Erstellt am: 15. 4. 2013 - 14:34 Uhr

Celebrate Tense Times, Come On!

Reality Check: North Korea marks its founder's birthday, Venezuela elects a new President, Germany has a new political party, the validity of Austrian soldiers in the Golan Heights, and how bank secrecy promotes an unfair division of wealth.

APA

Statues of late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung (L) and his son Kim Jong-il (R) built on a plaza in front of North Korea's Ministry of People's Security in Pyongyang, North Korea

The Party's On in North Korea

Flags and banners and flowers and plenty of enthusiastic children in red and pink jackets, dancing and singing with beaming smiles and well-choregraphed joy.
As North Korea began observing a three-day holiday to mark the 101st birthday of its founding father, the late Kim Il-sung, the impression is a)the impoverished nation is anything but and b) nuclear war tensions? Not here!
Aidan Foster Carter has been reporting on both Koreas for over forty years. He gave us some insight into whether the birthday celebrations could indicate a time-out when it comes to the sabre-rattling North Korea has been up to lately...

APA

Supporters of Nicolas Maduro, celebrate his Presiential election victory, in Caracas, Venezuela

A Razor-Thin Victory

Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, won an extremely close presidential election yesterday, gaining only about 300,000 votes more than the opposition candidate Henrique Capriles.
Capriles declared that he wouldn't accept the results and has called for a full recount.
How might the on-going drama in Venezuelan government develop and how will it all affect the region? Our Latin American correspondent Esther Marie Merz shares her perspective...

"Alternative für Deutschland"

'Let's bring back the Deutschmark! The euro is a failure and the southern European countries with failing economies hate us for it! Swiss-style national referendums on important matters are key to good government!'----these are some key elements to the platform of a new political party in Germany. The "Alternative for Germany" may be new and inexperienced but could the party have a significant impact on upcoming elections in September? Marc Young works for the online paper The Local and he's had his eye on this new political party...

APA

An Israeli tank is seen at the Israeli-Syrian border in the Golan Heights, 8th of April, 2013

Austrian Soldiers to Leave the Golan Heights?

Austria may pull its soldiers from the UNDOF peacekeeping force on the Golan Heights if the European Union fails to renew its arms embargo against Syria. That's according to Austrian Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger. Andreas Zumach gave us an idea of what an Austrian pull-out would mean for the entire peacekeeping mission...

Bank Secrecy and the Wealth Divide

Transparency usually lends itself to a playing field that is fair. Guess what secrecy lends itself to? When it comes to banking, secrecy tends to promote an unfair distribution of wealth whereby it's the wealthy who win. Of course. How? Attac's David Walch explains...