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Philippines: Duterte imposes martial law in new authoritarian step

Filipino police and military forces in the small city of Marawi on the island of Mindanao attempted to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf criminal gang, on May 23. By the end of the day, President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 government had declared martial law throughout the island for 60 days and launched a military assault.

By June 2, that ongoing assault, including air strikes, had killed at least 160 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

This dramatic escalation represents the further slide of Duterte鈥檚 administration towards authoritarian rule and a betrayal of his election campaign promise to pursue a negotiated end to Mindanao鈥檚 multiple insurgencies.

Lasting solutions to sexual violence on campus require real student input

In March last year, I ended an 18-month relationship that had become a physical and emotional torment. Although more than a year has passed since then, the harsh reality is that I 鈥 like so many other women 鈥 have been harassed my whole life simply because I was born female.

In Year 5, I was a topic of conversation among my male classmates because I was the first girl in class to start wearing a training bra. They would snap my bra straps every chance they got.

Big banks' super fees rip-off exposed

Australia's four big banks plus AMP are ripping off the country's workers with huge fees charged on their superannuation investments, a recent study has revealed.

carried out by Rainmaker for Industry Super Australia, a mainly union-backed body, shows that the retail super funds, largely operated by the big banks, absorb about half of all fees charged in the superannuation system, despite holding only 29% of retirement savings.

Jobs under threat as banks react to new levy

What is it with ex-state premiers and the finance industry?

First, Anna Bligh took on the leadership of the Australian Bankers Association (ABA), then Mike Baird moved to NAB in a senior executive role, and now Nathan Rees has become the national assistant secretary of the Finance Sector Union.

鈥楲iar Liar鈥: Theresa May song makes number 10 鈥 in the charts

With less than two weeks until the June 8 general elections, a song about Tory leader Theresa May reached the Top 10 in the download chart. Yet the official chart shows on radio stations Capital FM and Heart have refused to play it.听

Performed by Captain Ska, 鈥溾 can be for 拢1 or less, with proceeds split between food banks and campaign group the People鈥檚 Assembly Against Austerity.

How corporate farming is making a new flu pandemic a real likelihood

A new influenza pandemic is quite possible, according to a study by researchers at the University of NSW鈥檚 School of Public Health. The study notes that 19 different influenza strains have affected humans in the last 100 years, but the speed with which new strains have emerged has increased over the past 15 years. There have been seven new strains in the past five years alone.

Police massacre at protest camp leaves 10 dead, media ignores it because it happened in Brazil not Venezuela

As security forces repressed anti-government protests in the capital, a military police operation to break up a protest camp left 10 civilians dead, with witnesses claiming they were killed execution-style.

None of this made it into the international media however, because it happened in Brazil, not Venezuela.

NSW CWA calls for ban on coal seam gas mining

The NSW Country Women鈥檚 Association passed a motion at its state conference on May 27 calling for a halt to any further 鈥渦nconventional gas exploration鈥 in NSW 鈥 a ban on coal seam gas. The motion was put by the Maules Creek branch.

It flies in the face of last week鈥檚 announcement by NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro that he wanted an expansion of the CSG industry, although not on the Liverpool Plains.

Brazil: 鈥楾emer鈥檚 coup government is finished鈥

Less than a year after being installed in power via a constitutional coup, the government of Brazilian President Michel Temer is teetering on the brink of collapse.

Plagued by corruption scandals 鈥 the same pretext used by the right-wing controlled judiciary and parliament to topple centre-left president Dilma Rousseff 鈥 and popularity figures in the single digits, the Temer regime is now facing a growing revolt from below demanding 鈥渄irect elections now!鈥

The Wollar three

鈥榃ollar Three鈥 test NSW anti-protest laws

Three protesters charged under a new section of the NSW Crimes Act have pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing in Mudgee on May 17.

The 鈥淲ollar Three鈥 are challenging the draconian new law aimed at criminalising those who protest at coal and gas mine sites. If convicted they could face a maximum penalty of seven years鈥 jail.

OAS hypocrisy has aggravated conflict in Venezuela

The Organisation of American States (OAS) and its current secretary general Luis Almagro has pursued policies that aggravate the current crisis in Venezuela.

Rather than providing a way to help mediate the bitter conflict in Venezuela, Almagro has joined one side.

The position of the OAS sadly reflects the longer history of the organisation.

Victoria apologises to Chinese community

Victoria鈥檚 Premier Daniel Andrews apologised on May 25 to the state鈥檚 Chinese community for the racism and unjust policies their ancestors endured during the gold rush era.