It has not even begun, but a world record has already been set for the London 2012 Olympic games. The games, which begin on July 27, are the most corporatised, militarised and draconian Olympics of all time.
Tim Dobson
The 30th Olympic games will begin in July in London as Britain's Conservative-Liberal Democratic government imposes savage austerity measures on the public. The excitement of watching the world's sporting best compete is mixed with fears of social and economic upheaval.
The British government is projected to spend US$14.5 billion on the games, $9.6 billion over budget. Prime Minister David Cameron announced last November that the budget for the opening and closing ceremonies would be doubled to $125 million.
Newly appointed foreign minister Bob Carr said : 鈥淎s [NSW] Premier, I never saw a demonstration that didn鈥檛 hurt the side that mounted it. And I was never persuaded by a noisy crowd with a few placards.鈥
But on March 2, the same week he was appointed, the federal government gave a powerful confirmation of the power of protests.
The strategy of most people when they hear a racist or xenophobic comment is to be silent and hope that it will go away. The problem is, that strategy just tends to embolden the racists. So it has proved with Tony Greig. His constant derogatory remarks about Indians or 鈥渢he Indians鈥, as he refers to them, are not only offensive, they are part of a pattern of blatant racism and xenophobia that Greig has shown through his playing and commentating career.
Cricket is on the verge of a corruption-induced implosion, yet you wouldn鈥檛 know in Australia. As far as Australian cricket administrators are concerned, it is the end of the world as they know it and they feel fine.
Despite more and more revelations coming out about corruption in cricket, it was still shocking for many to hear former Indian batsman Vinod Kambli claim that something was 鈥渁miss鈥 in the semi-final of the 1996 World Cup.
Just a few days before his appeal hearing over his extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations, which many believe may be a prelude to Assange鈥檚 extradition to the US on espionage charges, WikiLeaks won a stunning victory for citizen journalism and a free press when it took out the 2011 Walkley award for most outstanding contribution to journalism.
Officially, the announcement that 2500 US marines would be permanently based in Darwin had nothing to do with China.
Announcing the new military agreement with Australia on November 16, US President Barack Obama : 鈥淚 think the notion that we fear China is mistaken. The notion that we are looking to exclude China is mistaken 鈥 We welcome a rising, peaceful China.鈥
Al Jazeera journalist Dorothy Parvaz, who had been missing for nineteen days was released by the Iranian government on May 18.
Parvaz left Doha on April 29 to cover the escalating anti-government protests in Syria. Upon arrival in Damascus, she was immediately detained by an unidentified security service.
Until May 4, the Syrian government did not acknowledge that she was in their custody. But on May 10, it released a statement stating that it had deported Parvaz to the Iranian consule in Tehran.
In the early morning of April 9, new battles broke out on the streets of Cairo. Protesters fought back against mass repression carried out by the army, leading to two deaths.
In a fresh victory for people鈥檚 power in Egypt, protesters defeated the crackdown.
Protesters were demanding former dictator Hosni Mubarak and all corrupt officials from his regime be charged. Protesters remained in Cairo鈥檚 Tahrir Square late into the night before the army moved in.
Richard Seymour (鈥淟ibya: Spring time for NATO鈥, GLW #876) has done an admirable job debunking justifications of 鈥渉umanitarian鈥 wars and its defenders. But his analysis of the internal dynamics of Libya leads him astray 鈥 so much so that bold assertions are taken as facts with nothing to back it up.
He says the co-option of the Libyan revolution by NATO is a victory for reaction. Then he says it is no good hoping that the militias will shake themselves free of such constraints if they take power.
The Egyptian army has violently cracked down on pro-democracy protesters in Cairo鈥檚 Tahrir Square on the night of April 8, BBC.co.uk said the next day.
Medical sources said two protesters were killed and the health ministry said 71 were hurt.
Protesters were demanding greater changes from the interim government that took over after dictator Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February, including demands that Mubarak be made to stand trial.
Protesters re-occupied Tahrir Square on April 9, BBC.co.uk said.
About 2000 mainly young Palestinians rallied in Gaza City on March 14. Waving Palestinian flags, they called on Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah to end their divisions, for democratic elections for the Palestinian Authority (PA), and for the end to Israel鈥檚 occupation of the West Bank and siege on Gaza.
Thousands more marching across Gaza the next day and 8000 people protested in Ramallah in the West Bank for the same demands.
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