There is an eerie sense of deja vu as the rhetoric used by the Imperialist leaders echoes that used in 2003 prior to the invasion of Iraq. Ben Lewis reports on debates in Westminster , international developments and the ever present danger of an Israeli attack on Iran. Full text at link.

The debate was initiated by Conservative MP John Baron, perhaps the only Tory MP who opposes an attack on Iran. His motion was simple and straightforward: “This house believes that the use of force against Iran would be wholly counterproductive and would serve only to encourage any development of nuclear weapons; and calls upon the government to rule out the use of force against Iran and reduce tensions by redoubling diplomatic efforts.” Malcolm Rifkind, Tory chairman of the intelligence and security committee, moved an amendment that completely changed its content. The amendment deleted everything except “This house” and replaced the rest of Baron’s motion with: “… supports the government’s efforts to reach a peaceful, negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through a combination of pressure in the form of robust sanctions, and engagement led by the E3+3 comprising the UK, US, France, Germany, China and Russia; and recognises the value of making clear to Iran that all options for addressing the issue remain on the table”.

The Rifkind amendment, which was passed by an overwhelming majority of 285 to 6. Those who voted against the amendment were Labour MPs John McDonnell, Paul Flynn and Dennis Skinner; Jonathan Edwards of Plaid Cymru; Mark Durkan of the Social Democratic and Labour Party; and Baron himself. read full story / add a comment

Today (4/3/12) the CDC in cooperation with residents in Charlemont Street continued to work on a communal garden for the area.

Spokesperson for the CDC and Charlemont Street resident Tony N commented: read full story / add a comment

YOU ARE INVITED to The Galway Launch of 'Mentioning the War - essays and reviews (1999 -2011)' by Kevin Higgins published by Salmon Publishing
http://www.salmonpoetry.com

The book be launched by Darrell Kavanagh @ Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, Galway on Saturday, April 7th
LAUNCH STARTS: 3pm ALL WELCOME read full story / add a comment

The rate of Unemployment is 23.3% in Spain, almost 21% in Greece, 15% in Portugal, also 15% in Ireland and almost 7.5% in Germany. It means close to 17 million people were out of work in the first month of 2012, and that's on paper. read full story / add a comment

Fine Gael Junior Minister Shane McEntee has claimed repeatedly that "the hare is in no danger" in coursing, an activity that he and other government figures like Environment Minister Phil Hogan and Paudie Coffey continue to laud as a fine healthy sport for all the family etc read full story / add a comment

Two anti hunt campaigners who attempted to film a hunt on the Hill of Tara last Tuesday were set upon and viciously assaulted by staghunters. read full story / add a comment

"Ethel McDonald: An Anarchist's Story (2006)" Produced and Directed by Mark Littlewood "This drama-documentary tells the story of Ethel MacDonald. A forgotten legend, her story ranks alongside the courage of 'La Pasionaria' and the legendary 'Odette'. Whilst both these women sustained world-wide recognition, our Scots heroine dwindled into obscurity and remains forgotten to this day. Ethel MacDonald's own intimate recollections are presented through a definitive mix of documentary and drama, re-visiting the Killing Fields that were the Spanish Civil War.

Supporting commentary spoken by David Hayman paired with expert interviews, including Noam Chomsky, provides background knowledge of 1930's European Politics and a further insight into the young Scot's motives, actions and social situation. The film links her own personal drama to specific archive footage of Barcelona in disarray - an image Ethel MacDonald came to know so well. " read full story / add a comment

'Rebels Against the Pipeline'
The Pavilion, Cork
Thurs 29th March

Hope Is Noise
Trumpets of Jericho
LAMP
Halfman Part Bicycle
Compere - Wasps V's Humans
Plus Guest Dj's

Some of Corks finest bands come together to support the people of
Rossport in their struggle against the controversial Shell pipeline.
Line-up includes Hope is Noise, Lamp, Trumpets of Jericho, Halfman Part Bicycle
Wasp V's Humans with more to be announced.
Admission €7 for the waged and €5 for the unwaged.

read full story / add a comment

A fundraiser for Dublin's Autonomous Social Centre read full story / add a comment

A new study led by the Georgia Institute of Technology provides further evidence of a relationship between melting ice in the Arctic regions and widespread cold outbreaks in the Northern Hemisphere. The study's findings could be used to improve seasonal forecasting of snow and temperature anomalies across northern continents.

