By: ZWNews, November 9, 2005
On the corner of two streets named after Southern African heroes, most of the leadership of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and about 200 peaceful demonstrators, many of them women, were arrested yesterday. South African trade union federation Cosatu says up to 200 people were arrested. Several ZCTU leaders were still at large yesterday and fears have been expressed about the safety of four executive members taken into custody by the army.
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PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday said United States Ambassador Mr Christopher Dell can go to hell for his unwarranted criticism and continued meddling in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe.
By: BBC, November 9, 2005
Detained Ethiopian opposition leaders and editors will face treason charges for their part in last week's protests, the prime minister has said.
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By: Washington Post, October 30, 2005
ONE OF THE BEST measures of freedom in any country is the existence, independence and effectiveness of human rights groups. They are something of a bellwether: In autocratic states, their appearance can be an early sign that a political liberalization, or democratic revolution, is on the way. That's why the recent sprouting of human rights groups in places such as Egypt and Jordan is encouraging. Conversely, the intimidation or elimination of such organizations is a sure sign that political rights are being constricted; that is what has happened in Russia, for example.
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By: The Washington Times, November 8, 2005
Armed with tents and portable toilets, Azerbaijan's opposition is preparing to re-create the tent city that housed tens of thousands of demonstrators in Ukraine's Orange Revolution in an attempt to overturn the disputed results of Sunday's parliamentary elections.
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By: Independent Online, November 8, 2005
Azerbaijan's pro-democracy opposition has revealed plans to attempt a Ukraine-style orange revolution tomorrow by bringing tens of thousands of protesters on to the streets in a risky but peaceful bid to overturn the results of allegedly rigged parliamentary elections.
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By: BBC, November 9, 2005
About 400 protesters gathered on Whitehall as Chinese president Hu Jintao held talks with Tony Blair on the second day of his state visit.
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By: Guardian Unlimited, November 8, 2005
A royal reception from the Queen and more raucous displays from pro-Tibet and democracy activists today greeted the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, on his arrival in central London.
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By: Radio Free Europe, November 8, 2005
An estimated crowd of 10,000 people took part in an antigovernment picket in front of the government's headquarters in Kyiv on 7 November. The picket, as well as a somewhat smaller rally on Independence Square shortly before it, was organized by the Communist Party of Ukraine to commemorate the 88th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia.
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By: The Guardian, November 9, 2005
Elections to test Mubarak promises of reform, human rights groups say evidence of violations. Egypt holds its first round of parliamentary elections today in a closely watched test of the government's self-proclaimed reform agenda.
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By Agence France Presse, November 9, 2005
Arab activists meeting in Bahrain on Tuesday to press for democratic change find themselves caught between battling "dictator" regimes and U.S.-led initiatives for reform. While some activists at a Manama conference insisted that Arab democratic movements are too weak to implement reforms without external help, others warned that the U.S.-sponsored pushes for reform may be meant to serve Washington's aims in the region.
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By: Truthout, November 7, 2005
The cracking towers and gas flares of the al-Daura oil refinery rise above the neighborhood on Baghdad's outskirts that bears its name. On February 18, Ali Hassan Abd (Abu Fahad), a leader of the refinery's union, was walking home from the Al Daura Refinery with his young children when gunmen ran up and shot him. Abu Fahad had been one of 400 union activists who emerged from the underground or returned from exile in May 2003, and at a Baghdad conference formed the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions. Afterwards, he went back to the refinery and urged his fellow workers to elect department and plant-wide committees. That, in turn, became a nucleus of the Oil and Gas Workers Union, one of the twelve industry unions that make up the IFTU.
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