Last Spring Act Up in Sask reported that the specialists serving southern Saskatchewan were at risk of closing their offices, due to working conditions so inappropriate the doctors felt they could not continue providing services in that manner. The situation has only worsened since then. In most other jurisdictions in Canada, gynecologic oncologists work in a hospital setting with proper support from nursing and pathology. In Regina, these specialists must rent their own examination rooms and provide their own support from medical professionals. 

People of Afghanistan and the world, I greet you. There has been much speculation over the past several weeks focusing on how many additional U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan. Americans and its allied coalition forces in Afghanistan have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into that country over the past eight years. Clearly, mistakes have been made. I have reviewed the situation very carefully and concluded that the following is the only course of action that will restore peace and security for the people of Afghanistan, its neighbours, and the world.

Just thirty minutes ago, I instructed General McChrystal to arrest President Hamid Karzai, his vice-president, all members of his cabinet, all members of the Afghan Supreme Court, and the Afghan Parliament, and place them under custody at Bagram Airbase.

On November 27th, Mariano Abarca Roblero, a community activist known for his opposition to mining, was assassinated in Chicomuselo, a town in Chiapas, Mexico.

Mariano was shot in the head and chest by a man on a motorcycle. He had been abducted in August, and again received death threats in the week prior to his death.  Mariano was one of the strongest activist working against mineral exploitation by the Canadian company Blackfire in the hills around Chiapas, Mexico.

This past August, Mariano was up for charges from Blackfire.  The charges included organized crime.  Because of the vocal international calls for justice, he was freed a week later.  He immediately joined the sit-in with his compadres pressing to get the company removed from the area.

According to data from REMA (Network of Mexicans Affected by Mining - REMA in Spanish), the federal authorities have authorized 54 permissions for mining exploitation to Canadian Companies in their municipalities: to Blackfire extracting barite, gold and antimony in more than 10 concessions; Linear Gold Corp, with 24 concessions, mostly gold and some of them granted for 50 years; Frontier Dev. Group with 12 projects, and also with New Gold Inc. with three concessions and Radius Gold with 7, although apparently these last ones have been withdrawn.

The demonstration election held in Afghanistan turned out to be a total farce, Around the world people are asking how the regime of Hamid Karzai could have any legitimacy. Our political leaders, the military and the mainstream media say the low turnout of 35% was due to the threat of the Taliban insurgency. But it was no higher in Kabul.

For the majority of the Afghan people, the political structure created by the U.S. government and its allies has never had legitimacy. From the time of the occupation of Afghanistan in October 2001 all major political decisions have been made by the U.S. government, and the people of Afghanistan have had very little influence.

Above: Afghan soldiers unload ballot boxes. Photo by Thomas Dow. 

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