The year opened with the world looking a much more unstable place than 12 months ago. It is embroiled in war, threatened with deep recession, and the contradictions caused by the reach of global capital are more acute than ever. The choices facing millions of people around the world are increasingly between the destruction of lives and livelihoods or collective action in order to change the world for the better.
Javier Carles reports from the streets of Argentina.
Capita to process TV licence fees - Harry Potter and Coca Cola - Big increase in US military spending
Protests, strikes and demonstrations by Argentina's workers against cuts and austerity forced the appointment of the fifth president in two weeks, Eduardo Duhalde, at the start of January.
Alan Milburn's plan to hand NHS patients to Bupa adds a new intensity to Labour's privatisation plans. However, his party's other market-driven flagships are sinking, stuck in the doldrums or simply failing to leave the dock.
The world's only superpower combines military strength with economic and political weakness.
Yasser Arafat faces considerable opposition from erstwhile supporters.
Spontaneous activity is not enough - we need collective organisation.
