World Cup message
LONDON — The north of England is the heartland not only of the mining industry but also of rugby league. As the October 24 World Cup Final between Australia and Britain approached, rumblings were heard from British players angry about having to wear "British Coal" emblazoned as the sponsor on their jerseys.
The British team manager told the press no players were allowed to make statements. Nevertheless, as supporters rolled out of the coaches from the north outside the Wembley grounds, it was evident many with the British jerseys had painstakingly removed the "British Coal" to replace it with "Coal Not Dole".
Pesticide trial
Protest action by an ecologist group has resulted in the biggest-ever trial in Spain for environmental crimes. In court in Seville 34 government officials, rice farmers and pesticide sales representatives were charged on October 19 with poisoning more than 20,000 birds in the Donana national park with banned pesticides.
The park is one of Europe's most important wetlands, a huge reserve 50 km from Seville at the mouth of the Gualquivir River. It is home to rare species, including the lynx and the imperial eagle. Birds migrating to and from Africa use it as a vital resting place.
The charges date back to the summer of 1986 when between 20,000 and 25,000 water birds, many of them protected and endangered species, died. More than 130 witnesses are to testify in a joint civil and state suit.
Clamp-down on Greek tax evaders
The Greek government has announced that anyone with tax debts over around $6800 will be jailed. The sentence will increase along with the debt.
But with an estimated 38,000 additional prisoners, there's a shortage of prison cells. The government has demanded that state-controlled banks hand over a detailed list of bankrupt hotels, as a first step towards repossession by the government. The repossessed hotels will serve as jails for tax evaders.
Nicaraguan students strike
MANAGUA — Secondary students are supporting fellow students who were victimised after participating in free education protests in the Managua stadium on September 15.
Federation of Secondary Students leader María Esther Solís has been expelled from her school, and five other students face sanctions which could cause them to lose their final year of study.
1200 secondary students at the Rigoberto López Pérez ndefinite strike on October 19 in support of their classmates. At the same time, students at four other Managua high schools staged two hour strikes in support of students at the "Rigoberto".
The Parents Association is supporting the students and has sent a letter to the minister of education demanding the sacking of the director of the "Rigoberto" for her attitude to the dispute and calling for a review of the students' cases.
... Catherine Brown, Stephen Marks