Algeria’s bitter struggle for freedom
![Algeria’s bitter struggle for freedom Algeria’s bitter struggle for freedom](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120708/uploads/280_181_The-Battle-of-Algiers.jpg)
In July 1962 Algeria achieved independence after a bitter war lasting over seven years. Some 300,000 Algerians died to win their nation’s freedom. The war was fought brutally on both sides, but the need for a violent independence struggle was deeply rooted in the violence French imperialism had imposed on Algeria for over a century. [...]
Former teen prostitute shows lingerie collection at Paris couture week
Just two years ago Zahia Dehar was a teenage prostitute embroiled in a scandal involving three French footballers who were alleged to have illegally paid the underage girl for sex. Fast forward to 2012, and Zahia has entirely transformed her fortunes. Trading on her notoriety as a sex symbol, Zahia Dehar reinvented herself as a [...]
US gives Afghanistan special status
KABUL, July 7 (Reuters) Washington declared Afghanistan a major non-NATO ally on Saturday, a largely symbolic status reinforcing its message to Afghans that they will not be abandoned as the war winds down. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the decision, made by President Barack Obama, during her unannounced visit to Kabul where she met President [...]
Libya polls open for post-Gaddafi vote
TRIPOLI, July 7 (AFP) Eager voters cast ballots on Saturday in Libya’s first free national elections for decades after the ouster of dictator Moamer Kadhafi, but protesters disrupted some polling in the troubled east. In Tripoli, voting got underway with queues of people keen to elect the General National Congress, which will be at the [...]
‘We took their fingernails out with pliers and we made them eat them’
Syrian intelligence agencies are running torture centres across the country where detainees are beaten with batons and cables, burned with acid, sexually assaulted, and their fingernails torn out, a report released today has said.Human Rights Watch identified 27 detention centres that it says intelligence agencies have been using since President Bashar al-Assad’s government began a [...]
Present wealth of India’s uber rich stands at $1.2 trillion
Prosperous India is growing by leaps and bounds despite the worldwide economic slowdown. The uber rich are getting richer at the top of the pyramid, many are clones of Richie Rich and the slowdown has not altered their lifestyle or spending patterns and habits one bit. The net worth of ultra rich households in the [...]
The revolution’s heroine: A child bomber with ‘no regrets’
In July 1962, Algeria won its independence from France after eight years of violent struggle. Fifty years on, one revolutionary re-tells her story and says that, despite an explosion in which she lost both legs, she has never regretted a single moment.Yasmine Belkacem was just 14 years old when she joined the independence movement. The [...]
Contain-China policy and Sri Lanka
The Australian, a national new paper in Australia reported recently information relating to secret war plans of Australia and her allies to contain China. The report was based on leaked US cables published in WikiLeaks website. The Australian Foreign Minister in one if his interviews denied the existence of such a white paper. According to [...]
Libya’s unwilling revolutionaries
![Libya’s unwilling revolutionaries Libya’s unwilling revolutionaries](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120708/uploads/280_181_libiya-front.jpg)
TRIPOLI – Egypt is not the only place where the bright hopes of the Arab Spring are fading. From attacks against Western governments to ethnic clashes in remote desert oases, Libya’s revolution is faltering.The blame for Libya’s current travails rests largely with the interim government that led the uprising. The National Transitional Council refuses to [...]