Wasn鈥檛 it somewhere in Switzerland where a mad scheme was hatched to join disparate parts together to create a new composite monster?
In Mary Shelley鈥檚 1818 gothic novel, the resulting creature has become popularly known as Frankenstein (actually the name of the monster鈥檚 creator). Today another Swiss monster has come into being: Frankencorp (a.k.a. 鈥淕lenstrata鈥).
Swiss-based Glencore, the world鈥檚 largest commodities trading firm, and Swiss-based Xstrata, one of the largest mining companies, merged after shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favour on November 20.
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Israel's latest attack on Gaza killed about 32 times more Palestinians than Israelis killed by Palestinian rockets. But few who followed mainstream media reports would realise this fact.
When the ceasefire was announced on November 21, 161 Palestinians and five Israelis had been killed in the attacks, CBSnews.com said. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said that by November 20, 66% of Palestinians killed were civilians. Of the more than 900 Palestinians injured, 97% were civilians.
As soon as Israel attacked Gaza in its 鈥淥peration Pillar of Defence鈥, it was clear the context in which its war was launched was very different from 鈥淥peration Cast Lead鈥 in 2008-09.
The shift in regional context is largely due to the Arab Spring, which has shaken the Middle East. The most concerning development from Israel's point of view was Egypt's January 25 revolution, which overthrew US- and Israel-backed dictator Hosni Mubarak last year.
BHP used to be called 鈥淭he Big Australian鈥. It is now BHP Billiton 鈥 a global corporation, the largest mining company in the world and the largest Australian headquartered corporation by market capitalisation.
Its CEO Marius Kloppers is described as being one of "the top 20 most powerful people in business worldwide".
Socialist Alternative has sparked a debate about whether socialists should be involved in feminist campaigns in an article published on its website on November 22 .听
The federal government has begun 鈥渢rials鈥 of a controversial new plan for compulsory income management in five places around Australia. This policy began in the Northern Territory as part of the "NT intervention" in 2007, but is now expanding into other states and territories.
About 300 people rallied in Melbourne on November 24 to oppose the ongoing harassment of Fertility Control Clinic patients and staff by Christian fanatics.
The rally was organised by Melbourne Feminist Action (MFA), a new initiative campaigning for women's rights.
Even though Victorian women won the legal right to abortion in 2008, access remains difficult for many women. The clinic is picketed daily and anti-abortion crusaders march once a month after mass at St Patrick鈥檚 Cathedral to the clinic.
Calls for greater transparency for the Victorian legal system have been issued after it was revealed a聽16-year-old Aboriginal boy was locked in聽solitary confinement for almost four months in an adult prison.
Following an escape attempt from Parkville Youth Justice Precinct in July, the boy was transferred to Port Phillip Prison. He was held in a cell for 22 hours a day, and allowed only two hours in the exercise yard while handcuffed.
The treatment is in breach of the Victorian Human Rights Charter.
The Western Australian government granted final approval to the Woodside gas hub at James Price Point, near Broome on November 19.
The statement below was released by the Broome Community No Gas Campaign on November 19.
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Over 200 people gathered on Cable Beach on November 18 and unfurled a banner calling for governments at all levels to 鈥淧rotect the Kimberley鈥. The banner聽came from the John Butler Concert for the Kimberley held recently at Federation Square, Melbourne.
Britain is a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. But despite its international legal obligations as signatory to this and other human rights conventions, the reception granted to those knocking on Britain鈥檚 door in hope of protection is far from welcoming or humane.
In fact, Britain appears to be doing everything in its power to keep its doors tightly closed to those often referred to as 鈥渟croungers,鈥 鈥渢errorists,鈥 鈥渆conomic migrants,鈥 or other 鈥渂ogus鈥 refugees hiding behind a smokescreen of asylum 鈥 adding deadbolts by the day.
This statement was released by the Sydney Refugee Action Coalition on November 24.
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Nauru asylum seekers have renewed their hunger strike protest after rejecting the Nauru Foreign Minister鈥檚 proposal to begin initial interviews for the asylum seekers. More than 40 people in the last two days have joined the hunger strike from all the nationalities represented on Nauru 鈥 Iranian, Iraqi, Pakistani, Afghan and Sri Lankan.听
In the dead of night on November 22, 100 containers of concentrated rare earth ore mined in Western Australia began to be transported, under heavy police escort, through the port of Kuantan to a new refinery built by Australian company Lynas.
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