Tragedy in Mumbai and Beirut:
A series of 7 bombs exploded on Mumbais lifeline – the commuter train network – on 11 July 2006, killing close to 200 people and injuring more than 700. As authorities struggled to deal with the crisis, the people of the city responded with magnanimity and a steely resolve that they are well known for. As thousands of stranded commuters walked home in the rain, people came out of their homes to provide refreshments. As we write this authorities are still groping in the dark for leads and have in typical knee-jerk fashion detained hundreds of Muslim youth. We carry an appeal by colleges and organisations to observe ‘Mumbai in White’ on July 26, 2006.
In West Asia, Israel launched an uncalled-for attack on Lebanese civilians and civil infrastructure. Using a Hizbollah strike on military targets as an excuse, Israel has been bombarding the city of Beirut continuously since 12 July. At last count, over 180 civilians, among them children, have been killed. More than 26,000 Lebanese have been displaced and have fled their homes (see article by Robert Fisk). We carry an appeal by the Arab NGO Network for Development calling upon the international community to condemn the Israeli attack as "state terrorism".
In Geneva, the heat is on the WTO as it totters towards collapse. With a number of failed meetings since the Hong Kong Ministerial, negotiators will now attempt to salvage something out of the upcoming General Council meetings later this month. Enclosed is a memorandum from labour groups to the PM to protect the interests of workers in India or dump the Doha round. The Indian Peoples Campaign on the WTO will hold an important strategy meeting on 27 July 06 in New Delhi.
