In Portugal, the Communist Party holds its annual conference next weekend and has published a number of the "theses" around which discussion and debate at the conference will turn in English. Prominent amongst these is a statement on the current imperialist offensive and what we should be doing about it. You can download the these in pdf format from here

And in the bogus "war on terrorism" which provides the broader context for this illegal, all too real war on the people of Iraq, here the Council of Europe Commission for Human Rights has condemned as unnecessary the UK's practice of detaining foreign citizens without trial. If you want to do something directly for the victims of such detentions, you can respond to the (UK-based) Black Information Link's call to send messages of solidarity to political prisoners in Britain. Specifically, BIL asked people to send greetings for Eid, but although the Muslim festival is over it's certain that these victims of Bush's puppet regime in London would still like to see a few friendly words. BIL asks you to take note of its recommendations, as follows:

You can get further information from info@stoppoliticalterror.com and are asked to write or send copies of prisoner replies to Stop Political Terror, PO Box 45798, London SW16 4XS. Go to here and follow the relevant links for details of prisoners.

There are also a number of anti-war events coming up in England. On Wednesday 24th November Naomi Klein speaks in London on "Making A Killing: The Corporate Invasion of Iraq". Sponsored by: War on Want, Iraq Occupation Focus, Jubilee Iraq, and Voices in the Wilderness UK, the meeting is at Friends House, Euston Road, doors open 6:30pm. It's £5 waged/ £3 unwaged to get in, and if you want more information you can go here. There is also a flyer promoting the event here

On Saturday 27 November there will be a demonstration against the continued occupation in Iraq in the Tower Hamlets area of London 1.30pm. Assemble Altab Ali Park, Whitechapel, (nearest tube Aldgate East). The following day there is a demonstration at Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes to demand the release of political prisoner Babar Ahmed. Coaches from London have been organised and you can get full details here Read about the violent, humiliating and racist treatment Babar Ahmed suffered at the hands of the police here

And don't forget that the US and its allies are not the only people bombing the poor to make the world safer. You can read all about France's latest little entente not very cordiale and its Ivorian victims - France’s Fallujah: The Battle of Cote D’Ivoire by Matt Reichel here

Finally, you can cheer yourself up by reading apologies from the many sane Americans who did not vote to keep the mass murderer and his junta of Bible-bashing lunatics in the White House. Go here