News

Poor launch land war in South Africa

A wave of bitter revolts over land and housing is sweeping many parts of South Africa. Ten years after the end of apartheid, the ANC government’s commitment to neo-liberalism means millions are still waiting for proper houses, clean water and toilets.

Strikes in Iran increase pressure on elite

The recent election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran has not brought stability to the fractured ruling elite. The Iranian parliament has repeatedly blocked his attempts to appoint personal allies to the critical post of oil minister.

Winning in Cairo, so they closed the polling station

Kamal Khalil, a well known Egyptian militant, stood in the Cairo district of Ambaba the country’s parliamentary elections on 14 November.

The Zapatistas’ election campaign with a difference

Latin America will see 11 presidential elections in the next year. But it is the elections set to take place in Mexico on 2 July 2006 that are currently attracting most attention internationally.

Australia’s biggest union demos in 40 years

Up to 600,000 striking workers took to the streets of Australia last week in a massive rejection of the conservative government’s attack on union rights.

Korea: 30,000 say no to Bush

A march of 30,000 people confronted George Bush when he went to South Korea to attend the Economic Leaders’ Meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Community (APEC).

German ‘grand coalition’ means new attacks

Germany's radical left is facing a new challenge. Last week the conservative CDU and CSU parties came to an agreement with the centre left SPD, similar to Britain’s Labour Party, to form a "grand coalition" government.

Repression fails to crush our resistance in Zimbabwe

President Mugabe’s security forces swooped on Tuesday of last week after the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and its allies called a day of action against poverty.

Brazilian Workers’ Party president embraces George Bush

Few events have shown how far the Brazilian Workers’ Party (PT) government of president Lula has moved to embrace neo-liberalism than the recent failed talks to revive the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) at the Summit of the Americas in Argentina.

Four anti-capitalists held in Uruguay

At dusk on Friday of last week, 3,000 protesters met in Plaza Libertad and marched through Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, to demand the freedom of four activists detained under sedition charges. The four were arrested during a demonstration against the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) a week earlier.

Mass protests and strikes greet Bush in Argentina

Mar del Plata was practically militarised during the summit, and security fences separated the presidents from the people.

France: rage of the poor

The slums of France have risen in revolt.

Despair behind the French riots

Seine-Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, is known as the Banlieue Rouge, the red suburb.

Italian students

A wave of student demonstrations and occupations has swept through Italian cities, including in Rome, against the government’s plans to increase privatisation of higher education.

Zimbabweans fight repression

Around 200 trade unionists were arrested in Zimbabwe on Tuesday as they tried to hold protests. The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) had called the day of action over food shortages and other issues.

US sprays death from the air in Colombia

I became interested in this issue after speaking to people in Colombia. One woman told me she was working in the fields with her family when aeroplanes came down and started spraying.

Left Party congress is a step forward

Several hundred people gathered in Athens last weekend for the second Congress of the European Left Party. This unites a number of socialist and communist parties — including Respect — which oppose the European Union’s neo-liberal agenda and support participation in the broad movements that have gathered strength in recent years.

Italy’s student revolt

A huge series of demonstrations and occupations in Italy over the last few weeks has seen the return of the student movement. Students across the country have been protesting against the new university bill recently introduced by the ministry of education.

Schiphol disaster

Eleven detained refugees were killed in a fire at the Schiphol airport prison last week. The deaths were a direct result of racist anti-immigrant policies and negligence of safety regulations. The Dutch government is to blame.