World | World Newswire Archive

The Washington establishment suffers a serious defeat

20-11-2009 18:29 | Anti-militarism | Globalisation | Social Struggles | World

"In an unprecedented defeat for the Federal Reserve, an amendment to audit the multi-trillion dollar institution was approved by the House Finance Committee with an overwhelming and bipartisan 43-26 vote on Thursday afternoon despite harried last-minute lobbying from top Fed officials and the surprise opposition of Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who had previously been a supporter."

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A Comparative Review of Flat Earth News and Newspeak

Jonathan Cook has been covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from Nazareth, Israel, as a freelance reporter for the past eight years. Before that he was a staff journalist at the Guardian and Observer newspapers. His latest books on the conflict are ‘Israel and the Clash of Civilisations’ (Pluto, 2008) and ‘Disappearing Palestine’ (Zed, 2008). His website is www.jkcook.net

In the two-part Guest Media Alert that follows, Cook attempts the truly Herculean task of dissecting and comparing the key arguments in Nick Davies’s book ‘Flat Earth News’ and our own recently published ‘Newspeak in the 21st Century.’ The results are enthralling but demanding - even hardened media analysts will require a plentiful supply of tea and biscuits throughout.

Please do not underestimate the unique nature of the analysis Cook is offering. While Davies’s book was discussed, reviewed, and applauded, far and wide in both print and broadcast media, our own book (published in September) has so far limped to just two, largely dismissive, reviews in mainstream outlets, in the Guardian and Times Higher Education (THE), totalling exactly 1,000 words. Our previous book, Guardians of Power (2006), has never been mentioned, let alone reviewed, in any mainstream national UK newspaper.

The truth is that dissident media analyses are consistently ignored in this way - it is not just us. And so Cook’s comparison of Davies’s mainstream view of the media with an analysis based on Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky’s “propaganda model of media control” is a vanishingly rare event. As ever, Cook’s experience as a professional journalist adds a fascinating additional dimension to his analysis.

Cook produced this mega-review - nearly 10,000 words of it - completely free of charge. It is an extraordinary act of generosity from a fine and thoughtful journalist. We would like to express our sincere thanks to him. If you would like to thank him or otherwise comment, you can write to him here:

mail@jkcook.net

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Free film: 56a Infoshop, London: Our Daily Bread (Sun 29th)

20-11-2009 11:01 | Globalisation | Workers' Movements | World

FULL UNEMPLOYMENT CINEMA presents (once again)

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29th at 5pm
OUR DAILY BREAD, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, 2005 (92m) + short
at 56a Infoshop, London

Fruit of the Loom Campaign VICTORY! - Honduran Union sign historic agreement

20-11-2009 10:39 | Education | Globalisation | Workers' Movements | World

In the last few days Fruit of the Loom/Russell have agreed to meet People & Planet’s campaign demands to reopen the Honduran factory, re-hire all 1200 workers who have been without jobs for 10 months or more and make historic steps towards respecting union rights in the future. View details of the agreement

National Day of Black Consciousness (by Latuff)

20-11-2009 09:39 | Analysis | Anti-racism | World

The principal symbol of the Afro-Brazilian struggle and resistance in Brazil is Zumbi dos Palmares. Zumbi was born in Alagoas in 1655 and died in 1695 on November 20, a date commemorated throughout Brazil as the National Day of Black Consciousness.
(Source: BRAZZIL - News from Brazil)

In the cartoon, cop says: Zumbi my ass, hands to the wall, nigger!

Originally published in Contraponto, bulletin of Sindicato dos Servidores das Justicas Federais no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, SISEJUFE.

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Gary Sudborough RIP

20-11-2009 09:08 | Globalisation | Health | Social Struggles | World

Gary Sudborough, one of my favorite writers has died suddenly from a heart attack on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009.

In his memory, I’m reposting an article he wrote last year that was published on several Indymedia websites.

10 months inside without trial

19-11-2009 22:31 | Anti-militarism | Palestine | Terror War | World

10 months ago, on 18 January 2009, Elijah Smith A former British Soldier was arrested in Brighton. He had spent the previous night decommissioning the EDO/MBM/ITT factory in Brighton, in an attempt to stop it providing parts for weapons being used by the Israeli army to bomb civilians in Gaza. Nobody was injured or harassed during their action, which was one of property damage. He and his co-defendants did not resist arrest.

N30 Global Day of Climate Action / 10 yrs since Seattle!

