Africa
Fresh strikes in South African mining industry
Gold miners in the Anglo region of South Africa (S.A.) have begun a wildcat strike over wages. The miners are asking for a near doubling of their current wages. It was reported yesterday that miners at a platinum mine are due to return to work after their protests diffused by a wage increase. The demands by the gold miners show parallels which could set a precedent for inflation by higher wages, warned the S.A. Reserve Bank. The new strikes have raised concerns in the region after platinum mine protests ended with 46 people dead after clashes with police. An inquiry is still being undertaken.
Kenyan government threaten striking teachers
The Kenyan government has threatened striking teachers with the sack. It says if teachers didn’t return to work by Friday it would fill the required posts with graduates and retired teachers. The strike is over wages, with teachers asking for a rise in the region of 100% – 300%. Teachers’ unions rejected the government’s offer of a wage increase of less than 4%. Other sections of the public sector are striking, with hospitals only taking emergency cases.
Europe
Lloyds security boss defrauds company 2.5m
A former employee of the Lloyds Banking Group has been handed a five-year jail sentence. Jessica Harper was the former head of online security and filtered money into a fake bank account set up as an external ‘IT’ company. The money was then laundered to friends and family who bought property. The judge at the ruling said, “You were a senior employee in the bank in a position with a high degree of trust at a time when Lloyds was substantially supported by a lot of taxpayers’ money following difficulties sustained by the bank in the financial crisis”.
Latin America
Mexico jailbreak: 131 through the front door
131 Mexican inmates have fled a fail this week in the Coahuila state, reportedly through the front door. It was initially thought they had fled one by one through a tunnel, however an official update has said that the open door break was conspired by a drug cartel as well as guards. Only three have so far been captured. State officials have offered rewards of approximately $15,600 per prisoner for information on arrests. Only 3 have so far been arrested.
Asia
New protests erupt in Muslim countries against US anti-Islam film
Protests have continued today over the anti-Islamic film ‘the Innocence of Muslims’, which was filmed in the US. In Pakistan, where the government declared a “special day of love” for the Prophet Muhammad, 3 people died as violence spreads outside of Islamabad. Since then, a further 8 people have been reported killed today alone. The US embassy in Pakistan is currently under threat from constant attacks by protesters where a diplomatic embargo was broken. The protesters carry a Western-phobic sentiment beyond the United States, according to a BBC correspondent. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and President Barack Obama have condemned the film, which mocks Islam. There are also reports the US has paid Pakistani television to broadcast a message by the President condemning the intolerant anti-American nature of the film.
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