World

  • Japan under pressure to ease Asian crisis

    Six of the most powerful countries — the US, Germany, France, Britain, Canada and Italy — put more pressure on Japan to take concrete steps to ease Asia's economic crisis when they met on February 21 under the auspices of the Group

  • Despite UN deal, war threat remains

    Despite grudging acceptance of the agreement between UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Iraq President Saddam Hussein over UN weapons inspections, Washington is continuing its preparations for a massive air strike. President Bill

  • Two political prisoners released

    Two political prisoners releasedJAKARTA — Two members of Indonesia's People's Democratic Party (PRD), Ignatius Putut Ariantoko and Victor Da Costa, were released on February 8 after spending 18 months in Cipinang Prison.

  • Indonesian activists disappear as protests spread

    Indonesian activists disappear as protests spreadAnti-government demonstrations continue in Indonesia despite the military's declaration that it will suppress any protests that take place before the March 6-11 sitting of the People's

  • New Zealand inspectors find hypocrisy

    New Zealand inspectors find hypocrisyWELLINGTON— Actions continue here to get New Zealand troops out of the Gulf and the sanctions on Iraq lifted. On February 23, a multinational team, UNWIT (the Universal Women's Inspection

  • Opposition to defence cuts threatens Russian government

    MOSCOW — How much should Russians be made to pay for the armed defence of their country's new capitalism? Among millions of half-fed, seldom paid workers, the figure of zero roubles would no doubt spring to mind. Cutting all

  • B.J. Habibie: profile of a potential president

    Responding to hints by President Suharto that B.J. Habibie was his preferred choice for vice-president, the January 22 Sydney Morning Herald ran a background piece on Habibie titled "As 'Dr Strangelove' rises, the rupiah falls

  • Unionists to rally for maritime workers

    BRISBANE — Several thousand trade unionists are expected to rally in Brisbane's King George Square on March 4 in support of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA). The rally, to commence at noon, has been called by the Queensland

  • Asia's crisis unravels years of 'development'

    "We have worked for 30 or 40 years to develop our countries to this level, but along comes a man with a few billion dollars and who, in a period of just two weeks, has undone most of the work we have done", Malaysian Prime Minister

  • Lift the sanctions against Iraq!

    RAMALLAH — The sanctions against Iraq are supposed to stop Saddam Hussein from arming himself with chemical and biological weapons, but a cursory glance at the list of items under embargo reveals this claim as ridiculous. Many of

  • Protests continue as PA bans demonstrations

    Protests continue as PA bans demonstrations Adam Hanieh RAMALLAH — More than 50 people gathered outside the US consulate in East Jerusalem on February 16 to protest against US policy on Iraq. The demonstration, which united Palestinians and