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Aboriginal death in Katherine after release from custody sparks calls for inquiry, justice

on October 24. * * * Another death of an Aboriginal man potentially involving police in the Northern Territory has sparked calls for an inquiry and urgent action to stop police harassment and brutality. Mr E Lewis, a Warlpiri man living in Katherine, passed away shortly after being released from police custody on September 23.

Report says Pilliga forest a 鈥楴oah鈥檚 ark鈥 for declining species, but coal seam gas is a threat

below on October 24 about a new report prepared for the Northern Inland Council for the Environment and the Coonabarabran and Upper Castlereagh Catchment and Landcare Group. * * * A new ecological study of the Pilliga Forest in north-west NSW has found it is a 鈥淣oah's Ark鈥 or refuge for many bird and mammal species that are declining across Australia.

Newman takes Qld back 30 years on uranium mining

In a startling but not unexpected backflip, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman gave the green light to uranium mining on October 22, lifting on the destructive industry.

Footscray forum votes to step up Save TAFE campaign

More than 60 people met in Footscray on October 17 to plan the next steps in the Save TAFE campaign. Community group 鈥淔riends of Victoria University鈥 hosted a public forum to discuss the Victorian state government鈥檚 $300 million cuts to the TAFE system and its impacts on communities in Melbourne鈥檚 western suburbs.

Workers rally for secure jobs they can count on

Photos by Chris Peterson

Barry O'Farrell to attack vital community services

The NSW Liberal government is planning to put vital community services on the chopping block. An October 12 article titled by the Sydney Morning Herald鈥檚 Josephine Tovey said a 鈥渓eaked departmental briefing note鈥 showed 鈥渇unding for child sexual assault services and the child protection helpline are on a hit-list as part of cuts of almost half a billion dollars over the next four years to community services in NSW鈥.

Melbourne women march to Reclaim the Night

鈥淰iolence against women is everybody鈥檚 business, and it has to stop!鈥 proclaimed Margarita Windisch, one of the speakers at the Reclaim the Night march in Melbourne on October 20. One determined heckler from the crowd could not stop her as she passionately defended the rights of women and children and 鈥減layed the gender card鈥 proudly for women everywhere who have been 鈥渇orced into this gender game鈥.

Union leader: Sri Lankan plantation workers fight for their rights

Menaha Kandasamy, the president of the Ceylon Plantation Workers Red Flag Union, recently visited Australia at the invitation of Australia-Asia Worker Links. Kandasamy told 91自拍论坛 Weekly the union mainly represents workers on tea and rubber plantations, though recently it has begun organising domestic and garment workers.