Since the level of Arctic sea ice set a new record low in 2007, significantly above-normal winter snow cover has been seen in large parts of the northern United States, northwestern and central Europe, and northern and central China. During the winters of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, the Northern Hemisphere measured its second and third largest snow cover levels on record.

"Our study demonstrates that the decrease in Arctic sea ice area is linked to changes in the winter Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation," said Judith Curry, chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. "The circulation changes result in more frequent episodes of atmospheric blocking patterns, which lead to increased cold surges and snow over large parts of the northern continents." read full story / add a comment

A protest march will be held in Dublin on Wednesday February 29 against the Septic Tank charge. It will assemble at the Spire on O'Connell Street at 12.pm and from there march to Leinster House. read full story / add a comment

YOUTUBE -"Giuseppe Conlon" performed by Joe Black at Giuseppe Conlon House, London

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQsUcLAx03U&list=UUn6VMo...=plcp

read full story / add a comment

(original article is in Scientific American, re-published here in the public interest)

By Julian Dibbell

• The Internet was designed to be a decentralized system: every node should connect to many others. This design helped to make the system resistant to censorship or outside attack.
• Yet in practice, most individual users exist at the edges of the network, connected to others only through their Internet service provider (ISP). Block this link, and Internet access disappears.
• An alternative option is beginning to emerge in the form of wireless mesh networks, simple systems that connect end users to one another and automatically route around blocks and censors.
• Yet any mesh network needs to hit a critical mass of users before it functions well; developers must convince potential users to trade off ease of use for added freedom and privacy.
read full story / add a comment

Start time is 8pm.

All welcome, donations appreciated.

"
This drama-documentary tells the story of Ethel MacDonald. A forgotten legend, her story ranks alongside the courage of 'La Pasionaria' and the legendary 'Odette'. Whilst both these women sustained world-wide recognition, our Scots heroine dwindled into obscurity and remains forgotten to this day. Ethel MacDonald's own intimate recollections are presented through a definitive mix of documentary and drama, re-visiting the Killing Fields that were the Spanish Civil War. Supporting commentary spoken by David Hayman paired with expert interviews, including Noam Chomsky, provides background knowledge of 1930's European Politics and a further insight into the young Scot's motives, actions and social situation. The film links her own personal drama to specific archive footage of Barcelona in disarray - an image Ethel MacDonald came to know so well.
" read full story / add a comment

Republican Sinn Féin holding seminar in the Ireland Institute, Pearse Street, Dublin on April 21, 2012.
Doors open 11.30am, begining 12noon sharp to 5pm read full story / add a comment

Evidence is mounting recent weeks that hare coursing can no longer ward off accusations of deliberate cruelty and ecological vandalism. Opposition to it is increasing, with a former district court judge and the prestigious Irish Wildlife Trust caoming out in favour of its abolition. read full story / add a comment

In the first comprehensive satellite study of its kind, a University of Colorado at Boulder-led team used NASA data to calculate how much Earth's melting land ice is adding to global sea level rise.

Using satellite measurements from the NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), the researchers measured ice loss in all of Earth's land ice between 2003 and 2010, with particular emphasis on glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and Antarctica.

The total global ice mass lost from Greenland, Antarctica and Earth's glaciers and ice caps during the study period was about 4.3 trillion tons (1,000 cubic miles), adding about 0.5 inches (12 millimeters) to global sea level. That's enough ice to cover the United States 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) deep. read full story / add a comment

Seven Catholic Workers, a Quaker, a doctor and a priest were detained and searched following the marking of the M.O.D. Buiding in Whitehall in an anti-nuclear weapons action on Ash Wenesday read full story / add a comment

The constant removal of sand is now threatening the existence of the islanders. When the affected inhabitants of the islands observed the vulnerability and realized that the authorities were doing little to protect their land from the illegal sand-miners, hundreds islanders including women and children came out of their houses on 3 October 2011. They captured one dredger and six perpetrators while the remainder of the dredging workers and perpetrators fled the scene. read full story / add a comment

Israeli Apartheid Week is an annual international series of events held across the globe. The aim is to educate people about the nature of Israeli apartheid against the Palestinian people and to build the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement locally and globally. Last year, IAW took place in over 60 cities across the globe and this year the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (http://www.ipsc.ie) is proud to again host a series of events in Ireland. read full story / add a comment