The US Central Intelligence Agency鈥檚 drone program in Africa is expanding, the New York Times said on September 10.
Just south of the Libyan border, a covert military base in Dirkou, Niger has been deploying fleets of drones on surveillance missions for several months, a Defense Department spokeswoman, Major Sheryll Klinkel told the NYT.
Bolivian President Evo Morales said 鈥渢he聽 is the real threat to humankind鈥 on September 7 in response to US Senator Marco Rubio's talk of using the US Armed Forces against the Venezuelan government. Rubio had said Venezuela 鈥渉as become a threat for the region and even for the United States鈥.
An estimated 7000 childcare workers took industrial action by walking off the job around Australia on September 5 to demand equal pay.
As Yemeni journalists reported that at least 15 civilians were killed in Saudi airstrikes in the port city of Hodeidah on September 12, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo officially certified that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), whose three-year assault on the country has been made possible by US support, are doing all they can to avoid civilian casualties.
On September 13, Micah Weekes, once a coal miner and now an anti-coal activist stopped a coal train heading into the world鈥檚 largest coal port in Newcastle.
A former scaffolder from the Central Coast, Weekes worked in the coal industry for nearly 10 years. He said he was taking action because of the聽coal industry鈥檚 toxic impact on people鈥檚 health.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to work in the industry to get sick from this. My kids are going to get sick. It鈥檚 already happening. People in my community have reoccurring respiratory illnesses, cancers and tumours.鈥
鈥淜ick coal out of politics鈥 was the key message protesters sent to the new Prime Minister from Cronulla Park on September 8.
The action in the PM's electorate involved some 500 people and was part of the global #Rise for Climate. It was one of 40 protest actions organised in all capital cities and some 30 other cities and towns across the country.
Actions focussed on clean energy where people and justice are put before profits were organised in 83 countries.
Fifty refugee supporters held a vigil on World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10, to commemorate the suicides of three refugees in the space of two weeks.
A snap protest was organised by the Committee in Solidarity with Peoples Struggles in Iran on September 12 in response to the execution of three Kurdish political prisoners in Iran: Ramin Hussein Panahi, Loghman Moradi and Zanier Morandi.
Protesters took to the streets of Sydney on September 12 against Australia鈥檚 prosecution of Witness K and his lawyer Bernard Collaery for allegedly whistleblowing on Australia鈥檚 bugging of Timor-Leste government offices.
Talk has once again resurfaced about extending police powers and militarising police forces after a violent brawl outside a pub in Collingwood, Victoria, earlier this month. But many are asking just how far governments are willing to go in sacrificing freedoms for an ill-conceived notion of being 鈥渢ough on crime鈥.
The federal Coalition government has dropped further in the polls following the knifing of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Nevertheless, both new Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the hard right Peter Dutton/Tony Abbott faction in the Liberal Party seem determined to take politics even more to the right.
Hundreds of thousands of people joined protests around the world on September 8 calling on governments to take serious action on climate change.聽