World

Doug Lorimer On May 18, a briefing by top Pentagon generals conceded that the US would need to maintain the current numbers of troops in Iraq — 138,000. According to a United Press International report published the next day, General John

Eva Cheng Since the mid-1990s China has embarked on a major program to privatise its industries. Beijing has dressed its privatisation efforts as an attempt to "diversify the ownership structure", and promised to confine the denationalisation of

The May 21 British Guardian reported that four jurors who acquitted four Algerians in the so-called ricin plot trial that ended at the Old Bailey the previous month have expressed outrage at the news that the government is seeking to deport three of

Jack Smit In a quiet corner of the often-deserted Merwehaven in Rotterdam, the Netherlands — a much quieter harbour than the high-tech Maashaven — two flat barges are moored. Not that this in itself is something to carry on about — for

@boxintro = Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific has received an appeal from the People's Democratic Party (PRD) in Indonesia to help raise funds for an Indonesian activist to join the Venezuelan Solidarity Brigade leaving Australia for

A huge crowd of people attended a protest march in the Tongan capital, Nuku'alofa, on May 26. The march was organised by the Human Rights and Democracy Movement, which claims 20,000 people took to the streets. The demonstration took aim at the

Roberto Jorquera, Caracas On May 21, more than 1000 people attended the Third National Seminar on Ideological Formation, organised by the Centres for Ideological Formation (CFIs). The CFIs are grassroots groups initiated in March this year by

On April 22, imprisoned activist Mumia Abu-Jamal was able to give the following address the Attica to Abu Graib Conference via a mp3 recording. A former Black Panther, Abu-Jamal was convicted of killing a cop on scandalously contradictory evidence

Stuart Munckton Speaking on his weekly television chat show on March 22, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that if Washington refuses to extradite Cuban terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, Venezuela could severe diplomatic ties between the two

Throughout May, 10,000 Ugandans will be recruited to work as "security personnel" in Iraq, and US military bases worldwide. The recruitment effort is spearheaded by World Wide Special Operations, who work with multinationals and governments to

On May 24, Tanzania's government confirmed that it had cancelled its 2003 deal with Biwater to bring clean water to the capital, Dar es Salaam, and the surrounding region within five years. The US$140 million scheme, pushed on Tanzania by the World

Doug Lorimer On May 21 human-rights activists in Lahore finally succeeded in holding a mixed-sex marathon after the authorities decided against intervening or stopping the event by force. An earlier mixed marathon, on May 14, was stopped by police,