Asia

The Brazilian President, in an official visit yesterday to Kazakhstan, advocated for international disarmament initiatives, including nuclear weapons.

Global Peace Index gives top ranking to New Zealand, the launching site of the 95-nation peace march.

North Korea has staged a “successful” underground nuclear test, the
state-run KCNA agency reports.

The international community has expressed indignation and concern over North Korea’s latest nuclear test. Even its traditional allies China and Russia condemned Monday’s test in unusually strong terms.

With the death of Tamil Tiger leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran (54) and the military defeat of the LTTE, a bitter end of a violent path has come to the nearly 3 million Sri Lanka´s tamils.

In the midst of a heavy offensive from the army against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), hundreds of civilians die in the last days and many thousands are still trapped.

The United Nations is estimating at least 360,000 people have fled heavy fighting in northwest Pakistan, causing the largest displacement crisis in Pakistan’s history.

In Sri Lanka, at least 430 civilians, including 100 children, have died after the Sri Lanka military shelled a civilian area under the control of the Tamil Tigers. But the actual death toll may be far higher.

The healing of the nation stands as a priority and this means integrating the Maoist Army with the National Army.

Democracy Now! – The New York Times reports senior US officials are increasingly concerned about new vulnerabilities for Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, including the potential for militants to snatch a weapon in transport.