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The origins and politics of MUSAA

BY SHANE BENTLEY Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members may have had a chance to read the April 2003 edition of the Sea and Waterfront Voice. The edition marks the 20th anniversary of the Maritime Unionist Socialist Activities Association

CUBA: Organic farming bucks world trend

BY RAISA PAGES HAVANA — Falling prices in the developing countries' exports of farm produce and the ruin of millions of farmers are the pernicious outcome of neoliberal policies, US professor Peter Rosset from the US Institute of Food and

Global learning centre under threat

BY ALEX BAINBRIDGE HOBART — The TasDEC Global Learning Centre is looking at ways to continue functioning after a March review by its government funding agency threatened to cut $40,000 from TasDec's funding for next year. TasDEC is the primary

DISCUSSION: Truth strengthens the case for Palestine

COMMENT BY SOL SALBE Â鶹ӳ»­ Weekly is partisan on the issue of Palestine and Israel. Like some others on the Jewish left, I regard this as redressing the balance of media coverage on this issue. My own background as a child of two Holocaust

MALAYSIA: Four political prisoners released

BY IGGY KIM Four out of six high-profile political prisoners, held under Malaysia's draconian Internal Security Act, were released on June 1 after the government decided not to renew their ISA detention orders. The other two are awaiting the

CUBA: Che's daughter to visit Australia

BY PILAR AGUILERA Aleida Guevara, Cuban-born daughter of renowned Argentine revolutionary socialist Ernesto Che Guevara, will speak at public meetings in Sydney and Melbourne in early July on the theme "Che Guevara, War and the Fight for Global

Dune destruction: required for breakwater experiment?

BY DYLAN FERGUSON ADELAIDE — Semaphore Beach, one of Adelaide's most popular and least developed beaches, is threatened by a new experiment being implemented by the Coastal Protection Board. The board intends to mine 164,000 cubic metres of

Iranian Australians face government harassment

BY TIM STEWART& ALISON DELLIT In a disturbing escalation of government harassment of migrant communities, the homes of 10 Iranian-Australian families in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were raided by federal police on June 3. Claiming to be hunting

FRANCE: Opposition to pension plan shakes government

BY MURRAY SMITH PARIS — Millions of French workers participated in a huge one-day general strike on June 3 in an attempt to defeat the government's attacks on pension rights. There were also massive street demonstrations across the country.

Lesbian and gay adoption closer

BY ALEX BAINBRIDGE HOBART — The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute (TLRI) released a report on May 28 recommending that adoption by same-sex couples be legalised. The report strongly argues that adoption should be an option for same-sex couples

All East Timorese refugees should be granted visas

BY GILLIAN DAVEY Immigration minister Philip Ruddock's June 3 decision to grant 379 East Timorese asylum seekers permanent residency in Australia is a decision that all supporters of refugees' right should welcome. The decision ends more than a

Labor plans to log Tarkine

BY ALEX BAINBRIDGE HOBART — Deputy-premier Paul Lennon announced plans on June 4 to lift a 20-year ban on logging in the Tarkine rainforest. The Tarkine is Australia's largest wilderness rainforest. The state government's decision will allow