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In brief

Nader ballot progress WASHINGT0N, DC — Supporters of Ralph Nader for US president have now secured his place on the November ballot in nine states. Conventions in California and Washington state plus Utah's completion of the statutory petition

Queensland faces $1 billion loss in bank deal

By Bill Mason BRISBANE — The Queensland government faces a possible $1 billion loss in anticipated income from a bank merger deal aimed at creating a large Queensland-based private bank, according to state financial sources. The new bank would

Music of struggle

Cantata Santa Maria de Iquique and Somos FuertesDirected by Mark DunbarPresented by Bemac Space Yungabar, Brisbane, July 5-14Reviewed by Lynda Hansen After the success of the 1995 epic production of Canto General, musical director Mark Dunbar has

Regretting redundancy

By Frank Barbaro A South Australian study of voluntary redundancies warns about its damaging impact and calls for further research into its hidden costs. More than 30% of redundant workers who take separation packages regret it. Even those who said

US widens its lead over rivals

By Doug Lorimer Since the early 1970s, the world capitalist system has been in a long economic downturn, a period of decelerating economic growth tending toward stagnation. Since 1975, in contrast to the preceding 30 years, the downturns in the

On the box

Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Sunday, 4-7pm. Access News — Melbourne community TV, Channel 31,

Artists for East Timor

BRISBANE — In a statement of support for the Artists for East Timor exhibition, at the Metro Arts, independent film maker and author John Pilger called the struggle of the East Timorese one of the most extraordinary and bravest of the 20th century.

Rites of passage in Nicaragua

Desperadoes FlamingoBy Joseph O'ConnorHarper-Collins, 1995, 426 pp., $14.95Reviewed by Tony Smith An indisputable sign of special talent in a writer is the ability to juggle several complex themes simultaneously. On those grounds alone, Desperadoes

The icon fights back

By Kath Gelber and Liam Mitchell SYDNEY — Staff from every department of ABC TV and Radio held stop-work meetings here on July 17, after planned budget cuts were announced by the federal communications minister, Senator Richard Alston. The

Economic 'rationalism' threatens adult migrant education

By Afrodity Giannakis The NSW Adult Migrant English Service (AMES) is the biggest provider of English classes to newly arrived migrants and refugees. Until 1993, most of its classes were directly funded by the Department of Immigration and

Youth wages campaign gathers pace

By Jo Williams and Tully Bates MELBOURNE — Fifty angry supporters of the campaign against cuts to apprentice and trainee wages picketed Peter Reith's luncheon with big business at the Grand Hyatt on July 18. The picket, initiated by Resistance,

Queer Collaborations Conference draws 200

By Rob Cover PERTH — The Queer Collaborations (QC) Conference was held at the University of WA July 1-5. More than 200 local and interstate individuals attended. Seven plenary sessions ranged over subjects from Aboriginality and sexuality to