World

Mauritius government outlaws dissentThe president of the island republic of Mauritius assented on December 31 to the new Public Security Bill. The bill, introduced to parliament by Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam on December

International news briefs Iranian oil workers' struggle On January 17, 2000 workers from the maintenance section of the Abadan oil refinery in Iran went on strike to oppose a plan to "restructure" the oil industry which could lead to 40,000 of

OAKLAND, USA — Some 50,000 people, 90% African-American, marched in Columbia, South Carolina, on January 17, the federal holiday honouring civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The protest was organised by the NAACP [National

Apartheid minister backs ANC By Norm Dixon The apartheid regime's longest serving foreign minister, Pik Botha, travelled the world defending the racist system and its dirty wars against Angola and Mozambique and its terrorist attacks

MOSCOW — ANATOLY BARANOV, a long-time activist on the Russian left, now holds a prominent post as public relations director for one of the country's leading military-industrial corporations, which produces the famous MiG fighter aircraft. Baranov

Will Indonesia's generals get away with murder? On January 31, the investigation by the Indonesian National Commission for Human Rights into atrocities and human rights abuses in East Timor will release its report. It is likely to implicate dozens

The following is abridged from a statement, in solidarity with the striking electricity workers of Uttar Pradesh, India, issued by the Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) on January 25. The Labour Party Pakistan expresses its deepest solidarity with the

100,000 Indian workers on strike One hundred thousand electricity workers are on strike in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, in protest against state government plans to privatise the electricity board. The strikers, who began their

International news briefs Britain to renew arms sales to Jakarta The British government looks set to resume its highly controversial sales of Hawk fighter aircraft to Indonesia. The European Union's embargo on arms sales to Indonesia, placed at

Taliban are still brutal 'villains'Since its seizure of Afghanistan in 1996, the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban has rapidly become the world's most despised regime. In August, a United Nations investigation revealed that the

Put Pinochet on trial! CANBERRA — Members of the Canberra Chilean community and other solidarity activists protest outside the British High Commission on January 17 against the decision by the British government not to extradite former dictator

DUBLIN — In early June 1998, the Good Friday agreement (GFA) was endorsed by huge majorities in parallel referendums on both sides of the border dividing Ireland. One month later elections to a new devolved Northern Ireland