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INDIA: Grassroots organisers shot dead

Eva Cheng Just after midnight on August 18, five grassroots organisers of the Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist (Liberation), retired after yet another busy day in the party's Paliganj local office, near Patna, the capital city of the

Jack McPhillips, communist and trade unionist

Jim McIlroy Leslie John (Jack) McPhillips, a long-time leader of the Communist Party of Australia and trade union official, died last month, aged 94. Jack was one of the early generation of CPA union officials, who were prominent in the union

Free Craig Johnston campaign sets up in Sydney

Jenny Long, Sydney At a September 2 meeting to set up a campaign to free jailed Victorian union militant Craig Johnston, around 25 activists made plans for a protest against the Victorian government, which successfully pushed for Johnston's

Unionists condemn decision

On September 3, the Craig Johnston Trade Union Support Committee was formed and issued a statement saying that no trade unionist should be imprisoned for taking part in an industrial dispute. The committee is calling for the immediate release of

CDU staff ready for action

Jon Lamb, Darwin On September 2, a cross-union meeting of academic and general staff at Charles Darwin University voted not to accept the university's offer of a 10% wage rise, and discussed taking industrial action. Up to 1500 staff members may

Support grows for 'End the lies' rallies

Iggy Kim, Sydney "Truth" and "lies" (and "rodents") are fast becoming hackneyed election buzz words. But the national "End the lies" rallies being held on the weekend before the elections will put back some of the real content. Since the election

Johnston: locked up for defending his class

The August 27 Court of Appeal decision to jail militant unionist Craig Johnston is a sharp illustration of the class prejudices of Australia's legal system. While Johnston is locked up because of property damage sustained during an industrial

SUDAN: US sanctions threat aimed at oil access

Norm Dixon On August 30, United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan reported to the Security Council's 15 members that, despite a failure to meet "some of the core commitments it has made", the government of Sudan had made "some progress" in

'Dump the nuclear industry - not the waste'

On August 18, Northern Territory Chief Minister Clare Martin introduced a bill designed to prevent the federal government from constructing a nuclear dump in the Northern Territory. While applauding her move, candidates from the Greens and the

A people unbowed

Travels in American IraqBy John Martinkus Black Inc books, 2004224 pages, $24.95 pb REVIEW BY ANNA SAMSON Smart bombs. Guided missiles. Minimal collateral damage. Attacks on high-value targets. All phrases designed to give the impression that

Hedley Marston and the atomic tests in Australia

Silent StormSBSSeptember 9, 8.30pm REVIEW BY JIM GREEN Silent Storm tells the fascinating story of CSIRO scientist Hedley Marston and his battle to alert the Australian public about radioactive contamination from the British atomic tests carried

In brief

UNITED STATES: DOJ drops subpoena on ISP worker On September 1, the US Department of Justice abandoned an attempt to subpoena Nicholas Merrill, a worker at Calyx Internet Access, the internet service provider for New York City's Indymedia website,