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Detention centre vigil

Twenty people attended a vigil and BBQ outside Melbourne's Maribyrnong detention centre on April 23. The vigil, organised by the Australian Democrats, was addressed by Democrats Senator Lyn Allison, Margarita Windisch from the Socialist Alliance

CENTRAL AMERICA: Up in arms over CAFTA

David Bacon, Honduras When the Honduran Congress took up ratification of the Central American Free Trade Agreement last year, more than 1000 demonstrators filled the streets of Tegucigalpa, angrily denouncing the proposal. Congress ratified CAFTA

BRITAIN: BBC journalist fears deportation

Thomas Nguanyi, a prize winning journalist with the BBC World Service and a founding member of the Cameroon Association of Commonwealth Journalists, has gone into hiding in Britain, after his asylum application was rejected early this year. Nguanyi

EAST ASIA: Japan takes role as Washington's deputy

Eva Cheng As Washington's scaremongering about the "threat" posed to the Western world by China's economy has been broadened to include painting Beijing as a military threat, Japan is emerging as one of the US's regional bullies. During the last

May Day marches oppose attacks on unions

Thousands of people marched in cities and towns across Australia on April 30 and May 1 to mark May Day. Rally speakers pledged to resist the federal Coalition government's planned attacks on unions and workers' rights. A wide range of unions, left

TPV-holders ' easy targets' for exploitation

Sarah Stephen Many of the 9000 Afghan and Iraqi refugees who were released from detention and granted temporary protection visas (TPVs) in 2002 and 2003 found work in abattoirs or on fruit farms in rural and regional areas. Supporters who

Fijian family freed from detention

Sarah Stephen, Sydney On April 22, Sereana Naikelekele and her three young children were released from Villawood detention centre on a bridging visa, after spending almost three years behind razor wire. The Federal Court had decided a week

OUR COMMON CAUSE: Make IR ' reform' Howard's Poll Tax!

A Scottish miner was walking home one night with a bunch of pheasants he had illegally poached from the estate of a local landowner, when the landowner appeared and demanded that the miner hand over the pheasants. "Why should I hand them over to

VENEZUELA: Occupied factory nationalised

Simon Cunich The demands of the workers at Venezuela's valve producing company, Constructora Nacional de Valvulas, were met on April 27, as President Hugo Chavez signed a decree to nationalise the company. This signing came days after the workers

Science fiction for socialists

China Mieville compiled a list of 50 fantasy and science fiction works that socialists should read. A selection is featured below — visit <http://www.fantasticmetropolis.com/i/50socialist/full> for the full list. Mieville points out that

BRITAIN: Gentle action against Blair

On April 27, Rose and George Gentle, the parents of British soldier Gordon Gentle, who killed in Basra last year, announced they were launching action against British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the British High Court, because of his participation

End of coal strike close

Ron Perkins, Perth After almost two months of strike action, maintenance workers at Wesfarmers' Premier Coal in WA's south-west appear close to winning their demands for better conditions. A sudden change in attitude from the company has broken