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About 40 protesters gathered on July 1 at Bundeena Reserve in the Royal National Park to tell the NSW government they will not let the 鈥淩oyal National Park be attacked for a freeway鈥.

They were there to protest against a so-far vague proposal to cut off about 60 hectares of the park to extend the F6 motorway and make the drive between Wollongong and Sydney a bit quicker.

For a fraction of the cost of the motorway, improvements to the South Coast rail line would reduce the travel time from Wollongong and remove the need for a freeway.

As the federal government continues to shirk its responsibility to legislate for marriage equality, councils are increasingly being called on to take a lead.

On April 26, former mayor Councillor Rose Hodge moved a motion that the Surf Coast Shire Council fly the Pride flag continuously from May 17 (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia) until the federal government passed a law in support of marriage equality.

Much has been made of the fact that on June 23, the same day the Fair Work Commission slashed penalty rates for retail and hospitality workers, federal politicians were granted yet another pay rise.

Activists from Whistleblowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance (WACA) blockaded the entrance to the office of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems in Port Melbourne on July 7 as part of international week of action.

South Africa is at crossroads, facing its biggest upheavals since independence in 1994. Globally, since the 2008 Great Recession there are growing explosive class and social conflicts due to the deepening crisis of capitalism.

With the focus on dramatic images of聽German riot police using tear gas and high-powered water聽to disperse G20 protesters in Hamburg on July 6,聽the message from those demonstrating in the streets was clear for those willing to listen: a better world is possible.

The historical and current injustices following the establishment of industry superannuation and the subsequent undermining of this important social policy initiative needs to be scrutinised.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has re-launched his verbal war against his successor Malcolm Turnbull, with obvious relish.

In recent speeches, Abbott criticised leaked internal Liberal Party moves to bring forward a bill for marriage equality; called for an end to all new spending except for national security and infrastructure; and advocated freezing the country's 鈥 already inadequate 鈥 renewable energy target.

For a second time the Fair Work Commission has rejected the ACTU鈥檚 bid to make 10 day鈥檚 paid family and domestic violence leave a minimum standard in all modern awards.

However, in what the ACTU said was a move in the right direction, the full bench of the FWC said it had 鈥渇ormed the preliminary view that all employees should have access to unpaid family and domestic violence leave and 鈥 should be able to access personal/carer鈥檚 leave for the purpose of taking family and domestic violence leave鈥.

More than 20 workers who were paid nothing to work in customer service roles at the Melbourne Grand Prix will receive back-pay.

Before the race, labour hire firm Adecco offered casual workers a 鈥渧olunteer opportunity鈥 that involved pre-race training and three full days鈥 work in customer service, all unpaid.

Protesters against the energy from waste incinerator

About 100 residents and supporters marched from Penrith Station to the electoral office of the Liberal Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres on July 1, to protest plans to construct "the world's largest waste incinerator" at Eastern Creek.

鈥淪upporters of around 70 English football clubs have vowed to boycott聽The Sun聽over its coverage of the Hillsborough disaster,鈥 on July 3.

The decision by the fan groups comes after six people 鈥 including the senior police officer in charge on the day 鈥 were arrested over the infamous disaster in which 96 Liverpool fans were killed. Coverage by The Sun infamously blamed Liverpool fans and included insulting lies about their alleged behaviour since proven to be entirely false.