Is it possible to have a successful referendum when your country is effectively occupied by 10,000 police and paramilitaries with orders to stop it?
The holding of Catalonia鈥檚 October 1 referendum on independence shows it is: all you need is a mobilised people with a clear view of where they are going, Europe鈥檚 most powerful and persistent social movement to help guide them, and a government committed to carrying out its promises.
Last week a conceptual barrier carefully constructed by South Africa鈥檚 elites since 2015 was suddenly cracked at the University of the Witwatersrand Great Hall, by two of the country鈥檚 leading economic personalities: Pravin Gordhan, who served as a pro-business finance minister for seven years until being sacked in March, and super-consultant Iraj Abedian, who in 1996 co-authored the country鈥檚 post-apartheid structural adjustment programme. Two more solid bourgeois representatives would be hard to find.
France鈥檚 Council of Ministers approved five ordinances on September 22 that undermine union power and employment rights within France鈥檚 Labour Code, which came into effect the next day.
The government imposed these changes by using undemocratic measures in France鈥檚 constitution, which allows it to push new measures into law without passing legislation through parliament.
In the face of this, the movement against the changes continues to build.聽
Fluctuating poll results indicate that the imminent Queensland election is an open contest between the Annastacia Palaszczuk Labor government and the Liberal National Party (LNP) opposition. Strong campaigns by the Greens and One Nation could also see newcomers into the state parliament from both left and right.
Former Sydney Swans player, anti-racism campaigner and 2014 Australian of the Year Adam Goodes was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney on September 30. The Adnyamathanha and Narungga man was named a Doctor of Health Sciences (honoris causa) for his work in supporting the Indigenous community, his charity work, his community leadership and his sporting exploits.
Members of the National Political Council of the Revolutionary Alternative Forces of the Commons (FARC) rejected the threats and violence that have claimed the lives of 25 people since signing peace accords with the government last November.
鈥淪ince the signing of the peace agreement, five聽former combatants, nine聽militiamen and 11 relatives of members of the FARC have been murdered,鈥 the group said in a statement on October 2.
Tony Abbott cannot take a trick.
First, Abbott condemned the NRL for 鈥減oliticising鈥 sport 鈥 for having US hip hop performer Macklemore as its pre-show entertainment for the October 1 grand final. But far from the NRL backing down, all the ex-PM achieved was sending Macklemore鈥檚 2013 song in support of marriage equality 鈥淪ame Love鈥 to number 1 on iTunes 鈥 four years after it originally hit number 1 on the ARIA charts.
Workers at the Streets ice-cream factory in Minto are planning a boycott of Streets products 鈥 including the iconic Paddle Pop 鈥 if Unilever continues its efforts in the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to end their enterprise agreement.
In echoes of the case of Ms Dhu, a Noongar mother-of-five called police for help during a family violence incident, but they instead ran a background check on her. They found an outstanding warrant for $3900 in unpaid fines, relating to an unregistered dog in 2012. She was jailed for 14 days in lieu of payment.
The National Liberation Army (ELN) has announced a temporary and bilateral ceasefire with the Colombian government.
The group said the ceasefire, agreed to in September during peace talks in Quito, Ecuador, will be implemented from October 1 to January 9, 2018.
that the army take control of gas resources in states that have banned or limited unconventional gas mining shows the lengths to which the recalcitrant fossil fools will go to defend dirty energy corporations, which are under increasing fire as the national debate over energy security continues.聽
Puerto Rico is facing a huge humanitarian crisis after being hit by two super-strong hurricanes. It suffered a glancing blow by Irma and then a direct hit by Maria, both storms greatly strengthened by warmer ocean water caused by climate change.
The crisis is still unfolding weeks after Maria hit. The full picture and extent of the damage will not be known for some time.