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What next to defeat Howard's anti-union laws?

Sue Bolton Union leaders around Australia were overwhelmed by the size of the mobilisations against the federal Coalition government's anti-union laws. Up to 300,000 people joined the protests during the Australian Council of Trade Unions' week of

Howard IR changes 'a return to 19th century'

Paul Oboohov, Canberra On June 29, 200 people attended a public forum organised by Unions ACT at Old Parliament House to hear a range of speakers on Prime Minister John Howard's planned new anti-union laws. Paul Munro, the retired vice-president

Loose Cannons

What it's really all about "An early withdrawal would have serious negative consequences. Iraq would be in danger of exploding into civil war; jihadists would claim they had beaten the American infidels; many Iraqis would feel abandoned by the

Spain & Canada approve gay marriages

On June 29, Canada's House of Commons passed a bill legalising same-sex marriages. The bill, which included a caveat allowing religious institutions to refuse to marry same-sex couples, passed by a comfortable margin, although one member of the

PALESTINE: Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter

Kim Bullimore On June 28, the Israeli courts found former soldier Wahid Taysir al Heib guilty of the manslaughter of International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activist, Tom Hurdnall. Hurdnall, a 22-year-old British student, was shot in the head by

ZIMBABWE: Mugabe's 'tsunami'

Bernie Stephens, Harare The slogan "Go back to the rural areas where you come from" sums up President Robert Mugabe and his government's hatred for the workers and urban poor in Zimbabwe. The government boasts that Operation Murambatsvina ("Drive

'What do we want? Howard out!'

Chris Latham Despite heavy showers, 20,000 people joined the Unions WA-organised rally in Perth on June 30 against PM John Howard's proposed industrial relations laws. Union contingents converged on the Perth Cultural Centre with chants of "What do

SHOCKFACTS: Climate change

During the 20th century, the Earth's average temperature increased by 0.6 degrees Celcius. The warmest year of that century was 1998, and the warmest decade was the 1990s. During the 20th century, the sea level rose by 10-20cm, and the Earth's snow

VENEZUELA: The fight on poverty

Stuart Munckton On June 1, 20,686 people graduated from Mission Ribas, which gives poor Venezuelans their first chance to pass high school. One of the most obvious aspects of Venezuela's Bolivarian revolution, led by President Hugo Chavez, the

IRAQ: Upholding the right to resist

Rohan Pearce The final declaration of the World Tribunal on Iraq, released on June 27 in Istanbul, strongly defended the right of Iraqis to resist the occupation, including by taking up arms against the occupying forces. "There is widespread

ECUADOR: Anti-dam activist killed

On June 20, the body of Andres Arroyo Segura was found close to the site of the Baba Dam project. Segura had recently received death threats because he headed the bi-province committee of farmers' organisations opposing the dam. Before his overthrow

IRAN: A vote against neoliberalism

Doug Lorimer In a result that has stunned most Western and Iranian political commentators, on June 24 Iranian voters decisively rejected business-backed candidate Ayallotah Hashemi Rafsanjani, an advocate of neoliberal "free-market" economic