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WikiLeaks publishes secret CIA documents revealing huge scale of spying

WikiLeaks has published what it says is the largest leak of secret聽CIA聽documents in history. The thousands of documents published on March 6, dubbed 鈥淰ault 7鈥, describe聽CIA聽programs and tools that are capable of hacking into Apple and Android mobile phones.

By hacking into entire phones, the聽CIA聽is then reportedly able to bypass encrypted messenger programs such as Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp. However, contrary to many news reports, the documents do not show the聽CIA聽has developed tools to hack these encrypted services themselves.

Photographer captures Syria鈥檚 suffering

The scene is one as old as the long history of the Middle East. A child mixes straw and dung to light a fire, some of the straw on his knee. His face is obscured by a beanie so that this child 颅鈥 not an infant but still young 鈥 could be any child.

Behind the child is a wall. Such structures are common throughout the Middle East, but it seems symbolic. The dribbles of concrete from its construction make the wall, in rural Homs, seem to weep, for this child and for Syria.

鈥榃e exist, we resist鈥 鈥 Native nations in the United States march for rights

鈥淲ater is life!鈥 was the cry heard throughout Washington, DC on March 10 as thousands of people聽聽for Indigenous rights and the sovereignty of native nations, that day.

Victorian Metropolitan Fire Brigade non-firefighting staff vote for bans

United Firefighters Union (UFU) members working in the Corporate and Technical Division of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) have voted overwhelmingly for a campaign of bans in support of their enterprise agreement campaign.

The Corporate and Technical Division includes non-firefighting employees of the MFB, such as payroll and finance staff and computer technicians.

Trump鈥檚 new Muslim ban already faces push back

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order temporarily banning all refugees, as well as people from six majority-Muslim countries, from entering the United States, said on March 7.

In contrast to the fanfare that accompanied Trump鈥檚 rollout of January鈥檚 ill-fated travel ban, the March 6 signing was a decidedly low-key event. Trump signed the executive order out of public view.

International Women鈥檚 Strike shows what feminism really looks like

On March 8, women around the world gave themselves a day off 鈥 from the system.

With rainbow flags, Wanderers fans back diversity

Fans from Western Sydney Wanderers A-League football team distributed hundreds of rainbow flags to those attending the club鈥檚 March 5 match against Adelaide United. The move came after two weeks of controversy sparked by a banner raised by some Wanderers fans during their team鈥檚 1-0 victory over cross-town rivals Sydney FC, which was widely condemned in the media and among many fans for being homophobic.

If renewable energy is cheaper, why are we investing in fossil fuels?

Generating electricity using renewable energy is now cheaper than using fossil fuels, but mining companies, banks and governments in Australia continue to invest significantly more in coal, oil and gas than wind and solar.聽

Sex workers rally in Brisbane

Sex workers and their allies rallied for law reform and an end to stigma in Brisbane on March 8. It was the first public rally held by Respect Inc, a peer-led rights and support organisation for sex workers. Twenty people wearing red, holding signs and displaying red umbrellas gathered in Queens Garden and marched to Parliament House.

Speaking out against Queensland's 17-year-old sex work laws and chanting, 鈥淣othing about us without us,鈥 workers demanded the Labor state government consult with them to ensure legal changes that would decriminalise their work.

Argentine footballers strike over pay, reach agreement

Professional football players are the latest sector to hold strikes in Argentina amid a struggling economy and harsh austerity measures imposed by right-wing President Mauricio Macri.聽

Good news (for a change)

Commonwealth Bank to repay superannuation

The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has agreed to repay employer superannuation to more than 7000 part-time workers that was not applied to overtime over the past eight years.

The CBA will repay the superannuation to all part-time workers since 2009, including those who have switched to full-time positions or have since left the bank. The average payment is $180 a year.

The CBA maintains it was not breaking the law by only paying superannuation on ordinary hours to part-time staff rather than extra hours or overtime.

US teen first openly gay football recruit

鈥淚 just don鈥檛 see how I could be living an honest, truthful life and have that in the background,鈥 said My-King Johnson, the first openly gay recruit in major conference American college football (grid iron) on his sexuality.