World Socialist Web Site

5 August 2009

Unemployment rises sharply across Europe

By Stefan Steinberg, 5 August 2009

While a number of major banks and financial institutions are reporting massive profits, industrial, commercial and service firms are continuing to shed jobs at an alarming rate across Europe.

Iranian election crisis continues amid growing US threats

By James Cogan, 5 August 2009

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be sworn in today for his second four-year term as Iran’s president while a rift in the country’s ruling elite is being aggravated by US economic and military threats.

US health care lobby pumps millions into Obama’s cost-cutting drive

By Kate Randall, 5 August 2009

In the maneuvering surrounding the effort in Washington to enact an overhaul of the US health care system, the health care industry is pumping in record amounts of cash to the politicians involved.

US military base plan fuels Latin American tensions

By Bill Van Auken, 5 August 2009

The Pentagon’s plan to deploy US forces at seven new military bases in Colombia has fueled mounting tensions in Latin America.

Elderly man resisting eviction shot by Detroit police

By Sheila Brehm and Jerry White, 5 August 2009

A 78-year-old man resisting eviction from his apartment at a senior citizen complex was shot multiple times by Detroit police last Thursday.

Israel: The significance of the Bar-Noah gay shooting

By Chris Marsden, 5 August 2009

The shooting at the Bar-Noah gay youth club in Tel Aviv is testament to a society increasingly and bitterly divided, socially and politically.

Australian police carry out sweeping new “anti-terror” raids

By Mike Head, 5 August 2009

In the second largest police-intelligence raids ever conducted in Australia, around 400 officers searched 19 homes across Melbourne and a nearby country town at dawn yesterday, arresting four Lebanese- and Somali-Australians.

Mass arrests at Malaysian protest

By John Roberts, 5 August 2009

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to demand the repeal of draconian security laws. Police responded with beatings, tear gas, water cannon and mass arrests.

New York hospital workers face massive concessions in reopened contract

By A. Wood, 5 August 2009

New York City hospital workers face over a billion dollars in wage givebacks together with attacks on benefits and pensions as a result of the union’s reopening their contract.

New in German

CIA-Direktor droht Kongress

Von Bill Van Auken, 5. August 2009

CIA-Direktor Leon Panetta richtete am Sonntag in einer Kolumne in der Washington Post eine offene Drohung an den Kongress. Dieser möge doch bitteschön die Hände von den Geheimdiensten lassen und eine Untersuchung ihrer Tätigkeit unter der Bush-Regierung unterlassen.

Deutschland: Sechs Millionen Arbeitslose
Drastischer Anstieg der Kurzarbeit

Von Dietmar Henning, 5. August 2009

In Deutschland sind fast sechs Millionen Menschen arbeitslos, rund 2,5 Millionen mehr, als die offizielle Statistik zählt. Die Kurzarbeiter werden nicht hinzugerechnet, außerdem wurden die Kriterien für die Statistik verändert.

Republik Moldau: Pro-EU-Kräfte gewinnen Parlamentswahl

Von Markus Salzmann, 5. August 2009

In der Republik Moldau haben die westlich orientierten Oppositionsparteien bei der zweiten Parlamentswahl innerhalb von vier Monaten eine knappe Mehrheit gewonnen. Ihr Wahlsieg wird die politische Krise in dem von Armut und nationalen Gegensätzen zerrissenen Land weiter verschärfen.

New in French

Le bilan des victimes civiles s’alourdit considérablement en Afghanistan

par James Cogan, 5 août 2009

Un rapport de la Mission d’assistance des Nations unies en Afghanistan jette la lumière sur le nombre croissant d’hommes, de femmes et d’enfants afghans innocents qui sont tués afin que les Etats-Unis et leurs alliés consolident leur occupation néocoloniale du pays.