One fascinating aspect of the segment is a discussion of the role of women in the summer election protests. Echoing the words of an anonymous Iranian journalist who wrote for The New Yorker in September, another journalist identified as Faranak says she at first assumed that women could protest more freely because the police would be reluctant to harm them. Neda's death proved her wrong. In fact, Neda's sister tells Frontline that one woman warned Neda the basiji would target her because she was "a really pretty girl."

The segment also includes footage of Neda attending the demonstration that took her life. The clip below shows her walking on the street with her music teacher, who would later be forced to appear on television reinforcing the government's official version of events. Warning: the clip also includes disturbing, unblurred footage of Neda's death.

Dr. Arash Hejazi, who speaks of his attempts to save Neda, had to flee to England because he was outspoken about her death. He can't return to Iran and receives death threats even in exile. Neda's family was not allowed to have a memorial for her — no mosque or restaurant would let them in to commemorate her death. Protesters keep painting the word "martyr" at the site where she died; the government keeps painting over the words. Her boyfriend, Caspian Makan, was imprisoned and accused of being involved in Neda's death. He was later released on house arrest and escaped Iran. Now living in an apartment in a Middle Eastern city (Frontline says he's in Turkey), he gave an interview to The Guardian. There he spoke persuasively of Neda's commitment to protesting, contradicting early reports that she was simply a bystander. He says,

She said, 'You support me in everything I do, why not this?' I said, 'You don't understand these people. What happens if they catch you?' She said, 'It's not important, Caspian. It's my duty.' She said: 'Caspian, let me tell you the truth. I think that under the circumstances we now have, we're all responsible. Even if we'd had a child, I'd carry my child to these demos on my back.' That's when I realised I couldn't prevent her from going.

According to Frontline, neither Neda nor her boyfriend were politically involved before the elections. But the protests and their effects have awakened political awareness in many Iranians, and Neda's death has been a major part of this. Dr. Hejazi, still the main witness who is willing to speak out about what really happened to Neda, says he has been shocked by the response to his testimony. "I always talked about and preached about the power of words," he tells Frontline, "but i never realized how powerful words can be." As the impact of Neda's death and its chilling video record has shown, images can be powerful too.

A Death In Tehran [PBS]
Piecing Together Neda Agha-Soltan's Death [NYT: Lede Blog]
Caspian Makan: 'I Cannot Believe It Yet. I Still Think I Will See Neda Again' [Guardian]

[Tehran, November 15. Image via Getty]

Iranian women attend a parliament session in Tehran on November 15, 2009. Iran's parliament approved President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nominations for the final three posts in his 21-member cabinet after rejecting his initial candidates as being unqualified. Framed pictures show Iran's 'martyrs'. AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

In an interview with yesterday's Guardian, Makan discusses his relationship with Neda, her political involvement, and the attempts by the government to suppress the truth following her violent death. Neda's death was one of 80 reported during the protests against the presidential elections, but unlike the others, Neda died live on camera, in a clip that quickly traveled around the world, turning Neda into a symbol of reform-minded Iranians' struggle. According to eyewitness reports, Neda was shot by a member of the religious militia. Her face, and the face of her death, became a central image in the protests, a rallying point for people all over the globe. But as the Guardian notes, "symbols destroy lives." And Neda's was not the last.

In the days following Neda's murder, Makan spoke out to foreign news stations, before suddenly disappearing. It was soon learned that Makan was being held in the Evin Prison in Tehran, where he would stay for more than two months. During his time in prison, Makan was subjected to weeks of solitary confinement, interrogation, beatings, and psychological torture. He recalls being asked to lie about Neda, to say that she was a member of a group opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran. "They insisted on saying that Neda and I were members of a group with plans to cause these events," he said. They also suggested that Neda had gone intentionally to her death in order to undermine the state, but he could see that even they did not believe this;

"They weren't serious. It was pretty clear that they themselves didn't believe the accusations they were making." What was clear was the damage they felt Neda's death had dealt the Islamic Republic and that he had made it much worse by speaking out.

Then they changed tack. "They said 'The Iranian government is proud of you.' They brought me ice cream and biscuits. Then they wanted me to return to my cell. I went back feeling a little relieved. I thought, OK, let me turn off my light. It was like a searchlight shining straight on my face. Then I realised there was no switch to turn it off."

