In response to a call for a strike on 6 April by the workers in the Mahallah textile complex, the biggest factory in Egypt, the Mubarak regime decided to occupy El-Mahalla complex with security forces, abduct strike committee leaders Kamal El-Faioumy and Tarek Amin and arrest political activists of every political tendency in Cairo and other cities.

Not able to suppress the protests, the Mubarak security forces used rubber-bullets, tear-gas, and live ammunition against the Mahallah people who decided to protest on the streets of the city and in different villages, leaving at least two dead and hundreds injured and around 800 arrested. We send our solidarity to the Egyptian workers and their supporters.

A resounding defeat for Greek Cypriot Nationalism and Neo-liberalism

The crucial presidential runoff in (Southern) Cyprus on Sunday 24 February 2008 brought to office Dimitris Christofias the Communist Party leader who clinched 53 percent of the vote in an unprecedented victory for the island's Communist AKEL party, beating the conservative Yiannis Kasoulides, who polled 46 percent of the vote. As the biggest Greek Cypriot political party, AKEL controls one-third of the vote, but for the first time in its 82-year history fielded its own candidate for president.

On Sunday 3 February 2008 a conference of three socialist groups: the Socialist Action Group, the International Socialist Organisation and Solidarity voted to merge their organisations into a united group to be called Solidarity.

The merger represents a significant step forward in reunifying the key groups of the International Socialist Tendency in Australia and the emergence of a new national group committed to building the left

Some 54 protesters have been arrested in Malaysia in relation to a protest against price hikes organised by the Coalition Against Inflation (Protes).

As part of the government's crackdown on peaceful assembly, police arrested more then 50 individuals, including an opposition leader and supporters near Ampang Park LRT station at about 3pm on 26 January.

Those arrested are reportedly held at the Lumpur Contingent Police Headquarters (IPK Kuala Lumpur) Kuala Lumpur. As of 5.10pm on 26 January, 54 individuals were confirmed to have been detained at IPK Kuala Lumpur. S Arutchelvan and two others were taken to Pudu Jail.

The latest issue of International Socialism journal is out. The contents are available on the website. This issue includes:

• Pakistan's political turmoil
• Chavez's referendum defeat
• Costas Lapavitsas interviewed on the credit crunch
• The crisis in Britain's Respect coalition
• Joseph Choonara on the history of the united front
• Leo Zeilig and Claire Ceruti on slums and resistance in Africa
• Chris Harman on theorising neoliberalism

London, Saturday 1 December
Westminster Central Hall
ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE

The World Against War Conference will be an opportunity for the global movement to respond to the new situation of the War on Terror. Delegates from the Middle East, Asia and around the world will participate in discussions on the situation in Iraq, the occupation of Afghanistan and the threats against Iran. The conference will also examine the US's growing aggression around the world from Eastern Europe to Latin America.

Announcement and Call for Participation: Cairo International Conference and Liberation Forum, 27-30 March 2008

• For National and Individual Liberation
• In support of resistance to the Zionist/American Project
• Against Zionism and Imperialism
• Against despotism and oppression
• Against exploitation and corruption

The Egyptian Organising Committee announces the start of preparation for the Cairo International Conference and Liberation Forum, 27-30 March 2008. This year's events will be held under the general motto: "Towards an International campaign against Israeli Occupation and Apartheid in Palestine"

In this interview by Ardeshir Mehrdad, Alex Callinicos of the IST discusses the political situation in the Middle East following Israel's attack on Lebanon, and the tasks for the left.

The British authorities in Northern Ireland are mounting a very serious attack on the liberty and rights of anti-war protestors. Nine activists who took part in an occupation of the American arms corporation Raytheon’s offices in Derry have been charged with aggravated burglary and unlawful assembly. The bail terms imposed on them effectively remove their right to take part in political activity.

Documento de la IST sobre la guerra en el Líbano aquí.

IST statement on the war in Lebanon.

The latest IST discussion bulletin is available now. It contains articles on the recent struggles in France, the Scottish Socialist Party and reports from IST groups in several other countries.

