World

  • Open letter to the Chinese government

    Following is a letter to the Chinese government from XU JIN, daughter of arrested pro-democracy activist XU WENLI. JANUARY 5 — On Monday, November 30th, you jailed my father, Xu Wenli, yet again. This time you accuse him of "subverting the

  • NZ government moves to silence dissent

    WELLINGTON — New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley has indicated that the law will be changed to allow the Security Intelligence Service to break and enter people's houses. The moves came in early December after the NZ Court of Appeal ruled

  • As schools decay, Russian teachers protest

    As schools decay, Russian teachers protestMOSCOW — When Russian authorities learned on December 15 that striking teachers had blocked an important rail line, it may finally have dawned on them that the situation in the

  • Coalition manoeuvres policy on East Timor

    Foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer announced on January 12 that the federal government now recognises that East Timor has the right to self-determination. In a media release titled "Australian government historic policy shift on

  • Hamba kahle (farewell) Simon Nkoli

    Hamba kahle (farewell) Simon NkoliOn November 30, Simon Tseko Nkoli, one of Africa's most prominent gay and AIDS activists, died in hospital in Johannesburg. His death was front-page news, among the feature stories on World AIDS

  • Canada's growing gap between rich and poor

    CANADA — Canada has topped the United Nations' Human Development Index for the past five years. However, a new report, released by the UN on December 4, condemns Canada's federal and provincial governments for exacerbating poverty and homelessness

  • Hunger strikes for democracy in China

    Hunger strikes for democracy in ChinaBeijing has shifted its repressive machine into higher gear since late November, arresting and interrogating some 30 pro-democracy activists, and sentencing three to jail terms of 11 to 13 years.

  • South Korean church ejects workers

    South Korean church ejects workers A contribution of the Catholic Church to South Korea's democracy struggle came to an abrupt end on November 27, when trade unionists hunted by the Kim Dae-jung regime — some since May — were kicked out of

  • Hong Kong democracy activists charged

    Hong Kong democracy activists chargedFour activists who led a demonstration in Hong Kong on July 1 in pressing for democratic reforms were served subpoenas on November 19 for a trial on December 21 on the charge of "breach of the

  • New left coalition in France

    France's two major far-left parties, Workers Struggle (LO) and the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR), will probably present joint candidates in the next European elections. LO spokeswoman Arlette Laguiller attracted 5.3% of

  • A crucial time for East Timor

    A crucial time for East TimorSince the fall of the Suharto regime in May, a new phase of the independence struggle has developed within East Timor. Not since the invasion in 1975 have so many large pro-independence demonstrations,

  • Framed Russian eco-journalist to stay in jail

    MOSCOW — On November 27, a Supreme Court judge here refused to order the release pending trial of Grigory Pasko, a Vladivostok naval journalist charged with treason after reporting on the dumping of nuclear waste by the Russian