After months of torture, Makan was finally released on bail, thanks to the pressure placed on the regime by Neda's family, Amnesty, and other international organizations. Once released on bail, Makan's family and friends urged him to flee the country. Despite his initial reluctance to run, he finally escaped. "I didn't want to leave. For one, I believe this movement has not died out, and will never die out. But when I saw the constraints I was under, that they had me under constant surveillance, and that I had to keep silent, I really couldn't stand it," he said. And exile does have certain benefits: Now Makan can speak out, and more fully continue his mission to keep Neda's memory alive. "Now I have left Iran, I can cry out. To break the silence."

He also speaks about the days leading up to Neda's death, and her involvement in the protests. While neither Neda nor Caspian were particularly political, he says that Neda "joined the protesters from the beginning" and had only one goal: "democracy and freedom for Iranians." He recalls discussions they had about the dangers of the demonstrations:

"She said, 'You support me in everything I do, why not this?' I said, 'You don't understand these people. What happens if they catch you?' She said, 'It's not important, Caspian. It's my duty.' She said: 'Caspian, let me tell you the truth. I think that under the circumstances we now have, we're all responsible. Even if we'd had a child, I'd carry my child to these demos on my back.' That's when I realised I couldn't prevent her from going."

He says Neda attended virtually every demonstration. Although he sometimes went with her, Makan was not with Neda on the day of her death. He was taking photographs of demonstrators in another part of the city (Makan worked as a photographer), capturing image after image of security guards beating the protesters. He heard news of his girlfriend's death in the early morning, around the same time that the video clip of Neda, blood pouring from her face as her father screamed, was making its way around the world.

Makan now lives in a small apartment in a city he does not know. He keeps his whereabouts unknown, out of fear for the long reach of the Iranian secret police. Neda's parents, who still reside in Iran, face similar difficulties, but like Makan, they refuse to be silent. On November 4th, Neda's parents were attacked and detailed at a protest. A source told the Times of London that members of the security forces threatened them, saying they could meet the same fate as their daughter. Even more recently, Neda's tombstone was destroyed by supporters of Iran's current regime. A recording captured Hajar Rostami, Neda's mother, weeping over her desecrated grave and crying "My child has no gravestone... You bastards! Why don't you leave my child alone?" From exile, Makan added:

"The breaking of Neda's gravestone broke the hearts of millions of freedom-loving people around the world. The repressors, believing they can stifle the cries for freedom, have even attacked, beaten, threatened and insulted Neda's parents. This is while the Islamic Republic of Iran denies Neda's murder."

Caspar Makan: I Cannot Believe It Yet. I Still Think I Will See Neda Again." [Guardian]
Grave Of Neda Soltan Desecrated By Supporters Of The Regime [Times]

Related: Neda Soltani: Student & Symbol (And Why She Ought To Be Both)

[Tehran, November 4. Image via Getty.]

An Iranian woman holds her national flag during a rally outside the former US embassy in Tehran on November 4, 2009 to mark the storming of the American embassy by Iranian students 30 years ago. Thousands of Iranians staged the noisy anti-US rally in central Tehran as riot police armed with batons and firing teargas moved in as several hundred opposition supporters attempted to stage an anti-government protest. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

[Tehran, November 4. Image via Getty]

An Iranian woman walks past a mural of a revolver bearing the colours of the US national flag on the wall of the former US embassy in Tehran on November 4, 2009 during a rally marking the storming of the American embassy by Iranian students 30 years ago. Thousands of Iranians staged the noisy anti-US rally in central Tehran as riot police armed with batons and firing teargas moved in as several hundred opposition supporters attempted to stage an anti-government protest. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

The journalist writes that for the first time in Iranian history, women had a large and visible presence in this year's public demonstrations. Like men, they have been victims of violence. The author mentions the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, and also interviews a less famous victim — a woman named Negin who was beaten so badly while protesting the results of the recent election that she walked with a limp and her legs were swollen and blue. She tells the author that she stood still when the policed approached her, hoping they would pass her by. Then, she says,

They ran past, but not without hitting me as they did — every single one of them, on my legs, on my back, everywhere. One stopped and hit me in the face and shouted at me, and he was a young man, and I remember thinking, This young man is hitting and insulting a woman he doesn't know, who is old enough to be his mother! He must be crazy or something!

