Thousands of Colombians protest Petro’s economic, social reforms
Bogota, Colombia Reuters Tens of thousands of Colombians marched on Sunday to reject economic and social reforms being proposed by the leftist government of President Gustavo Petro, the latest in a series of demonstrations against Petro’s policies. The reforms, which Petro says will fight deep inequality but which opponents say will damage the country’s already-struggling […]
South Koreans vote for new parliament after economy, corruption dominate campaign
Seoul, South Korea Reuters South Koreans vote to elect a new parliament on Wednesday in a bitterly fought race seen by some analysts as a referendum on President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose popularity has suffered amid a cost of living crisis and a spate of political scandals. The opposition Democratic Party (DP), which already dominates […]
Cuba: Amid blackouts and scarce food, protests rattle ‘cradle’ of the Revolution
DAVE SHERWOOD and ALIEN FERNANDEZ, of Reuters, report from Santiago de Cuba…
Essay: Turkey earthquakes one year on – the devastation has exposed deep societal scars and women are bearing the brunt
In an article first published on The Conversation, UFUK GUNES BEBEK, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Birmingham in the UK, looks at how Turkey’s south-eastern region has fared a year after a devastating earthquake…
Essay: Myanmar’s misery – three years after the military coup, is there any end in sight for a ravaged country?
ADAM SIMPSON and NICHOLAS FARRELLY, in an article first published on The Conversation, look at the situation in Myanmar, three years after the democratically elected government was overthrown in a military coup…
Push to mobilise turnout as Egyptians vote for president
Suez, Egypt Reuters Egyptians, some arriving on buses or stationed waving national flags outside polling stations, voted on Monday in the second of three days in a presidential election in which Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to sweep to a third, six-year term. Many have shown little interest or knowledge about the election, which is […]
Argentine President Milei warns economic shock unavoidable in maiden speech
Buenos Aires, ArgentinaReuters Argentina libertarian economist Javier Milei took office on Sunday warning in his maiden speech that he had no alternative to a sharp, painful fiscal shock to fix the country’s worst economic crisis in decades, with inflation heading towards 200 per cent. “There is no alternative to a shock adjustment,” he said on […]
Sudan’s displaced millions struggle to survive as economy seizes up
Port Sudan, Sudan Reuters About two months after heavy clashes around his home in Sudan’s capital drove Sherif Abdelmoneim to flee, soaring rent and food costs forced the 36-year-old and his family of six to return to a city where fighting still rages. Most of those who fled Khartoum after war between the army and […]
Egypt blackouts become symbol of malaise a decade after Sisi’s rise
Cairo, EgyptReuters For Egyptians grown used to a decade of reliable power supplies and boasts of vast investments in generation, a wave of rolling blackouts came as a shock – shaking faith in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s record months before an election. Along with record inflation and a sharp weakening of the currency, the outages […]
Beauty salon ban in Afghanistan a blow to women’s financial freedom
Kabul, AfghanistanReuters For the last eight years, Marzia Reyazee has supported her family with the earnings from her female-only beauty salon in Afghanistan, a business she spent more than $US18,000 setting up. But the 34-year-old mother of two is likely to find herself without her business, and with few other prospects for a livelihood, when […]