Critical Times

Senate Blocks Iraq War Money

By Anne Flaherty The Associated Press Friday 16 November 2007 The Senate on Friday blocked a Democratic proposal that would have paid for the Iraq war but required that troops start coming home. The 53-45 vote was seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance. It came minutes after the Senate rejected a Republican proposal to pay for the Iraq war with no strings attached. read more »

By Matthew Taylor and Esther Addley The Guardian UK Saturday 27 October 2007 MoD begins study amid fears that up to 20,000 soldiers may be affected. The Ministry of Defence is conducting a major study into brain injury in troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan amid fears that thousands of soldiers may have suffered damage after being exposed to high-velocity explosions. The US army says as many as 20% of its soldiers and marines have suffered “mild traumatic brain injury” (mTBI) from blows to the head or shockwaves caused by explosions. read more »

By James Kanter
The International Herald Tribune
25 October 2007

Paris – The human population is living far beyond its means and inflicting damage to the environment that could pass points of no return, according to a major report being issued today by the United Nations. Climate change, the rate of extinction of species, and the challenge of feeding a growing population are among the threats putting humanity at risk, according to the United Nations Environment Program in its fourth Global Environmental Outlook since 1997. “The human population is now so large that the amount of resources needed to sustain it exceeds what is available at current consumption patterns,” Achim Steiner, the executive director of the Environment Program, said in a telephone interview. read more »

Source: SBS Website Tuesday, 6 November, 2007

Western Australia’s controversial construction union has launched a fierce attack on the Labor Party, accusing its leaders of lying about their plans for industrial relations.

In an exclusive interview with SBS, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) secretary Kevin Reynolds says that $400,000 given nationally to Labor’s election campaign has brought them no gain.

“What’ve we got in return? Lies, deception and attacks on our senior officials.

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Australian Services Union website
30 October 2007

Workers at Holdfast Bay City Council in South Australia need your support. Despite the clear majority of staff voting against it, management at the Council are determined to pressure staff into signing a Work Choices agreement.

What’s happened so far?
In February, Holdfast Council management first wrote to the Australian Services Union (ASU) office asking whether we would be prepared to be a party to a Work Choices agreement.

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