World

High stakes in Teamster election

By Barry Sheppard Ballots for the government-run elections for president of the Teamsters union were mailed out in early November to the union's 1.4 million members. The two major candidates are millionaire lawyer James Hoffa, Jr, and Tom Leedham,

US 'free trade' push frustrated at APEC

By Eva Cheng The US government's push to open up Asian markets was dealt an embarrassing blow at the summit of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Kuala Lumpur, which closed on November 18. Meeting for the sixth time — and

Kurds begin hunger strike

Kurds begin hunger strike By Kim Bullimore CANBERRA — On November 18, members of the Australian Kurdish community began an indefinite hunger strike on the lawns of Parliament House in protest at the arrest of Kurdish independence leader

Campaign for Mumia's release escalates

By Jeffrey Mackler SAN FRANCISCO — On November 7, a militant demonstration of 2500 people here broadened the support for a new trial and for freedom for US political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose appeal against his frame-up conviction on a

Worldwide protests demand asylum for Ocalan

Worldwide protests demand asylum for Ocalan By Norm Dixon A Rome court on November 20 ordered the release on bail of Abdullah Ocalan, general secretary of the left-wing pro-independence Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), while his appeal for

Atrocities continue in East Timor

By Jon Land There are grave fears for the well-being of several East Timorese youths missing after Indonesian soldiers ransacked the villages of Turin and Taitudak in the Alas subdistrict on November 15. Eyewitnesses said that four youths in

Russian 'Communists' bend to anti-Semitism

By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — The setting could have been Germany in the 1930s. Over a period of about a month, a well-known parliamentary deputy claimed that "Yids" were responsible for the country's economic problems; vowed before media reporters

Land reform and food security in Vietnam

By Reihana Mohideen MANILA — The Asian economic crisis has had a massive impact on the production, availability and accessibility of basic food products, leading to serious food shortages in south-east Asia. In the Philippines, formerly an

Peruvian women sterilised

By Robyn Marshall Doctors in Peru performed about 110,000 sterilisations last year, plus 10,000 vasectomies, as part of a government birth control campaign. The number of women sterilised was more than three times the number in 1996. Since 1961,

Women, APEC and human wrongs

By Lynette Dumble KUALA LUMPUR — On the eve of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum here, two courageous women, feminist activist Irene Fernandez and eye surgeon Wan Azizah Ismail, occupied centre stage at the Asia Pacific People's

Indonesia: 'The radicalisation will spread'

Indonesia: 'The radicalisation will spread' Following the mass protests in Jakarta November 10-14, Green Left Weekly's MAX LANE spoke to MA'RUF, a leader of the People's Democratic Party (PRD) who has been monitoring developments. Question: What

Kurds in Sydney support PKK leader

Kurds in Sydney support PKK leader By Rupen Savoulian SYDNEY — Activists with the Australian Kurdish Association here reject Turkish government charges that Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), is a "terrorist".