird’s loose lips
It is hard to credit the latest statements and actions by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. On both Iran and Israel Baird seems to almost deliberately seek to humiliate both himself and the country he is supposed to represent on the international stage. Taking an ultra-orthodox rabbi (whose organization opposes any Palestinian...
Attorney General responds to Stanley Cup court decision
VICTORIA - Attorney General Shirley Bond has released this statement following court decision on the application to broadcast a Stanley Cup riot sentencing: "Making the justice system more transparent to British Columbians is an important public discussion. "Last June, brazen crimes were committed in public during the Stanley...
Treaty Negotiations under microscope: FNS political executive to appear before Standing Senate Committee
The political executive of the First Nations Summit are travelling to Ottawa this week to provide testimony on the state of Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia to the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples. Grand Chief Edward John, Chief Doug White and Dan Smith will appear before the Standing Senate Committee ...
