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Boris Kagarlitsky, Moscow With more than 36% of votes the pro-Kremlin United Russia party looks like the only real winner in Russia's parliamentary elections, held on December 7. It also succeeded in getting a massive victory in single-member
Igor O'Neill, Jakarta On January 7, riot police opened fire on local residents protesting against the environmental and social impacts of Melbourne-based mining company Newcrest's Toguraci goldmining operation on the Indonesian island of Halmahera.
Richie Venton, Glasgow In a monumental breakthrough for socialism and genuine political representation for working people, the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union (RMT) in Scotland has voted to ditch the British Labour Party and affiliate to
"Any kind of discrimination and privilege between the citizens of Afghanistan are prohibited. The citizens of Afghanistan — whether man or woman — have equal rights and duties before the law." This statement was enshrined in Afghanistan's new
Sarah Stephen Asylum seekers held in the Australian-funded detention centre on the Pacific island state of Nauru suspended their hunger strike on January 8, due in part to news of the Nauru government's request for an independent Australian
Alan Maass, Chicago The US administration claims that it wants to see Saddam Hussein put on trial for his many crimes. But what about his co-conspirators? Will those who helped Hussein rise to power, supplied his weapons and supported his
The anti-war movement Sue Bolton (Write On #561), like Raul Bassi and Pip Hinman (Green Left Weekly #560), have missed the central point of my original contribution (GLW #560). That is, we as socialists have a responsibility to move the movement,
Lisa Macdonald In December, the pro-US Patriotic Union of Kurdistan twice threatened to shut down the Suleimaniyiah office of the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq. The PUK's security forces claim that the OWFI does not have a "licence" to
On December 19, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) granted public and private sector teachers a 5.5% interim pay rise. Two days earlier, the IRC had granted public hospital nurses a 3.5% pay rise from January 1. As part of its "What's a
Slapping on the Writs: Defamation, Developers and Community ActivismBy Brian WaltersUNSW Press, 200396 pages, $16.95 REVIEW BY DALE MILLS Melbourne barrister Brian Walters has written a small but important book about the way that Australia's
Joel Beinin, Cairo As the Israeli army reimposed a nearly complete lock-down on the West Bank in the aftermath of the Christmas Day suicide bombing outside of Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has reportedly deputised a top general to
BY PETER BOYLE At its 21st Congress, held December 27-30, the Democratic Socialist Party changed its name to the "Democratic Socialist Perspective" and reorganised itself as a political tendency in the Socialist Alliance. Only Socialist Alliance