World News- Page 80

The mobilisation of the French working class has now reached a crucial stage. Strikes and mass demonstrations today, according to the CGT trade union confederation, again brought a staggering 3.5 million people onto the streets.

Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins commented on the outcome of reported talks between President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel against the background of the EU Finance Ministers meetings in Luxembourg:

France is increasingly becoming the centre of attention, not only for the European ruling classes, but also for many workers and youth around Europe. The battle around the pension reforms increasingly represents a crystallisation of the conflict between the forces of capitalism

Amid an orgy of hypocrisy and photo-opportunities, the world’s political and business elite gathered in New York in September this year for a summit on the Millennium Development Goals.

Ed Miliband has beaten his brother David by a margin of only 1.3% to become the new leader of the British Labour Party. After four rounds of voting under Labour’s electoral college - which is divided into three equally weighted sections comprising

As the food waters recede after the worst monsoon flooding in Pakistan’s history, up to 20 million people are beginning to come to terms with the disaster and pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. The death toll from the initial

The current strike action by over one million public sector workers in South Africa has sent the marriage of the Tripartite Alliance between the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party (SACP), and the Congress of South African Trade Unions

In the past few weeks there’s been a noticeable shift in tone in the business pages and journals. Their confidence in the so-called “recovery” has faded, and has been replaced by anxiety.

The Con-Dem coalition government is gearing up for a massive onslaught against the public-sector in the autumn. Meanwhile, local councils are pushing through harsh cutbacks in local services. This has to be met by determined action by workers and working-class communities. Socialistparty.net

On August 28, the right-wing populist Tea Party Movement, an assortment of conservative organizations, and Fox News commentator Glenn Beck will descend on Washington, D.C. for the so-called “Restoring the Honor” rally. For the black freedom movement, August 28 marks the 47th anniversary