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Malaysians reject TPPA rally, Kuala Lumpur, Janurary 23, 2016.

Malaysia: Thousands take to streets to protest TPP corporate power grab (photos)

About 15,000 people took to the streets of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, to oppose the 12-nation TransPacific Partnership trade agreement, which will give even more power to the giant corporations already running the world as a 鈥渃orporatocracy鈥.

The rally was organised by a coalition of non-government organisations, including Bantah TPPA and the People's Congress (KR). Protest signs at the rally showed that people are especially concerned by the impact the TPP will have on the affordability and accessibility of medication.

Shenhua coal production in decline

China Shenhua Energy reported an 18% decline in coal sales in 2015. Shenhua鈥檚 internal coal production was down 8.4% 鈥 with a further 10% drop in sales from third-party providers. Its coal imports fell to almost nothing, reflecting an overall trend in which China鈥檚 total coal imports were down 30%. Shenhua still says it is committed to the $1 billion Watermark coal project in the Liverpool Plains of New South Wales, but the project now appears to lack financial backers.

Socialist candidate says 'expand public housing, not sell it off'

The New South Wales Baird government has announced an historic decision to privatise public housing. In a $22 billion bonanza for the government's property developer mates, public housing estates will be torn down and rebuilt into places where private tenants and homeowners outnumber social housing tenants by 70% to 30%. NSW Coalition Minister for Social Housing Brad Hazzard announced the state government's "Future Directions for Social Housing" policy. It includes the transfer of 35% of public housing to community housing organisations.

A people's history of colonial Malaya

PKMM rally, 1946. Radicals: Resistance & Protest in Colonial Malaya By Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied Northern Illinois University Press (NUI), 2015 228 pages On a night in 2010, a crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the demolition of a 300 metre wall of the century-old Purdu prison in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia鈥檚 capital.

Behind the corporate takeover of Australian agricultural land and farms

As the demand for Australian farm products skyrockets in Asia, corporate Australia is buying up drought-crippled but viable rural properties at bargain prices.

Diagnosing Donald Trump 鈥 poster boy for the 1%

Never Enough: Donald Trump & the Pursuit of Success Michael D鈥橝ntonio St Martin鈥檚 Press, 2015 389 pages What will the United States and the world be getting from 鈥淧resident Donald Trump鈥 if such a frightful prospect comes to pass? Michael D鈥橝ntonio鈥檚 biography of the Republican Party鈥檚 front-running presidential candidate gives us some clues 鈥 denial of global warming, vaccination, marriage equality and abortion; insults and worse for religious and ethnic minorities, and for women and the disabled; and a turbo-charged US imperial power.

Adani mega coalmine gains more approval

On December 15, the Queensland Land Court recommended the giant Adani-Carmichael open-cut coalmine be given the go-ahead in central Queensland subject to several conditions including the protection of the endangered Black Throated Finch. The hearing was prompted by a number of objections to the mine, including from the conservation group Land Services of Coast and Country.

Radicalism in Malaysia: past and present

From January 15 to 26, five Resistance: Young Socialist Alliance members participated in an exposure tour of Malaysia, hosted by the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM). Day 1: Arriving in Kuala Lumpur and Bersih rallies We arrived in Kuala Lumpur late on Friday evening and stayed in dormitories that served as a training facility for the Catholic Church. That night, PSM members told us about the Bersih rallies, which have been among the largest demonstrations to have taken place in Malaysia.

Dulux strikers paint a picture

A union picket line has been established against Dulux in Rocklea. The workers are fighting for two key elements: the payment of sick leave and for redundancy payouts to be uncapped. Currently redundancy payments are capped at 20 years, reducing the payout for workers who have worked for Dulux for upwards of 35 years. The issue arose when, in March last year, 60 redundancies were announced. This was later reduced to 40.

Australian perceptions of corruption grow

Perceptions of corruption in the Australian government and public sector increased in 2015 for the fourth year running. Transparency International鈥檚 annual index ranks Australia 13 globally for perceived openness, the country鈥檚 equal lowest ranking in the 20-year history of the index. A federal anti-corruption agency, strong anti-foreign bribery laws and political donations reform were required to help arrest the slide, the anti-corruption group said. Perceptions of corruption in the Australian government and public sector increased in 2015 for the fourth year running.

WestConnex: 'Bigger bottle, same neck'

In a move designed to restrict examination and comment, the NSW government released the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the New M5 in late November. The EIS was on public exhibition until January 29 鈥 virtually the whole summer holiday period. The New M5 is the second major tunnel section of WestConnex and will run between the existing M5 East at Kingsgrove and the new interchange at St Peters.

Australia dives in climate rankings

Yale鈥檚 environmental performance index has placed Australia so low in its rankings that only Saudi Arabia has a worse ranking among wealthy nations. The index ranks countries鈥 performance in protecting human health and ecosystems, and looks at nine areas including air quality, climate and energy, forests and water resources. Australia was ranked 150th out of 180 countries for its carbon emissions for electricity generation. Overall in the climate and energy category, Australia was ranked 82nd.