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Serbia: The war criminal Karadzic and Western hypocrisy

The Serbian government last month cornered Radovan Karadzic, the former leader of the Bosnian Serb Republic during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

Unionists step up campaign against Work Choices, ABCC

An estimated 1500 shop stewards and union delegates met at Dallas Brookes Hall on July 30 to discuss the campaign against the charging of Noel Washington, the construction worker facing a jail term for refusing to hand over information to the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). The meeting also discussed the ongoing Your Rights at Work campaign. It was called by the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC).

Cuban doctors inspire

KATOOMBA — Braving sleet and snow, 35 people attended — and were inspired by — a screening of writer and activist Dr Tim Anderson’s new documentary, The Doctors of Tomorrow, in the Blue Mountains on July 28.

Picket closes CSR site

More than 100 workers and union solidarity activists closed down the Yarraville CSR construction site on July 25. They were protesting against construction manager John Kint’s threat to dock the pay of any worker who talked to a union official. Kint is notorious for his anti-union stance. He was responsible for sacking a workers’ representative at Woodside’s Otways gas plant in Port Campbell in 2007, which led to months of industrial unrest. There will be a community meeting in Yarraville to discuss the CSR dispute. For more information, visit http://www.unionsolidarity.org.

Refugee rights victory, but work remains

Refugee activists have welcomed the July 29 announcement by federal immigration minister Chris Evans to significantly dismantle Australia’s policy of mandatorily detaining refugees. They noted, however, that while the changes represent an important victory for the movement for refugee rights, the struggle is not yet over.

Socialism or barbarism?

From the first day it appeared online, the masthead of the Climate and Capitalism blog has carried the slogan “Ecosocialism or Barbarism: there is no third way”.

Action for Aboriginal rights

SYDNEY — A speakout and concert is being organised for August 16 to unite campaigns for Aboriginal rights in Australia.

Islam, racism and women's rights

A French court has denied a woman citizenship because she wears a burqa — a veil covering the entire body — according to a July 11 Reuters report.

Rudd's secret industrial inquisition

Former PM John Howard’s blandly named Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) remains under PM Kevin Rudd. It is prosecuting Victorian vice-president of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), Noel Washington, who faces six months’ jail for not answering questions about a union meeting.

Afghanistan The 'good war' continues death and repression

While some, including US presidential hopeful Barack Obama and the Australian government of PM Kevin Rudd, attempt to present the US-led occupation of Afghanistan as a “good war” counterposed to the disastrous occupation of Iraq — seen as a distraction from the “war on terrorism” — the bloodshed and repression in the service of the US-installed warlords in Kabul continues.

Iran: West use sanctions and dialogue

On July 19-20, the latest negotiations over Iran’s uranium enrichment program were held in Geneva between the five UN Security Council members (the US, Britain, France China and Russia) and Germany on one side and Iran on the other.

Bolivia: Popular offensive in lead-up to vote

With the August 10 recall referendum on Bolivian President Evo Morales and eight out of nine prefects (governors) approaching, the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) government, together with the social movements, has launched an offensive against attempts by the right-wing opposition to prevent the electoral process going ahead.