Her words highlight the fact that although women now protest and commit violence themselves — the author recounts a story of a group of women pulling Basijis off their motorcycles and nearly lynching them — they also retain a special role in Iranian society. One female protester, Shahrzad, told the author about a woman she knew who saved young men from police beatings by pretending to be their mother. The author writes,

It appealed to Shahrzad that the woman in question had mischievously exploited the maternal role that society allotted her in order to save young men from a beating. Inside this movement of oppressed freedom-seekers, Shahrzad seemed to be saying, there was a second, less obtrusive movement, of women playing with their status.

Shahrzad tells the author another story, about being insulted by a female Ahmadinejad supporter who happened to be wearing a body-hugging coat and makeup. Shahrzad asked her, "Why are you wearing so much eyeliner? Weren't you ever told you should only wear makeup for your husband?" The crowd then turned against the woman, mocking her style of dress until she was forced into "slinking away." It's a surprising tactic for a woman who is angry about the Islamic Republic's discrimination against women — and Negin points out that many women who initially supported the 1979 revolution were distressed by the new Republic's modesty laws and makeup prohibitions. Shahrzad says her son "doesn't like that I humiliated this woman using arguments I don't believe in," but she smiles as she tells her story. She and other Iranian women clearly find themselves uniquely placed to use deception and social pressure, tactics sometimes more effective than the beatings of the Basiji.

That said, the real story of women's involvement in the 2009 protests may be one of equality, not exceptionalism. The author writes, "For the first time in Iran's history, men and women in large numbers marched as equals. When, at Friday prayers on July 17th, thousands of men and women scandalized traditionalists by praying side by side, in the streets around Tehran University, Iran's culture of separation gave way to one of solidarity." Ahmadinejad and the Islamic Republic have not been toppled this time around. But, says the author, "the middle tier of Iranian society has become urgently politicized — activists whose goal, an end to tyranny, is now clear. Half of that tier is women." For a generation of well-educated women whose "social and professional avenues [...] are often disappointingly narrow," this may mean an opportunity for a new and more public life. For the government of Iran, it may mean a choice between liberalization (Iran's "gender laws are among the harshest in the world") or facing the wrath of half its population, oppressed for thirty years and now beginning to flex its power.

Veiled Threat [The New Yorker]

The poll, conducted from September 19-23, found 56% of respondents approve of how Obama is doing as President, while 33% disapprove. Health care emerges as a major issue — 19% of those polled thought it was the biggest problem facing America today, trailing only the economy. But just 47% approved of how Obama was handling health care, while 45% disapproved. And while 51% thought the healthcare system in America needed major changes, a majority (55% or 62%, depending on how they asked the question) felt that Obama hadn't explained his plans for change well enough. Only 21-23% (again, depending on the wording of the question) thought healthcare reform would actually help them personally.

If Obama is on shaky ground with public opinion, though, his opponents are basically standing on a volcano. Despite all the video footage of people yelling at town hall meetings, only 27% trusted Republicans more than Obama to fix health care. 52% trusted Obama more. 76% said Republicans had not laid out a clear plan for healthcare, and 64% thought they were only opposing Obama's plan for political reasons. A majority of those polled — 65% — support the public option.

Obama's numbers also aren't as bad as they look. Though his approval rating is down from 62% in February, it's still pretty strong compared to numbers posted by other presidents. Ronald Reagan was at 53% at this time in his first term, and Bill Clinton was at 43%. And his numbers on health care have enjoyed an uptick since his speech on September 9. Only 40% approved of his handling of health care in an August poll — 7 percentage points less than now.

That said, his speech didn't exactly fix the problems people are having understanding his plan — 33% thought he had explained it well enough before the speech, compared to just 37% now. Clearly Americans have not had their aha moment regarding Obama's healthcare policies — and maybe they never will. Is this because Obama is actually doing a bad job explaining things, or because health-care reform has become so complicated that no one could really explain it well? Given the numerous compromises being floated in recent weeks, and controversy over such arcana as whether public funds should be kept separate from private funds for the purposes of abortion, the latter seems likely. And misinformation is still deeply affecting Americans, three in 10 of whom still believe Obama's plan would cover illegal immigrants. Obama may not be doing the best job possible explaining healthcare reform to America, but demagogues are doing a great job of confusing us.

