Ark Tribe is an Adelaide construction worker facing up to six months鈥 jail for refusing to be interrogated by the Australian Building and Construction Commission, the secret police set up by the former John Howard federal government to smash the strength of the building unions.
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On May 24, foreign minister Stephen Smith announced that an unnamed Israeli diplomat was to be expelled from Australia. This was in response to revelations that Israel鈥檚 spy agency, Mossad, had stolen the identities of four Australia citizens to create cloned passports.
The passports were used by Mossad agents involved in the January 20 murder of Hamas activist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai.
When the White House is quiet as protesters are butchered in the streets of Bangkok, suspicions are raised. Silence often equals complicity. One can only imagine what the US government鈥檚 response would be to a Venezuelan government slaughter: the US media and US President Barack Obama would loudly condemn such an act. The history of US-Thailand relations explains why. During the Vietnam War, the US used Thailand as one of the main 鈥渁nti-communist鈥 bulwarks in an area that included China, Vietnam and other countries that were challenging capitalism.
It took nearly six months to organise, but on May 21, representatives from seven anti-war groups finally met defence minister Senator John Faulkner to request he re-consider a Greens鈥 initiative to amend the Defence Act. The amendment would require that MPs vote on whether or not Australian troops are sent to war.
While the lobby, spearheaded by Nick Deane from the Marrickville Peace Group, did not change the senator鈥檚 mind, Deane told 91自拍论坛 Weekly that he felt the exercise was still worthwhile because Faulkner heard a range of views.
More than 55,000 BT (formerly British Telecom) workers could walk out on strike this month unless the telecommunications giant bows to their demands and improves its 鈥渄erisory鈥 pay offer.
Communication Workers Union delegates voted unanimously on May 26 to give BT until June 4 before serving formal legal notice of the union鈥檚 intention to ballot for industrial action.
The decision came just hours after BT鈥檚 annual financial report revealed that its chief executive, Ian Livingstone, and three other directors raked in bonuses totalling 拢2.7 million last year.
One hundred pensioners rallied outside Victorian Parliament House on May 27 to demand a raise in the aged pension.
The rally was organised by the Fair Go for Pensioners Coalition (FGPC), which had previously organised nationwide protests in November 2008.
Frank Cherry, national coordinator of the coalition, told the crowd: 鈥淲e鈥檙e rallying today to highlight the plight of pensioners, both to the state and federal government, and to begin the second stage of our campaign to increase the pension.鈥
Bill McKibben is one of the world鈥檚 best-known climate activists and writers. He was the founder of the 350.org campaign, which organised more than 5200 protests in 181 countries on October 24. CNN called the 350.org protests 鈥渢he most widespread day of political action in the planet's history鈥.
More than 200 people rallied to call for an end to the Northern Territory intervention at Sydney Town Hall on May 28. Monica Morgan, from Amnesty International, told the crowd the intervention was forcing Aboriginal people off their lands and taking away their culture.
Morgan said this was the outcome of an ongoing process of assimilation that began in Sydney in 1788 and spread across the country. She said ongoing solidarity was necessary for Aboriginal people to survive as a culture.
The absence of war does not mean peace in Tamil Eelam 鈥 despite what we hear from the Sri Lankan and Australian governments.
The struggle for Tamil freedom continues on community radio station 3CR, 855AM. 3CR is one of the main platforms for Tamil activists in Melbourne. Aran Mylvaganam is co-presenter of the Tamil Manifest and Tamil Voice programs on 3CR.
He explains how the situation of Tamils in Sri Lanka is as desperate as it ever was.
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Sixty thousand public-sector workers from across Romania rallied in central Bucharest on May 19 to protest against government plans to slash their wages and benefits under a loan deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Union (EU).
Civil servants, teachers, doctors and retirees blew whistles and yelled 鈥淒own with the lying government!鈥 and 鈥淵ou have pawned our future鈥, as they protested outside government offices in Victoriei Square.
MELBOURNE 鈥 On May 25, about 50 people attended a forum on Burma's election, which is due to occur this year.
The forum was addressed by Debbie Stothard, coordinator of Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma, who noted the many undemocratic structures set up by the military junta.
She said: 鈥淭he 2008 constitution will guarantee military control over the election and resulting parliament. Election commissioners are handpicked by the regime, political parties must exclude 鈥榗onvicted persons鈥 such as Aung San Suu Kyi and there is severe censorship and restrictions on campaigning.
The melting of the Arctic ice cap is one of the most foreboding signs of dangerous climate change.
If too much ice melts, it will set off natural feedback loops that warm the planet even faster and disrupt weather patterns.
A month ago, satellite data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) suggested the Arctic sea ice was growing back. In early April, the ice cover was close to the 30-year average.
But in recent weeks, the NSIDC has recorded a rapid drop in ice cover. By late May, the ice cover had dropped below what it was in May 2007 鈥 the lowest year on record.
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