Politics

Once again states parties, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations are meeting in Vienna to start another review cycle of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Unlike in 2007, however, we are returning to this first preparatory committee with a final document and an action plan adopted by consensus from the last Review Conference.

Tens of thousands of people across all Spain protested in the streets against the new education and health care spending cuts proposed by the government, as the country faces its second recession in three years.
Mariano Rajoy, announced recently a new proposal of tax hikes to come into effect during next year saying that “Spain needs deep structural change, not makeup.”

By Christoph Dreier, (WSWS*)

The Greek elections on 6 May will be contested by the greatest number of parties in any vote since the end of the military dictatorship in 1974. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that 32 of 36 registered organizations are permitted to participate. But despite the many parties on the ballot, workers have no voice in this election.

By Neena Bhandari

With India and Pakistan testing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles this April, close on the heels of North Korea’s unsuccessful test launch of a long-range rocket, a new report by the Sydney-based Lowy Institute for International Policy says it is Asian strategic mistrust that is holding back nuclear disarmament.

The United Nations (UN) urged the eight countries that remain outside the Chemical Weapons Convention to adhere to this instrument and advance in the destruction of such artefacts.
The call was made by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon in a message marking the Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Weapons, which anniversary is next Sunday.

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.