World

  • Haitians resort to eating dirt

    “With food prices rising, Haiti’s poorest can’t afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies”, according to a January 29 Associated Press article by Jonathan Katz.

  • One million dead in Iraq

    The polling company Opinion Research Business (ORB) has released detailed data confirming that the death toll from the Iraq war has exceeded 1 million people — more than the total number killed in the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

  • Indonesian transport workers unite

    Transport workers from six different sectoral unions met from January 23-25 in West Java to form the National Transport Workers Union (FBTN).

  • Venezuela: Chavez reflects on social gains

    “Celebrating the completion of nine years in office, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez presented what he considered to be some of the main economic achievements of his government” according to a February 4 Venezuelanalysis.com article.

  • Afghanistan: Pentagon says insurgency growing

    US and allied foreign forces are facing “a classic growing insurgency” in Afghanistan, Admiral Michael Mullen, the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told US legislators on February 1.

  • Iraq: US seeks deal for long-term occupation

    US officials want their puppet Iraqi government to agree to a long-term “status of forces agreement” that would give the US military “broad authority to conduct combat operations and guarantee civilian contractors specific legal protections from Iraqi law”, the January 25 New York Times reported.

  • Indonesia: Suharto's real legacy

    This statement was issued by the People’s Democratic Party (PRD) after the January 27 death of former Indonesian dictator Suharto. The PRD played a significant role in the mass pro-democracy movement that overthrew Suharto in 1998.

  • Colombia: Uribe mobilises for war

    On February 4, a series of massive ostensibly “non-political” “peace” demonstrations against the left-wing guerrilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) took place in Colombia. Hundreds of thousands took part under the banner of “No more FARC, No more kidnappings”. Protests also took place around the world.

  • International socialist e-journal launched

    The socialist journal Links, initiated by the Australian Democratic Socialist Perspective (DSP) to promote international socialist collaboration and regroupment, has been relaunched as an online-only publication.

  • Israel continues state terrorism

    On February 6, Israel once again resumed its air strikes against the population of Gaza, killing nine Hamas affiliated police officers and injuring 13 others. Israel claimed the attack was in retaliation for a suicide bombing on February 4 which claimed the life of one woman and injured six others in the southern Israeli city of Dimona.

  • EU Lisbon Treaty pushes privatised superstate

    The 500 million people of the European Union are being denied the right to ratify by referenda major amendments to the two key EU treaties. The Lisbon Treaty, signed by member states in December, will significantly increase the power of unelected EU institutions and enshrine right-wing economic policy.