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Eva Cheng Despite winning 50.11% of the votes cast in Taiwan's March 20 presidential election — a big improvement from the 39.3% that won him the presidency in 2000 — incumbent President Chen Shui-bian's re-election remains in doubt. Along
Nidal al Haddad On March 24, the United Nations Human Rights Commission adopted a resolution condemning Israel's assassination of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin. Thirty-one countries represented on the commission, including UN Security
Three days of talks between India and Pakistan in February sought to find a "roadmap to peace" in the disputed territory of Kashmir, but Kashmiri representatives are yet to be involved. Iqbal Khan, a Kashmiri living in Canberra, spoke to 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳
Sue Bolton, Melbourne More unionists are adding their names to the campaign to defend Craig Johnston, the former secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union's Victorian branch. Johnston is facing serious charges resulting from the
2 Public sector shuts down ADELAIDE — Historic strike action closed down most of the South Australian public service on March 26. For the first time in more than 20 years, members of the Public Service Association walked out en masse in
Pip Hinman Mark Latham's March 23 promise that an ALP government would bring Australian troops out of Iraq — preferably by Christmas — has been welcomed by the peace movement. However, just three days later, in the face of pressure from the US
Robyn Marshall & Alison Dellit On March 23, the constitutional chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court overturned a ruling of the court's electoral chamber regarding the validity of 876,017 signatures submitted as part of a campaign to unseat
Chris Slee The Tamil National Alliance will contest the April 2 Sri Lankan parliamentary elections on a platform calling for the creation of an interim self-governing authority for the north-eastern part of the island. The TNA, an alliance of four
At the beginning of March, there were 153 children in Australian-run immigration detention centres. In addition, there are up to 98 asylum seeker children in foster care, hospital or motel detention. Most of them, however, are no longer kept in
Paul Oboohov, Canberra The campaign to save the O'Connor and Bruce Ridge from the Gungahlin Drive extension escalated on March 22, when up to 100 protesters blockaded the work site. Nine people were arrested over two days of protests, organised by
By Dale T. McKinley, Johannesburg On the morning of March 21, South African police opened fire with stun grenades on members of the Gauteng Anti-Privatisation Forum who were protesting against water privatisation and the installation of pre-paid
Simon Tayler, Sydney Sydney's community TV channel, Channel 31, will remain on air for now, after a win in the courtroom for the many supporters of the station's current broadcasters. On March 18, the Australian Broadcasting Authority announced