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France: Elections a blow to Sarkozy

French voters have dealt a blow to right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy in the first and second rounds of voting in the French regional elections. The opposition Socialist Party (PS) expanded its control of regional presidencies to 23 of the 26 regions, based on a record voting percentage in the second round on March 21. There were mixed results for parties to the left of the PS, and also a resurgence of the far-right National Front (FN). The elections have been marred by record-low voter turnout, with 46.5% and 51% of voters taking part in the two rounds.

Black deaths in custody: a deadly emerging pattern

In what is emerging as a deadly pattern in Western Australia, a 39-year-old Aboriginal prisoner died tragically in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital on March 22, after laying for several days in a brain-dead state.

France: Public-sector strike over 'reforms'

Nationwide strikes in France on March 22 have hobbled public services from transport to schools as part of a union campaign to put the brakes on right-wing reforms planned by President Nicolas Sarkozy. But new labour minister Eric Woerth vowed to press on with changes to the "extremely fragile" pension system 鈥 the most controversial proposal. Unions say Sarkozy's conservative government hadn't offered satisfactory plans on jobs, salaries, purchasing power and working conditions.

Indigenous activist to run for Senate

BRISBANE 鈥 On March 23, Sam Watson was preselected to lead the Socialist Alliance Senate team for Queensland in the upcoming federal elections.

Aboriginal passports for Merak refugees

The following is a statement from the .

Arabs and the Holocaust

Pro-Palestinian Marxist Gilbert Achcar, who grew up in Lebanon, is a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. The English translation of his book, The Arabs and the Holocaust, will be published in April 2010 by Metropolitan, New York. French weekly Politis interviewed Achcar on February 18. * * * In the introduction to your book, you declare that you wrote it to "fight the symmetrical caricatures" often heard about Arab attitudes to the Holocaust? What are these caricatures?

Mark Steel: The hypocrisy of the anti-union brigade

BRITAIN: Hypocrisy of anti-union brigade Over March 22-24, British Airways cabin crew staged a three-day strike over the refusal of BA management to negotiate a reasonable long-term pay offer. A second round of strikes was scheduled to begin on March 27. British socialist and comedian Mark Steel responded to the media and government hysteria against the strike in a March 17 column posted at .

Forgotten genocide: call out for art auction

Four years after escaping to Australia in a boat bearing the message 鈥淪ave our souls鈥, a group of Melbourne-based West Papuan asylum seekers plan to carry their message about forgotten genocide to New York.Four years after escaping to Australia in a boat bearing the message "Save our souls", a group of Melbourne-based West Papuan asylum seekers plan to carry their message about forgotten genocide to New York.

Eyewitness to Nepal's revolution (with video)

Ben Peterson is an activist with the socialist youth organisation Resistance and the Socialist Alliance who spent four-and-half-months in Nepal last year.

Sydney: Socialist candidates take on the racists

Two Socialist Alliance candidates for the coming federal elections 鈥 Rachel Evans for Senate and Pip Hinman for Grayndler 鈥 announced they were running on March 25, under Newtown's iconic 鈥淚 have a dream鈥 mural.

Greece: A tradition of revolt

In every corner of Greece, popular anger over the government鈥檚 latest neoliberal assault on job security, pensions and social services has lead to a series of general strikes involving hundreds of thousands of militant workers.

Denmark: Letter from two climate activists facing jail for Copenhagen protest

Australian activist Tash Verco and US citizen Noah Weiss were arrested in Copenhagen for the crime of helping organise a mass demonstration to coincide with the December United Nations climate summit.