N30 - November the 30th, or the Monday after next - is 10 years since a coalition of protest and campaign groups shut down the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Seattle. It was successful coalition building, direct action and brought anti-globalisation into the mainstream. The WTO has struggled to achieve any new bollocks since (though it has managed to use it's existing bollocks to bad effect). Here's a hastily put together flyer/poster re the n30 climate day of action.

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Photographers 6 year legal battle concludes.

19-11-2009 15:33 | Indymedia | Repression | World

Tomorrow (Friday 20th) a court in Lausanne Switzerland will hear an appeal by photographer Guy Smallman who was crippled by a deliberately targeted Police Stun Grenade during the G8 protests in 2003. Mr Smallman previously won his case but the State of Geneva successfully appealed the first ruling. The Swiss Federal Court will hear arguments from both sides tomorrow morning and makes its decision in the same session. If Mr Smallman wins then he will qualify for compensation for his injuries. If he loses then he will owe thousands in legal costs to the State of Geneva.

He has been supported in his fight by both UK Indymedia and the National Union of Journalists over the past six years.

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Corporate Watch: NDET issues bail conditions designed to prevent protest

Following two house raids in Evesham and Gosport in the early hours of Tuesday 10th November, four animal rights activists were arrested, charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and given wide-ranging bail conditions designed specifically to prevent their participation in any facet of animal rights campaigning. The charges are based upon the seizure of a solitary piece of 'evidence' in a raid a year earlier.

The raids commenced at 7am when police wearing balaclavas, including members of the National Domestic Extremism Team (NDET), raided two houses. At one address masked police scaled the walls and broke windows, instead of knocking on the door, to gain entry. At the other, 20-30 police burst in brandishing fire extinguishers. From these two raids four people were arrested and later charged with conspiracy to cause criminal damage. The arresting officer was DC Mace, of the NDET London, and the accusations relate to several minor acts of criminal damage in the south of England, claimed by anonymous animal rights activists.

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take action to save earth centre from council

The council is set to sell the wasted yet wonderful earth centre, this can't happen we can't let them make this mistake, lining their greedy pockets again while destroying another beautiful community resource.

Athens in siege: police Hq attacked, hundreds detained and many wounded

19-11-2009 01:53 | Social Struggles | World

This is a first posting on the developing situation in Athens where the 36th anniversary of the Polytechnic Uprising against the colonels' junta has been marked by long and sustained battles with the police during which hundreds of people have been detained. At the time of writing all central Athens is off bounds.

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Camden Bio Hazard Lab plans will pose threat to Camden Irish community

There are plans to build a deadly pathogen lab in Camden. The lab could be a level 3 facility which means that it could contain anthrax and bird flu. This in turn means that the community could face scrutiny under teoor legislationa nd that the community on the Somers Town estate, many of whom are Irish could face intimidation and surveillance under terror legislation in relation to The Troubles.

Nuclear Waste trains and the Camden Bio Hazard Lab. The ultimate dirty accident.

There are plans to build a high level virus containment facility in Camden. MI5 have voiced fears over safety around the lab [Evening Standard] and scientists from the NIMR have voiced security fears. Residents have also voiced fears as to the proximity of nuclear waste carriage trains which travel from Stratford to Sellafield and vice versa. The nuclear trains sit at Kings Cross. Imagine an explosion...

Direct Action; Italy, Mexico & USA

18-11-2009 21:50 | Animal Liberation | Ecology | Social Struggles | World

13th-18th November

OFFICE OF HUNTING ORGANIZATION VANDALIZED (Italy)
RESEARCH BUILDING GRAFFITIED (Mexico)
HOME MAKEOVER FOR MARAMOTTI FAMILY, OWNERS OF MAX MARA (Italy)
HUNTER'S CARS DAMAGED WITH STONES (Italy)
MOTOR OIL DUMPED AT ENTRANCE TO PET SHOP (Italy)
DOZENS OF MINK FREED (DELAYED REPORT) (USA)

French Workers Union CNT Boycott Israel

18-11-2009 19:22 | Analysis | Palestine | World

The French Workers’ Union CNT Joins BDS Campaign

T

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Two jailed for contempt of court in USA

18-11-2009 15:51 | Animal Liberation | Repression | Social Struggles | World

Originally published by at

http://www.lasthours.org.uk/news/two-jailed-for-contempt-of-court-in-usa/

Two people, Carrie Feldman and Scott DeMuth have been jailed for refusing to testify in front of a grand jury in Iowa, USA. The two were found to be in contempt of court this Tuesday. Both will be held until they agree to testify or for the duration of the grand jury (another 11 months). By law the longest they could be held is 18 months.

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