IV525 - October 2018

Chinese global aspirations can be seen in the country’s expanding investments abroad. A trade war with the United States may have devastating consequences.

For Beijing, the era in which the European powers shaped the world was only a parenthesis before the story returns to its "normal", Sinocentric course. China has become the second world power. Chinese geopolitics, however, has entered a phase of adaptation to an uncertain world.

An article by Viera Hude?ková based on an intervention made at The International Conference “Another EU is necessary and possible” organised by the Party of the European Left on the 12th of May 2018, Sofia, Bulgaria.

One year after Hurricane María, Monique Dols looks back at the suffering endured by the people of Puerto Rico — and at their determination to fight for their island.

Thirty years of neoliberal domination, culminating in the economic crisis that began in 2008, have resulted in the introduction of charges for public service throughout Europe, particularly for education and health services. But this is not the case in all public services. In recent years there has been a renaissance of free public transport, particularly in Eastern Europe. While in Hasselt in Belgium or Colomiers in France - cities that were until recently symbols of the success of free public transport in Western Europe - tickets have been reintroduced as part of the neoliberal trend to charge for services, in the East candidates for local power compete with each other in many cities on the basis of free public transport. Currently, it is possible to travel free of charge in more than 100 cities around the world. And Poland and Estonia are at the forefront in this field.

"Crises" are no longer the exclusive preserve of the countries of the South, but they do not translate into convergence between them either. Since 2007, we have been experiencing the economic aspect of the crisis, linked to that of the environment and politics. From now on, the extent of globalization cannot be ignored. Nor can we ignore the increase in attacks on women’s rights in connection with austerity policies, the authoritarianism of heads of state and patriarchal violence. In politics, what is least represented are the common interests of the majority, starting with those of women.

RiMaflow is located in the declining industrial belt around Milan, in Trezzano sul Naviglio. "Ri" (re-) because it was the workers of the former metal factory Maflow who restarted it after its last owner, Boryszew SA, relocated its activity in 2012.

Friday, 28 September was the first and, it turned out, only day of the Nomoni cultural festival in Palu, a city in the heart of Indonesia’s Sulawesi island. Nomoni means ‘resounding’ or ‘ringing’ in the indigenous Kaili language; Palu’s mayor revived the vaguely animist celebration three years ago to attract more tourists. Festivities include throwing live goats and food as offerings into the sea, boat races and live music.

The inter-Korean summit held from September 18 to 20 in Pyongyang between heads of state Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un shows their willingness to maintain political initiative. It was held in a changing geostrategic context.

For International Safe Abortion Day, on 28 September, we are celebrating 28 aspects of progress and success we’ve seen internationally this year.