A leaked document shows that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has built a media strategy to garner popular support among Europeans for continuing the war in Afghanistan. The strategy was prescribed to soften public opposition to the war ahead of a projected increase in civilian and NATO casualties in Afghanistan this spring and summer.
The General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers, Mike Jennings, has warned of the negative effects of allowing private interests dictate research produced in Irish universities.
Jennings claimed that budget cuts and an emerging need for universities to attract private capital in order to fund research are a "huge curtailment on the horizons of research" and "a massive intrusion into the whole idea of a university".
Topic: Are we heading into a double dip recession, and could we see a Eurozone state default on sovereign debt?
Leading Israeli, Palestinian and Jewish academics yesterday called for a new approach to solving the decades old Israel-Palestine conflict. The proposed ‘one state’ solution would see Israeli and Palestinian territories organised under a central government, reminiscent of post-apartheid South Africa.
The speakers were attending a talk on the subject organised by the Irish Anti-War Movement in Dublin's Gresham hotel.
Tonight panellists, 17th of Feburary 2010
Topic: Status of Women
Tonight the panel will discuss the departure of George Lee from the Dail and Fine Gael. He claimed that he had no opportunity to influence policy. The issue of how much influence back bench TDs have over policy was covered during last weeks public meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.
Minister for transport Noel Dempsey TD has called for radical reform of the Irish electoral system. Minister Dempsey was speaking after the first public sitting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on The Constitution, held last night in Trinity College Dublin (TCD). The session had been convened to discuss electoral reform in the constitution.
Tonight with Vincent Browne guests: Monday 1st Febuary 2010
Tonight's Panel will be discussing the topic of Mental Health on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of the Government's 'Vision For Change' strategy. Click here to view that strategy document in full.
Community and political groups today criticised the continuing use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to fund the building of civic and residential developments. Speaking at a protest held alongside the opening of the €300m Criminal Courthouse in Dublin’s Parkgate Street, Eddie Conlon of the People Before Profit alliance dismissed the use of PPPs as “part of a neo-liberal agenda”. Conlon contrasted the new courthouse development with conditions in nearby residential areas.
(Picture: protesters outside the new criminal courts in Dublin)