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ALP finds that hot air dissipates

By Jonathan Singer Hot air fills a vacuum as well as anything else, but it dissipates more easily than something solid. This has been demonstrated most recently in the political arena by the ALP. Labor's rule is: maximum posturing, minimum

US anti-Cuba propaganda escalates

By Gilberto Firmat ATLANTA — A Federal Court ruling on Elian Gonzalez's case was put off on February 22 until at least March 6 after the Judge William Hoeveler was hospitalised with a stroke. Another judge has been assigned the case. The February

IWD broadens participation

By Susan Price SYDNEY — This year's International Women's Day (IWD) march and rally here will be open to all supporters of women's rights following a decision by the organising collective on February 22. Since the early 1980s, the impact of

Action updates

Refugee rights protest PERTH — Twenty people picketed the immigration department's office here on February 19 to protest against the government's treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. The action, organised by Resistance, demanded that

Aboriginal academic assaulted and charged

Aboriginal academic assaulted and charged By Bill Mason BRISBANE — Professor Gracelyn Smallwood, the most prominent Aboriginal health expert in Australia, was assaulted and suffered spinal injuries while being arrested and thrown into a police

Croatian voters bury Tudjman's legacy

By Michael Karadjis The death of Croatian president Franjo Tudjman was followed by the crushing defeat of his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in January's election, losing in nine of 10 electoral districts and receiving only 24% of the vote. The

Women protest against tax on tampons

Women protest against tax on tampons By Kim Bullimore CANBERRA — One hundred protesters attended a rally here as part of a national day of action against the GST on sanitary products. Participants at the rally, which was held in Garema Place,

A humane force?

A humane force? The United Nations Security Council, stung by criticism that it didn't intervene to stop the mass slaughter of Tutsis and anti-Interahamwe regime Hutus in Rwanda in 1994, is pushing for a rapid-response "peacekeeping" force. The

ACI flying pickets

ACI flying pickets By Chris Slee MELBOURNE — Locked out workers from the ACI glass mould manufacturing plant in Box Hill have gone on the offensive. After more than two months of picketing the plant, they have begun paying visits to companies

West Papuans warn of militia build up

By Jody Betzien MELBOURNE — Two human rights workers from West Papua visited Melbourne last week to draw attention to the training of pro-Indonesian militia and arbitrary killings in the Indonesian province. Albert Rumbekwan, a lawyer from the

Everyone's a winner?

By Melanie Sjoberg Australia is wonderful. You had better believe it. Not only do we have the Olympics and Academy Award nominees, Australia has the largest number of share owners in the world. Forget Crown Casino, we are on the hottest

Abolish mandatory sentencing

Abolish mandatory sentencing By Sean Healy The massive public outcry against the Northern Territory and Western Australia's mandatory sentencing laws has forced the laws' proponents into a corner. But, rather than see reason, NT Chief Minister