health - "government"

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe will transfer ownership of all foreign-owned firms that support Western sanctions against President Robert Mugabe's government to locals and investors from 'friendly' countries, a state newspaper reported on Sunday.

New South Wales Labor MP Phil Koperberg has taken a shot at his own government over a snap decision to close the busy maternity ward in the Blue Mountains.

Locals are calling on the New South Wales government to stop the closure of the Blue Mountains Hospital's maternity unit, after they were told it would not provide birthing services for the next six weeks.

A system of checks and balances in government is usually regarded as a good thing, except when it comes to the probability that a nation will stop its use of government-sanctioned torture, according to a Florida State University study. As repugnant as torture is, the fact is most countries -- even those with democratic governments -- do it.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki did not back the plan of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and his comments to a German magazine on the issue were misunderstood, the government's spokesman said on Sunday.

MANAGUA (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people filled Nicaragua's capital on Saturday to celebrate the country's 1979 leftist revolution, giving a lift to President Daniel Ortega as his government faces simmering protests.