CounterCurrents: UN Assessment: Global Destruction Of Mother Earth On Fast Track, India Records Highest Temperature Ever As Drought Drives Despair, U.S. NPR & OSCE Smear Campaign: Russia Bombs Syria To Force Refugees Into Europe! , Britain’s Defence Secretary Michael Fallon: Cheerleader For US Aggression, Pushing The World To The Nuclear Brink,

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In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org

India Records Highest Temperature Ever As Drought Drives Despair
By Countercurrents.org

http://www.countercurrents.org/cc210516.htm

India recorded its hottest day since records began on Thursday amid a scorching heatwave. The city of Phalodi in Rajasthan state recorded 51 degrees Celsius (123.8 degrees F) beating the nation's previous record of 50.6 Celsius set in 1956


UN Assessment: Global Destruction Of Mother Earth On Fast Track 
By Andrea Germanos

http://www.countercurrents.org/germanos210516.htm

Published Thursday, Global Environmental Outlook from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) involved the expertise of more than 1,200 scientists and over 160 governments, and exposes through reports on each of the world's six regions that the rate of environmental deterioration is occurring faster than previously thought—and can only be halted with swift action


Outgoing Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon Says Extremists Have Taken Over Israel 
By Dr. Ludwig Watzal

http://www.countercurrents.org/watzal210516.htm

Israel's defense minister Moshe Ya'alon was replaced by one of the most extreme politicians in Israel: Avigdor Liberman. The rift between Ya'alon and Netanyahu seems irreconcilable. Right from the start, Ya'alon supported the IDF prosecutors who charged Elor Azaray with the murder that caused an outcry in Israel. A right-wing crowd proclaimed Azaray "King of Israel". Netanyahu distanced himself from Ya'alon. Azaray executed a helpless heavily wounded Palestinian in cold blood at point-blank range. The other incident that made Netanyahu furious was Ya'alon's defense of deputy of the chief of general staff Yair Golan for his courageous speech in which he mentioned similarities between the rise of fascism in the 1930s in Germany and Israel. Ya'alon encouraged his generals to speak out on moral issues


Brahmins Attack Kancha Ilaiah , A Dalit Writer, Activist And Philosopher 
By P Victor Vijay Kumar

http://www.countercurrents.org/kumar210516.htm

The entire intellectual and progressive sections of India are taken aback when he was fiercely came under attack by Brahmin organistions for his remarks on Brahminism and Hindutva. He has been voicing several high level concerns which are controversial statements for main stream media. There has been a threatening climate surrounding him. Brahmins and their lobby are resorting to all possible vulgar steps to cut down his voice in all undemocratic ways possible. He holds a clear high level over view of casteism in India and the roots of Brahmincal conscience prevailing here. Through Countercurrents, the writer of this article urges every democrat to stand by Ilaiah and ensure there wont be any continuing incidents of Kalburgi, Dhabolkar , Pansare etc.


Education: Strangely Like Gulag 
By Suprabha Seshan

http://www.countercurrents.org/seshan210516.htm

The subsidiary thesis of this essay is that modern education serves a version of Gulag, by forcing our young to suffer unspeakable conditions at an early age, by compelling them to do school work and home work for a greater part of their day. By sustaining this over long periods, at the most crucial time in their vulnerable years, it breaks them, to refashion them into a pliable workforce. By the end of schooling, the young are yoked, through fear and the promise of salvation if they succeed. If they fail, as indeed most do, they are consigned to lesser destinies. This arduous entrainment, under enforced routine and vigilance, is essential for the great global workplace, and can only happen with various forms of rewards, promises, threats, violence and incarceration


U.S. NPR & OSCE Smear Campaign: Russia Bombs Syria To Force Refugees Into Europe! 
By Eric Zuesse

http://www.countercurrents.org/zuesse210516.htm

NATO is coming out more and more explicitly in favor of war against Russia. Lots of propaganda will need to be part of the buildup toward that. These people (Renee Montagne and Lamberto Zannier) are doing what they are paid to do


