Leftnews.org » World

Faiz — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:24:13 +0000

“The militias are proving to be the scourge of the revolution’s aftermath. Though they have dismantled most of their checkpoints in the capital, they remain a force, here and elsewhere. A Human Rights Watch researcher estimated there are 250 separate militias in the coastal city of Misurata, the scene of perhaps the fiercest battle of the revolution. In recent months those militias have become the most loathed in the country.”

Libya ‘cannot stop’ fighters joining Syria rebels | Financial Times

Faiz — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:25:44 +0000

“This week, former Libyan rebel fighters from the city of Misurata announced the combat deaths of three Libyan comrades fighting against the Syrian regime.”

Greece agrees to slash wages, jobs in last-minute deal | The Globe and Mail

Faiz — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:43:55 +0000

“The tentative agreement will see the private-sector minimum wage cut by 22 per cent [to USD 5.80/hr] and the elimination of as many as 150,000 government jobs [within two years], [and immediate job cuts for as many as 15,000 state workers]. That triggered immediate protests in central Athens and vows from union leaders for a 24-hour national strike beginning Friday. [T]he unelected Greek parliament is expected to approve the austerity measures on the weekend”

But … even this is not enough for European central bankers. Sheer barbarity.

Maldives president says he was forced to resign at gunpoint | The Guardian

Faiz — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:49:49 +0000

“The unrest on Tuesday night was the culmination of weeks of protests following Nasheed’s [the deposed President] order to the military to arrest a judge, whom he accused of blocking multimillion-dollar corruption cases against members of Gayoom’s [the former dictator] government. … Nasheed, educated in the UK, was detained dozens of times during the 30-year rule of Gayoom, earning the nickname “the Mandela of the Maldives”.

Yesterday’s coup against Nasheed also marks a blow against his efforts to bring attention to the plight of island states dealing with sea-level rise.

Migrant workers killed in crash were ‘breadwinners’ | CBC

Faiz — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:34:50 +0000

“Thousands of migrant workers come to Canada from the Caribbean and [Latin] America each year to perform seasonal labour, mainly in Ontario and British Columbia’s agriculture sector. Most have come under the federal government’s Season Agriculture Worker Program, and rarely have much contact with the communities where they spend as much as seven or eight months as labourers, often to earn money to send back home”

The families of the deceased labourers have no rights to pursue financial compensation for their loss.

“According to the Toronto Star, Health Minister Deb Matthews, while describing the crash was “a horrific tragedy”, said she was unsure whether the survivors’ health costs are covered. She promised to look into the issue.”

ALBA Advances towards “Alternative Economic Model”, Pursues Anti-Imperialist Agenda

Jeff — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:38:59 +0000

Member countries of Latin America’s alternative integration bloc, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), met in the Venezuelan capital this weekend in order to discuss the advancement of the organisation at its 11th official summit. | venezuelanalysis.com

Greek hospital now under workers’ control

Jeff — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:33:59 +0000

Health workers in Kilkis, Greece, have occupied their local hospital and have issued a statement saying it is now fully under workers control. | libcom.org

Harper’s hockey hijack, and other Canadian pastiches

Jeff — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:27:36 +0000

The prime minister isn’t just politicising the national sport, Canada’s past and icons are also being meddled with | Colin Horgan | The Guardian

The right’s stupidity spreads, enabled by a too-polite left

Jeff — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:23:51 +0000

Conservativism may be the refuge of the dim. But the room for rightwing ideas is made by those too timid to properly object | George Monbiot | The Guardian

Online disappointment

Jeff — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:47:35 +0000

Young Tunisian bloggers who promoted and recorded the events of the Arab Spring now find that, without a common enemy, the social media are just a cacophony of divided and conflicting views | by Smain Laacher and Cédric Terzi | Le Monde Diplomatique

Baird says Canada is a better friend of Israel than United States is | Yahoo News

Faiz — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:10:22 +0000

“In a preamble to the interview, a Jerusalem Post scribe said Baird likes Israel “a lot” and that makes him no different than Prime Minister Stephen Harper.”

Baird <3 Israel

Documentary film: To See If I Am Smiling

Faiz — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:11:14 +0000

Synopsis: “To See If I Am Smiling, the frank testimonials of six female Israeli soldiers stationed in Gaza and the West Bank pack a powerful emotional punch. The young women revisit their tours of duty in the occupied territories with surprising honesty and strip bare stereotypes of gender differences in the military. The former soldiers share shocking moments of negligence, flippancy, immaturity and power-tripping as they describe atrocities they witnessed and participated in.”

Baird sticks to party line – Israel’s Likud party | The Globe and Mail

Faiz — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:32:51 +0000

“It’s not about playing politics, he insists. “There are 2,800 Jews in my constituency in Ottawa; I have 11,500 Muslims and Arabs,” he told one Israeli interviewer. It’s all about values, he says.”

Syria resolution vetoed by Russia and China at United Nations | The Guardian

Faiz — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:29:41 +0000

“[T]he Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, criticised the UN resolution, saying it made too few demands of anti-government armed groups, and could prejudge the outcome of a dialogue among political forces in the country.”

A principled move. More so, it is the anti-imperialist stance.

Ontario’s largest union commits full support for Toronto Services and City Workers

Graham — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:22:39 +0000

–Unite with the workers of CUPE 416. This is going to be a battle.

8.3%! This Was the Best Jobs Report Since the Great Recession | The Atlantic

Faiz — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:32:16 +0000

“The U.S. economy is still nearly 6 million jobs short of its January 2008 peak. This graph shows how long it would take to make back the jobs we lost in the Great Recession at various rates. If we create 200,000 jobs a month, as we have averaged over the last three months, we’ll fill the jobs gap by the early 2020s.”

Police say Iraq-vet charged with killing 4 homeless men in California linked to 2 other killings | Yahoo News

Faiz — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:39:49 +0000

“[T]he Ocampo family was hit by many of the same misfortunes that have beset so many other Americans: [The suspects father,] Refugio Ocampo lost his job. The family’s house was foreclosed on three years ago, forcing them to move in with relatives of [the suspects] mother. … After a 2008 tour of duty in Iraq, Itzcoatl became traumatized and depressed, family members said, presenting another challenge to a family in crisis.”

Rival Libyan militias fight gunbattle in capital | Reuters

Faiz — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:47:04 +0000

“Militias have carved up Tripoli and the rest of Libya into competing fiefdoms, each holding out for the share of power they say they are owed. … Several militias from outside the capital have set up bases in Tripoli. They clash intermittently often because of disputes over who controls which neighborhoods of the city.”

Politics – The Globe and Mail

Graham — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:46:08 +0000

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/statscans-chief-economic-analyst-quits/article2323013/?service=mobile

Never a good sign.

How gentrification transformed a Brooklyn neighbourhood | BBC

Faiz — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:21:02 +0000

Hipster courage, on the front lines of gentrification in every post-modern city.