Author: CounterVortex
Ramallah: black balloons commemorate Nakba
On May 15, thousands gathered in Ramallah to mark the 60th anniversary of al-Nakba. Crowds marched from refugee camps around Ramallah, converging in the center of the city for speeches and traditional dancing. At Kalandia camp, thousands of black balloons… Read moreRamallah: black balloons commemorate Nakba
Nicaragua: rising fuel costs spark transit strike
May 5 marked the beginning of an intended thirty-day strike, with public transport workers and truckers in Nicaragua protesting rising fuel costs and the lack of government impetus to do anything about it. With road blockades in several places in… Read moreNicaragua: rising fuel costs spark transit strike
Chlieans protest Barrick Gold
Fifty environmental activists protested Barrick Gold’s controversial Pascua Lama gold mine in Chile on May 8. The event went unnoticed by Chile’s mainline media—La Tercera and El Mercurio—but was reported in La Nacion, the state-owned daily. The demonstration coincided with… Read moreChlieans protest Barrick Gold
Ecuador: indigenous movement condemns Correa
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) declared itself in opposition to the government of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on May 12. The CONAIE accused the president of continuing right-wing neoliberal economic and racist social policies. The harsh condemnation… Read moreEcuador: indigenous movement condemns Correa
Monks protest at Labrang Monastery
Mass arrests of monks and their supporters continue in Tibet and the neighboring Tibetan ethnic regions of the People’s Republic of China. On May 7, thousands of People’s Armed Police and Public Security Bureau personnel surrounded Labrang Monastery, Xiahe County,… Read moreMonks protest at Labrang Monastery
New ETA blast —as UN reviews Spanish “anti-terror” measures
Spanish ministers and royalty attended the funeral of a Civil Guard killed in a May 14 car bombing blamed on ETA at a barracks in Legutiano, near the Basque city of Vitoria. Four officers were hurt. (BBC, May 15) Meanwhile,… Read moreNew ETA blast —as UN reviews Spanish “anti-terror” measures
China: Sichuan quake imperils hydro-dams
China’s Ministry of Water Resources has dispatched teams to Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces to prevent dams that were damaged by the devastating earthquake from bursting and endangering the lives of residents. Several dams are believed to be… Read moreChina: Sichuan quake imperils hydro-dams
Burma: cyclone devastates rice market
The price of rice in Burma has jumped 50% since Cyclone Nargis devastated the country’s most important croplands and destroyed several fully stocked grain warehouses. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that the cyclone may “sharply decrease national rice… Read moreBurma: cyclone devastates rice market
Peace in Pakistan equals war in Afghanistan?
Truce talks between Pakistan’s government and tribal militants may be causing a rise in terror attacks in Afghanistan, NATO spokesman James Appathurai told reporters in Brussels. “The concern is that deals being struck between the Pakistani government and extremist groups… Read morePeace in Pakistan equals war in Afghanistan?
Berlusconi back: no immigrants, yes nukes
In a massive sweep of shantytowns in urban areas across the country, Italian police arrested nearly 400 undocumented immigrants in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi‘s first week back in power. 118 were immediately expelled, and many others held to face immigration,… Read moreBerlusconi back: no immigrants, yes nukes