By Mohammad Basirul Haq Sinha from Dhaka,Bangladesh

Country has observed the largest garment worker uprising in Bangladesh from 22 to 24 May’06. Although this sector earns 80% of the foreign currency the laborers do not have proper employment contract, standard working hour (8 hours per day), weekend, leisure hour, break to drink water or pee, proper toilet facilities, medical leave etc. Whether one likes it or not things have turned even nastier and more violent than it was 35 years ago. The well-to-do upper classes' indifference to the growing chaos and suffering of the poor much more noticeable in Bangladesh than what prevailed during the turbulent days of 1966 or 1969. It is shocking and sickening that while the deaths of five students by police firing on February 21, 1952 stirred up the entire province of East Pakistan eventually leading to the creation of Bangladesh, hundreds of deaths of unarmed civilians by law-enforcing agencies and para-military forces during the last thirty five years, more so during the last decade or so, have hardly stirred up the polity.The latest attacks on several garment factories in and around Dhaka city by garment factory workers, who are the most productive and most exploited, the least rewarded and appreciated sections of the poor, have made headlines. The whole country seems to be worried. The predatory, rapacious garment factory owners, who always brag as the biggest foreign exchange earners for Bangladesh have come out on the street demanding "justice" and government intervention. Any law-abiding person, including myself, would expect that the rule of law prevails replacing chaos and disorder.However, one wonders what type of "justice" and "orderly behavior" the poor garment factory workers have been getting from either the garment factory owners (who remind me of the ruthless slave owners and the colonial plantation owners of the past) or the government! Is it fair to pay around sixty US cents to a factory worker per day (NOT PER HOUR)? Are not the government and members of the civil society aware of the fact that anyone earning less than a dollar per day is living below the poverty line? Are not human rights activist in Bangladesh and abroad aware of the fact that Bangladeshi garment factory workers are much worse off than slaves in US plantations with regard to calorie intake and not much better off with regard to freedom, leisure and human dignity? Since the answers to the above questions ( I can raise many more embarrassing questions for the government, garment factory owners and members of the so-called civil society) ought to be in the affirmative by any one having any sense of justice, honesty and human dignity, the answer to the question, "Who is responsible for burning down of garment factories?" is that the same people who are responsible for hundreds of deaths of garment factory workers by fire in factories are responsible for the latest "fire works" in and around garment factories as well.I was appalled by the quick outcry from both the government, the opposition and the garments and textiles owners blaming anarchists and conspirators from other countries for the outburst of violent protest that rocked the garments and textiles industries. This finally showed the ocean divide between the urban that is the (so called) educated folks as well as the workers and farmers in our country. When poor people were dying demanding electricity our self-styled educated and urban class was worried about cricket!Every single journalist and commentators were trying to protect the owners of these sweatshops in the name of saving the national export industry. I would like to know what how many of our population is directly benefited from these sweatshops and what is the percentage of GDP that comes from these sweatshops. I thought this outburst would finally bring the plight of the garment workers to the fore and something will be done to enforce some sort of law and standard for salary, working conditions and other compensation for the "Golden Girls" of our export industry. But to my utter disgust these owners were demonstrating and lying down on the roads! I have seen how these so called owners (I am not sure if they should be called owners as most of them build these factories by usurping bank-loans and black money) treat their most valuable resource - the employees of their factories. I think Bangladesh government treated this lumpen class better than they treat the workers. I have seen with my own eyes 9 years ago how an owner of a so called factory kicked an employee so hard that the employee soiled himself. And now these owners want protection and sympathy?Garments workers from Bangladesh deserve your support. They are now up against an organized campaign of misinformation and suppression.Please wish them success in securing their just demand for wages and time off.

(An old story from the February 03, 1998 edition of The Christian Science Monitor...It deserves to be preserved for record---Mohammad)


[Editor's note: The Christian Science Monitor archive includes stories dating back to 1980. Some early articles lack sufficient formatting, and will appear as one long column without paragraph breaks. We apologize for the aesthetics and hope that the information will still be of value to you. ]

The permanent ceasefire declared by ETA on 24th March 2006 is a real, positive and necessary step, which has boosted hopes for peace in the Basque Country. An end to the armed struggle means that Basques can regain the initiative, as ETA’s military strategy has brought much frustration and suffering. ETA’s new approach means that the Zapatero government will now have to shift towards taking the measures necessary for a successful peace process.