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An advisor to the Sri Lankan president went to Vavuniya February 25 to talk to the people displaced by ‘the war’ and was interviewed by a BBC correspondent. Informed of the problem he stated that the administration that the British left does not work anywhere and that is the problem! This report based on a Asian Human Rights Commission press release.

A report from the Occupy Wall Street forum on the commons

Both the commons movement and Occupy spring from a shared sense of urgency about need for a different path toward the future.

OTC program director Alexa Bradley was one of the presenters at Occupy Wall Street’s inaugural forum on the commons February 16-19 in Brooklyn.
Here is her report on all that happened.

Opponents to the present Syrian government are discounting the referendum that took place Sunday 26th February 2012 saying it’s a delaying tactic. Whatever, the reality, the poll went ahead and time will tell. Something naggingly insists though that if no one trusts anyone how can a political process move ahead? Why not trust the people of Syria?

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei addressed a meeting with officials of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and nuclear scientists in Tehran on February 22, 2011. He stated Iran’s position on the nuclear issues. That position has not changed. We reproduce here selected paragraphs from his speech.

Neighbour in Hong Kong Vonnie Boston took a walk through India’s Maharashtra state, late December 2011 to early Jan 2012, on an environmental mission. She was also able to help an organization near Delhi. This was the Kabliji Hospital that offers free eye treatment. Vonnie kindly made a donation in my name, as it was my 70th birthday in 1st January. What a thoughtful present.

A photographer for the English-language news site “The
Santiago Times” was detained on Thursday while covering a protest related to the Aysén movement.
Jason Suder, a volunteer photojournalist for the news site and U.S.
citizen, was photographing a confrontation between Chile’s police force
and protesters when an officer detained and
placed him into a police vehicle.

Humanitarian aid agencies must be allowed immediate and unhindered access to Homs and other affected areas, Amnesty International said today.

The Bab ‘Amr district of the city has come under intensive shelling for more than 17 days, during which time Amnesty International has received the names of 465 people reported to have been killed in Homs.

“The president is wrong.” So says one of the newly appointed co-chairs of President Obama’s re-election campaign.
Those 4 words headline the site of the organization Progressives United, founded by former U.S. senator and now Obama campaign adviser Russ Feingold. He is referring to Obama’s recent announcement that he will accept super PAC funds for his re-election campaign.

Tullow Oil plc announced that it has completed the farm-down of two thirds of its Ugandan licences to China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) Limited and French oil major Total for $2.9 billion earlier today. The news that British firm Tullow has finally brought in partners to develop its oil fields in Uganda paves the way for commercial oil production to begin in the country.

“Conflict-related sexual violence is not specific to one country or continent: it is a global risk […] Wars have entered the marketplaces where women trade; they follow children en route to school; and haunt the prison cells where political activists are detained.”