THE US and British led occupation of Iraq is a disaster. It is a disaster for the Iraqis, scores of whom are dying every day at the hands of occupying troops or falling prey to hunger and disease. Every day there are more killings, more torture, more horror. The scale of the misery inflicted on Iraq has shocked even those who supported the invasion.
PIERS MORGAN was sacked as Daily Mirror editor because he told the truth about British forces, torture of prisoners but may have used staged photos to illustrate that truth.
DONALD RUMSFELD, the US defence secretary, personally authorised the expansion of a secret programme that led to US torture of prisoners, it was revealed last week. The programme encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation to obtain information.
US SECRETARY of state Colin Powell now admits the \"hand-over\" of power in Iraq on 30 June is a sham. He said on television last weekend that Iraqi generals and the new defence minister will put their troops \"under the direction of the multinational force commander, who will be an American\".
ANGER OVER lousy pay and vanishing pensions is causing rising tension between the government and leaders of Britain's biggest unions. Civil servants are locked in a growing confrontation, local government workers are moving towards possible strikes and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called a national demonstration over pensions next month.
IN THE four months since Respect: The Unity Coalition's launch on 25 January we have achieved a minor miracle. We've set up a new party with members all over England and Wales. We are standing candidates in every constituency for the European and Greater London elections, as well as a few local ones. So far we've raised and spent more than £250,000.
THE REVOLT against \"Agen-da for Change\"-the government's flagship plan for the NHS-is growing. The TGWU has become the latest trade union to come out in opposition to the scheme.
TESCO, THE company that makes £63,900 profit every minute, wants to axe sick pay for its workers-and a trade union is helping them do it. The supermarket chain is trying out a scheme where workers do not get any sick pay until they are four days in a row.
THREE HUGE unions had set a deadline of Friday of this week for the government to back down over its pay insult to over one million local government workers. The government has offered a pay deal of just 7 percent over three years, with an orchestra of strings that will hit low paid workers.
WORKERS AT EURO Packaging in Birmingham began a three-day strike on Tuesday this week. This follows their first strike two weeks ago. Workers at the plastic bag factory are demanding a cut in working hours, union recognition, the reinstatement of those unfairly sacked, and the removal of the threat of further redundancies.
SOME 25 Further Education colleges came out on strike across London on Thursday of last week over London weighting. Members of the Natfhe lecturers' union are demanding £4,000 London weighting.
