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Federal parliament is likely to vote this week on whether a politician or health professionals will determine access to RU486, a drug used to terminate pregnancies in their early stages. The MPs of both major parties will have a conscience vote, and
By Ray Jackson, Sydney St Valentine's Day will be the second anniversary of the death of TJ Hickey, who was mortally impaled on a metal-spiked fence in Redfern on February 14, 2004. According to those calling for the inquest into TJ's death to be
Doug Lorimer The number of Iraqis living below the poverty line has increased since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 to one-fifth of the population, according to figures released by Iraq's labour ministry on January 25. "A study
Dave Riley, Brisbane Queensland train drivers and crews went on strike for 14 hours at midnight on February 2 over a new enterprise bargaining agreement, in defiance of an order from the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) banning
Why do people donate their blood to institutions such as the blood bank? If you are the donor, you will never know whether a right-winger will receive your blood. If you are the donee, you won't know whether a right-winger's blood just saved your
Australian Electoral Commission figures released on February 1 show that in 2004-05 the Pharmacy Guild and pharmaceutical companies increased their donations to the NSW Labor government by almost $150,000, giving six times more than in the previous
Jon Lamb Journalists and human-rights organisations within East Timor and internationally are increasingly concerned about the consequences of a new penal code on defamation, which includes the penalty of up to three years' imprisonment for
Several hundred trade unionists at Tehran's bus company Sherkate Vahed were arrested and many badly beaten following a strike on January 28. The union's leader, Mansour Osanloo, has been in prison since December 22. On January 24, the union called
Sam Wainwright Discussion in the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) about whether or not to present a candidate in the 2007 presidential election has become a source of front-page speculation in the French media. The LCR, famous for its part in
On January 31, 20,000 health workers joined a strike by doctors seeking higher pay. More than 3000 members of the Medicos Pro Salario physicians' guild have been on strike since November 14. The Health Workers Federation (Fetsalud), which covers
Sue Bolton The Queensland, Tasmanian, South Australian and Western Australian Labor governments have now joined the NSW Labor government's appeal to the High Court against the federal government's use of the corporations powers to override state
Jim McIlroy, Caracas In a series of fiery speeches on the closing day of the World Social Forum, January 29, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned the US government that a US attack on Iran would be "10 times worse than Iraq". "Enough already