English

Pentagon tells US Senate wars will continue for decades

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Pentagon claims that “war on terror” legislation gives it sweeping powers to wage war around the world without congressional authorization.

The betrayal of the Greek teachers’ strike

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The decision by leaders of the OLME teachers union to abandon an agreed strike in the face of civil mobilisation orders has delivered a serious blow to the entire Greek working class.

Pew report shows decline in retirement security for most Americans

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The study predicted increasing wealth inequality for each of five successive age groups as they approach retirement.

FBI director continues cover-up of contacts with Boston bombing suspects

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Knowing he had nothing to fear from the Senate committee, FBI Director Mueller defended the FBI’s handling of the Tsarnaevs and failure to alert state or local authorities.

China challenges Japanese sovereignty over Okinawa

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

China’s state-owned People’s Daily published a provocative article last week implicitly asserting Chinese claims over Okinawa.

Canada’s NDP denounces China, signals support for Obama’s “Asia Pivot”

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The NDP has mounted its campaign against Chinese investment in Canada to convince the US ruling elite that they will find in it a reliable ally in their war preparations against China.

Chicago Teachers Union files lawsuit alleging school closings are racist

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Chicago Teachers Union, whose leaders include members of the International Socialist Organization, is seeking to stifle opposition to school closings by promoting racial politics.

Philippines man killed by store security for alleged theft of sandals

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The killing of a young man by security guards in one of the largest shopping centres in Cebu is a product of the vast social inequality in the Philippines.

Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Seattle: Hundreds condemn Metro Transit service cuts

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Over 400 people attended a public hearing on May 14 to oppose a proposed 17 percent cut to Seattle’s Metro Transit.

Federal judge rejects lawsuit opposing Washington DC school closures

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A proposed injunction to halt the closure of one in ten public schools in the District of Columbia has been denied in federal court.

Four children and two adults killed in Pennsylvania house fire

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Water service had been shut off two weeks before a tragic Mother’s Day house fire took the lives of four children and two adults in the small town of Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

Spanish government rejects unions’ pleas for anti-crisis pact

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

With 6.2 million out of work, the trade unions are appealing for unity with the right wing Popular Party government.

Sao Paulo teachers’ strikes confront union betrayal

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Teachers remain on strike in the municipal school system of the city of Sao Paulo after the strike by their counterparts in the Sao Paulo state system was betrayed by their union.

German unions agree on engineering industry contract

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The IG Metall has signed a contract which excludes short-term workers.

SEP mayoral candidate outlines socialist program at Detroit election forum

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

D’Artagnan Collier, the Socialist Equality Party’s candidate for Detroit mayor, spoke at a mayoral forum on the emergency manager, the social crisis in Detroit and the way forward for the working class.

Why I read the WSWS

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Student, Detroit, Michigan, USA.

The NSU neo-Nazi gang and the German intelligence service

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The effort in the NSU trial to ignore the role of the German secret service and other state agencies makes clear that the object of the proceeding is to cover up rather than reveal the truth.

15 years of the WSWS: Public meeting in Zurich

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site is pleased to announce its first public meeting in Switzerland will be held June 1.

Sharp increase in US jobless benefit claims

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Negative economic figures released this week point to continuing stagnation in the US amidst a worsening slump internationally.

The AP spying scandal and the crisis of American democracy

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Obama administration’s secret seizure of the phone records of Associated Press reporters is the latest attack on core democratic rights in the United States.

South African miners mount new wave of wildcat strikes

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In the second wildcat strike to break this week, miners at Amplat refused to go underground Thursday evening.

OECD reports growing inequality worldwide

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The latest OECD report confirms that inequality in most industrialised nations has grown significantly since the world economic crisis broke out in 2007-8.

UK Conservatives shaken by revolt over European Union referendum

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Including ministerial aides, 116 Conservatives, half of the party’s Members of Parliament, voted against the Cameron government.

Unions sabotage Irish bus workers strike

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

According to reports, up to 95 percent of services were affected, including major routes in Dublin and longer inter-city connections.

