World

  • 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'

  • Arson at PNG Forest Authority

    Arson at PNG Forest AuthorityFire on the weekend of June 5 destroyed extensive records of the Papua New Guinea Forest Authority. The PNG police are treating the case as arson. It comes in the midst of attempts by logging

  • Brazilian unionists murdered

    Brazilian unionists murdered International protests are being called for after the brutal assassination of two Brazilian unionists on June 12. Rosa Hernandes, a leader of the struggles of the agricultural workers of the region, and Jose Luis

  • South African prisoners continue struggle

    JOHANNESBURG — Prisons throughout South Africa were convulsed by protests which began on June 9. The South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR) called on inmates to begin peaceful mass action after the new

  • New trade union for Indonesia?

    New trade union for Indonesia?In a statement issued on June 13, the Free Discussion Forum (FBB), a group with extensive links among Jakarta factory workers, called for the formation of a new national trade union. The FBB

  • Questions of strategy in South Africa

    The initial motivation for this comment came from reading articles on South Africa in Socialist Worker, the paper of the International Socialist Organisation. These articles don't vary much, at least not in theme, which

  • 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

  • Important advances at FSLN congress

    MANAGUA — The FSLN congress held here May 20-22 made important advances in strengthening the largest party in Nicaragua and one of the largest left-wing organisations in Latin America. Called last year with the agenda of