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A motion put to the annual shareholders meeting of Caterpillar industries to "re-evaluate selling bulldozers to the Israeli army" was defeated, garnering 3% of the vote (representing US$600 million share holdings), on April 13. Caterpillar bulldozers
Sarah Stephen The callous mistreatment of the children of asylum seekers and immigrants without valid visas by the immigration department (DIMIA) is something not widely known. Yet in early March it became part of wider public discussion after
Tara Guinness, Sydney Red balloons filled the streets on April 10 as 150 refugee-rights protesters marched to the Villawood detention centre. The rally, organised by the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC), was called after police popped balloons
On April 8, the British government decided to deny visas to all 18- to 30-year-old Nigerians who have not visited the country before and have not been accepted to study in Britain. Last year, 60,000 Nigerians in that age group were granted visas.
Two men, one an Australian citizen, were sentenced two years' imprisonment by a Fijian court on April 6, for engaging in "unnatural offences" and "indecent practice between two males". The men had made a video featuring gay sex. Homosexuality is
On April 11, Botswana's parliament debated a bill to scrap the constitutional clause that allows restrictions to the free movement of the general public in order to protect the indigenous Bushmen people of the Kalahari. The Bushmen are currently
At last at the Pearly Gates John Howard stood,St Peter with steely eyes looked at him good.He said, you've a bloody cheek comin' up here,With your fibs and no sorries and your campaigns of fear. Your "kids overboard" made us all feel quite
Kathy Newnam, Darwin The fight to expose the truth about the death in custody of Douglas Scott reached the NT Supreme Court on April 11 in a compensation case. Douglas' widow Letty and son Nathan brought the case against three NT prison officers,
Days after parliament rejected a Labour government bill to introduce identity cards for all citizens, Home Secretary Charles Clarke has authorised mandatory fingerprinting of new passport applicants to be introduced from next year. The passport
On April 9, Jose Bayardi, the Uruguayan defence minister, told a press conference that Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Brazil were considering withdrawing from the United Nations Mission for the Stabilization of Haiti, the multinational force backing
Karen Thorpe & Tim Stewart, Brisbane "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere", Aboriginal rights activist Murrandoo Yanner told a cheering 200-strong crowd at the Inala Community Centre on April 14. The meeting was organised by the
Brian Stephens, Harare "We're in it to win", read the giant banner hanging off the headquarters of the Movement for Democratic Change in Harare during Zimbabwe's general elections. The opposition MDC's 41 seats were mainly won in the major cities