News

  • Loose cannons

    Expert opinion I "I think the marines will enjoy working in Fallujah. But they'll be bloodied." — Lieutenant Colonel Brian Drinkwine, commander of US Army's 700-member 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, speaking to reporters after the March 24

  • West Papua poll was sham, says Dutch study

    Doug Lorimer The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) has called on the Australian government to follow the Dutch government's example and commission a study into Australia's involvement in the 1969 UN-organised "act of free choice" in West

  • RMIT refugee project under threat

    Andrea Mears, Melbourne RMIT appears to be looking to end a project that provides tuition-free scholarships for a small number of refugees. Currently, 61 refugees are enrolled at RMIT through the project, which provides scholarships to temporary

  • Public servants demand a better deal

    Alison Thorne Activists in the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) are mobilising to back a number of proposals to go before the union's 26-28 March National Council. Most motions were developed by activists from around the country aligned

  • Loose Cannons

    It wasn't her fault "I can honestly say that without Mrs Parks, I probably would not be standing here today as secretary of state." — NeoCondoleezza Rice at a memorial service for black civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who died on October 25.

  • Iraqi doctor speaks at peace forum

    PERTH — On May 14, 80 people heard Iraqi doctor Salam Ismael describe the situation in war-torn Iraq at the Australian Islamic College in Kewdale. Organised by the Perth Peace Group, the forum was also addressed by UnionsWA secretary Dave Robinson,

  • Thousands march to save forests

    HOBART — More than 10,000 people marched to save Tasmania's forests on March 13. It was the largest pro-environment mobilisation in Tasmania for more than 15 years. A full report will appear in the next issue of Green Left Weekly. From Green

  • First Reclaim the Night march held in Maitland

    Kerry Vernon, Maitland Two-hundred women, their relatives and supporters marched along Maitland's main street on the night of October 28 in the first Reclaim the Night event to be held in this city of 54,000 residents. Led by 83-year-old feminist

  • Muslim-Iraqi-Murri unity against racism

    Paul Benedek, Brisbane "Whenever I want to ride a bus to university, I pray that the bus driver won't be racist, pray that he will look beyond my scarf and treat me like everyone else", Salam El-Merebi, an activist with Al-Nisa, a Muslim women's

  • Free speech attacked by UNSW Student Guild

    Jess Melvin, Sydney The University of NSW Student Guild has launched a major attempt to ban students' freedom of speech by calling police onto campus to shut down campus bookstalls run by left-wing UNSW students. Since campus started for the

  • Activist jailed for drug protest

    Kathy Newnam, Darwin On October 19, social justice campaigner Stuart Highway was sentenced to eight months' jail, suspended after three months, for his involvement in a smoke-in on October 2002. The smoke-in, organised by the drug-law reform

  • Fears Qantas safety standards will decline

    Graham Matthews, Sydney On March 23, Qantas closed its heavy maintenance facility at Mascot, making 480 workers redundant. While the company has promised that it will not outsource maintenance to China, the 140 extra jobs promised for Melbourne and