Carlow/Kilkenny: Conor Mac Liam

Sectarian anti-abortion laws and political cowardice are responsible for the medieval treatment of Savita Halappanavar and her tragic death. Never again should a woman in this country suffer such oppression.

TASC, an independent Irish think-tank, has produced a report that puts the reality of the detrimental impact of poverty, lack of education and class division on human health, in an Irish context. Eliminating Health Inequalities – A Matter of Life and Death, TASC 2011 points out, for example, that according to Census 2006, men living in the most affluent areas live 4.5 years longer than men living in the poorest areas.

Last month revolutionary and renowned soul, jazz and blues artist, Gil Scott Heron, sadly passed away. Most famous for his song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", Gil had a long and turbulant artistic career and life, and is seen as a key musical influence on the development of R&B and rap. His songs were not just mundane songs about nothing, but were scathing social commentary on capitalism and capitalist society. Here we post a review, written by members of Socialist Alternative, our American sister party.

Despite being the most unpopular Taoiseach in the history of the state, at the head of the most unpopular government in the history of the state, Brian Cowen has been ranked as the fifth best global leader of the year by the American Newsweek magazine.