Have you wondered why politicians aren't what they used to be, why governments seem unable to solve real problems? Economist Yanis Varoufakis, the former Minister of Finance for Greece, says that it's because you can be in politics today but not be in power — because real power now belongs to those who control the economy. He believes that the mega-rich and corporations are cannibalizing the political sphere, causing financial crisis. In this talk, hear his dream for a world in which capital and labor no longer struggle against each other, "one that is simultaneously libertarian, Marxist and Keynesian.
Shaker Aamer was the last British resident of Guantánamo Bay. Speaking to the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, he describes what it was like to be held without trial for nearly 14 years. Aamer was held over extremely serious claims - that he had led a Taliban unit and met Osama Bin Laden. The US military classified him as a threat, but he was never charged. His lawyers say the case against him came from unreliable allegations extracted during torture, and that his treatment at the US military base in Cuba raises serious questions about the legality and morality of the so-called war on terror. A spokesperson said the UK government "stands firmly against torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment" The US Department of Defense said in a statement it "does not tolerate the abuse of detainees. All credible allegations of abuse are thoroughly investigated, and appropriate disciplinary action is taken when those allegations are substantiated."
Two British lawyers are calling for Saudi Arabia to be suspended from the UN's Human Rights Council after investigating the arbitrary detention of activists in the Gulf Arab kingdom. The will submit their report to the Council in Geneva, which accuses the Saudi government of targeting human rights activists and political dissidents trying exercise their right to free speech.
Ahmed Benchemsi, a Communications and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, talks to Al Jazeera about why HRW called for Saudi Arabia's suspensioN from the UNHRC.
