Archive for January, 2010

Pacific Blues: Virgin on the Ridiculous in Bali

Friday, January 29th, 2010

By Vyt Karazija
There is a travellers’ glitch that happens so often in Bali that it is almost an industry cliché. Departing flights to Australia often leave just after midnight, so passengers need to be at the airport late in the evening of the day before the day and date shown on their itinerary. Inevitably, after [...]

Iraq War Ending, All Troops Going Home

Friday, January 29th, 2010

The war in Iraq is ending and all US troops are coming home, US President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address, vowing continued US support of the Iraqi people.
“As we take the fight to Al-Qaeda, we are responsibly leaving Iraq to its people,” Obama told lawmakers.
“But make no mistake: this war [...]

Blair Braced for Grilling over Iraq War

Friday, January 29th, 2010

LONDON ~ Former British prime minister Tony Blair will face a public grilling on Friday over his decision to wage war on Iraq, seven years after a bloody conflict that still divides his country.
Blair is the star witness in a long-awaited inquiry that commentators hope will finally resolve questions about the intelligence that justified the [...]

Monkeys Attack Pesedehan Village Farmers

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Thousand of wild monkeys lived at Bebukitan in Pesedehan Village of Manggis District Karangasem since the last few years destructed local farmers’ activity. None of the plant could grow.
“Those monkeys also spilled out tuak – Balinese liquor whilst one of the farmers gathered it from the palm tree,” said Kelian Pesedahan Village, I Nyoman Wage [...]

A Jewish Voice Against the ‘Burqa Ban’

Friday, January 29th, 2010

By Joshua M. Z. Stanton
Even as a Jew in New York, I know what it is like to be Muslim in France.While studying abroad in the French city of Strasbourg in 2007, I decided to grow a bushy beard. Little did I know that in France only traditional Jewish and Muslim men don anything but [...]

A Diplomatic Surge for Afghanistan

Friday, January 29th, 2010

By Lisa Schirch
Afghan President Hamid Karzai will unveil new reconciliation efforts with the Taliban at this week’s London Conference on Afghanistan’s political future. After US President Barack Obama’s announcement of another troop surge last month, Afghans have been asking: “Where is the diplomatic surge to address the root causes of Afghanistan’s turmoil?”
Last month, I muddied [...]

In Haiti, Muslims Dig In

Friday, January 29th, 2010

By Wajahat Ali
Haiti is experiencing unimaginable suffering from its devastating earthquake, with more than 150,000 dead and one to three million individuals displaced. Individuals, groups and governments from around the world have stepped in to do what they can. United by their religious tradition of charity, Muslims have emerged as effective partners in aid and [...]

Getting Spiritual, Without the Hippy Self-Promotion

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

By Hannah Black
A couple of days ago I was talking to a friend about the KungFu yoga class (yes, you read that correctly) I’d just joined, and I realised I was talking about how strong the energy in the room was. “Hold on a minute,” my brain screamed at me. “Brakes on, rewind, forget I [...]

‘Balinese people are still not aware of the negative effects of using chemicals’

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Recent years have seen an increasing concern in chemicals’ harmful effects on health that has pushed some to switch to organic food. Paolo Righetti, a 45-year-old Swiss national and co-owner of the Bali Buddha chain of health-food stores and restaurants, spoke with Carla Albertí de la Rosa about the importance of awareness and how Bali [...]

The Unspeakable Cruelty of Baiting Dogs

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

By Elizabeth Henzell
The news on ABC’s Just In is not pleasant. Stabbings in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, and the sad story of a father who drowned while attempting to save his two sons and their friend from a rip on a New South Wales surf Beach is heartbreaking.
However, I read with joy the story of [...]