Inbrief

Human rights protestors are trying to persuade global investors to boycott a $3billion sale of shares in the gas and oil producer PetroChina, which is owned by the Chinese state. The American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial organizations (AFLCIO), representing US labour, has claimed that PetroChina's parent company, China Petroleum, is linked to human rights abuses in Tibet. The AFLCIO has also criticised the investment bank Goldman Sachs for agreeing to underwrite the share issue. Goldman Sachs has so far declined to comment on the matter.