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Trump鈥檚 gift to Mexico: A left-wing president?

Much has been made of US President Donald Trump鈥檚 potential impact on Mexico, but one critical story has been largely ignored in the Western media.

Coverage of Mexico in the Trump era has been dominated by speculation over the fate of the stumbling Mexican peso, the possibility of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) collapsing and, of course, the wall.

Meanwhile, a seismic shift is quietly taking place in Mexican politics: the right wing is the weakest it has been in generations, while the left is seeing a historic resurgence.

Bill Shorten wants to deport children

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor might be willing to support the deportation of children who commit crimes.

Australia does not currently deport minors.聽

But the Joint Standing Committee on Migration is examining the screening process when people are given Australian visas and聽support services when they arrive in Australia.

They are also looking into聽whether their visa can be revoked if child migrants join gangs.

Shorten said there may be merit in changing the law.

Five new books ecologists and socialists should look out for

A look at three important new books on the growing global environmental crisis and two that mark the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution.

Koala protection failing in Queensland

An interim report from the Koala Expert Panel, established by the state government after a catastrophic koala population crash in south-east Queensland last year, has offered little hope for the state鈥檚 faunal emblem.

Ana Tijoux: 鈥榃e need a new anti-capitalist feminism鈥

Chilean hip-hop artist Ana Tijoux has penned a forceful call to re-empower the concept of feminism. In it, she calls for 鈥渁nother feminism鈥 that is at the same time anti-patriarchal, anti-capitalist and anti-fascist.

Juvenile Justice Royal Commission protest

Dylan Voller joined a small crowd protesting against the conditions in NT detention centres as the Royal Commission into Juvenile Justice resumed hearings in Alice Springs on March 13.

Footage broadcast on the ABC showing Voller being tear-gassed, spit-hooded and shackled to a restraint chair prompted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to call the inquiry.

Speaking outside the commission, Voller said he wanted to support the other young people giving evidence.

CSIRO faces $30 million nuclear clean-up bill

The CSIRO will spend $29.7 million on a three-year project to conduct an assessment, separation and treatment of radioactive waste at a CSIRO facility located on Department of Defence land near Woomera, South Australia. The Woomera facility is one of Australia鈥檚 largest storage sites for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste.

Nile pushes for rights for foetuses 鈥 again

The misogynist Fred Nile has opportunistically seized the moment 鈥 provided by Tanya Davies, the new NSW 鈥減ro-life鈥 minister for women 鈥 to reintroduce a bill to give foetuses legal rights.

Nile, a NSW MLC, introduced the Crimes Amendment (Zoe鈥檚 Law) Bill 2017 on March 9. The wording is the same as his last attempt.

Nile first tried to push his anti-choice law in 2010. He managed to get it through the Legislative Assembly in 2013 (63 votes to 26) with Davies鈥 support.聽

What鈥檚 new on Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal

Among other things, Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal has recently published a wide-ranging interview with Kurdish activist Dilar Dirik on the role of women in the Kurdish struggle, the Rojava revolution unfolding in northern Syria and the rise of the Kurdish-led People鈥檚 Democratic Party in Turkey; and a number of new translations in the 鈥1917: The View from the Streets 鈥 Leaflets of the Russian Revolution鈥 series being co-ordinated by US historian Barbara Allen and Canadian socialist and Links collaborator John Riddell.

Japan: Anti-US base activists detained as historic resistance continues

Hiroji Yamashiro was arrested for cutting a wire fence at a protest against a US military base in Okinawa in October. He has been detained ever since.

Yamashiro, the chairman of the Okinawa Peace Movement Centre, has been a fixture of the non-violent opposition to US military base expansion on the island.

Public anger forces Powerhouse move backdown

Widespread community opposition has reportedly pushed the NSW Coalition government to prepare to back down on its plan to move the iconic Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo westward to Parramatta.

The Inner West Courier reported on March 7: "Well-placed sources revealed last week the government believes taking down the current Powerhouse and selling the land to developers is so unpopular that it has decided to can the move."

Opposition grows to NSW Land Titles Office sell-off

Opposition is growing to the NSW Coalition government鈥檚 move to privatise the state-owned land registry, the Land and Property Information office (LPI). Sources inside the LPI are increasingly alarmed at the government鈥檚 rush to sell the office as community concern mounts against the sale itself.