Austrian Social Democrats suffer massive losses in local elections

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In regional elections in Salzburg, the Social Democrats and the Austrian Peoples’ Party recorded the largest loss of support since the Second World War.

Hundreds of New York City Access-a-Ride workers lose their jobs

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A month after the betrayal of the school bus workers in New York City, another group of transit workers have been hit with job losses and massive pay cuts.

Tornadoes rip through northern Texas

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, 10 tornadoes tore through the ground of north central Texas leaving at least six people dead and dozens wounded.

Taiwan stages naval drills as tensions mount with Manila

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Diplomatic relations between Taipei and Manila have rapidly worsened in an escalating war of words, sanctions and military exercises.

Australian opposition leader adopts Labor’s social spending cuts

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Tony Abbott declared that a “budget emergency” required the imposition of Labor’s $43 billion cutbacks.

President Aquino’s Liberal Party coalition consolidates power in Philippine election

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Liberal Party coalition won nine of the available twelve senatorial seats, further strengthening President Aquino’s grip on political power.

Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby versus Prince Harry and his polo-playing American friends

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

During his recent trip to the US, Britain’s Prince Harry had time for a polo match in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Greek teachers defy military mobilisation orders

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Greek teachers have voted to oppose the mobilisation order of the government and begin strike action on Friday.

Euro zone contracts for sixth consecutive quarter

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The euro area economy contracted by 0.2 percent in the first quarter of this year, which was followed by further calls for austerity.

Video shows US-backed opposition fighter cannibalizing Syrian soldier

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The video makes clear the barbaric character of the Islamic fundamentalist forces the US has mobilized in its proxy war against Syria.

House hearing whitewashes US government seizure of AP phone records

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A House committee that heard testimony from Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday initiated a bipartisan whitewash of the virtually unprecedented assault on press freedom carried out by the Obama administration.

US Defense Department to furlough 650,000 civilian workers

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Tuesday announced plans to impose 11 days of unpaid leave for most of the Pentagon’s 800,000 civilian employees beginning in July.

Nationwide protests against austerity in Israel

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The budget aims to cut the deficit that reached US$11 billion in 2012.

Incoming Pakistani prime minister pledges loyalty to Washington

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Pakistan’s incoming prime minister has moved quickly to signal his readiness to work with Washington in prosecuting the AfPak War and with the International Monetary Fund in imposing punishing austerity measures.

Letters from our readers

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A selection of recent letters to the World Socialist Web Site.

Japanese government promotes “Sovereignty Restoration Day”

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe commemorated the anniversary of the end of the US occupation by reviving symbols of Imperial Japan.

Indian minister visits China after patch-up of border dispute

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

India’s external affairs minister made a long-scheduled visit to China late last week, but only after the two countries reached a deal to defuse a three-week long crisis over their rival border claims.

David North speaks in Berlin on the 15th anniversary of the World Socialist Web Site

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

North emphasized the struggle by the ICFI and the WSWS to defend historical materialism.

SEP candidate D’Artagnan Collier on ballot for Detroit mayor race

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

D’Artagnan Collier, the Socialist Equality Party’s candidate for mayor of Detroit, will be on the ballot for the August 6 primary election.

Union seeks sellout deal at South Milwaukee Caterpillar plant

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A week after the collapse of negotiations between Caterpillar and the United Steelworkers in South Milwaukee, the union is determined to push through a concessions contract.

Benghazi and the deepening crisis of the Obama administration

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The controversy over last year’s assault on US facilities in Benghazi, Libya has been revived, even as the real issues underlying it remain hidden.

Gillard Labor’s budget: The class issues

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The budget, like all government measures, is not determined by the needs of “the people” but is shaped by fundamental class interests.

The Kill Team: The murderous reality of the US war in Afghanistan

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival recently concluded. The event this year screened 158 films from 51 countries, including 67 fiction features, 28 documentary features and 63 short films.

