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VENEZUELA: Battle for the universities

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

IRAQ: US commanders admit losing 'war of attrition'

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

JAMAICA: Petrocaribe agreement signed

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

An anti-imperialist message from Bollywood

The Rising: Ballad of Mangal PandeyDirected by Ketan MehtaStarring Aamir Khan, Toby Stephens, Rani Mukherjee, Amisha Patel and Coral BeedScreening nationally at selected cinemas REVIEW BY RAJIV RAWAT A strange North American silence seems to have

THE NETHERLANDS: Greenpeace shuts down coal port

On September 8, at Europe's largest coal port in Rotterdam, the Greenpeace ship Argus blocked cranes from unloading coal imported from South Africa, the US, Indonesia and Australia. Greenpeace is demanding that European governments immediately cease

UNITED STATES: War and poverty aren't natural

Stan Goff I haven't been sure how to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, or its coincidence with the almost 1000 Iraqis who were killed during a panic stampede when a bridge suffered a structural failure. I go back and forth, between

Women, work and welfare

Helen Masterman-Smith, Adelaide A large crowd gathered at the Adelaide Town Hall on September 2 to hear speakers on the impact on women of the Howard government's planned welfare and workplace changes. Elspeth McInnes of the National Council of

CUBA: Successful results for cancer drug trial

A new pharmaceutical product to treat cancer, LeokoCIM, has received successful preliminary results in 24 hospitals throughout Cuba, reported the Prensa Latina news service on September 5. Trials will conclude at the end of the year and patents for

Why we need unions

While the Coalition federal government is hell bent on pandering to big business's agenda, it is undermining the quality of life of every Australian. The new industrial relations legislation, and specifically individual contracts, which are already

Victorian unionists vote to go all-out

James Vassilopoulos, Melbourne A meeting of 1700 union delegates on September 7 voted unanimously for a "mass mobilisation of Victorian workers" on the national community day of protest on November 15. The meeting was organised by the Victorian

On the box

Zygielbojm's Death — Follows the search for information about Szmul Zygielbojm, charismatic leader of the Jewish Socialist Bund Party in Poland who was active in the Jewish underground after the Germans invaded in 1939. SBS, Friday, September 16,

Bill of rights needed

Lawrence Gibbons Ten years ago last month, the first edition of the City Hub hit the streets of Sydney. The headline on my first page three editorial read: "Toss a flag on the barbie". I encouraged readers to burn Indonesian flags in defiance of