Newswire

The Israeli navy has raided and killed up to 19 peace activists aboard the international flotilla heading towards Gaza with humanitarian aid. One Australian activist was shot in the leg and seriously injured and a journalist was tasered. The Australians were held for three days in Israel before being deported. The flotilla carried supplies like medical equipment and a dental equipment had peace activists, media and politicians from over 40 countries on board. Eyewitness accounts from activists of the Israeli attack are now emerging. Israel is a nuclear armed rogue state that deserves to be an international pariah. Visit www.witnessgaza.com for updates of events.

By Ray Jackson

Sam Watson is absolutely correct in calling for the Queensland Police Commissioner, Bob Atkinson, to resign his post immediately. It must be remembered, as I am quite sure that all of those who have been following the Doomadgee case will remember, Bob Atkinson was very quick to use his position as Police Commissioner to defend then-S/S Christopher Hurley over the killing of Doomadgee on Palm Island.

Then-Premier Peter Beattie also gave his unqualified support to Hurley and the whole Queensland Police Force.

A flotilla of eight boats carrying thousands of tonnes of construction materials, medical equipment and other aid is preparing to sail to Gaza in the next few days, setting the scene for a confrontation with Israel which has vowed to prevent the ships breaking the blockade on the Palestinian territory. Read about the progress of the flotilla at www.witnessgaza.com

Hazara Australians are saying that Afghanistan is unsafe for Hazaras and they are asking the international community to intervene and protect Hazaras from being massacred. Thousands of Australian Hazaras and their supporters will gather in all main cities of Australia on Sunday, 30 May 2010 to protest against the current wave of attacks on Hazaras by Kochi (nomad) as the Taliban Pushtoon forces backed by Karzai Government and to show that the condition for Hazaras in Afghanistan and those fleeing as refugees, is unsafe and far from improved.

The trial of Peter Bethune began on 27th May in Tokyo. Peter pleaded guilty to charges of trespass, property destruction, carrying a knife and disruption of commercial acitivty. He is contesting the charge of assault. The charges arise fromhis Febrauy 15th, 2010 boarding of the illegal Japanese whaling vessel the Shonan Maru No.2. Peter was attempting to deliver a citizens arrest warrant, along with an invoice for the loss of his ship which was sunk earlier by the Japanese whalers.

By Survival International

There was outrage on 26 May as the World Travel and Tourism Council announced the Botswana Tourism Board as winner of a Tourism for Tomorrow award, despite Survival International's condemnation of the government’s treatment of the Kalahari Bushmen.

The Botswana Tourism Board, a government body, won the ‘Destination Stewardship’ award, which recognizes ‘dedication to and success in maintaining a programme of sustainable tourism management’.

By The GetUp Team

The 2010 election is coming quickly--as early as July 24, just 9 weeks from now. In 2007, GetUp members shocked the political world with an unprecedented campaign from an independent movement. We were on the ground, online and across the airwaves. Now it's time to GetUp again in 2010.

The progressive mandate won in 2007 has fallen on hard times, with Government back downs on climate action, refugee policy and a human rights act, along with neglect of mental health. In 2010 we need to reaffirm the mandate for reform.

Energy Resources Australia (ERA), the company responsible for the Ranger uranium mine recently revealed to have leaked millions of litres of radioactive water into the World Heritage-listed wetlands of Kakadu National Park (http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/mine-fears-grow-as-pol...), is a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, which held its AGM in Melbourne today.

This is the trailer for the film 'Crude' about the fight to bring legal justice to the oil companies who decimated the Amazon basin.

It looks like a good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duFXuRnd2CU