News

  • Gillard, Barnett unite against Pluto workers

    Federal Labor’s workplace relations minister Julia Gillard and Western Australian Liberal Premier Colin Barnett joined forces last week, demanding striking Pluto project workers return to work.

  • WA seafarers on brink of victory

    Seafarers in the offshore oil and gas industry, members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), are on the verge of winning historic improvements to their pay and working conditions, including a 30% pay rise and construction allowances that would give them parity with other workers involved in the construction phase of oil and gas projects.

  • Gay donor ban: one blood, two laws

    To give blood in Australia, it is first necessary to answer a lot of questions. Some make sense. They range from recent illness to cholesterol. Some are invasive and confronting. One question asks: “Within the past 12 months have you had male to male sex?”

  • Navy neglect caused refugee deaths

    The coronial inquest into the fatal explosion onboard a boat carrying Afghan asylum seekers in April 2009 began on January 25. Five people died and many were injured.

  • Sydney: 'Marti's struggle lives on'

    The 157th anniversary of the birth of Cuban hero and independence fighter Jose Marti was celebrated on January 29 at an event organised by the Consulate General of Cuba.

  • Indonesia detains foreign refugee advocates

    On January 26, three refugee advocates — Sydney-based Tamil community activist Sara Nathan, Pamela Curr from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, and Jessica Chandrashekar from the Canadian Humanitarian Appeal for Relief of Tamils — were arrested in Merak, Indonesia.

  • Rape is not art

    Chain store Roger David has been selling offensive T-shirts with pictures of naked women bound or gagged with cloth over their mouths. Other shirts available for sale online have slogans on them such as “It’s not rape, it’s surprise sex”, and “Your princess is my little slut”.

  • Protesters march against invasion

    Despite rumours of a council ban, the annual January 26 Invasion Day rally and march from Parliament House to Musgrave Park went ahead, as it has done for more than 30 years.

  • Gunns 20 win

    On January 29, woodchipping giant Gunns Limited has dropped its law suits against the last four defendants in the “Gunns 20” case and agreed to pay the four $155,088 for legal costs.