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Forest summit warns of new threats

Forest summit warns of new threats By Jim Green Fifty representatives from forest conservation groups around Australia concluded the 15th national forest summit in Victoria's East Gippsland on November 9. The summit warned that forests face

What does 'no' mean?

By Sean Healy The republic was crushingly defeated on November 6; 55% of the electorate voted "no", and not a single state approved it. The preamble was rejected by 61% of voters. The biggest losers are the "official", minimalist republicans —

Building unions stake their claim

Building unions stake their claim By Michael Bull MELBOURNE — An alliance of four Victorian unions has launched a united claim for a new collective agreement for the building industry. The Victorian branches of the construction and general

Win for pay equity in Canada

Win for pay equity in Canada By Margaret Allum In a monumental victory for women's rights, the Canadian government agreed on October 29 to implement the July 1998 findings of a human rights tribunal which ruled that there existed a discrepancy in

Big money and the media — opinions for hire

By Natalie Zirngast The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) inquiry into the "cash for comments" scandal involving 2UE's shock jocks John Laws and Alan Jones has the rest of the Australian media running scared. Alan Kohler commented in the

UN again demands US end its embargo against Cuba

UN again demands US end its embargo against Cuba The United Nations General Assembly on November 9 overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution, for the eighth successive year, calling for an end to the 40-year-old US economic embargo against Cuba. The

Bad medicine

Bad medicine By Karl Miller I accidentally caught the last segment of Good Medicine, on Channel Nine at 8.30pm Wednesday night. It was one of those times you are so horrified you can't stop watching. Those 10 minutes were a segment on breast

The dictatorship of US$ and Wall Street

The dictatorship of US$ and Wall Street The Global Gamble: Washington's Faustian Bid for World DominanceBy Peter GowanVerso, 1999320 pp., $39.95 Review by Eva Cheng Guns and tanks are usually very visible, but those who control the world also do

Zimbabwe doctors win, nurses strike

Zimbabwe doctors win, nurses strike By Norm Dixon Nurses in several Zimbabwean cities went on strike on November 9 to demand a pay increase, three days after doctors ended their seven-week strike in protest at low salaries, poor working

East Timor benefit

East Timor benefit CANBERRA — On November 6, Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET) and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union organised a benefit for East Timor at the University of Canberra bar. The folk-rock

Loose cannons

Royal plural "Our industry is intensely competitive and innovative." — Bill Gates after a US court ruled that his Microsoft has a software monopoly that harms consumers and "quashes innovation". Political talent "We are trying not to

Pro-choice doctors threatened

By Robyn Marshall BRISBANE — United States doctor Warren Hern was detained and questioned by immigration authorities for two hours at Sydney airport on November 10. Hern, a supporter of women's right to choose abortion, was in Australia to attend