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Loose cannons

Ludicrous "It may be limiting of competition in that there's one dominant company, which is Foxtel, but it's ludicrous to say that competition will be limited." — Sydney right-wing radio broadcaster Alan Jones. Certainly not his government "I

IRELAND: Anti-abortion referendum defeated

BY SARAH CLEARY This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the historic "X case" ruling whereby suicidal women in Ireland were permitted to travel overseas to obtain an abortion. Rather than mark this anniversary with further liberalisation of

Refugee royal commission petition a hit

BY PIP HINMAN More than 10,100 people have signed an online petition supporting a call for a royal commission into the government's treatment of asylum seekers. Out of thousands of active petitions from all over the world listed on the

Hugo Boss workers attacked

BY SUE BULL MELBOURNE — Workers sacked by Hugo Boss (formerly called Flair Menswear) found themselves under greater attack this week. Twenty-five workers and leaders of their union, the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA),

On the box

Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Sunday, 9pm. Phone 9565 5522. Visit <http://www.channel31.org>

Sydney Labor for Refugees opposes ban

BY PETER BOYLE SYDNEY — On March 13, the Sydney Labor for Refugees group decided to oppose the attempted exclusion of members of the Democratic Socialist Party, International Socialist Organisation and other activist left groups from the

Refugees' visa approvals secretly reversed

BY SARAH STEPHEN Hundreds of detained asylum seekers from Afghanistan have been denied protection visas, despite recommendations from immigration department officers that they be granted. A spokesperson for immigration minister Philip Ruddock

Dita Sari: defying Reebok and Megawati

BY PIP HINMAN She is one of Asia's most significant trade union leaders. Dita Sari, the 30-year-old chairperson of the independent Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggles (FNPBI), achieved notoriety for her refusal to be bought off. Most

Build the refugees' rights movement

Since the Australian government's refusal last year to allow asylum seekers rescued by the Norwegian freighter Tampa to land in Australia, a significant protest movement in support of refugees' rights has developed across Australia. The movement has

Protests demand freedom for Palestine

BY JENNY LONG SYDNEY — Up to 400 people gathered for a two-hour protest vigil for Palestine on March 15. Well supported by the Sydney Palestinian community, the vigil was called by the Council of Australian Palestinian Organisations with the

Corporate Scumbag: Abusing refugees and prisoners: Australasian Correctional Management

A single private corporation — Australasian Correctional Management (ACM) — runs all six of the horrendous refugee detention camps in Australia. ACM is the Australian subsidiary of the Miami-based detention and security giant, Wackenhut.

UNITED STATES: New seed patents threaten food security

SAN FRANCISCO — In a recent news release, the Canadian Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC group) announced that the biotechnology industry continues to aggressively pursue the development of genetically modified seeds