Asia
Sri Lankan government delays annual budget
By Saman Gunadasa, October 16, 2009
In a cynical manoeuvre designed to hoodwink voters, the Sri Lankan government has delayed its annual budget until after elections due next year.
Afghan election crisis enters new stage
By James Cogan, October 15, 2009
Two months after voting took place, matters are coming to a head. A decision has to be made over the fate of Washington’s puppet government in Kabul.
Sri Lanka: Plantation employers drive up productivity under union agreement
By our correspondents, October 15, 2009
The character of the recent collective agreement imposed by the plantation unions on workers has been quickly exposed as companies exploit its productivity clauses to boost profits and undermine the n...
Photo essay
A day in the life of a Sri Lankan plantation worker
October 15, 2009
The following images which provide a glimpse into the harsh conditions of life and work confronting Sri Lankan tea workers were taken by photojournalist Shantan Kumarasamy during a recent visit to the...
Political fallout grows over Indonesian bank bailout
By John Braddock, October 14, 2009
A festering scandal in Indonesia over the government bailout of the mid-sized Bank Century late last year is threatening to cast a shadow over the second term of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
US pressure builds ahead of talks with Iran in Vienna
By Peter Symonds, October 14, 2009
In the lead-up to international talks next Monday on Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, the Obama administration has been intensifying pressure on Tehran.
Obama tops Bush in troop buildup
By Bill Van Auken, October 14, 2009
The report Tuesday that the combined troop deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan are now larger than under Bush marks a grim milestone in the Obama administration’s military escalation.
Sri Lankan president invents an “international conspiracy”
By Vilani Peiris, October 14, 2009
The president regularly denounces unnamed powers and their local co-conspirators for smearing the name of the Sri Lankan military and undermining its victory against the LTTE. The “conspiracy” is ...
Another costly week in Afghanistan
By James Cogan, October 13, 2009
The 100,000-strong US and NATO occupation force in Afghanistan is continuing to suffer casualties at an unprecedented rate.
India: Chhattisgarh government to call probe into industrial accident
By Kranti Kumara, October 13, 2009
The Chhattisgarh government has been forced to call a judicial probe into a horrific industrial accident that killed 45 workers at a Bharat Aluminum Co. (BALCO) construction site in Korba last month.
Vietnamese economy hit by global crisis
By John Braddock, October 12, 2009
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam’s year-on-year economic growth slowed to 3.9 percent in the first half of 2009, down from 6.2 percent in 2008 and 8.5 percent in 2007, a...
Following attack on army headquarters
Pakistan vows to mount new military offensive
By Keith Jones, October 12, 2009
Pakistan’s army was forced to storm a section of its own national headquarters complex to put an end to a day-long assault and hostage-taking by unidentified anti-government insurgents.
