US President Donald Trump told the media on August 10 that he would not 鈥渞ule out 鈥渕ilitary options鈥 for dealing with Venezuela. His comments were followed by the imposition of economic sanctions against Venezuela on August 25.
Labeling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a "dictator", the White House said in a statement that the new sanctions seek to block "a critical source of funding" for the Venezuelan government, which is having to deal with a deep economic crisis.
There has been a lot of media focus on Venezuela鈥檚 recently inaugurated National Constituent Assembly (ANC). However, little attention has been paid to the response it has generated among grassroots organisations or the variety of proposals being discussed in communities in terms of potential constitutional changes.
The threat by US President Donald Trump to unleash nuclear war against North Korea is not a Trumpian 鈥渆xcess鈥.
That has been made clear by his Secretary of Defense, retired Marine General James Mattis, who backed Trump. The administration is demanding that North Korea freeze its nuclear program, including the testing of missiles.
础叠颁鈥檚 Four Corners recent report 鈥淭rashed: The dirty truth about your rubbish鈥 highlighted a crisis in Australia鈥檚 recycling and waste disposal. The report implicated local councils, the Environmental Protection Agency and state and federal governments in the dodgy but highly profitable illegal dumping industry.
Companies built around the core business of illegal dumping are making millions of dollars in profits while local councils are losing thousands of dollars in waste levies.
Many commentators in the US and elsewhere have poured cold water on the idea there could be a short term war between the US and North Korea.
The Guardian said on August 9: 鈥淏ut despite two unpredictable nuclear-armed leaders trading barbs, most observers believe the possibility of conflict remains remote, with the North Korean leadership using its nuclear program as a bargaining chip rather than an offensive weapon.鈥
After more than six months camped outside the Reserve Bank building in Martin Place, and following months of negotiations between the state government and the City of Sydney Council, the homeless occupants of Sydney鈥檚 tent city began packing up their belongings on August 11.
The man often called the 鈥淢ayor of Martin Place鈥, Lanz Priestley, said some camp dwellers were moving to 鈥渇riend鈥檚 places鈥 or 鈥渇riend鈥檚 backyards鈥, but some 鈥渄on鈥檛 have anywhere to go鈥.
More than 100 people attended public forums discussing the crisis in Venezuela and the need for solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution against the threat of violent right-wing opposition in Geelong and Melbourne on July 28 and 29.
Flanked by military commanders, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was in the nation鈥檚 second-largest city, Mosul, on July 10 to announce the city鈥檚 liberation from ISIS.
An end to the three-year-long rule by the extremely violent and authoritarian terrorist group is obviously good news for the city's residents. But it seems unlikely the group鈥檚 defeat will mean an end to their suffering, which began long before ISIS captured the city in June 2014.
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has raised strong objections to moves by the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) to impose severe restrictions on public sector workers' personal use of social media. "It is completely unreasonable for a worker to face disciplinary action over a private email or something as benign as 'liking' a social media post," said on August 7.
Locals took to the streets of Penrith on August 5 to rally against a controversial plan by Dial A Dump and its director Ian Malouf to build a waste-to-energy incinerator at Eastern Creek, in Sydney鈥檚 west.
The rally marched to the electorate office of Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres. It was timed to coincide with an Upper House inquiry into energy-from-waste technology due to begin on August 7.聽
I know exactly where I was on August 9, 2007. It was a hot summer鈥檚 day 鈥 鈥渄ebtonation day鈥.
Bankers all over the world had lost their collective nerve and refused to lend to each other. The globally synchronised financial system froze, and began its descent into sustained failure. It then took more than a year, and Lehman Brothers鈥 collapse, before the world understood the gravity of the crisis.
Ten years on, that slow-motion crisis, a prolonged period of disinflation, noflation and deflation, is still playing out.
More than 300 unionists and local residents protested outside the electorate office of Liberal MP for Drummoyne John Sidoti on August 4.
Chanting 鈥淛ohn Sidoti鈥檚 got to go!鈥 and waving placards opposing the NSW government鈥檚 planned privatisation of public buses in the Inner West, the protest elicited much support from passing motorists and pedestrians. There was no response, however, from Sidoti鈥檚 office.
Flags from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU), Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) and the Australian Services Union (ASU) were prominent.