International

Nigeria: Buhari Trumps Jonathan

AN electoral upset was always on the cards given the ham handed way President Goodluck Jonathan was dealing with the key issues of corruption and terrorism. But previous elections were marked by widespread electoral fraud and vote buying. Besides, in the checkered history of Nigerian politics, no ruling party was ever defeated since the country gained independence in 1960. Regime change was always effected through the barrel of the gun not through the ballot box.

Yemen under Attack: Civilians Pay the Price

YEMEN has been experiencing political turmoil for many years now. The problems in the country have been exacerbated after the ouster of the long ruling president, Ali Abdullah Saleh from power in 2012. An interim government was formed under the leadership of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi following Saleh's departure. Hadi was Saleh's deputy but he did not have the kind of support his predecessor had. Under his watch, the country had to function without a representative government.

Summit of the Americas: US Recognises New Realities

THE Summit of the Americas held in the second week of April in Panama City has been an eventful one. Besides the handshake and meeting between the American and Cuban presidents, what was on show was the unity shown by the Caribbean and Latin American countries on key issues. The trend has been continued form the last Summit held in 2012 in the Colombian port city of Cartagena. That summit was notable for the solidarity extended to Cuba. Barring the United States, all the other countries in the continent were united in their opposition to the American economic blockade on Cuba.

40th Anniversary of the Reunification of Vietnam

SURELY it was giving me the goose bumps. I was simply overwhelmed by the enormity of the occasion and the circumstances.  We were right there; meeting hall of the Thong-Nhat Palace (which in Vietnamese would read) -the reunification palace.  It was here that at 11.30 am on April 30, 1975, the Liberation Army of Vietnam commandeered by Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap entered the main gates of this building then known as the Independence Palace.

70th Anniversary: Victory over Fascism: An Epochal Event

THE Second World War, or, the war against fascism, was one of the truly epochal events of the 20th century. The war was like no other in history because of its global scale and the immense destruction of human lives and productive capacities. It also exemplified the collision of various historical forces set in the background of the worst crisis faced by capitalism and imperialism. The barbarous force which emerged in the inter-war period, between the First and the Second World Wars, was the phenomenon of fascism and its German variant Nazism.

Libya Unraveling

WITH the country spiraling into violent disintegration, Libyans obviously did not have anything much to cheer about or celebrate on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of their country's so called “liberation”. In fact many Libyans have now become openly nostalgic about the Gaddafi years, when peace and tranquility prevailed and their country enjoyed the highest standards of living on the African continent. Libya had the highest GDP per capita and life expectancy in the continent. Netherlands had more people living below the poverty line than Libya four years ago.

An Open Letter to the People of the United States: Venezuela is Not a Threat

The following is the text of the open letter to the People of the United States written by Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela.

WE are the people of Simon Bolívar, our people believe in peace and respect for all nations.

Freedom and Independence

More than two centuries ago, our fathers founded a Republic on the basis that all persons are free and equal under the law.

Syrian Communist Party Leader Shot Dead

A CENTRAL secretariat member of the Syrian Communist Party, Muhann (Hani) Jebara, was shot dead by an armed criminal gang near his home in "Tejara zone" of capital Damascus in the morning of March 12. Comrade Muhann was a real symbol of hardworking and dedicated Communist who fought for the interests of the masses, which was clear from his brave activities in the Damascus Governorate Council for many years.

IS on a Killing Spree

THE brutal beheadings of two Japanese citizens and the torching of the Jordanian pilot who were in the captivity of the Islamic State (IS) were the latest instances of the group’s total disregard for basic humanitarian norms. The IS propagandists claim that they are only replicating on a smaller scale what the US and its allies did on a bigger scale with their bombings on civilian areas in Iraq and the torture that was practiced in Abu Ghraib and other CIA run centers.

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