Global/International

Akbayan Party-list joins the Filipino people in celebrating our historic victory in the passage of the Reproductive Health bill in the second reading of the House of Representatives. Through Representatives Walden Bello and Kaka Bag-ao, Akbayan reiterated the voice of the people when it voted for life, choice, and reproductive health rights. We join the people in enjoying the fruit of more than a decade of struggle—a long and arduous journey towards the enactment of a law that will uphold and safeguard their right to a better future.

The tropical paradise of Samoa in the South Pacific has been lashed with gale force winds, flash flooding from torrential rain and a 3 metre storm surge from Category 2 tropical cyclone Evan on Thursday and Friday. After two days the tropical cyclone is now moving west and intensifying to a Catergory 4 storm as it heads in the direction of Fiji. Wallis and Fortuna Islands lie directly in the storm path and northern atolls of Tonga may also be affected to some degree.

Newsletter date: 15 December 2012

Contents:

* National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples: High Court Statement
* Human Rights Law Centre: High Court to hear landmark case on race discrimination and "special measures"

* The Wire Audio Interviews: Amelia Kunoth-Monks following in her grandmother's footsteps
* ABC Alice Springs Audio Interview: Guestroom - Olga Havnen
* 19th Maurice Blackburn Oration: Professor Clare Martin
* VEOHRC: Human Rights Oration 2012: Ron Merkel, QC
* STICS Forum Videos: After the NT election... The Struggle Against the NT Intervention:

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines "strongly condemns" the surprise rocket launch by North Korea on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 (12-12-12).

"The Philippines strongly condemns the launch undertaken by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 12 December 2012," a statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.