Of course, healthcare isn't the only issue facing the country. According to the poll, 50% approve of Obama's handling of the economy (compared to 61% in April), and 44% (the lowest ever) approve of how he's dealing with the war in Afghanistan. Given this news about Iran, perhaps the next poll will reflect that issue too.

In Poll, Public Wary Of Obama On War And Health [NYT]
New York Times/CBS News Poll: Confusion Over Health Care [NYT]

[New York, September 23. Image via Getty]

A protester shouts slogans against Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in front of the United Nations during the 64th UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, 2009. Ahmadinejad is scheduled to deliver a closely-watched speech at the UN General Assembly where US President Barack Obama put Iran on the spot over its nuclear aims. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

• A state panel has found that there is probable cause to believe that a suburban Philadelphia swim club, which asked a group of mostly black and Hispanic kids to leave, was guilty of discrimination. One of the girls who was asked to leave reports overhearing a club member asking, "What are all these black kids doing here? I am scared they might do something to my child." • For the low price of $39.95, you can be the proud owner of a Joe Wilson action figure, because nothing says I'm well-versed in politics! quite like a plastic figurine. •  Girls are fast catching up to boys in violent crime, according to new data. Although the increase first began to appear in the 1980s, it was only in the past decade that we saw a true rise in violence among young women. Professor Kerry Carrington will publish her findings in her book, Offending Youth. • The man accused of beating a female soldier outside an Atlanta Cracker Barrel has been indicted on charges of aggravated assault, cruelty to children, and false imprisonment. Federal officials are currently investigating whether he should also be charged with committing a hate crime. • A South African man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the "corrective" rape and murder of Eudy Simelane, one of the country's leading female soccer players. Two other men were acquitted due to lack of evidence. • Police have been unable to link Philip and Nancy Garrido to the disappearance of two young girls. Last week, it was reported that police found what could possibly be human remains on the Garrido's land, but it has since been determined that the bones are "far too old to be relevant to our case." • Max Baucus has backed down on his proposed tax on the medical devices industry. The so-called "Q-tip tax" has been amended, so that items under $100 (including tampons, sanitary pads, and Q-tips) would no longer be taxed. •  Researchers have found that providing Mexican women with new, pollution-reducing stoves can dramatically improve their respiratory health. Many Mexican women cook over indoor, wood-burning stoves, which causes them the same damage as smoking a pack of cigarettes every day. • Bad news for breeders: Scientists have linked childbearing to an increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome. • High school science teacher Susan Vincent was disappointed to realize that inner-city girls don't get to spend a lot of time outside, so she introduced a program at her school that brings kids to the Hudson River estuary. She hopes that they will eventually be able to fund a field-trip to the Mississippi River delta. • According to a recent poll, women are twice as likely to ask someone else to park for them than men. Women are also more likely to admit to being flustered while parallel parking, and to becoming self-conscious when watched. This leads the Daily Fail to deduce that "parking is a masculine strength." • Though Justine Henin retired from tennis last year at 25, when she was ranked number one and held two Grand Slam singles titles, she announced yesterday that she's returning to competition, and may even be back for the Australian Open. • A study of 2,000 British children ages 7 to 11 found left-handed kids are more likely to enjoy school and get along with their teachers. • According to another study of 2,000 adult Britons, many people are in denial about their weight problems. Though only 7 percent of those polled thought they were obese, the actual figure was 27 percent. • The FDA has banned the sale of candy, fruit and clove-flavored cigarettes, effective immediately. However, the ban does not apply to flavored cigars, smokeless tobacco products, or most notably, menthol cigarettes. Menthol cigarettes are preferred by 80% of black smokers and 25% of white smokers, and are increasingly popular with teens according to Jonathan Foulds, director of the Tobacco Dependence Program University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Public Health, but he says banning them too would result in a "pretty major revolt from industry." • Experts say the murder and persecution of women and children accused of being witches is increasing around the world, and may number in the millions. U.N. investigators say the persecution and killing of accused witches, who are often elderly women, is becoming common in South Africa, Nepal, Papua Ne Guinea, India, and other countries. In other areas children accused of witchcraft are abandoned or killed by their families. • Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad backed off his denial of the Holocaust in an interview with the AP yesterday. He said he isn't interested in debating the past anymore, but that the Holocaust shouldn't be used as a pretext to repress Palestinians today. • Some of the 42 African-American members of Congress who attended the Congressional Black Caucus conference this week said that "tea parties" and the people protesting against Obama's healthcare reform show that racism is on the rise. Democratic Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson, said Joe Wilson shouting "You lie!" could signal the return of "folks putting on white hoods and white uniforms again, riding through the countryside." • In the late '80s, when Glenn Beck hosted a Phoenix, Arizona radio show he used to do a version of Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" every Halloween. A rival radio host, Bruce Kelly, told a newspaper reported the bit was a stupid rip-off of an old joke. As revenge, Beck called Kelly's wife, Terry, live on the air a few days after she had a miscarriage. According to Brad Miller, one of Beck's former co-workers, he said," We hear you had a miscarriage... When Terry said, 'Yes,' Beck proceeded to joke about how Bruce [Kelly] apparently can't do anything right — about he can't even have a baby." •

