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Azapo to form left-wing party

By Norm Dixon A section of the Azanian Peoples Organisation (Azapo), followers of murdered Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko, announced on September 14 it would form a socialist party to contest the 1999 elections. The decision followed a

NSW ALP conference votes down power sell-off

By Margaret Gleeson SYDNEY — Amid unprecedented scenes of booing and heckling of a premier, delegates at the NSW ALP annual conference in Sydney on October 4 gave the thumbs down to the plan of Bob Carr and treasurer Michael Egan to sell off

Green politics in 'grey times'

Green politics in 'grey times' By Ben Reid MELBOURNE — About 150 people attended the 11th Eco-Politics conference held at the University of Melbourne on October 4 and 5. Scholars and activists presented a range of papers and workshops on

The making of a socialist 'saint'

Lenin Lives! The Lenin Cult in Soviet RussiaBy Nina TumarkinHarvard University Press, 1997337 pp., $31.95 (pb) Review by Phil Shannon Cults come in all shapes and sizes. The Elvis cult is tacky but harmless. The Princess Diana cult is schmalzy

Victories for multi-ethnic candidates in Bosnian elections

By Michael Karadjis TUZLA — The recent municipal elections throughout Bosnia-Hercegovina reveal a polarisation between the three ethnic-based parties on the one hand, and multi-ethnic or anti-nationalist forces on the other. The victories of

Hanson protest planned in Adelaide

Hanson protest planned in Adelaide ADELAIDE — The "secret venue" of Pauline Hanson's next appearance here on October 18 has been leaked to Campaign Against Racism. The One National fundraising dinner will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, on

The story of three Chinese migrants

Foreign MoonDirected by Zhang ZemingStarring Vicky Chen Hsiao-hsuen, Harrison Liu and Chen DamingOpens nationally at Dendy Cinemas on October 23 Review by Eva Cheng According to an old Chinese saying, the moon in foreign countries is

Congo denies UN 'smears' over human rights

By Norm Dixon Leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo have angrily denied claims by the United Nations and western governments that investigations into rumours of human rights violations (during the uprising that deposed the Mobutu

SLAPPs: Silencing public dissent

This article is excerpted from Chapter 4 of a new book by Australian environmentalist SHARON BEDER titled Global Spin: the corporate assault on environmentalism. Every year, thousands of Americans are sued for speaking out against governments and

Fighting racism: students and youth set clearer goals

By Iggy Kim The Fight Racism National Conference held in Sydney September 27-28 was an important step forward in clarifying the nature of the current racist offensive in Australia and consolidating a national activist leadership for the campaign

Dodging lunatics with black moustaches

The Absurd Machine: A Cartoon History of the WorldBy Bruce PettyPenguin, 1997, $29.95 (pb) Review by Phil Shannon Global 2000 is in trouble. About to enter the next millennium with five billion passengers on board, it crashes, breaking off its

Chiapas rebels declare autonomous county

Chiapas rebels declare autonomous county Unwilling to await the outcome of negotiations with the Mexican government, Zapatista rebels on September 28 declared an autonomous county in southern Chiapas. The government opposes the traditional