Nepal's lawmakers abolish the country's monarchy
KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal's lawmakers have abolished the monarchy and declared the country a republic, ending 239 years of royal rule in the Himalayan nation.
Cuba supports press freedom
“You cannot kill truth by murdering journalists,” said Tubal Páez, president of the Journalists Union of Cuba. One hundred and fifty Cuban and South American journalists, ambassadors, politicians and foreign guests gathered at the Jose Marti International Journalist Institute to honor the 50th anniversary of the death of Carlos Bastidas Arguello — the last journalist killed in Cuba.
Olympic creed: not the triumph but the struggle
Every four years the Olympic games bring together athletes from all corners of the world to compete in the planet’s biggest international multi-sports tournament. This year’s Summer Olympic games are scheduled to kick off in August in Beijing. The next Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010. Currently 203 countries participate in the Olympics, more than the 193 countries belonging to the United Nations.
Israel at 60 why celebrations are muted
Feelings about the state of Israel occupy a broad spectrum of world opinion, from adoring admiration in some quarters to hate veering into outright anti-Semitism from some others. As an expression of the 19th- and 20th-century Jewish national emancipation movement, Israel has achieved what its founders dreamed of — a country like any other, with all the attributes, positive and negative.
Siege mentality prevails in Bogota
Without warning, the Colombian government shipped 14 imprisoned paramilitary chieftains to the United States on May 13 for prosecution on drug trafficking.
Responding to disasters
Cyclone hits Myanmar. Earthquake rocks China. In each case, thousands of lives have been snuffed out by nature’s wrath. Given the combination of global warming and extreme poverty, we’re likely to see more extreme natural and human calamities. Here in the United States, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 resulted in almost 2,000 deaths, and hundreds of thousands of people are still displaced.
The Kurdish question and the fruits of imperialism
An ongoing guerilla war is raging in Southeastern Turkey and Kurdish regions of U.S.-occupied Iraq. The war is led by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which since its inception in Turkey has fought for a socialist Kurdistan.
China launches massive rescue after Sichuan earthquake
The Chinese government’s response to a massive earthquake in Sichuan Province May 12 has been swift, according to a number of news sources. The government said that tremors and aftershocks were felt in 16 provinces, from Tibet to Beijing. Up to 15,000 people have been killed with many tens of thousands more still missing and injured, and over 500,000 houses have been destroyed.
The May Day story we never forget
CHICAGO — It’s a May Day story my mother never lets me forget. Both my parents, avid community activists at the time, were lead organizers of a local march and rally for international workers’ day and immigrant rights in the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago’s southwest side.
International Workers Day celebrated in Cuba, Latin America
Celebrations of International Workers Day throughout Latin America testified to working class determination, especially in Cuba where millions marched.
