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World's largest flowering plant killed

BY PAUL PRITCHARD HOBART — Amid reports of increased cases of asthma from the thick palls of smoke that cover much of Tasmania during the forestry "re-generation burns" comes an altogether more disturbing story. In April, Australia's biggest

Students protest Coalition education 'reforms'

BY MARCUS PABIAN MELBOURNE — Part of the May 22 national day of protest called by the National Union of Students (NUS) against the Howard government's education "reforms", announced in its May 13 budget, 330 students marched in protest from

The death of Albi: Is this humanity?

BY RAUL BASSI SYDNEY — On May 18, when activists from the Bankstown branch of the Socialist Alliance went to the office at the top of the arcade, they found the place had been sealed off by the police. After some enquiring, they learnt what had

SOUTH AFRICA: The 'in-between' politics of Walter Sisulu

BY DALE T. McKINLEY JOHANNESBURG — Two years ago I sat with veteran African National Congress leader Walter Sisulu in his modest Johannesburg home to talk about his days as a youthful ANC leader in the 1940s and 1950s. Although I had briefly met

Weapons convention to be targeted by protesters

BY DANNY FAIRFAX CANBERRA — Anti-war and anti-corporate activists in the ACT have begun organising protests to take place against the Defence and Industry 2003 conference, which will be held in the National Convention Centre on June 24-26. The

Don't trample on the flower

This garden has been in a drought for a long time,Once you could take hope from this garden,But for a long time you stole it,Now it is dry,No-one is thinking about the dying flowers,No-one is thinking about why children panic in their sleep at

Multi-tendency rights protected in Socialist Alliance

BY PETER BOYLE The Socialist Alliance is a multi-tendency socialist party which welcomes and protects the right to campaign for a diversity of political positions within the framework of its broad socialist objectives. The second national

ACEH: Jakarta declares all-out war

By JAMES BALOWSKI JAKARTA — Following the breakdown of last-ditch talks in Tokyo between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Jakarta on May 19 launched a "security restoration operation" in Aceh — an all-out military

Save our universities: free education not deregulation

BY GRANT COLEMAN In his May 13 budget speech, treasurer Peter Costello announced a 10-year package of reforms to Australia's higher education system, Our Universities: Backing Australia's Future. This package, the end result of the 12-month Higher

An insult to opponents of the death penalty

REVIEW BY HELEN REDMOND The Life of David GaleDirected by Alan ParkerWith Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet and Laura LinneyAt major cinemas Now should be the best time ever for a Hollywood drama that exposes the barbarity of the death penalty in the

Support 3CR — the voice of dissent, peace

BY MARISOL SALINAS MELBOURNE — Community radio station 3CR is holding its annual radiothon from June 2 to June 15. This year's theme is "3CR — the voice of dissent, a voice for peace" and the station is hoping to raise $130,000. 3CR has

Gordon (Vic) Little: 1914 2003

BY MARGARITA WINDISCH MELBOURNE — More than 300 people packed the Brunswick Town Hall for Vic Little's memorial service on May 20. Born in Mildura in 1914, the son of a poor mining family, Vic knew from an early age on what "struggling" meant.