Mexican farmers protest NAFTA
MEXICO CITY (IPS)–Industrialists in Mexico recently urged the government to take a firm hand with small farmers protesting the lifting of tariffs in trade in agriculture with the United States and Canada. The farmers have threatened new demonstrations and even a nationwide strike, which may be called in February, if the government fails to accept the demands set...
African Union to hold summit in support of war-torm Cote d’Ivoire
PARIS (PANA)–South African President Thabo Mbeki said in Paris recently that an extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU) would be held "in a week’s time" to consider the continental body’s support for Cote d’Ivoire. Addressing a news conference at the end of an African summit on the Ivorian crisis in the French capital, the current AU chairman stressed...
Venezuelan president stands tall for the Black and Brown
NEW YORK–There will be no civil war in Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez Frias declared during a recent press conference at UN headquarters. "What my government confronts now is a subversive movement that uses terrorism to impose its will against the national constitution," he said. Pres. Chavez was at the UN to hand over the chairmanship of the Group of 77...
Woman runs for president in Nigeria
LAGOS (IPS)–Nigeria’s first female presidential aspirant, Sarah Jubril, will challenge 29 men, including incumbent President Olusegun Obasanjo, at the polls on April 1. Ms. Jubril, a long-time politician, was unanimously adopted as her party’s candidate during a convention held on the weekend in Abuja, the administrative capital of Nigeria. Ms. Jubril, who has been aiming at the presidency since...
Poor stand with Venezuela’s president , despite country’s growing hardships
Venezuela “strike”: the anatomy of a US-backed provocation CARACAS (IPS)–The support of the poor, as well as the armed forces, with the exception of a minority group of dissident officers, has sustained President Hugo Chavez in the face of a month-long general strike by the opposition, which has staged the biggest protest demonstrations in the history of...
Groups say U.S. plan erodes Africa’s sovereignty
WASHINGTON (IPS)–The United States and 38 Sub-Saharan African nations began discussions of a trade pact that Washington says would give Africa greater access to the U.S. market at Final Call press time. But critics call the effort little more than a "colonial" sham. The second annual trade and development forum in Mauritius, which ends Jan. 17, is...
Will U.S. Unilateralism turn World against it?
When America Attacks Iraq (Ghanaian Chronicle)Bush’s unilateralism aggravates world’s problems (National Catholic Reporter) UNITED NATIONS (IPS)–Nelson Mandela, the former South African president and one of the world’s most respected political figures, thinks the United Nations is being undermined by the United States. He is not alone. Recently, Mr. Mandela said he was disappointed that not a single world leader had...
U.S. war plans a concern for Cairo
CAIRO (IPS)–While senior government officials in Cairo are urging the U.S. Administration to act with caution, some of Egypt’s eminent political analysts are blasting what they perceive as Washington’s bias towards Israel and saber-rattling at Iraq. "Egypt is making every effort to persuade the U.S. not to take unilateral decisions which could raise tension and endanger everybody’s...
Taboo cracks on HIV/AIDS in Libya
TRIPOLI, Libya (PANA)–When he came home after a long day’s work, Mokhtar was embarrassed when confronted with two unexpected questions from his nine-year-old daughter Zeina, a fourth grade pupil. "Tell me Daddy, what is AIDS? What does illicit sexual relations mean?" Mokhtar, who had so far managed to avoid discussing certain aspects of adult life with children, was speechless for...
UN protests Israeli killings of humanitarian workers
UNITED NATIONS (IPS)–The United Nations has protested the killings of five UN humanitarian workers by Israeli military forces this year. A UN spokesman said this would be the second-largest number of UN staff members killed in a single year in the Middle East. "This loss of civilian lives, of people working for a humanitarian UN agency is completely unacceptable,"...