The National Day of Action against Youth Incarceration on October 11 was marked by a protest rally and march, which also blocked a CBD intersection.
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The second MP to speak in the House of Representatives debate on Australian military intervention in Afghanistan 鈥 a debate held nine years after the intervention began 鈥 was the newly elected independent Member for Denison (Tasmania) Andrew Wilkie.
On October 19, at exactly 3.30pm, the Lib-Lab politicians suddenly went from smirk to sombre as the Afghanistan 鈥渄ebate鈥 finally started 鈥 nine years too late.
On October 19, Sydney Stop The War Coalition activist Marlene Obeid was dragged out of the parliamentary public gallery as Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that Australian troops would be "engaged in Afghanistan at least for the rest of this decade".
On his TV show Alo Presidente on October 3, Venezuela鈥檚 President Hugo Chavez drove tractors and inspected corn crops as he pledged to accelerate land reform and increase the government鈥檚 share of food production and distribution.
Chavez announced the nationalisation of the agricultural supplies company Agroislena and the Venezuelan properties of the British Vestey Group.
The show took place in Guarico state, where Chavez鈥檚 United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) won most of the state seats in the September 26 National Assembly elections.
The rescue of 33 miners in Chile on October 14 is an extraordinary drama filled with pathos and heroism. It is also a media windfall for the Chilean government, whose every beneficence is recorded by a forest of cameras.
One cannot fail to be impressed. However, like all great media events, it is a facade.
The accident that trapped the miners is not unusual in Chile and the inevitable consequence of a ruthless economic system that has barely changed since the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.
Factory workers from the Venezuelan chemical and lubricant company Veneco held a demonstration on the evening of October 10 in Carabobo state to show their support for the company鈥檚 nationalisation.
President Hugo Chavez announced the nationalisation that afternoon.
Jose Martinez, the general secretary of the Venoco workers鈥 union, said: 鈥淲e are endorsing this takeover that will bring us many benefits.
鈥淚t will bring a change from the capitalist mode to the socialist mode and we are going to strengthen our company.鈥
In the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on September 30, left-wing Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has vowed to deepen his 鈥渃itizen鈥檚 revolution鈥 in the small Andean country.
After the coup attempt by 麻豆传媒 of the police and armed forces failed amid pro-government protests, Correa鈥檚 approval rate has surged to 75% in some polls.
In response, Correa, said his government had not done enough to implement its pro-people program and would radicalise its project to build a 鈥渟ocialism of the 21st century鈥.
The Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), involving involves police and soldiers, is set to continue its occupation of the Pacific island for at least 鈥渇ive to six years鈥, despite a change of government in the Solomon Islands.
Danny Philip was elected prime minister of the Solomon Islands by parliamentary vote on August 25, the Solomon Star said, after the August 4 general elections in which 25 out of 50 seats changed hands.
Western Australian Liberal Premier Colin Barnett has said many of the 200 remote Aboriginal communities in WA will be shut down. ABC Online reported on October 14 that Barnett said: "There's no doubt that under policies really initiated by the Federal Government, small, isolated Aboriginal communities were promoted. "The reality is that there's no employment prospects in those areas, or very limited." Barnett鈥檚 comments were in relation to the small community of Oombulgurri, where there are 50 residents and 14 public servants.
Union and community opposition has firmed against Labor Premier Anna Bligh鈥檚 bid to privatise Queensland Rail National (QR), as the government prepares to launch shares in the rail freight corporation on November 22.
QR National, a 140-year-old public asset, will be sold off at an estimated $2.50-$3 a share, raising up to $7.3 billion, ABC鈥檚 Lateline said on October 11.
On October 3, US authorities warned US citizens travelling in Western Europe that there was an increased threat from Islamist terrorism. The same day, British authorities cautioned their citizens travelling in France or Germany. France, for its part, issued a warning for French nationals visiting Britain.
The nature of the supposed terrorist threat was unspecified. The media breathlessly speculated about planned 鈥淢umbai-style鈥 attacks.
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