World

  • PNG scuttles Bougainville talks

    Despite a promising start to peace talks between Papua New Guinea and Bougainville Interim Government representatives in the Solomon Islands, the meetings have been called off. After two meetings, and in breach of a signed

  • Soweto Day celebrations 'disappointing'

    JOHANNESBURG — Leaders of South Africa's youth movements have expressed disappointment at the new government's attitude towards the June 16 Soweto Day celebrations. Seemingly succumbing to big business pressure, the government

  • Walkers seek freedom for Peltier

    Native American activist Leonard Peltier has been in jail since 1976 for the murder of two FBI agents. Last year, he stated: "I have served over 18 years in prison ... The prosecutors have now admitted that they have no idea who

  • Capital finds a Russian growth industry

    MOSCOW — Not so long ago, many Russians still believed that if they embraced capitalism, foreign investment would pour in to help modernise and expand their country's decrepit factories. That's a suggestion the new

  • Russia's environmental movement falls on hard times

    MOSCOW — If Russia's economic crisis has brought any benefit, it has been to small animals. During the past two years there have been more hares in the forests, and more mice in the fields. In Siberian rivers, there are

  • Bougainville peace talks begin

    Mounting internal and international pressure has finally forced the Papua New Guinea government into peace talks with representatives of the Bougainville Interim Government. The talks are being held in the Solomon Islands

  • Lagman freed

    Lagman freedMANILA — Filemon Lagman, the underground leader of the Manila Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was released from detention on bail of 100,000 pesos on the evening of June 17.

  • New Zealand parties in turmoil

    On their next visit to the polling booths, New Zealanders will vote under a new, more democratic system for their national parliament.

  • Election tricks from Brazilian right

    Changes in Brazil's election law, voted in by the conservative majority in the Congress, have put new restrictions on opposition parties' rights to broadcast and disseminate their views. The original law, enacted before the 1989 election, gave

  • Indonesian warship fiasco

    Indonesian warship fiascoA controversy has erupted in Indonesia over the refitting of 39 German warships purchased last year by the Suharto government. Technology and research minister Jusuf Habibie arranged the deal without

  • Right wing populists gain in European elections

    LONDON — Elections for the European parliament, held on June 9 and 12, resulted in erosion of support for mainstream and government parties. However, the main beneficiaries were not the left alternative or Green parties, but

  • East Timorese face trial

    East Timorese face trialFive East Timorese independence activists are about to go on trial for peaceful protests they carried out during the visit of foreign journalists to Dili in April. They face up to seven years'