Politics

After the horrors of World War II Japan installed article 9 in its constitution which generally renounces war as a means of conflict resolution and this way forbade the building up of an army. In fact Japan possesses so called…

From friend Grahame Lynch’s Facebook pages (resident in Thailand): Update: Grahame Lynch 25 May at 23:16 · End of day update on the Thai coup: * The National Council for Peace and Order has extended sweeping powers to the military…

By Jim Lobe Pending legislation calling for U.S. President Barack Obama to impose sanctions against key Venezuelan officials is unlikely to defuse the ongoing crisis there and could prove counter-productive, according to both the administration and independent experts here. A…

UNITED NATIONS, May 12 2014 (IPS) – When the Foreign Minister of Marshall Islands Tony de Brum addressed a nuclear review Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meeting at the United Nations last month, he asked whether anyone in the room had witnessed…

Pro-Russian groups have claimed a landslide victory for a hastily organized referendum on self-rule in two parts of eastern Ukraine. The vote was held in the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk less than two months after residents in Crimea voted…

Analysis by Baher Kamal Now that Washington has failed to reach an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in spite of Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent strenuous efforts, a quick look at the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on separatists to delay a referendum on breaking off from Ukraine. Areas in eastern Ukraine occupied by pro-Russian forces are set to vote this Sunday on whether to seek autonomy. Amidst continued violence over…

Tel Aviv, May 7 (Prensa Latina) Israeli President Shimon Peres said in statements published on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prevented the signing of the peace agreements with the Palestinians in 2011. There was a draft agreement negotiated by…

Politicians and government contractors now seem to be able to get away with almost anything. By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 6th May 2014. What do you have to do to fall out of favour with this government? Last…

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says he has asked for international help toward finding the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped last month. The militant Islamist group Boko Haram is suspected of abducting the girls during a night raid on their northeastern hostel. Jonathan…