August 2010

Shell hearing opens as ex-employee blows whistle on oil & gas giveaway

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Shell to Sea protesters resist boreholesEarlier this week the government announced its intention to give away the last exploration blocks in the Irish sea to private corporations under its "open door" policy.  Today in Erris Shell starts the latest round of its long attempt to impose an experimental raw gas pipeline on the community, back from its defeat early in the new year when the long running community protests forced An Bord Pleanala to block the original ludicrous route for the pipeline that took it through the village of Rossport.  Meanwhile the community continue to resist Shell with borehole drilling being stopped for three hours on Monday as protesters evaded security at low tide.

Corrib enquiry day 1 as new gas field claimed off west coast

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Yesterday saw the first day of the new An Bord Pleanala oral hearing into Shell’s attempts to impose an experimental gas pipeline on the people of Kilcommon in Co. Mayo. Shell stand to make billions out of the Corrib gas field with the Irish state seeing almost no revenue from these profits or the profits that are likely to arise from other oil & gas discoveries now being made. Claims for a field much bigger than Corrib off the west coast have been made in the last few days.

Roma deportation continues in France

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Hundreds of Roma have been deported today by the French government as part of their attacks on Roma camps. To date, over 8,000 Roma have been deported from France since the start of the year, out of a population of 15,000 in the county. There are between 10-12 million Roma in Europe.

Perth Train Drivers forced to take wildcat strike action

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Perth public transport system in Western Australia was brought to a standstill last Friday after 97 drivers rang in sick.  Commuters suffered long delays and the much anticipated football match between Freemantle Dockers and Brisbane was disrupted by the action.

Asylum seekers renew protest at Mosney Centre

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A group of 50 protestors, mainly asylum seekers, has gathered outside the Mosney Centre in Co.Meath to protest at the planned movement of some of the internees to other facilities in the country.