News from around the world

The Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions announces its participation in the sit-in today (19 November 2011), under the slogan “Achieve the goals of the revolution which have been manipulated for the last ten months”.

A leader of the Revolutionary Workers’ Party (POR-Combate), Bolivian section of the Fourth International, Remberto Arias Bernal, known as “Toto” and “Andrès”, joined the Fourth International in 1972, while he was in exile in the Chilean port of Arica. After General Pinochet’s coup, he fought in the resistance in Santiago, in the neighbourhoods of Macul, Nueva La Habana and La Hermida, alongside Bolivian and Chilean activists, before taking refuge in the Casa de Pedro Hurtado, then went into exile in Switzerland.

The top candidate of the list “Anticapitalists for Barcelona” was convoked by Mossos d’Esquadra (the Catalan police) this Sunday, November 13, at 18:00, Pl. España (Barcelona).

This press release by the Greek Debt Audit Campaign was made on 10 November 2011.

On the first November, the secret services of Safi city (200 km from rabat) kidnapped our comrade Akadil Abdul Jalil, a member of ATTAC Morocco and activist in the movement of February 20. At first, the authorities denied his arrest, but thanks to pressure from activists of the city including lawyers, the judge of Safi court admitted his arrest.

The situation in Greece is changing rapidly. This call by the radical anti-capitalist left coalition Antarsya for the demonstration on Friday 4 November was made on the morning of Thursday 3 November. [IVP]

In the early hours of the 27th October, the Eurozone leaders reached a decision marking the tightening of the public debt’s grip over the Greek people. The proposed haircut of the public debt held by the private sector will not resolve Greece’s debt problem, whilst instead it brings new burdens. The reasons are plenty:

The international public has so far been oblivious to the so-called “KCK operations” carried out in Turkey by Prime Minister Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party for the past two years. Under the guise of “fighting terrorism,” the Erdogan government has been using the judiciary, the police, and the media to penalize all civic activism in support of rights demanded by Kurdish citizens in Turkey. The “KCK operations” in particular have been deployed to spread fear amongst activists, to silence public dissent, and to normalize the arbitrary arrest of citizens. Ironically, the Erdogan government’s suppression of dissent and of democratic politics has visibly intensified at a time when “Turkish democracy” is being hailed as a model for the Arab world.

At the Federal executive committee meeting of Labour Party Pakistan held on October 30 in Lahore, Younas Rahu, general secretary Labour Party Sindh reported that 4000 rain affected families have been helped by the relief efforts by LPP. They belong to seven districts including Nawabshah, Sanghar, Dera Allah Yar, Badin, Mir Pur Khas, Thatha and Hyderabad. Over 50 percent of these 4000 belong to Hindu community of Sindh. LPP put up a special effort to reach to this community, which were normally left out by the Muslim religious parties working for relief in Sindh. Special efforts were also made to reach to peasant women in relief camps without any help.

The New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) condemns the arrest of veteran trade-union leader, Prafulla Chakraborty. Comrade Chakraborty who was picked up from his residence by the police this morning was long associated with the workers movement of Kanoria Jute Mill at Phuleshwar, Howrah. He was charged with IPC Section 326 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), IPC 324 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), and Sections 149,147,120B and 323.( case number 1145/11 dated 9.10.2011). His bail application was later rejected by the Uluberia Court and is remanded in judicial custody till 24/10/2011.