Terror white paper: shiny new language, same old laws

…this blog piece first appeared in Crikey 23 Feb 2010 The counter-terrorism white paper issued today is long overdue. Announced by the Prime Minister in December 2008 as “forthcoming”, the release has been delayed several times, presumably to give the government enough time to cleanse the document of any real detail and manage the process of strategic leaks that now seem to routinely precede any major announcement

Hospital infections kill 48,000 each year

NEARLY 50,000 patients die every year of blood poisoning or pneumonia they picked up in US hospitals.

Sleepless teens more likely to use drugs

TEENAGERS who sleep fewer than seven hours per night are more likely to use illegal drugs, according to a study released overnight.

Learning lessons from the monumental and bloody mistakes of the recent past

In March 2003, Prime Minister John Howard announced combat operations had begun and Australian troops had crossed the border as the Shock and Awe bombardment lit up Baghdad. The decision had been made – the invasion was already underway as Howard spoke into the TV cameras, informing Australians that we were at war.

Vaccine woes as whooping cough mutates

THE bacteria that causes whooping cough has mutated, scientists have warned, eroding the protection provided by the vaccine now given to children.