On Saturday April 3, a fully laden bulk carrier ran aground on Douglas Shoal off Rockhampton, Queensland, producing an oil spill threatening the Great Barrier Reef. The Shen Neng 1, carrying about 65,000 tonnes of coal to China, leaked about two tonnes of oil onto the reef before being contained.
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The following was released on April 10 by the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), Working People's Association (PRP) of Indonesia, People鈥檚 Democratic Party (PRD) of Indonesia, Turn Left Thailand, Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) of the Philippines, Socialist Alliance of Australia
The federal Labor government announced a moratorium on processing claims for asylum for people coming from Sri Lanka or Afghanistan on April 9.
As the Liberal-National Coalition strives to make 鈥渂order control鈥 a vote-changing issue and the Rudd-ALP government continues to claim its approach is best at keeping the 鈥減eople smugglers鈥 and the 鈥渜ueue-jumpers鈥 under control, do we face the dark prospect of another refugee-bashing federal election?
鈥淗ow long must we stay like this, don鈥檛 they realise our hardship?鈥, a Tamil detainee in the Christmas Island detention centre asked when he called 91自拍论坛 Weekly on April 8.
The following is abridged from an April 7 press release on behalf of Alyawarr walk-off spokesperson Richard Downs and senior Pitjantjatjara elder Murray George.
Soldiers armed with live and rubber bullets attacked the peaceful pro-democracy Red Shirt protests in the centre of Bangkok on April 10. At least 12 people, including a Japanese Reuters reporter, have been shot dead.
Disgraced ex-rugby league player turned celebrity Matthew Johns made his return to TV on March 25, with the 鈥渇amily-friendly鈥 Matty Johns Show being hailed a 鈥渟uccess鈥 by reviewers.
Right-wing Republicans won an important battle in the 鈥渉istory wars鈥 on March 12 when the Texas Board of Education approved a new social studies curriculum.
The NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages has refused to change a transsexual man鈥檚 documents unless he undergoes life-threatening surgery.
Australian PM Kevin Rudd鈥檚 appointment of Tony Burke as population minister continues the Australian tradition of playing political football with immigration. His appointment came after Treasury estimates predicted that Australia鈥檚 population will grow from 22 million to 36 million by 2050.
Coal threatens Queensland
It is not a good look for Queensland internationally and here at home with the Chinese coal ship having run aground on the Great Barrier Reef, leaking oil and about to break up.
The massive mines of the Hancock and Waratah coal companies, together with the coal mines of the Bowen Basin coming through with the Northern Missing Link, mean that upwards of 230 million tonnes per annum of coal will be going through the nationally wetlands of Caley Valley and exported through the newly constructed port at Abbot Point.
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