[New York, September 23. Image via Getty]

Protesters perform an act during a demonstration against Iran's government in front of the United Nations as the UN General Assembly meets in New York on September 23, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

• For the first time since the 1939 World's Fair, New Yorkers will be able to see Vermeer's famous painting "The Milkmaid". It will be on display at the Met, alongside all 36 known paintings by the Dutch master. • Over 15 years ago, a fertility clinic at the University of California, Irvine, made the news for giving away embryos without consent. Two dozen lawsuits resulting from the mixed up embryos have finally been settled, but Shirel and Steve Crawford are still searching for their biological children. "Our children are out there somewhere," Shirel said, "maybe someday they will find us." • We mentioned yesterday the disappearance of Yale University graduate student Annie Le, who has still not yet been found. The FBI has joined in the search for Le, and in a horrible/ironic twist, MSNBC reports that Le wrote an article earlier this year on how to stay safe on campus. • An Australian teenager could be sentenced to seven years in prison for taking RU-486 to induce an abortion at her home — the drug is illegal to take without medical supervision. • Caster Semenya has withdrawn from South Africa's national cross country championships this Saturday. Her coach says she's "not feeling well." • The first transsexual marriage in Iran is set to take place, but only after the transman is medically examined to "prove it would be a proper male-female relationship." Surprisingly, Iran carries out more sex change operations than any country aprart from Thailand, but this will be the first time a transsexual marriage is made legal. • 

[Tehran, September 9. Image via Getty]

Shiite Muslim women hold the holy Koran on their heads during overnight ritual prayers in Tehran in the early hours of September 09, 2009, marking the start of the Lailat al-Qadr (Night of Power) ceremonies which celebrate the night in which the holy Koran was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed through the angel Gabriel. Observant Muslims pray all night long for mercy and salvation in a ritual known locally as 'Ehyaa' or 'Revival', one of the most important ceremonies of the holy month of Ramadan. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty Images)

