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Loose cannons

Negligible difference "There would be little difference for businesses between a Labour and Tory government, says Richard Branson. Asked which party would be better for business, the Virgin tycoon said: 'Arguably, it doesn't matter.' He told the

Iraq's challenge to the US empire

Rohan Pearce No sooner had the Twin Towers come down on 9/11 than the coterie of neoconservatives in President George Bush's administration sought to use the terrorist attacks as justification for a US invasion of Iraq. The aim wasn't to liberate

Abortion: 'As early as possible, as late as necessary'

Nicole Hilder, Melbourne On April 20, the same day that the media reported Coalition Senator Ron Boswell's intention to introduce a private member's bill into parliament restricting women's access to abortion, the Socialist Alliance held a

SHOCKFACTS: Prisons

Australia's prison population increased by 3% last year, with an average of 23,816 people behind bars at any one time. Tasmania recorded a 17% jump in incarcerations last year. The Northern Territory has the highest incarceration rate: In 2004,

COLOMBIA: US drug smugglers protected by military

On April 7, Washington's ambassador in Bogota explained that the US would not extradite US soldiers caught smuggling cocaine in Colombian territory, because they had "diplomatic immunity". The envoy, fending off Colombian parliamentarians' calls for

I wanna go to Venezuela

Land to the poor, schools to the youngDentists for them all so smiles beamat victory stories talked and revolt stories sungword on the street is the gifts are as they've seen Factories to the workers, bold in their new hourunions taking heart at

On the box

Sir! No Sir — The story of how US GIs, in their thousands, created a widespread, unprecedented movement against the war in Vietnam. Through demonstrations, underground newspapers, combat refusals and more, US GIs altered the course of the Vietnam