Campaigners for Scottish independence have received another boost as a branch of the public sector trade union Unison sided 鈥減ositively with the Yes side鈥 in a debate on Scotland's September 18 referendum on whether to remain part of Britain.
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Before Hugo Chavez became president of Venezuela in 1999, the barrios of Caracas, built provisionally on the hills surrounding the capital, did not even appear on the city map.
Officially they did not exist, so neither the city nor the state maintained their infrastructure. The poor inhabitants of these neighbourhoods obtained water and electricity by tapping pipes and cables themselves. They lacked access to services such as garbage collection, health care and education.
During the six years of economic crisis in Europe, its elites have not just attacked the living standards of workers, unemployed and poor. They鈥檝e also been engaged in a three-and-a-half year scrap among themselves.
Their fight is over a financial transactions tax (FTT), first mooted by the European Commission (EC) in October 2010 for all 28 members states of the European Union. It was finally agreed to in January last year by 11 Eurozone members 鈥 Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia (the 鈥淓U11鈥).
Aims
The project is called 鈥淭he Different Europe with Alexis Tsipras鈥. It name is written on a red background. Predictions indicate it could surpass, maybe easily, the 4% electoral threshold needed to win seats in the coming European elections.
In 2009, this threshold prevented both left lists, the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) and the Left Ecology Freedom (SEL), both of which received only a little more than 3%, from winning seats.
This new project, however, is not a mere electoral coalition set up to clear this hurdle. In its foundation and structure it is something very different.
A four-day sit-in by brick kiln workers in Lahore in late April ended after successful negotiations held with the labour minister over their demand of implementation of a minimum rate of 740 rupee (about $8.1) per thousand bricks. Workers from all over the Punjab took part in this sit-in.
After daily threats by government and police, the labour minster finally agreed to negotiate with leaders of the workers. Brick kiln workers are among the most exploited in Pakistan. There is widespread use of child labour and debt bondage 鈥 both against the law in Pakistan.
The Wilderness Society released this statement on April 19.
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BP, the company responsible for the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, plan to start deep sea drilling for oil and gas in waters in the Great Australian Bight off South Australia as early as 2015.
The Wilderness Society Campaigner Kathryn Warhurst said: 鈥淏P wants to drill in waters off South Australia that are far rougher, and far more remote than the Gulf of Mexico. That disaster was in 1.5 kilometres of water, here BP could be drilling in waters far deeper.
A national gathering of Aboriginal people is planned to coincide with the G20 in Brisbane later this year. The overall purpose of this gathering will be to reignite the push for self-determination and decolonisation.
Leaders of the world鈥檚 most powerful nations, from [US president] Barack Obama to [Russian president] Vladimir Putin, will converge on the Queensland state capital in November. The summit will take place from November 15-16 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in South Bank.
Call it reckless, short-sighted or just 鈥減lane stupid鈥, but the federal government鈥檚 decision to press ahead with a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek defies logic.
Along with the noise pollution it will inflict on western Sydney, the airport will spawn a huge amount of extra carbon pollution 鈥 something we cannot afford in an age of dangerous climate change.
In his May Day speech at a large rally in Caracas, President Nicolas Maduro announced the extension of social programs and benefits to workers and the population in general. The opposition held its own march to criticise the state of the economy.
Some of Maduo's announcements to thousands of workers included: a new fund to protect and increase the value of workers鈥 social security savings, the extension of social programs to workplaces, and the introduction of free wifi in many public parks and urban spaces.
A new book exposing the reality of the Nauru detention centre was launched in Melbourne of April 28.
The Undesirables, written by former Salvation Army worker Mark Isaacs, details what he witnessed while stationed at the camp.
Isaacs said: 鈥淲hen we first went to the camp 鈥 it was purposely disorganised, supposedly to meet these men鈥檚 needs. When the government sent several hundreds of people to Nauru, we expected it to be ready.鈥
On my wall in London is my favourite photograph from South Africa. Always thrilling to behold, it is Paul Weinberg's image of a lone woman standing between two armoured vehicles, the infamous 鈥渉ippos鈥, as they rolled into Soweto. Her arms are raised, fists clenched, her thin body both beckoning and defiant of the enemy.
Long-time Socialist Alliance member Zoltan Torrey 鈥 a gentle, thoughtful, uplifting and inspiring man 鈥 died suddenly at home on January 16.
He wrote two extraordinary books. Out of Darkness is his memoir. He describes his youth in Hungary when it was occupied by Nazi Germany, and his arrival in Australia post World War II.
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