Once the bustling heart of Christian pilgrimage, Bethlehem now faces shuttered hotels, empty streets and a shrinking Christian community, while Israel’s assault on Gaza and the tightening grip of occupation destroy hopes of peace at the birthplace of Christ, writes Father GEOFF BOTTOMS
Javier Milei: back to the future in Argentina
Riding to power on a wave of anger at the dire state of the economy, the ranting extremist is no true rebel — he plans to radically enforce the same neoliberalism that has failed before, explains BERT SCHOUWENBURG
Javier Milei speaks after his victory over Sergio Massa, Economy Minister and candidate of the ruling Peronist party, in a presidential run-off election in Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 19, 2023
After years hidden away, Oldham’s memorial to six local volunteers who died fighting fascism in the Spanish civil war has been restored to public view, marking both a victory for campaigners and a renewed tribute to the town’s proud International Brigade heritage, says ROB HARGREAVES
The June 2025 attacks on Iran have heightened the risk of a wider war, exposed the fiction of a rules-based international order and left ordinary Iranians trapped between external aggression and internal repression, says the Committee for Defence of Iranian People’s Rights
While pretending to seek peace, Europe is heading toward a collision course with Russia – using security guarantees, troop deployments, expropriation and censorship as tools, writes SEVIM DAGDELEN
A WWI hero, renowned ornithologist, medical doctor, trade union organiser and founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain all rolled in one. MAT COWARD tells the story of a life so improbable it was once dismissed as fiction
The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
APART from president-elect Javier Milei, perhaps the happiest man in Argentina is US ambassador Marc Stanley who was quick to congratulate the far-right, self-styled libertarian on his stunning election victory on November 19.
In a tweet, he said that he hoped that their two nations could work together for the benefit of both countries, including in the protection of human rights, democracy and the fight against climate change, none of which are of the slightest interest to either of them.
The US already has considerable influence in Argentina, particularly in the agricultural sector which is dominated by the production of genetically grown soya beans drenched in carcinogenic agrochemicals produced by US multinational corporations.
Similar stories
As six out of 10 Argentines don’t vote for Milei LEONEL POBLETE CODUTTI looks at the country’s real crisis that runs far deeper than just the ballot box
After brutal police crackdowns on pensioners and the forced approval of secret IMF deals, trade unions are finally responding to grassroots pressure and fighting back against savage neoliberal reforms, reports BERT SCHOUWENBURG