One year after the LuxLeaks scandal, a new report Fifty Shades of Tax Dodging finds that most EU countries continue to uphold secretive tax systems that are riddled with loopholes. The 2015 Stop Tax Dodging report, released in Ireland on 4th November by Debt & Development Coalition Ireland (DDCI) scrutinises the role of the EU in the global tax crisis. The Irish chapter of the report details how Ireland announced a gradual phase-out of rules that allowed the controversial ‘Double Irish’ tax avoidance scheme, but continues to allow corporate structures operate systems for tax rulings, transfer pricing and intellectual property that allow multinational corporations to avoid taxes on an enormous scale. read full story / add a comment

ORGANIZED workers sneered at the so-called labor agenda in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila next month by describing it as deceptive and vague, which merely reaffirms APEC’s ideology based on the primacy of corporate power and profits over labor and trade union rights. read full story / add a comment

In the latest blow to Ireland's cruel hare coursing, an Australian company has pulled an advertisement from the Irish Coursing Club website. The move came after the Irish Council Against Blood Sports highlighted the animal cruelty involved in coursing.

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Herein we will focus on what seems to be a somewhat elaborate, albeit loosely organized, conspiracy (one hesitates to use the word as arguments are quickly dismissed as conspiracy theories) in the making in which a relatively large number of pro-Israeli factions (both students attending American campuses as well as outside organizations as well as outside monies)are attempting to manipulate and intimidate people so Americans relinquish their right to free speech on American campuses—that is the right to say critical things about peoples and organizations including Jews, Zionists and Israelis. read full story / add a comment

In the last two months, the dramatic and sad photographs of 3 year old Aylan Kurdi, and his brother lying dead on the shores on a beach in Turkey have finally opened the curtain very slightly on the horrors and terror of war in Syria. It is hard to conceive the trauma of this family first seeing one of their other brothers beheaded by ISIS jihadists, then to flee and then for this man's wife and two remaining young children to drown in the sea whilst attempting to escape. If you were to listen to politicans from the UK all the way up to the present prime minister, you would think they were doing this so they could scab off the social welfare but as anyone knows, this was the act of a family desperate to flee the terror in their home country and get to safety at all costs. However Aylan Kurdi and his brother and mother aren't the only ones to drown or being killed in war, there are tens of thousands dead. read full story / add a comment

Is it possible that Europe will sleepwalk into another Yugoslavia.
The prognosis for Europe in general is not good at all! read full story / add a comment

Prisoners call on the Department of Justice to make public a recent prison doctors report that highlights the dangers prisoners are exposed too, legionnaire’s disease for example and other serious respiratory health risks due to the extremely poor conditions. read full story / add a comment

Over the years there have been regular movements of US military refuelling planes through Shannon. The government won't tell us why they land there however. Are they refuelling US military planes just outside Irish airspace? Are they collecting cheap fuel? Are they on their way to warzones to re-fuel fighter jets? read full story / add a comment

This weekend's two day live hare coursing event at Edenderry, Co. Offaly was the target of a lively and very loud (though non-violent) protest by campaigners against the cruel so-called "sport".

On October 17th, members and supporters of several animal protection groups gathered outside the hare coursing venue, which is located close to the Tesco and Lidl supermarkets in the town.
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The horrendous double bombing attack that struck a protest rally for peace organized by several trade unions in Ankara, Turkey’s capital city, on Saturday 10 October, led, at the last count, to at least 128 deaths, and hundreds injured. It is the largest terrorist attack in the country’s history. Many victims are still in intensive care units in various hospitals, while a number of bodies, unrecognizable, have not yet been identified. This attack, by its human and political magnitude, has shaken the country to its foundations. read full story / add a comment

This is an unjust barbaric execution read full story / add a comment

Put a stay on an unjust barbaric execution read full story / add a comment

Some reflections on what's happening now -- and what needs to happen instead... read full story / add a comment

As people flee from countries ravaged by war and poverty and European governments shut their doors in their faces, we have responsibilities as human beings to act. We must demand that our governments do everything they can to end the cruel deaths we see happening in the backs of lorries, in the sea, in other parts of the long tortuous journeys that the people of Syria, Eritrea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, South Sudan, Eritrea and elsewhere undertake in order to stay alive.

People like 3 year old Aylan Kurdi and his 5 year old brother Galib should not have to die while European leaders argue over the number of refugees to allow into their country. If the European Union has any meaning or relevance it must be to protect the basic human rights of people who desperately need protection, who have reached a point where they are prepared to risk everything, even their lives, to survive. And while it is good to see a widespread public reaction internationally to the death of Aylan Kurdi, the tragedy is that thousands of other children have died by drowning or from thirst and starvation as they crossed deserts. Countless others have been trafficked for exploitation, and their suffering has been largely ignored. read full story / add a comment

Akbayan took exception to Senator Bongbong Marcos’s statement that there was no downside to being a Marcos should he decide to run for higher office in 2016.

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The vintage Hawker Hunter fighter plane that crashed on to a busy roadway during an air show in Shoreham, Sussex on 22 August also performed at recent air shows in Ireland at Shannon, Bray and Foynes. Between them these were attended by up to 150,000 people. read full story / add a comment

Recent reports have suggested that Ireland is set to become the most obese country in Europe. read full story / add a comment

On 5th of August 2015 the Irish Navy ship LÉ Niamh was sent to help an overcrowded vessel about 25 miles off the Libyan coast. As two rigid inflatable boats (Ribs) from the LÉ Niamh approached they signaled to the people to stay where they were so that life jackets could be given out.

However, according to Capt Dave Barry: “Whatever happened, a number rushed to one side, and it capsized and sank in a couple of minutes”.

A total of 367 survivors and 25 bodies were taken to the Sicilian port of Palermo.

Up to 700 people were believed to have been on board. read full story / add a comment

Recently, due to a joint cooperation of the Tel Aviv and Paris municipal government, a section of river bank in Paris was
turned into “Tel Aviv sur Seine” , complete with falafel stands
and “Israeli nightlife. Of course in order to promote Israel. No promotion of a 48 years occupation power with as ´´falafel´´
the Gaza Blockade and as ´´nightlife´´bombings of Gaza and shooting of Palestinian children. On the Gaza beach. read full story / add a comment

State repression of IndyMedia by the Government of Cyprus read full story / add a comment