News

EU is not a friend in fight for democracy

EUROPEAN UNION (EU) leaders imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe this week and withdrew election observers. Nobody should believe the EU is a friend of democracy in Africa or anywhere else. The EU says it is outraged by President Mugabe's refusal to allow monitors in to watch over the presidential election scheduled for 9-10 March.

Berlusconi forced to retreat

As Tony Blair met right wing Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to discuss "flexible labour markets" and "economic liberalisation", a wave of workers' revolt was sweeping the country. Berlusconi, said there had been an "absolute convergence of views" between him and Blair.

General strike in Madagascar

Huge street protests and a two-week general strike have shut banks and businesses in many parts of Madagascar.

IMF demands more cuts

A new wave of agitation has swept Argentina. It comes after the conversion of all bank accounts from dollars to the national currency, the peso, two weeks ago. Friday of last week saw demonstrations right across the country, with unemployed people looting supermarkets in the Cordoba province for food.

Colombian occupation in defiance of privatisation

"The Colombian city of Santiago de Cali ground to a halt. Traffic jams could be seen in every direction. Workers, the local communities and supporters filled the city's streets to rally in support of the occupation".

US's Plan Colombia threat to peace talks

COLOMBIA WAS facing a bloodbath this week as peace talks in its long-running civil war teetered on the brink of collapse. A last minute deal extended the deadline until this weekend.

Protests erupt again

HUGE DEMONSTRATIONS swept Argentina again at the end of last week. People swarmed onto the streets of Buenos Aires after the new government of President Duhalde tightened the restrictions imposed by the previous president, De la Rua, on people getting money from their bank accounts.

Activists gear up

SUPPORT IS growing for the next major anti-capitalist events, which take place from 31 January to 4 February. Protesters are organising in New York in the US against the annual World Economic Forum meeting of business and political leaders.

Loyalist thugs who want more killing

LOYALIST TERROR reached shocking new levels in Belfast in Northern Ireland this week. Two masked Loyalist gunmen shot Catholic postal worker Danny McColgan dead as he arrived for work on the mainly Loyalist Rathcoole estate last Saturday morning. They shot him five times in the back and twice in the head. Danny was 20 years old. He and his partner, Lindsay, have a 13 month old child.

Why Mugabe is brutal

POOR ZIMBABWE. One of the richest countries in Africa, it is now in economic freefall. Closely interwoven with this is the political crisis pitting the government of President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Edge of an abyss

TONY BLAIR cast himself in the role of peacemaker as he embarked on a tour of India and Pakistan to defuse recent tensions over Kashmir. The two nuclear powers stand dangerously close to war. Thousands of Kashmiris have been forced to flee their homes.

International round-up

Colombia SOME 800 workers in Colombia were this week entering the third week of an occupation against privatisation. The workers in the city of Cali are protesting at the threat to privatise the Emcali public utilities corporation.

Economic storm hits Argentina

"Nobody knows if they will have a job tomorrow or when they will be paid. People are almost paralysed by fear." This was what an Argentinian psychologist told journalists last weekend. No wonder. Argentina, an industrial country that once boasted a living standard as high as that of Italy, has been hit by an economic crisis.

Canada: No peace for bankers

A spirited march of 5,000 people took place in Ottawa, the hastily chosen site of the slimmed down summit of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, on Saturday of last week.

Italy: Mass protest for pay and against the war

About 250,000 striking engineers took part in a national demonstration in Rome, Italy, last week. Strike action shut dozens of major workplaces up and down the country. Officially, the strike was over a £10 a month pay increase, but in the highly politicised atmosphere of Italy it was about much more than getting a pay rise in line with inflation.

Australia: Why Howard snatched win

Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his Liberal-National (Tory) coalition won the general election last Saturday, giving him his third term in government. Even in August few people were predicting Howard could win. His government was deeply unpopular. It had driven through massive attacks on workers, privatisation in the benefits system and education cuts. His supporters claim his popularity increased because he opposes refugees and is a vocal supporter of the US war on Afghanistan.

Pakistan: 'Leave our country alone'

Despite the repression they suffer from the Taliban, Hilla says all women in Afghanistan oppose the US bombings:

Bush and Blair fear mass revolt

GEORGE BUSH and Tony Blair are terrified that the US and Britain's pummelling of Afghanistan will lead to upheaval across the Middle East. That is what is behind all their talk of "losing the media war".

Anger rocks Middle East

THE ATTACK on Afghanistan has provoked a wave of anger against the US and Britain across the Middle East. As the first bombs fell, protests erupted in Palestine, Syria, Egypt and many other countries.

Saudi Arabia: West's hand-chopping ally feels heat

SAUDI ARABIA is at the centre of US policies in both the Middle East and Central Asia. This Western ally, one of the world's biggest oil producers, is ruled by the royal family-and there is no democracy whatever. The US and Britain armed Saudi Arabia, and used it as the key military base in the war against Iraq.