Russia: Deputy Prime Minister Surkov resigns

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

On May 8, President Vladimir Putin approved the “voluntary resignation” of Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov, universally regarded as “number two in the Kremlin”.

Schools in Buena Vista, Michigan may reopen after board approves cuts

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The state of Michigan restored funding to the district after the school board agreed to a drastic deficit reduction plan.

France: Three die in fire at Roma squat

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Three Roma, two women and a 12-year-old child, died in a fire in an abandoned factory in Lyon.

Obama Justice Department secretly seized Associated Press telephone records

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In a brazen attack on press freedom, the Obama administration secretly subpoenaed the telephone records of AP editors and journalists.

Detroit’s emergency manager throws down the gauntlet

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Detroit is on the front lines of a national and international strategy of the corporate and financial elite, in which increasingly dictatorial methods are being employed to force through deeply unpopular measures.

Attacks on Greek teachers intensify

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The public service trade union federation, ADEDY, has made clear that it will not mobilize public employees to defend the teachers.

South African Marikana miners stage wildcat strike

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The main unions and the ANC government are creating the conditions for another massacre in Marikana.

Australian Labor budget sets up permanent cuts to social spending

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Labor’s budget has set in motion a series of spending cuts that will impact directly on working-class families and low-income earners

New revelations of torture and murder of Afghan civilians by US Special Forces

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Further revelations of torture and murder by elite US soldiers in Afghanistan highlight the neo-colonial character of the occupation.

Health and Human Services secretary solicits corporate funds to implement Obama health care plan

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has asked insurance companies, foundations, consumer and business groups to donate to help implement the health care overhaul.

At least 40 killed in two coal mine explosions in China

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The latest disasters underscore the continued absence of basic safety protections for Chinese mining workers amid the relentless drive by the government and companies for higher profit and output.

New South Korean president commits to Obama’s “pivot to Asia”

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A recent meeting between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Barrack Obama gave Washington an opportunity to ensure Seoul’s adherence to US demands.

Philippine elections

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

placeholder

Australia: University students and staff demonstrate against Labor’s education cuts

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In both Sydney and Melbourne, the actions of the rally organisers were aimed at preventing the SEP candidates from advancing an alternative socialist perspective.

The rotten foundations of the Italian coalition government

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

An appellate court has handed down a four-year prison sentence for tax evasion to former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Former guard in Nazi concentration camp arrested in Germany

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Earlier this month, German authorities arrested 93-year-old Hans Lipschis, a former guard at the Nazi extermination camp in Auschwitz.

Rival factions of ruling class fight it out over Scottish independence referendum

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The 2014 referendum on Scottish independence is being contested by opposed campaigns that are both fundamentally hostile to the working class.

Ontario teachers to face pension cuts under union-promoted deal

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A deal between the Ontario Liberal government and the Ontario Teachers’ Federation that freezes pension plan contributions is generating opposition among public school teachers.

SEP (Germany) election statement

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Socialist Equality Party (Partei für Soziale Gleichheit—PSG) is running candidates in the September 22 general election in Germany.

Stephen Hawking and the academic boycott of Israel

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In a letter explaining his decision to pull out of Israel’s Presidential conference, noted theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking explained that Israeli government policy “is likely to lead to disaster.”

Why I read the WSWS

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Durham, UK. WSWS reader since 2005

Obama, Cameron hold Syria war summit in Washington

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The US and British heads of government discussed stepping up their campaign for war in Syria as well as plans for intervening throughout the Middle East.

The criminalization of political dissent in America

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Last week, Massachusetts high school student Cameron D’Ambrosio was arrested and charged under “terrorism” laws merely for posting lyrics on Facebook that make reference to the Boston Marathon bombings.

Reports suggest Syrian opposition involvement in Turkish bombings

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Despite evidence that groups involved in the campaign against the Syrian regime were behind the bombings, Turkish leaders are pushing to use them as a pretext for war.

Greek protests against ban on strikes

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Greek police served 88,000 high school teachers with civil mobilization orders on Monday.