Russia Proposes Joint Strikes In Syria, Will US Listen? 
By Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava

http://www.countercurrents.org/srivastava210516.htm

Russia has proposed to USA that it should come together with it for joint strikes in Syria to attack the rebels but the idea does not seem to be of much liking to the USA. USA on the other hand believes that this is proposed by Russia to elevate its standing in the global politics and this may harm the US interests


Britain’s Defence Secretary Michael Fallon: Cheerleader For US Aggression,
Pushing The World To The Nuclear Brink
By Colin Todhunter

http://www.countercurrents.org/todhunter210516.htm

With a £12 billion saving on cuts to the welfare budget, this statement by Fallon was attempting to justify a £12 billion increase to the military budget to help pay for eight BAE warships, nine Boeing maritime patrol crafts, surveillance drones and Lockheed Martin jets. That’s £12 billion of taxpayer money diverted from helping fellow Brits most in need into the pockets of rich armaments manufacturers. Fear mongering and swindling are convenient bedfellows in the neoliberal dystopia. Keeping “our country safe” is part of Fallon’s wider rhetoric about containing ‘Russian aggression’


Obscured American: Michael The Philly Jesus 
By Linh Dinh

http://www.countercurrents.org/dinh210516.htm

Today, the Black Israelites had an unwelcome guest, and that’s Michael Grant, better known as Philly Jesus. Twenty-nine-years-old, Michael has become a fixture around this area. As he pranced and smiled in front the Black Israelites, a old black woman screamed, “Cut that shit out! You ain’t Jesus! Hey people, he got arrested last week! Jesus doesn’t get arrested!” The old woman forgot that Jesus was arrested. I mean, that was the denouement of his earthly visit


Tales From Secular India: Unity In Diversity Remains Impregnable Fort 
By Syed Ali Mujtaba

http://www.countercurrents.org/mujtaba210516.htm

A true story of bonding of India beyond caste and religion


Handwara Killings: Regrettable, General Hooda? 
By Seema Kazi

http://www.countercurrents.org/kazi210516.htm

Dear General Hooda, Now that the truth of abuse by soldiers under your command in Handwara has been publicly affirmed by the victim herself, your moral authority and that of the institution you represent is well and truly in shreds. Your institution’s attempt to employ the police as handmaiden-in-crime in order to redeem the Army’s deeply tainted and sullied-with-blood reputation in Kashmir is as condemnable as it is disgraceful. Deceit, duplicity and forced detention were the weapons your institution chose to employ to mask and bury the truth in Handwara


Make The Senate Report On CIA Torture Public To Avoid
“Mistaken” Destruction: The Special Rapporteur On Torture
By Nilantha Ilangamuwa

http://www.countercurrents.org/ilangamuwa210516.htm

It is time to make the Senate report on the CIA torture public so no one has to worry about mistakes, in an exclusive interview with the Just Asia (premier weekly video news bulletin on the human rights situation) the Special Rapporteur on Torture, Professor Juan E. Méndez said while responding to the most recent news about the only copy which obtained by the CIA office “has” mistakenly” been destroyed


Florence Foster Jenkins: The Appeal Of The Bad 
By Dr. Binoy Kampmark

http://www.countercurrents.org/kampmark210516.htm

She was a self-deluding Kardashian before her time: frenetically busy socialite, promoter of self and causes, and then, when it came down to it, a celebrity for celebrity’s sake. It could not be any other way. Florence Foster Jenkins may be one of history’s worse singers, but such an assessment is only useful as a comparative point, the critic’s barb on the level of music. To understand her as a phenomenon would be a quite different matter. With that comes humanity

Six Pygmy Hogs Released In Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary Of Udalguri 
By Shajid Khan

http://www.countercurrents.org/khan210516.htm

In an effort for conservation of Pygmy Hog in its natural habitat six babyPygmy Hogs(2-3 years old) that include 3 male and 3 female were released inBornadi Wildlife sanctuary of Udalguri district of Assam on Saturday. The Pygmy Hogs were captive breeded in state capital Guwahati