Politics

The Georgetown protest near the Malaysian island of Penang was a peaceful yet heady affair while the Kuala Lumpur (KL) protests ended with police spraying teargas and chemical-laced watercannon over the protesters. With around 7,000 turnout on the Malaysian west coast the capital KL fermented with at least 100,000 protesters. »

by Ter Garcia The 15M movement in Spain has faced repression from the very beginning: 24 young people were arrested and beaten by police in the demonstrations organized by Democracia Real Ya on May 15 last year, which is a large part of why several dozen people decided to camp that night in Sol square, turning the demonstration into an encampment. »

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a Russia-European resolution that authorizes an initial deployment of up to 300 unarmed military observers to Syria for three months to help bolster a fragile week-old ceasefire. The deployment depends on an assessment about compliance with a six-point peace deal mediated by envoy Kofi Annan. »

Sandbox Item five on UN Envoy Kofi Annan’s 6-point plan for Syria: “Ensure freedom of movement throughout the country for journalists and a non-discriminatory visa policy for them.” At a delicate moment in the hard-fought Syrian conflict that could potentially destabilize the entire ME, the UN believes getting more journalists into Syria is one of the six most urgent actions. »

Media has a role to play in this rise in disproportionately emotional coverage of news and should wake up and cease from inflaming a non-existent fire. In reality, there is no conflict between India and China; no need to point weapons at each other. Arms sales current and potential and other’s outside agencies agendas are fueling negative feelings for their own gain. »

By Megan Martin* Wielding mobile phones and computers, the young activists across the Middle East have altered the way the world approaches popular mobilization, social networks and Internet freedom. The Internet can be a transformational force for societies and individuals, allowing for organization on a mass scale and the free flow of information. »

Even Medusa had another side. The much reviled gorgon was often present on capitals and freezes of ancient Greece temples to protect them from harm. As Syria heats up threatening to be the trigger for an all out conflict in the Middle East the complexity of the forces at play demands a careful analysis, difficult as it may be because of the vociferous propaganda from all sides. »

Dear Friends, I write to let you know that I have decided not to attend the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates on 23rd-25th April, 2012, in Chicago, USA - writes Mairead Maguire of Peace People, Northern Ireland, rejecting the US State Department, NATO and the Chicago Agenda. “I do not agree with many of the policies of the US State Department.” »

Provisional results from 16 April 2012 elections gave former armed forces chief 60 per cent of the ballots counted. Thus, Taur Matan Ruak looks set to replace Jose Ramos-Horta as East Timor's president. Provisional results give runoff election rival Francisco "Lu Olo" Guterres only a slim chance of winning the largely ceremonial post for his Fretilin Party. »

On the anniversary of the nation's founder's birth, Kim Jong-un gave his first public speech since taking office. Thousands of military and civilians attended the ceremony in Pyongyang to mark the country's centenary. This was the North Korean’s new leader first major public speech and he called for a push to "final victory". »