International

Canada: Wal-Mart workers gain
China: University launches gay studies course
Nigeria: Protest fuel price hikes
Germany: Left gains in elections

Luciano Enrique Romero Molina, a Colombian trade union leader and father of four, was found dead on Sept. 11 in his home city of Valledupar. His hands were tied behind his back. He had 40 stab wounds and extensive bruising, suggesting he had been tortured.

Nineteen months ago, 36 municipalities in the Mexican state of Michoacan embarked upon a literacy campaign. Thousands graduated Sept. 12 — four days after International Literacy Day — in the capital city Morelia. In all, some 40,000 people can now read and write who couldn’t do so before.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was remarkably candid during his visit to New York last week about his government’s continued willingness to push ahead with several policies widely regarded as violations of international law.

UNITED NATIONS — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez received tremendous applause from world leaders at the United Nations World Summit Sept. 15 after a stirring speech assailing the Bush administration and world capitalism. He then toured New York City, greeted by enthusiastic crowds, and repeated his offer of oil and other assistance to low-income Americans.

CARACAS — Más de 17.000 jóvenes de todo el mundo concluyeron el XVI Festival Mundial de la Juventud y los Estudiantes aquí el 16 de agosto con una ceremonia música, baile y ánimo combatiente. El lema del festival fue “Por la paz y la solidaridad, luchamos contra la guerra y el imperialismo”.

CARACAS (Agencia de Noticias Mundo Posible) — El embajador de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela ante la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA), Jorge Valero, anunció la convocatoria para una reunión ministerial con el objeto de discernir sobre la Carta Social de las Américas.

El público irlandés ha reaccionado con ira al aprender que el gobierno de Colombia, encabezado por el derechista Álvaro Uribe, está tratando de extraditar a tres irlandeses, que se fugaron de Colombia a base de la antigua relación colonial entre Irlanda y Bretaña.

Goeff Bottoms, de la Campaña Solidaridad con Cuba en Bretaña, encabeza la lucha por la libertad de los Cinco Cubanos en ese país. Dice Bottoms en referencia al fallo del Tribunal de Apelaciones el 9 de agosto, que le otorgó un nuevo juicio a René González, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González, y Gerardo Hernández, “Hacemos campaña a favor de su libertad en vista de este fallo sabiendo que estamos empujando una puerta que está de par en par”.

UNITED NATIONS — On Sept. 14, over 170 heads of state will descend on UN headquarters in New York for history’s largest gathering of world leaders, a three-day World Summit. High on the agenda will be how to reach the “Millennium Development Goals” (MDGs).