614

Religious right pushes abortion debate

Lara Pullin Women's access to abortion is back on the political agenda as the religious right attempts to whip up controversy. But the anti-abortion forces may have misjudged the amount of support that a woman's right to choose has throughout the

BRAZIL: Manifesto for action raises controversy

Federico Fuentes A manifesto proposed by 19 intellectuals created a stir at this year's World Social Forum. The 12-point platform of proposals is designed to make concrete the slogan "Another World is Possible". Circulated in order to gain the

The Habib injustice - a threat to us all

Sarah Stephen &Aaron Benedek, Sydney Consider this scenario: an Australian citizen travels to another country, is kidnapped by the military of a third country, receives absolutely no assistance from the Australian government, is imprisoned for

Doomadgee family: 'inquiry will be a whitewash'

Dave Riley, Brisbane With the coronial inquiry still pending into the November death-in-custody of Cameron Doomadgee, the Queensland government and its police force have been able to avoid taking responsibility for the death. The inquest will

Write on: Letters to the editor

Israeli-Palestinian conflict Rachel Freeman (Write On, GLW #612) perceives the Israeli-Palestinian confrontations from a Zionist perspective whereas Kim Bullimore and Doug Lorimer see it from a Marxist standpoint. Freeman stresses the different

SUDAN: Western oil greed trumps 'genocide' concerns

Norm Dixon After four months of virtual silence and tens of thousands more deaths, the January 31 release of the report of the United Nations International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur has prodded US spokespeople into repeating the charge that

This week in history

January 10 1879: Ned Kelly's Jerilderie letter recounting his reasons for revolt is published. 2000: Blockades temporarily halt logging on the Errinundra Plateau, Gippsland. 1932: CNT general strike in Spain leads to insurrection. 1990: 800

Black sisters singing up a storm

The SapphiresBy Tony BriggsBelvoir Street Theatre, SydneyUntil February 20 REVIEW BY BRENDAN DOYLE Was it because of the tsunami and the sombre mood we've all had to get used to lately? In any case, the Sunday afternoon audience was really pumped

NICARAGUA: Constitutional crisis threatens

The scheduled beginning of the school year in Nicaragua came and went without schools opening. The strike begun on February 2 by 80% of Nicaragua's 35,000 teachers is just one example of a growing political crisis. The teachers were demanding the

BRAZIL: Chavez wows WSF

Federico Fuentes The spirit of two familiar figures, one old and one new, dominated this year's World Social Forum. The old was the ever-present Che Guevara whose spirit not only lives on in the form of his images plastered across buildings and

TAHITI: Taui at the crossroads

Lorenz Gonschor, Honolulu On February 13, voters in Tahiti will once more go to the polls, less than a year after the last general elections on May 23, 2004. Even though this upcoming assembly election is only called a "by-election", it will be

Stop stealing East Timor's oil

Jon Lamb A 30-second television advertisement screened on January 26 during the Australian Open tennis tournament has returned to the limelight the theft of East Timor's oil and gas resources by PM John Howard's Coalition government. At prime time