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New international push against nuclear weapons, but nuclear states resisting

Nuclear weapons are in the news again, for all the wrong reasons. But the adoption of a new United Nations treaty could kickstart a re-energised effort to abolish these expensive, dangerous and immoral weapons.

On July 7, the UN General Assembly adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the nuclear ban treaty. It was voted in by 122 countries, with only one country voting against.

However, all nine nuclear weapon states, and most nuclear umbrella states, failed to attend the treaty negotiations and boycotted the vote.

Queensland government鈥檚 secret deal with Adani

Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk鈥檚 2015 election commitments to transparent decision making, no 鈥渟ecret deals鈥 and that the Adani project must 鈥渟tand alone on its feet ... on the economics of the project itself鈥 have been challenged by documents released under a Right to Information request.

Why Venezuela needs our solidarity

Opposition groups in Venezuela are currently engaged in a campaign to overthrow the democratically-elected government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Portrayed by the media as a peaceful, democratic movement, it is clear that what Venezuela is experiencing is a right-wing destabilisation campaign that not only seeks to remove Maduro but to roll back the important gains of the country鈥檚 Bolivarian Revolution.

EU court removes Tamil Tigers from 鈥榯errorist鈥 list

The Court of Justice of the European Union issued a ruling on July 26 that confirmed an earlier General Court decision removing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from the EU's list of "terrorist organisations".

The LTTE was an armed organisation fighting for an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east of the island of Sri Lanka. It was formed in response to decades of discrimination and repression against the Tamil minority by the Sri Lankan government.

More nails in the coffin of the electricity market?

In Australia, the National Electricity Market is rapidly becoming dysfunctional, with power shortages, blackouts and soaring prices making headlines.

Private companies are refusing to invest in new fossil fuel generators to replace those that have closed. This 鈥渋nvestment strike鈥 is due partly to uncertainty about carbon pricing and partly to increasingly volatile spot prices received by generators.

United States: The ugly reason Trump cheered cop violence

Appearing before a backdrop of smiling uniformed police officers on July 28,聽US President 聽toward people they arrest in a speech given at Suffolk County Community College on New York鈥檚 Long Island.

Morocco: The Rif protest movement spreads

Popular mobilisation in the Rif region in Morocco鈥檚 north have continued and spread to several of the North African country鈥檚 towns, despite repression by security forces and the regime's attempts to discredit the movement.

Meanwhile, several thousand police officers have been sent to Al Hoceima to stop the demonstrations.

Turkey to ban use of 'Kurdistan', 'Kurdish city' and 'Armenian genocide' in parliament

The Turkish government has proposed a new law which will ban the use of the words and terms聽鈥淜urdistan鈥, 鈥淜urdish city/cities鈥 and 鈥淎rmenian Genocide鈥 in parliament.

Parliamentarians who use these words or terms will be fined 12,000 Turkish liras (about $4500) and be banned from participating in three聽sessions in the Grand Assembly.

Carrying placards, which opposition parties often do to criticise the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, will also be banned.

India: Unions, civil society oppose secret trade talks

As the 19th round of trade negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) took place in Hyderabad, India from 17-28 July, trade unions and civil society groups in the country have joined forces to voice concerns over the trade deal, and called for more transparency.聽

RCEP is a proposed mega regional free trade agreement (FTA) being negotiated by 16 countries, including ASEAN members and its six FTA partners 鈥 namely India, China, Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

Inequality and the 'politics of envy'

Federal Treasurer , and accuses Labor of pursuing a dishonest campaign based on the "politics of envy". Morrison claims Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's statement that inequality has reached a 75-year high is a "lie".

Russian Revolution: 鈥榃orkers and soldiers 鈥 Everything is working in our favour鈥

One hundred years ago in the aftermath of defeat of the July 16-20 [3-7 in New Style] protest movement by workers and soldiers, the Bolsheviks responded to the 鈥淛uly Days鈥 setback by calling on the people to ignore provocations and expose rightist slander.

The wave of protests was repelled by military and police attacks, with hundreds of casualties, on the orders of the Provisional Government 鈥 the capitalist government that came to power after the February Revolution overthrew the Tsar and which was supported by the moderate socialists.

It was a key phase in the storm that swept Russia during 1917. This storm culminated in the October Revolution when, led by the Bolsheviks, the soviets (councils) of workers, soldiers and peasants took power, overthrowing the Provisional Government.

Commonwealth Bank under fire from anti-Adani protesters

Stop Adani activists organised simultaneous protests at two branches of the Commonwealth Bank in Perth鈥檚 central business district on July 28, to highlight growing opposition to the CBA鈥檚 involvement with the Adani coalmine.

Activists rallied outside the bank鈥檚 main branch in the Murray Street mall and also occupied the Hay Street branch a block away.

The rally featured a human coal train chugging through the gathering, pulling carriages emblazoned with 鈥淪TOP funding dirty coal STOP ADANI鈥. The bank reacted by locking its doors.