Once again the ceasefire has been broken. On Israel’s 59th Independence Day, violence has replaced political negotiations. The Hamas armed wing, Ezz è Din al Qassam, said it has fired tens of Qassam rockets at Israel, into the town of Sderot, in the Negev desert, a long time target of the short-range home-made rockets of Palestinian militant groups. The scale of the attack is not clear yet: Hamas says it fired tens of Qassam rockets, while the headquarters of the Israeli army talk about a “small amount” of rockets. What is certain is that, luckily enough, there have not been casualties.

The sudden end of the conflict seems hopeful but somewhat puzzling

Historian Howard Zinn comments on the massacre in Virginia

In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro people continue to die, but tragedy is a TV success

Italian arms exports are flying high: 61% increase despite the promises of Prodi's government

The anti-Putin demonstrations that have seen thousands of protesters invading the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg, are only the beginning of the political clash for the domination of Russia

An international warrant for three Israeli citizens was issued from the Interpol headquarters in Lion: Yair Klein, Melik Ferry e Tzedaka Abraham are accused of having trained during the 90s an unknown number of farmers in order to transform them into far right paramilitaries ready to kill

The government accepted a temporary cease fire of Eln

Venezuela has paid its due with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank

“Leave the doors open to Iraqi refugees”. This is the recurring theme of the UN Conference about Iraqi refugees

The regime gets rid of two leaders of the now-defunct Bengali democracy movement

The 2008 budget forecast presented to the Congress last month bears bad news, and not only for the National Cancer Institute, prestigious agency founded 70 years ago. The Bush administration also plans to cut the funding of 500 million dollars for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 800 millions for the Veterans Health Administration, 500 millions for the Environmental Protection Agency and 78 billions, in five years, for Medicare and Medicaid, two pillars of the National Health Service

In Afghanistan opium harvesting has started. In the Helmand province – where we find the 40 percent of poppy plantations – a record harvesting is foreseen thanks to the exceptional spring showers, with a productivity reaching 150 Kg per hectare. This overproduction, on one side is slashing market prices, fallen from the over 100 dollars per Kg during the past season to 80-90 dollars. On the other has caused an increase in the demand for farm workers in the fields, necessary to complete the unexpected harvesting before the heat will dry the poppies out

The Iranian television shows the medical examination of the diplomat kidnapped in Baghdad accusing the CIA

Australia is hit by the worst drought ever. The damage caused to the economy is increasing, as are also the restrictions on the use of water