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
SCARCELY a month has passed since the general elections in Mexico, and despite calling for a recount which no-one except hard-core conservatives takes seriously (when you’re trounced two to one the only rational reaction is to examine the reasons for your failure), the opposition coalition has yet to come up with a coherent strategy.
Outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, with three months left in office, is more popular than ever and tours the country supervising public works he wants finished before leaving office.
He is frequently accompanied by his successor, virtual president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, whose popularity also continues to grow. Sheinbaum’s firm and methodical preparation for assuming office wins plaudits from business associations, diplomats and social organisations alike.
A November 15 protest in Mexico – driven by a right-wing social-media operation – has been miscast as a mass uprising against President Sheinbaum. In reality, the march was small, elite-backed and part of a wider attempt to sow unrest, argues DAVID RABY
DAVID RABY reports on the progressive administration in Mexico, which continues to overcome far-left wreckers on the edges of a teaching union, the murderous violence of the cartels, the ploys of the traditional right wing, and Trump’s provocations