Detroit’s emergency manager outlines slash and burn “restructuring” plan

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Kevyn Orr released a report on Monday, outlining a “comprehensive restructuring plan” for the city involving savage cuts to city workers’ jobs, wages and pensions and the elimination of services to a large section of the population.

Mother’s Day shooting in New Orleans injures 19 people

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Eight years after Hurricane Katrina, poor and working class sections of the city remain devastated by unemployment and poverty.

Why I read the WSWS

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

17-years-old, UK.

Pontiac, Michigan school crisis provokes outcry from parents, teachers

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The district has agreed to massive budget cuts as a condition for receiving state aid.

Letters from our readers

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A selection of recent letters to the World Socialist Web Site.

Workers Struggles: The Americas

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

India: We Tamils Party promotes communalism in Tamil Nadu

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The NTK campaign is a reactionary attempt to divide workers in Tamil Nadu from their class brothers in Sri Lanka and India.

Philippine coast guard kills Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Relations between Taiwan and the Philippines soured dramatically over the weekend after Philippine forces shot and killed an unarmed Taiwanese fisherman.

Malaysian opposition stages more mass protest rallies

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Anwar and the opposition leadership are moving to defuse tensions and avoid triggering a confrontation with the government.

A new film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In the 1925 novel, the various desperate and delusional relationships set off a tragic series of events, which result in death and misery for the upstarts and have-nots. The wealthy characters alone escape unscathed.

Philadelphia mayor threatens elimination of school programs, staff

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

City officials have seized upon the school system’s $300 million budget deficit to demand further cutbacks in education.

Twenty-four dead in Mexican truck explosion

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A tanker truck carrying pressurized LP gas careened off a highway near Mexico City killing 24 people.

California hospital workers vote overwhelmingly to strike

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

13,000 workers are set to strike against University of California austerity measures.

Bombings rock Turkish-Syrian border

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In response to bombings in the city of Reyhanli, Turkish leaders are demanding an acceleration of the US war drive against Syria.

Capitalism and the crisis facing young people

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Perhaps more than any other section of society, young people have been made to bear the brunt of the crisis that erupted in 2008.

Pakistani voters trounce parties that waged Washington’s AfPak war, imposed austerity

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Pakistani voters have decisively repudiated the outgoing Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government.

Divisions between major powers dominate G-7 meeting

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Differences within the G-7 over economic policy are fuelled by the fact that almost five years since the global financial crisis erupted, the world economy is marked by deepening recessionary trends.

Greek government outlaws teachers strike

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The New Democracy, social democratic PASOK and Democratic Left coalition government signed a civil mobilisation order Saturday to outlaw a teachers strike, scheduled to begin on May 17.

Spending on medicine dips in 2012 as Americans cut back on health care

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Spending on prescription medicines fell in 2012, as growing out-of pocket costs forced more people to go without needed doctor visits, medicines and other treatments.

Millions of BP settlement funds go to tourism industry

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Out of the $94 million granted to the state of Alabama, $85.5 million will go toward refurbishing the Gulf Shores State Park, including the building of a convention center and 300-room hotel.

US Supreme Court attacks right to a speedy trial

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees all persons accused of criminal wrongdoing the right to a speedy trial.

New York City: Students protest Cooper Union’s plan to charge tuition

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Students began a sit-in to protest the imposition of tuition at one of the few remaining free institutions of higher learning in the US.

British Columbia NDP courts big business in run-up to provincial vote

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The official opposition New Democratic Party is signaling to big business that if it unseats the discredited Liberals, the transfer of power will be a seamless one.

Australian PM presses for closer military, police ties with Papua New Guinea

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The new arrangements are aimed at aligning PNG more closely with the US-led strategic confrontation with China.

Thousands protest over migrant worker’s death in Beijing

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The suspicious death of a young female migrant worker sparked demonstrations in the Chinese capital.

The political issues in the fight to defend education

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Labor’s agenda in tertiary education is to strangle funding and complete the transformation of universities into thoroughly corporatised institutions.