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Egyptians at a shrine

Venezuelan foreign ministry official statement The president and commander-in-chief of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, in the name of the Venezuelan people, applauds the genuine lesson of political and democratic maturity that the courageous Egyptian people have brought before the eyes of the world.

John Pilger

Greetings from around Australia for 91自拍论坛's 20th anniversary.

Raj Patel

Greetings from around the world for 91自拍论坛's 20th anniversary.

Evo Morales.

Bolivian President Evo Morales praised 鈥渢he popular uprisings in Tunisia and in Egypt鈥 in his speech to the opening ceremony of the World Social Forum in the west African nation of Senegal on February 6. Morales said the uprisings were part of the 鈥渞ebellion by the peoples of the Arab countries against US imperialism鈥. 鈥淭his struggle by the people is going to be unstoppable,鈥 Morales said, 鈥渆ven though the US government provides millions and millions of dollars of financing to try and finish these social movements. 鈥淏ut this is not going to stop.鈥

Twenty years ago, on Monday February 18, 1991, the first issue of 91自拍论坛 Weekly was produced. Its full-colour poster-style cover expressed opposition to the Gulf War, the first US-led invasion of Iraq.

In the space of a few weeks, Australia and the world have been rocked by devastating weather events, from huge snowstorms across the US to flash flooding and cyclones in Australia. Many of these events have not just been catastrophic, but have set new records for weather. Let鈥檚 pause to list some of the recent extreme weather events in Australia: 路 Serious and long-lasting floods in Queensland around Rockhampton. 路 Unprecedented flash flooding in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley. 路 The biggest floods on record in western Victoria. 路 A 100-year record flood in Brisbane.
The fall of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak sent waves of joy, jubilation and relief through Sydney's Egyptian community, who celebrated their country's newfound freedom outside Town Hall on February 12. Amnesty International hosted the celebrations. Socialist Alliance members, and members of other left groups, were also present as part of their ongoing campaign of solidarity with the Egyptian people. Chants of 鈥淒own, down Mubarak鈥 from previous solidarity rallies were replaced with choruses of 鈥淔reedom for Muslims, Christians, Jews! Freedom for everyone!"

US investigators have admitted their efforts to find grounds on which to prosecute WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange over the whistleblowing website鈥檚 release of hundreds of thousands of classified US documents were in trouble.

When a Billion Chinese Jump 鈥 How China Will Save the World, or Destroy It By Jonathan Watts Faber & Faber, 2010 485 pages, $32.95 http://site.whenabillionchinesejump.com/ When Jonathan Watts was a child growing up in England, he used to pray that all the people in China would not jump at once, lest they send the earth spinning off its axis.
Venezuela marked the 12th anniversary of President Hugo Chavez鈥檚 first oath of office in February 1999 on February 2. Chavez won presidential elections in December 1998 on a pro-poor program that pledged to break the corrupt, two-party system that had dominated Venezuela since 1958. To commemorate the occasion, Chavez and supporters held four televised site visits in Caracas. The visits highlighted gains in education, food, health and people鈥檚 power that have occurred as part of the 鈥淏olivarian revolution鈥 the Chavez government is leading.
Conservative Party chairperson and the first Muslim woman to attend the British cabinet, Sayeeda Warsi, said in January that Islamophobia and prejudice against Muslims has 鈥減assed the dinner table test鈥 and is now widely accepted in Britain. The rise of Islamophobia within Western societies has grown more since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. A 2007 Zogby International study said 76% of Arab-American youth surveyed had been discriminated against.
It isn鈥檛 often that socialists, Greens, Liberals and NGOs agree on an issue. But that is the case regarding uranium exploration in the Arkaroola region in the Flinders Ranges, 700 kilometres north of Adelaide. Marathon Resources announced on February 7 that the South Australian Labor government had renewed the company's mining licence in Arkaroola. The Arkaroola area is a unique environment, unlike anywhere else on Earth. It has over 160 species of birds, is home to species of fauna found nowhere else in the world and is a sanctuary for the endangered yellow-footed rock wallaby.