As Colombia approaches presidential elections next year, the US decision to decertify the country in the war on drugs plays into the hands of its allies on the political right, writes NICK MacWILLIAM

UNDER the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government, cuts to pay, benefits and public services had a terrible effect on our society.
Austerity hits women hardest, because they get lower wages to begin with, take on more caring responsibilities within the family, and are more likely to interact with public services — both for themselves and for other family members.
If I take one example, the household benefit cap introduced by the Tories limits social security not on the basis of assessing need, but by an arbitrary limit that was imposed by Tory ministers. And the impact of that is nearly nine times greater on women than men — mostly because lone parents are disproportionately women.

In the current climate, it is vital to bust the myths and put forward the case for a humane and decent social security system that supports people, argues FRAN HEATHCOTE

Civil servants are worried that work they are being asked to undertake may be contributing to potential Israeli war crimes – and PCS will back back any member facing disciplinary action for refusing to work on arms export licences, writes general secretary FRAN HEATHCOTE

