Asia

Liquid War: Postcard from Pipelineistan

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:25:51 -0400

by Pepe Escobar

What happens on the immense battlefield for the control of Eurasia will provide the ultimate plot line in the tumultuous rush towards a new, polycentric world order, also known as the New Great Game.

Asia: The Coming Fury

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:14:40 -0500

by Walden Bello

As goods pile up in wharves from Bangkok to Shanghai, and workers are laid off in record numbers, people in East Asia are beginning to realize they aren't only experiencing an economic downturn but living through the end of an era.

Nowhere Safe To Play for Children in Cluster-Bombed Laos

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:20:26 -0500

XIENG KHOUANG, Laos - Laotian children chase each other through their school playing field, unaware of the 248 unexploded bombs buried a few steps away -- the lethal legacy of a war that ended three decades ago.

Remnants of the Vietnam War which ended in 1975 litter this tiny Southeast Asian nation, which became the most bombed country in the world after US forces dropped planeloads of ordnance to cut off Northern Vietnamese supply routes.

Burmese Activists Jailed for 65 Years Over Protests

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:44:51 -0500

by Ian MacKinnon

A closed military court in Burma sentenced 14 pro-democracy activists to 65 years each in prison yesterday for their part in last year's anti-government uprising.

The leaders of the 88 Generation students group had staged small-scale protests against the sudden fuel price rises which fomented unrest that led to demonstrations led by monks. At least 31 people were killed in a subsequent army crackdown in Rangoon.

Global Crises Compound Refugees' Woes: UN

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:15:07 -0400

by Ida Wahlstrom

WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (OneWorld) - The global financial, food, and fuel crises and the negative impacts of climate change pose a severe threat to the world's 37 million uprooted people, and will likely increase their numbers, warned the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Monday.

Electronics Dumping Ground

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:25:09 -0400

by Derrick Z. Jackson

It is easy to dump on China's tainted milk, toxic toys, and poison pet food, ignoring how the United States makes China its personal PC dump.

Ukraine Government Collapses Over Georgia War

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:15:32 -0400

by Tony Halpin

Ukraine plunged into fresh political turmoil today when its pro-Western government collapsed amid recriminations over Russia's war with Georgia.

The Speaker of Parliament formally dissolved the coalition between the party of Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko and that of her former Orange revolution ally, President Viktor Yushchenko. The announcement ended hopes that the two sides could patch up their differences after Mr Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party withdrew from the coalition 10 days ago.

Nepal: End Cycle of Impunity and Deliver Justice to Victims

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:07:00 -0400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2008

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

The new Maoist-led government of Nepal should investigate and prosecute those responsible for thousands of extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances during the country's decade-long armed conflict, Human Rights Watch and Advocacy Forum said in a joint report released today.

Russia Threatens To Target US Missile Shield Sites: Reports

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:11:30 -0400

MOSCOW - Russia could point missiles at strategic US targets in central Europe, including planned American missile shield sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, a senior Russian general said Wednesday.

"I can't exclude that if such decisions are taken by our military-political leadership, the missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic and other such objects could be chosen as designated targets for some of our inter-continental ballistic missiles," General Nikolai Solovtsov said, quoted by Interfax.

Ukraine Leader Claims 'Coup' Ahead of Cheney Visit

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:39:54 -0400

KIEV - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko claimed Wednesday he was the victim of a "coup" attempt after parliament approved laws trimming presidential powers ahead of a visit by US Vice President Dick Cheney.

"A political and constitutional coup d'etat has started in the parliament," Yushchenko said in a televised speech on Wednesday, a day after parliament passed laws reducing his powers and making it easier to impeach him.