• And to make it even better, his tagline is "What? I like variety," which is an odd choice for the man notorious for sticking to his "type." Related: Hugh is finally getting a divorce. • The Australian government has announced plans to widen protection for women fleeing their home countries out of fear for possible genital mutilation and honor killings. Women at risk will now be covered by the "Refugees Convention." • Four women from Wisconsin have been charged with being party to felony false imprisonment after they held a 37-year-old man captive and super-glued his penis to his stomach as a twisted punishment for his philandering ways. The woman who did the gluing, Therese Ziemann, is also charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree sexual assault. • An increase in availability of sex-determination and sex-selection technology has lead to a huge disparity between the number of male and female babies born in Vietnam (112.1 male babies per 100 female babies). The U.N. says they fear the widening gap may lead to a greater demand for sex work, and increased gender-based violence. • Iranian video artist Shirin Neshat has premiered her first feature film about women's rights in 1953 Iran, titled "Women Without Men" at the Venice film festival. Neshat says that much of the material she explores in the film can be applied to the situation today in Iran. • Michelle Obama has given her support to a request from the Freshfarm Markets to close a section of Vermont Avenue for a weekly farmers' market. If the request goes through, the busy street would be blocked off every Thursday between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. • 16-year-old Jessica Watson had hoped to become the youngest person to sail around the world, but just days before she was about to sail, she crashed her boat, the Pink Lady, into a 63,000-ton cargo carrier of the coast of Australia. • Lynndie England is suing writer Gary S. Winkler for seizing control of her biography, which she had hoped would help salvage her image. The book, Tortured: Lynndie England, Abu Ghraib and the Photographs That Shocked the World, is apparently not selling very well. "Nobody's getting rich here. I'm in the hole," said Winkler. • A Portuguese judge has banned further sales of a book written by a former policeman on the grounds that it hampers the search for Madeleine McCann. The book in question claims that McCann, who has been missing since May 2007, is dead. • In attempts to change his reputation as a "closed, brutal dictator," Iranian President Mahoud Ahmadinejad has already appointed one woman to his cabinet and is pushing for a second. However, women's rights activists recognize that the women appointed will probably not further their cause. "These women that Mr. Ahmadinejad selected are anti-woman," said Aida Qajar. • Attorneys for NFL player Ben Roethlisberger have rejected a "bizarre" offer to settle a lawsuit accusing Roethlisberger of rape. The so-called "bizarre" deal asks that the quarterback admit he raped Andrea McNulty and donate $100,000 to a women's advocacy group. Roethlisberger's lawyers claim her proposal "insults women who have legitimately suffered from sexual misconduct." Say what? • A panel of medical experts have voted to approve HPV vaccine Cervarix. The FDA will review the application and make a decision by September 29th. • According to a recent survey, one in every 33 women who regularly attend religious services has been the target of sexual advances by religious leader. • The Australian government said Wednesday that they are willing to allow women to serve in frontline combat units. American women are currently barred from combat roles. However, according to this article (and photograph) Australian women already serve on the frontline. • A British coroner failed to determine whether the LighterLife diet contributed to the death of 34-year-old bride-to-be Samantha Clowe. • IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said on Tuesday that even if Caster Semenya's gender tests show that she has had an "unfair advantage" due to a medical condition, she will most likely get to keep her gold medal. "This is not a doping case at present so it shouldn't be considered as one where you have a retroactive stripping of results," he explained. •

• In this video, Miss Universe contestants are shown participating in the "Condom Olympics" three days before the pageant on August 23. The event was sponsored by the AIDS prevention group Population Services International, and the women were asked to blow up condoms until they burst, fill them with water, and conduct condom demonstrations. A representative for the group says they were preparing the new Miss Universe to be an Ambassador for Youth AIDS and "Often times, target populations are illiterate or of low literacy and we need to find ways to reach them through engaging activities that don't rely on written materials." Conservative groups are upset that the activities didn't promote abstinence and PSI was founded by pornographer Phil Harvey. • Amber Alerts were created for stranger abductions in which a child is in danger, but LiveScience columnist Benjamin Radford argues that there are too many false alarms. Most abductions are committed by a non-custodial parent or family member and don't qualify for the notification. One study found that of all the Amber Alerts issued in 2004, police had violated protocol by issuing the alert in 70 percent of the cases. • Australian Tegan Leach, 19, is waiting to see if she'll have to stand trial for giving herself an abortion at home. Her boyfriend may be charged with supplying a drug to procure an abortion and both have been charged with procuring an abortion, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years. Police found empty Ukrainian blister packs they say may have contained pills that induce abortion. Abortion laws in Australia vary by state, but they are illegal in Queensland, where she lives, unless the mother's life is in jeopardy. • Iranian MPs have approved the the first female minister in the republic's 30-year history. Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, who will be the health minister, is a hard-line conservative who has proposed introducing gender-segregated health care in Iran in the past. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad nominated three women for cabinet positions but MPs rejected the other two women he picked to be social security minister and education minister. • A study of 1,000 Iranian high school students suggests family history may determine whether or not teens get severe acne. Of the teens whose parents or siblings had moderate to severe acne, 20 percent had the same problem, compared to only 10 percent of those teen with no family history. • Russia's supreme court has cancelled the retrial of four men accused of being involved in the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya in 2006. Prosecutors have been ordered to begin a new investigation into the involvement of the suspected gunman as well as the four men. In the decision the court sided with the journalist's family, who argued a retrial would take attention away from finding who planned the murder. • Primatologists at New York's Stony Brook University have found that pregnant female gorillas continue mating with males to prevent other females from mating with him. "It seems to us that mating is another tactic that females use to compete with each other – in this case to gain favour with another male," said one researcher, who believes this behavior may help explain how humans evolved into a generally monogamous species. • People have continued secretly visiting Neda Agha-Soltan's grave in Behesht-e Zahra cemetery even though Basij paramilitary vigilantes have threatened to harass or arrest mourners. Authorities may have decided to bury her and other opposition martyrs there because the cemetery is large and located an hour outside Tehran, but people have figured out where Neda's grave is and leave flower petals on the site. • Researchers studied 32 women with postpartum depression and found that 17 of the mothers, or 53%, felt suicidal. This group was also felt they were less prepared for motherhood and had greater difficulty responding to their infant's needs than those who were not suicidal. • Australian scientists tested cancerous breast cells and found several strains of HPVs known to have a high risk of initiating cervical cancer. "The finding that high risk HPV is present in a significant number of breast cancers indicates they may have a causal role in many breast cancers," said one researcher. "Confirming a cancer-causing role for HPV in some breast cancers establishes the possibility of preventing some breast cancers by vaccination against HPV. • Dirty Diaries, a collection of 12 short pornographic films shot by a feminist documentary maker Mia Engberg and funded by taxpayers is premiering in Sweden tonight. "Porn has always been made by men for men," said Engberg, "Above all, it's about showing sexuality through a female's perspective. It's not made to please a male audience and it's not made to make money," she added. • A 68-year-old nun was arrested for drunk driving on Long Island, New York on Tuesday after crashing into a tree. She was driving a car that belonged to the church and almost hit a group of children playing on their lawn. Police found a water bottle filled with alcohol in the car and say her blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. • A 68-year-old Salt Lake City woman who held the Guinness World Record for her long fingernails lost them in February when they broke during a car crash. She says it's much easier to move her hands now without the weight of her fingernails, which measured as long as 2 feet, 11 inches. She's not going to try to grow them out again because it took her 30 years to get them to that length and she doesn't think she'll live that long. •

