Sam Hall looks at the analysis presented in a recent UN report, which reveals the truth about forced migration and asylum seeking. The report is a condemnation of the political and economic situation in the world at the moment, highlighting the grinding poverty and terrible conflict that is the product of global capitalism.

In the Presidential elections held at the beginning of June, Assad was declared the winner with 88.7% of the vote. Whilst the election result is clearly exaggerated, it is still the case that a significant section of the population is backing Assad. Why is this?

India has seen two very powerful general strikes in the past two years, revealing a sharp class polarisation in the country, and yet we have the disastrous result in the recent Indian elections for the Communist and left parties. This apparent contradiction has brought into sharp focus the role of the leaders of these parties and their total inability to offer a way out of the impasse they themselves have been responsible for creating.