World

Bronwen Beechey & Andrew Martin, Auckland The historic public servants' strike in the south Pacific country of Tonga ended on September 3 after the government agreed to the strikers' demands for 60-80% rises in pay. A memorandum of understanding

@head = UNITED STATES: Pentagon paper plans 'pre-emptive' nuclear attacks The Pentagon has drafted a revised doctrine for the use of nuclear weapons that envisions them being used in pre-emptive attacks on countries or "non-state actors" using "or

The United Auto Workers has presented a gift of US$880,000 to members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, who are on strike in protest at the union-busting efforts of Northwest Airlines. More than 4400 workers have been striking since

The Korean Federation of Service Workers' Unions (KFSU) is continuing its battle against the union-busting campaign by Hotel Riviera in Daejeon City, which began in August 2004 when the hotel's owners, the Shinan Leisure Corporation, closed the

A letter to US attorney-general Alberto Gonzalez demanding the release of five Cuban anti-terrorist operatives unfairly convicted by the US has attracted more than 3000 high-profile signatories from around the world. These include French actor Gerard

On September 6, Venezuela and 13 Caribbean nations signed the Petrocaribe cooperation agreement in Montego Bay, which aims to ease the burden faced by small Caribbean countries in the face of sky-rocketing oil prices through the supply of oil by

Socialist feminist Linda Averill, a bus driver and a union activist, is campaigning as a Freedom Socialist Party candidate for the September 20 Seattle City Council election. She is backed by her union, Amalgamated Transit Local 587, as well as other

Rohan Pearce Even given Iraq's history of suffering in recent times — brutal repression under Saddam Hussein, combined with 13 years of merciless economic strangulation by Hussein's former Western allies and finally a brutal war of conquest and

Max Lane Over the last few weeks, the Indonesian rupiah has lost more than 10% of its value. It has "stabilised" at around 10,500 to the US dollar compared to 9500 before August. The stock market has also suffered similar declines, losing 17% of

Stuart Munckton "Cowboy" Bush failed US citizens in his handling of the crisis caused by Hurricane Katrina, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said in a televised cabinet meeting, Reuters reported on August 31. Chavez attacked Bush, who he referred

Kiraz Janicke, Caracas In recent months, the introduction of a new higher education law in Venezuela has sparked a number of demonstrations against President Hugo Chavez's government by rectors and students from the national autonomous

Doug Lorimer While 5000 US troops, using armour, artillery and warplanes, continued a three-week battle with Iraqi resistance fighters for control of the city of Tel Afar, 420 kilometres north-west of Baghdad, officials of Washington's puppet Iraqi