The National Day of Action against Youth Incarceration on October 11 was marked by a protest rally and march, which also blocked a CBD intersection.
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The second MP to speak in the House of Representatives debate on Australian military intervention in Afghanistan 鈥 a debate held nine years after the intervention began 鈥 was the newly elected independent Member for Denison (Tasmania) Andrew Wilkie.
On October 19, at exactly 3.30pm, the Lib-Lab politicians suddenly went from smirk to sombre as the Afghanistan 鈥渄ebate鈥 finally started 鈥 nine years too late.
On October 19, Sydney Stop The War Coalition activist Marlene Obeid was dragged out of the parliamentary public gallery as Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that Australian troops would be "engaged in Afghanistan at least for the rest of this decade".
The following call was issued by Canadian-based non-government organisations, community groups and individuals to join the growing global movement for climate justice. It calls for mobilising in the lead-up and during the United Nations climate summit in Cancun, Mexico, over November 27-December 10.
Australia鈥檚 big banks would like you to think they care about climate change and the environment. But don鈥檛 believe them.
A new report by Greenpeace Australia has revealed the 鈥渂ig four鈥 鈥 Westpac, ANZ, Commonwealth and NAB 鈥 are investing billions of dollars in Australia鈥檚 dirty coal boom.
Burning coal for energy is Australia鈥檚 single biggest contributor to climate change, making more than a third of the country鈥檚 greenhouse gas pollution. Australia is also the world鈥檚 biggest coal exporter 鈥 and the export trade is growing fast.
Coasting on the back of environmental protests and a hemorrhaging two-party system, the German Greens have sent shock waves through German politics, surging into the position of main opposition party for the first time.
The Greens, who were part of a coalition government with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) from 1998-2005 at the expense of many of the party鈥檚 principles, are benefiting from the unraveling of Germany鈥檚 traditional two-party system.
Workers and students mobilised in their millions on October 12 in the fourth and largest day of action in the past month against laws that will reduce workers鈥 pension entitlements.
The protests and strikes came as the Senate passed aspects of the pension bill that will see an increase in the retirement age from 60 to 62 years of age and increase the period of time workers must work to receive a full pension.
The protests show growing polarisation over who should pay the price for the economic crisis in the lead up to national strikes on October 16 and 19.
About 40 people attended the launch of a No New Coal campaign by Safe Climate Perth on October 10. The launch took place as part of the 350.org 鈥済lobal work party鈥 鈥 an international day of action involving more than 7000 events around the world.
As part of the campaign, activists aim to get 10,000 signatures in 10 weeks on a petition opposing new coal developments in Western Australian.
BP abolishes safety ombudsman
鈥淏P is disbanding the external safety ombudsman it set up after a fatal explosion at a company refinery in Texas in 2005 despite a growing number of concerns raised by the oil company鈥檚 employees.
鈥淢ore than half the issues raised since the office was established in 2006 relate to BP鈥檚 operations in Alaska.
鈥淏P said it would not extend the office鈥檚 tenure beyond June.
鈥淭he move comes less than a fortnight after the company announced it was setting up a new internal safety function, led by its head of safety and operations, Mark Bly.
The rescue of 33 miners in Chile on October 14 is an extraordinary drama filled with pathos and heroism. It is also a media windfall for the Chilean government, whose every beneficence is recorded by a forest of cameras.
One cannot fail to be impressed. However, like all great media events, it is a facade.
The accident that trapped the miners is not unusual in Chile and the inevitable consequence of a ruthless economic system that has barely changed since the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.
On his TV show Alo Presidente on October 3, Venezuela鈥檚 President Hugo Chavez drove tractors and inspected corn crops as he pledged to accelerate land reform and increase the government鈥檚 share of food production and distribution.
Chavez announced the nationalisation of the agricultural supplies company Agroislena and the Venezuelan properties of the British Vestey Group.
The show took place in Guarico state, where Chavez鈥檚 United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) won most of the state seats in the September 26 National Assembly elections.
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