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Kurds begin hunger strike

Kurds begin hunger strike By Kim Bullimore CANBERRA — On November 18, members of the Australian Kurdish community began an indefinite hunger strike on the lawns of Parliament House in protest at the arrest of Kurdish independence leader

Like a common loaf of bread, they rise

Uncommon People: Resistance, Rebellion and JazzBy Eric HobsbawmWeidenfeld & Nicolson, 1998360 pp., $49.95 (hb) Review by Phil Shannon "Common" people, "ordinary" people, the "average" man and woman — these labels are not just neutral

Worldwide protests demand asylum for Ocalan

Worldwide protests demand asylum for Ocalan By Norm Dixon A Rome court on November 20 ordered the release on bail of Abdullah Ocalan, general secretary of the left-wing pro-independence Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), while his appeal for

US 'free trade' push frustrated at APEC

By Eva Cheng The US government's push to open up Asian markets was dealt an embarrassing blow at the summit of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Kuala Lumpur, which closed on November 18. Meeting for the sixth time — and

Liberal amendments revive anti-abortion bill

Liberal amendments revive anti-abortion bill Liberal amendments revive anti-abortion bill By Amanda Lawrence CANBERRA — Just as the campaign to defeat ACT independent MLA Paul Osborne's anti-abortion bill looked to be gaining ground, proposed

How US big business is changing the world's weather

By Francesca Davis 1998 was a record year for hurricanes, droughts, floods and other "natural" disasters. Fifty-six countries were hit by severe flooding, and at least 45 were stricken by drought. The events displaced millions and killed thousands.

Write on: Letters to the editor

Write on: Letters to the editor Reform or revolution Re. "How do you change society?" (GLW, 18/11/98) by Keara Courtney about the ineffectiveness of reform: When we talk of "revolution", many people think immediately of the romanticised images

Outrage over WA gay bashing

Outrage over WA gay bashing PERTH — Four days after the largest ever Gay and Lesbian Pride march here [on October 31], two gay men were bashed and tortured in the outer southern suburb of Waikiki. The men were in their home when a man broke into

Gay men targeted in anti-paedophile purge

Gay men targeted in anti-paedophile purge WA's gay and lesbian lobby group has expressed alarm over Health Department plans to screen 25,000 employees for criminal records. Gay and Lesbian Equality WA (GALE) claims that gay men risk losing their

Russian 'Communists' bend to anti-Semitism

By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — The setting could have been Germany in the 1930s. Over a period of about a month, a well-known parliamentary deputy claimed that "Yids" were responsible for the country's economic problems; vowed before media reporters

Good fun and home truths

Good fun and home truths Only Heaven KnowsBy Alex HardingDirected by Peter NettellNew Theatre, NewtownFriday-Sunday until December 19Bookings 9873-3575 Review by Helen Jarvis Sydney forms the setting and the subject of this musical play. Not just

CPSU members vote with their feet against Telstra agreement

CPSU members vote with their feet against Telstra agreement By Leo Wellin "Is she with Telstra or the union?", was the innocent whisper during a workplace meeting at which the Community and Public Service Union (CPSU) telecommunications section