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Australia charges freedom fighters

“One quarter of a million people are trapped between a concentration camp and a war zone”, said Nish Vivekananthan, a young Tamil speaking on the current situation in Sri Lanka, at a public meeting on February 19 in Footscray.

Apology and undertaking

The 22 November 2008 edition of the Green Left Weekly (GLW #776) contained an article written by Margarita Windisch entitled “ALP, media targets militant ETU unionist”.

Stimulus package assists profits

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released on February 18 showed that retail sales increased by 0.8% (seasonally adjusted) in the December quarter.

Egypt: Strike against fertiliser export to Israel

The below article is Abridged from . This strike action follows the successful actions of South African dockworkers, whose refusal to move Israeli goods resulted on February 6 in a ship carrying Israeli goods being unable to offload its cargo.

Interest rates and debt

In minutes released of its February 17 board meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia flags that its cuts to official interest rates may slow. It seems that the financial gurus at the RBA are unhappy that their cuts to interest rates (passed on only in part by the banks to home-buyers, and even less to credit-card debtors), have failed to stimulate enough spending.

On the box

Message Stick: Voices From The Cape — Documents the "Community Prophet" approach to engaging young Indigenous people from the at-risk community of Aurukun, inspiring them to use their voices again using film. ABC, Friday, February 27,

UN climate report understated dangers, co-author warns

The key United Nations report used as the basis for climate change policies in many countries, including Australia, seriously underestimated the dangers of global warming, one of its leading compilers has warned.

Afghanistan: Australian troops kill children, again

Five children were shot dead by Australian troops on February 12, near the village of Sarmorghab in Oruzgan province.

Boycott Connex, boycott Israel

Resistance members set up an ‘Israeli military checkpoint’ outside Flinders Street train station to call on the state government to not renew Connex’s contract to run Melbourne’s train system.

All Australian troops out of Afghanistan

On February 13, Australian troops killed five children and injured at least two other adult civilians in a night-time “operation” in Afghanistan’s southern Oruzgan province.

Zimbabwe: Free Jestina Mukoko

The health of Zimbabwean human rights activist Jestina Mukoko has deteriorated as she enters her third month in jail.

Eco-activist spotlight: Saving forests, halting climate change

Warrick Jordan is a member of the Huon Valley Environment Centre in Tasmania and is one of the Triabunna 13 (13 forest activists being sued by logging giant Gunns' Ltd). Jordan spoke to Green Left Weekly’s Susan Austin about his activities and the relationship between forests and climate change.