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Is civility breaking out in Israeli politics? : The tone of Israel's last elections, at least as much as the actual results, provided some much needed encouragement for those of us deeply committed to the idea of shaping a more "civil" society in Israel . While the term "civil society" more commonly ... Haaretz

India announces rise in spending to help spur growth : India's finance minister has announced an unexpected rise in public spending for the next financial year in an attempt to revive its sluggish economy. However, he vowed to cut the country's deficit as he unveiled new taxes on the super rich as well as ... BBC News

A corrupt middleman is not the only problem : Given that India is not capable of indigenously meeting its huge defence needs, the country is a huge and lucrative market for arms manufacturers who compete with each other to secure Indian contracts. This, then, leads to underhand dealings, bribes, ... Australia-Malaysia | 中国 | 日本 | 한국 | ราชอาณาจักรไทย | Tiếng Việt | Stigmabase | eGAYlity

Ethiopian women in Israel 'given contraceptive without consent' : Israel 's health ministry is investigating claims that Ethiopian women are being injected with a controversial contraceptive without their knowledge or consent. Thousands of Ethiopian women are said to be receiving shots of Depo-Provera every three ... The Guardian

Gay French Jews come out for Purim : ... survival of the Jewish people. Salvation came only after Queen Esther revealed that she was Jewish, a revelation that some gay Jews liken to their own experience of coming out. Her courage helped save the Jews in ancient Persia from near extermination.

Lawmakers push measure on Israel's self-defense : Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez and Republican Lindsey Graham are chief sponsors of the measure, which specifies the U.S. would provide military, diplomatic and economic support to Israel . They said Thursday that the ...

New Moscow post office opens nearly a year after tornado But in a town like Moscow , with fewer than 200 residents, a post office is more than just a place to send and receive mail. It's where people gather, briefly, and say hello. It's where they learn about new neighbors and hear that somebody's mother is ...

Moscow is billionaires' capital of the world : Moscow's reputation as a fountain of new wealth since the fall of the Soviet Union was enhanced once more as it was ranked billionaire capital of the world. Steel magnate and Arsenal Football Club shareholder Alisher Usmanov is the richest Russian on ... Telegraph.co.uk

Syria protests Israel's approval for oil drilling DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria is protesting a recent decision by Israel to go ahead with a gas exploration project in the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau it captured from Syria in the 1967 war. In letters sent to the U.N. Security Council and the U.N ...

A steadily rising Muslim population continues to fall behind IT TELLS you something hopeful perhaps that, for all the horror unleashed when two bombs laid by presumed militant Islamists ripped through a crowd in Hyderabad on February 21st, India's public response has been muted. The blasts killed 16 and injured ...

Azerbaijanis injured in French parliament building fight with Armenia supporters : PARIS – A violent outburst by Armenia supporters in the French parliament building has left two Azerbaijanis injured and drawn condemnation by French authorities. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been in conflict since 1988 over the disputed Caucasus ...

Labour MP John McDonnell urges India to end the death penalty He said that last year when the "first inkling" was received that India was considering ending its eight year moratorium on implementing the death penalty, members of the Punjabi community in the UK, especially the Punjabi Sikhs came together and ...

Teen pleads not guilty to India gang rape, murder : The woman died of internal injuries two weeks later in Singapore in a case that sparked violent protests and turned a global spotlight on the treatment of women in India . The 17-year-old defendant has been charged with the same 13 offences as his ... Australia-Malaysia | 中国 | 日本 | 한국 | ราชอาณาจักรไทย | Tiếng Việt | Stigmabase | eGAYlity

India Increases Defense Budget to $37.7 Billion : NEW DELHI-- India has increased its defense budget for the fiscal year which starts April 1 as the country continues to spend on modernizing its Soviet-vintage equipment. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, in his general budget speech Thursday, said that ... Wall Street Journal (India)

Now, buy books from Google : NEW DELHI: Google on Thursday started selling books through its Android Play store in India . Google's decision to start selling content in India through the Play store comes nearly three months after Apple, which competes with Google in the smartphone ...

Eye on election, India surprises with spending surge : NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India unveiled a surge in government spending on Thursday, despite expectations of an austerity budget to shore up its finances, imposing new taxes on the rich and large companies to fund a dash for growth ahead of an election due ... Australia-Malaysia | 中国 | 日本 | 한국 | ราชอาณาจักรไทย | Tiếng Việt | Stigmabase | eGAYlity

Does India need a bank for women? : India's government thinks so. Plans for such a bank - the first state-run one of its kind in India - were announced in the annual budget. Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the bank was likely to be launched in October, with initial capital of $184m ... BBC News

Adrian Sutil gets second chance with Force India : Adrian Sutil sealed his Formula One comeback on Thursday with Force India announcing they had given the 30-year-old German racer a second chance as team mate to Britain's Paul Di Resta this season. The Silverstone-based team said in a long-awaited ... Globe and Mail

Israel gets first Ethiopian-born beauty queen : "It's important that a member of the Ethiopian community wins the competition for the first time," she was quoted by Israeli media as telling the judges in response to a question. "There are many different communities of many different colors in Israel ...

Pakistan textbooks raise debate about 'curriculum of hate' Government-sanctioned textbooks across Pakistan contain numerous examples of anti-minority and anti-Western language, prompting activists to encourage teachers to stop using them. 

EU to resume Pakistan fish imports after six years : The government's fisheries department has approved two companies to resume exports to the European Union, Pakistan's leading trading partner, the bloc said in a statement Wednesday. “This is a real breakthrough that should also inspire other industries ... DAWN.com

Pakistan can surprise South Africa in T20 skirmish : With the return of some old heads and some new faces, the Pakistani team has a good balance of youth and experience. Right-arm fast bowler Asad Ali and left-arm orthodox Zulfiqar Babar have been on the fringes of their debut while Umar Amin has been ... DAWN.com (blog)

The Truthers of Pakistan : LONDON — As the security situation in Pakistan continues to deteriorate, trading conspiracy theories has become the new national pastime. Nothing is more popular on the airwaves, at dinner parties or around tea stalls than to speculate, especially ...

APC calls for immediate peace talks with Pakistani Taliban : ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's government should take immediate steps to initiate peace talks with Taliban militants, says a declaration by the All Parties Conference (APC) called to discuss ways to restore peace in the country's militancy-hit tribal areas. The ... DAWN.com

Container shipping rates changed between Armenia and Georgia : For reducing cost pressures on shippers and consignees South Caucasus Railway curbed freight rate rise on the territory of Armenia in February at its own expense. However, guided by the Agreement on international rail container transport and as per the ...