World

  • Where to now for COSATU?

    ZOLILE MTSHELWANE interviews SAM SHILOWA and ZWELINZIMA VAVI, Congress of South African Trade Unions general secretary and assistant general secretary, about the main issues to be discussed at the 5th national congress of COSATU in September. This

  • A grim picture in NSW prisons

    SYDNEY — "Clearly, with the expansion of all forms of punishment in NSW, what we are seeing is not a crime wave but a punishment wave", states a review of prisons in NSW by the Inter-Church Committee on Prison Reform. The

  • British Aerospace attacked over jet sales to Indonesia

    LONDON — Outside there were 150 protesters shouting, "Suharto, Major, CIA — how many kids have you killed today!" Inside there were 20 token shareholders making life hell for the British Aerospace board. Shareholders at

  • Xanana stands firm as arrests increase

    Xanana stands firm as arrests increaseXanana Gusmao, imprisoned leader of the East Timorese resistance, has rejected an offer of release into exile. The special adviser of the Indonesian government on Timorese issues, Francisco

  • New racist attacks in Germany

    Eighty Nazi skinheads went on the rampage, attacking Turkish and African immigrant workers in the German city of Magdeburg on May 12. Far from stopping the attack, at one point police joined in, holding down the victims while

  • Peacekeeping force for Bougainville

    Peacekeeping force for BougainvilleMike Forster, the Bougainville Interim Government's United Nations representative, speaking in Sydney on May 27, welcomed the announcement of a South Pacific peacekeeping force for the

  • Campaign launched in Manila to free Lagman

    MANILA — Following a demonstration of 200 activists from worker, student and urban poor organisations outside the presidential palace on May 28, the Free Lagman Movement was launched. On May 26 agents of Naval Intelligence arrested

  • Ramos bows to Suharto on East Timor conference

    Organisers of the Asia Pacific Conference on East Timor (APCET) in Manila have been issued a court order preventing it from going ahead. The restraining order was taken out on May 27 by a private organisation which claims the

  • Irish peace talks inch forward

    Talks between the Irish and British governments, which culminated in the signing of the Downing Street Declaration last December, took a new turn on May 14. The British government announced the receiving of a detailed list

  • Attempt to kill Nidia Diaz

    Attempt to kill Nidia Diaz Maria Marta Valladares (Nidia Diaz), former rebel commander and current Assembly vice president in El Salvador, has charged that four death squad members shot 22 rounds at her vehicle on May 19, wounding her

  • Mandela announces modest start to RDP

    JOHANNESBURG — "The government I have the honour to lead and, I dare say, the masses who elected us to serve in this role, are inspired by the single vision of creating a people-centred society [whose purpose] shall be the

  • Privatisation in Russia: behind the hype

    MOSCOW — "So far this year we've sold some 100 firms through national auctions, and we'll sell 200 enterprises in the coming months", a Russian government privatisation official exulted to journalists at the end of March.