World

Despite the announcement on July 31 by Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid that refugee camps in West Timor controlled by the pro-Jakarta militia will be closed, the fate of tens of thousands of East Timorese refugees remains perilous. The terror

President Hugo Chavez was re-elected by a comfortable margin in Venezuela's July 30 general elections. Chavez won 59% of the vote, beating his nearest rival and former ally, Francisco Arias, who gained 38%. Chavez and Arias were both leaders of the

LAHORE — The Dada Bhai Cement Factory in the Norrieabad District, in Sind province, has become the focus of attention of Pakistan's labour movement. Sixty of the factory's workers have lost their jobs for attempting to forming a union. Thirteen

DENIS HALLIDAY is probably the world's most high-profile critic of continuing sanctions against Iraq. He should know. As United Nations assistant secretary-general heading the international organisation's humanitarian mission in Iraq he was

FIJI: Why the military turned on Speight Following the arrest of coup leader George Speight and more than 360 of his supporters by the Fiji military on July 26, many mainstream observers are claiming that "normalcy" is returning in Fiji. However,

Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori began his third consecutive term in power to the sound of massive protests in the country's capital, Lima, and the smell of police tear gas. Fujimori was inaugurated on July 28 for another five year term, alongside

International news briefs WTO recognises asbestos danger World Trade Organisation officials are claiming a new trade ruling on asbestos proves that the body is not, as critics claim, stacked in favour of business interests. A WTO dispute

On July 27, peaceful student protesters in the central Java city of Yogyakarta were attacked by baton-wielding thugs. At least 21 people were badly hurt. The students were commemorating the military-backed attack on Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian

CHILE: Pinochet's victims demand justice SANTIAGO — On July 5, I chanced upon a demonstration outside the national office of the Democratic Concertation, the ruling political coalition in Chile. Patricia Silva from the Association of Relatives of

FIJI: 'Indigenous rights' smokescreen for elite rule Terrorist leader George Speight has claimed that his gang's kidnapping of the government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry was to defend "indigenous" Melanesian Fijians' political

Cuban women warmly welcomedMELBOURNE — Seventy people enjoyed a night of political discussion, delicious food and solidarity with the Cuban Revolution at Victorian's Trades Hall on July 22 to welcome Bertha Acosta and Nancy

HONG KONG — "Our election campaign is based on a transitional program aimed at gaining the attention of the working masses of Hong Kong", Leung Kwok-hung, candidate for the April 5 Action socialist organisation, explained to Green Left Weekly on