World

This statement was released by the Cuban Institute for the Friendship of the Peoples in late May. On May 6, the United States government announced new measures to intensify its already hostile and aggressive policy towards Cuba. The document,

Pat Denny On August 22, the Pentagon announced that it had issued an involuntary call-up of Marine reservists. Those affected by what has been described as a "backdoor draft" are members of the Individual Ready Reserve — reservists who for the

Eva Cheng The gap between the rich and poor in China, which started to widen when Beijing embarked on the pro-market reforms in the late 1970s, has now widened to an unprecedented level. According to a recent study by China's National Development

Alex Miller Low-paid childcare workers in Scotland have been striking since March 1 for better pay and conditions. A Nursery Nurses' Voice bulletin issued by the Scottish Socialist Party on April 29 described as "shameful" the decision by the

Doug Lorimer "Shiite Muslim religious leaders ratcheted up their rhetoric against the United States during Friday prayers", the April 1 Los Angeles Times reported, adding that "Shiite religious leaders throughout the country ... condemned a March

A growing anti-privatisation movement, allegations of government corruption and revelations of the repression of Muslims are all causing headaches for the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, and creating new opportunities for a re-emerging Thai left.

Federico Fuentes After facing his toughest challenge since his January 22 inauguration, President Evo Morales has seemingly come out the victor in a debate over the viability of the nationalisation of Bolivia's gas, but not without some bruising.

A VPRC poll conducted on march 14-15 and published in Kathimerini on March 18 found that 94% of those surveyed believe the world is a more dangerous place as a result of the war on Iraq. Just 3% of Greeks believe the decision to invade Iraq was

Sarah Stephen South Korea's April 15 general election has resulted in a shift to the left. Ten representatives to the 299-member parliament were elected from the labour movement-based Democratic Labor Party. The DLP, which previously had no

The Non Aligned Movement — which draws together 115 Third World nations in opposition to domination by rich nations of the First World — will hold its 14th summit on September 14-15 in Havana. Cuba will assume for a second time the presidency of

Five bus drivers from the executive board of the Tehran bus drivers' union and metalworker Sattar Amini were released from jail on March 18 and 19. Yet the union's leader Mansoor Ossanlou, as well as auto worker Afshin Bahrami, are still being

Robyn Marshall, Caracas There is some objective news reporting in Venezuela, although the country's media — newspapers, television and radio — is massively dominated by the powerful, right-wing corporations owned by mega-magnate Ricardo