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RUSSIA: Terrorists, hostages and double-speak

Boris Kagarlitsky, Moscow The number of dead and wounded in the Beslan tragedy was stunning, but so were the authorities' lies. They minimised the number of hostages and casualties. They said there were Arabs and "one black" among the terrorists.

SRI LANKA: Fears grow of war's renewal

Chris Slee Fears are growing that a renewed war could break out between Sri Lankan government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The Tamil guerrillas have complained to Scandinavian peace monitors that government soldiers have

National shame job

In early 2004, the Kumbutjil Association was formed by residents of Darwin's One Mile Dam community to undertake projects in the community and address the profound health and safety issues confronting residents. According to community leader David

Eritreans protest deportation of refugees

Sue Bolton Delegations of Eritrean community members from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane gathered in Canberra on October 1 to protest over the plight of Eritrean refugees in Libya, Malta and Europe who face being deported back to Eritrea. After

Demanding justice for asbestos victims

Tim Vollmer The community campaign is growing against James Hardie, a multinational company that has taken unethical and illegal corporate behaviour to new lows. The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has been at the

News briefs

BRISBANE — On October 7, a snap protest was organised by the University of Queensland student union women's rights group outside the Liberal Party headquarters in Bowen Hills. The protest was in response to a Family First candidate's comments that

Loose cannons

Speaking clearly I "I understand that the enemy could misread what I say. That's why I try to be as clearly I can." — Emperor George Bush II, September 23. Speaking clearly II "Our strategy is to help the Iraqis help themselves. It's

HAITI: The ravages of an unnatural disaster

Floods and mudslides killed more than 1000 people in one weekend in north and north-west Haiti as Tropical Storm Jeanne brushed by the nation on September 18-19. Tens of thousands are left homeless and destitute, their shops, livestock and crops

Actors portray refugee tragedy

SYDNEY — A cast of 60 actors, both amateur and professional, got together on October 4 at the Marrickville Town Hall to take part in a reading of writer Alex Broun's new play script, Dead in the Water, which is based on the on the firsthand

Socialist vote 'puts us in a better position to fight back'

Alison Dellit The Socialist Alliance is likely to receive more than 12,000 votes across the 26 lower house seats it stood in, with slightly less votes in the Senate. It was the first time the alliance contested a federal election campaign with its

Release Craig Johnston petition

To: The Hon Rob Hulls MLA, Attorney General of Victoria; The Hon Steve Bracks MLA, Premier of Victoria. We, the undersigned, support Craig Johnston's immediate release from jail for the following reasons: 1. Craig Johnston is the only person

A woman's place is in the struggle: What's at stake for women in US election?

As the 1 million-strong March for Women's Lives came to a close in April, a young woman who'd travelled from Vermont to Washington, DC, said to me, "So now what do we do?" It's the key question. How we answer that question — especially in this