World

BY DENISE COMANNE& ERIC TOUSSAINT The G7's Cologne summit in June 1999 announced debt relief of up to 90% for some of the poorest countries. One year later, on occasion of the G7 plus Russia's July meeting in Okinawa, the Committee for the

CUBA: A million people march against US blockade HAVANA, July 26 — Cuba's President Fidel Castro headed a march of more than 1 million people past the US Interests Office here to demand the end of the US blockade of Cuba and Washington's economic

HONG KONG — Trade unions have become more active in recent times in defence of wages, conditions and democratic rights, according to leaders of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions. Speaking to Green Left Weekly on July 25, HKCTU organising

Message from Indonesian peasants' union Fransisca Christianti, secretary-general of Indonesia's National Peasants Union (STN), sent a message to Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor thanking all the Australian and international

Women in Cuba must continue to organise to defend and extend the gains of the revolution, Nancy Iglesias Mildenstein told a meeting at Newcastle University on July 27. Mildenstein, a leader of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC),

Australian Cuba solidarity activist acknowledged Melbourne-based long-time Cuba solidarity activist and director of Ocean Press, David Deutschmann, was presented with the Friendship Medal in Cuba on July 21. Jose Ramon Balaguer, head of the Cuban

EAST TIMOR: Militia threat continues The confrontation on July 24 between pro-Jakarta militia forces from West Timor and a detachment of New Zealand soldiers from the United Nations peace-keeping force — the third such incident along the western

SYRIA: Baath Party renounces socialist agenda The ruling Syrian Baath Party held its ninth convention on June 17 to appoint Hafez al-Assad's oldest surviving son, Bashar, as its new general secretary, thus paving the way for his official election

A coalition of seven US consumer and environmental groups announced this month the formation of a major new US campaign to keep genetically engineered ingredients off grocery store shelves, unless they are thoroughly safety tested and labelled. As

At least one protester was killed, more than 100 were injured and 57 were arrested when Indonesian security forces attacked an 800-strong protest in South Sumatra on July 20. The detainees were beaten in jail. The action was organised by the National

PHILIPPINES: Protesters disrupt Congress MANILA — Five members of the Philippines Socialist Party of Labour (SPP) were detained on July 18 in the Batasan (parliament) hall. The SPP members interrupted a special session of Congress called to pass

Twenty thousand heavily armed police, six navy warships and a two-kilometre nautical exclusion zone may have allowed the world leaders, including United States President Bill Clinton, attending the G8 summit in Okinawa to rest easy, but it wasn't