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EAST TIMOR: Women fight an uphill battle

BY VANJA TANAJA DILI - Five women considered to be "indecently" dressed were chased by a mob of mainly young men near the Mercado Lama (Central Market) here on November 10. Four managed to hide in an NGO-run clinic which was then stoned by the mob.

Report condemns dams' environmental impact

BY JIM GREEN A report released by the World Commission on Dams (WCD) on November 16 paints a damning picture of the environmental and social impacts of many of the world's 45,000 large dams. The WCD was formed in 1998 following a process

Aboriginal activists speak out: it's time for a treaty

The final official reconciliation marches this week in Perth and Melbourne will give more impetus to the call by Aboriginal activists for a treaty recognising the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the original inhabitants of Australia.

PALESTINE: The 'peace process' and the new intifada

At the time of writing, Israeli military forces continue their brutal assault on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

and ain't i a woman?: Increasing the load

The federal Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Jocelyn Newman, recently announced the latest figures for female unemployment in Australia were the lowest in a decade. The Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) October Labour Force

Greenhouse talks lost at sea

BY JIM GREEN A fortnight of negotiations at the climate change conference at the Hague, involving delegations from more than 160 countries, have failed to conclude an international agreement on greenhouse gas emission reduction. Conference

'Vote for the Forests' campaign launched

BY GRANT COLEMAN PERTH — Fifty people attended a public meeting here on November 19 to discuss the continuing destruction of Western Australia's old growth forests. With a state election to take place in February or March next year, the

INDONESIA: The ferment is everywhere

BY MAX LANE JAKARTA — Demonstrations and protests are a daily feature of life in Indonesia today. "Traffic jam, pak, two demos today" is a common refrain from taxi drivers. The TV news and newspapers are also peppered with reports of different

Loose cannons

Self-obligation "... my government has sought to constantly relate ... enduring Australian values to the circumstances of our time... The first of these goes to the heart of the Australian ethos, to the heart of our national self-image and to the

Protests target Israeli military terror

BY LISA MACDONALD SYDNEY — "Palestine yes! Slaughter no! Israeli troops have got to go." This was the chant that greeted shoppers and workers knocking off for the day as around 100 supporters of a free Palestine marched down George Street in the

BOUGAINVILLE: BRA pulls out of talks

BY NORM DIXON The Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) on November 19 pulled out of negotiations with the Papua New Guinea government. The militant pro-independence group was frustrated at the slow pace of talks and the PNG government's

Student Association to ban political activity in campus elections

BY ERIN KILLION NEWCASTLE — "No person shall, in connection with any election, simultaneously campaign [for a candidate] and engage in political activities". This is just one of the amendments to the rules and regulations governing the conduct of