[Poznan, Poland; August 25. Image via Getty]

POZNAN, POLAND - AUGUST 25: Bahareh Alimoradi Nasrabadi of Iran competes in the Women's Single Sculls on day three of the World Rowing Championships on August 25, 2009 in Poznan, Poland. (Photo by John Gichigi/Getty Images)

• Less than 50% of female residents of Ontario who had abnormal pap smears received follow-up care, a new study says. Unsurprisingly, many of the untreated women were from lower-income communities. • AdAge breaks down what we can learn from online dating. Among the bullet-point nuggets of wisdom: "the vast majority of people out there are hurting, confused, bitter, uncertain, cynical and, yes, crazy" and "We are all biologically programmed to be 'about the looks.' Apple has built a small empire based on its remarkable aesthetic." • Ever wondered what happens when you sneeze? This article will answer that question, and several others, like why does a sneeze sometimes feel so fucking good? • Margaret Atwood on the environmentalist message of her new novel, Year of the Flood: ‘‘We tend to pay attention to immediate needs and desires, but we are not so good at looking down the road, and it is really hard for us to look a hundred years down the road.'' Read the rest of the (awesome) interview here. •  A 14-year-old mixed race girl from the UK was driven to attempt suicide by the taunts of her racist 15-year-old classmate. Last month, the boy was convicted of racially aggravated harassment, but he was only sentenced to a six month supervision order and a fine. The victim said of the ruling: "That's pants." •  One Texas sheriff's deputy has been fired and four other deputies have been disciplined for asking a scantily-clad waitress named Bambi to pose on the back of their police cruiser holding a AR-15 rifle. • Controversy is brewing over a book on Frida Kahlo coming out this fall that the publishers say contains "an astonishing lost archive of one of the 20th century's most revered artists … full of ardent desires, seething fury, and outrageous humour." Unfortunately, Kahlo scholars say the items are fake and are pushing Mexican art institutions to step in and "put a stop to this type of fraud." • Director Kathryn Bigelow says she filmed The Hurt Locker, her critically-acclaimed film about the Iraq War, in Jordan because, "It's a movie about the Middle East and, call me crazy, I wanted to shoot it in the Middle East. I don't think Arizona would have been quite right... The nature of this film was so reportorial – if you don't immerse yourself, how are you going to tell the story responsibly?" • A federal judge ruled today in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota challenging informed consent laws that South Dakota abortion doctors must tell pregnant women the procedure terminates the life of a human being. However, she ruled that pregnant women don't have to be told abortion increases the likelihood of suicide or that they have an existing relationship with the fetus. • A British man who had a cornea transplant says he must have received the "cornea of a woman". His wife used to have to pester him to do housework but he says, "Because of my new eyesight I now notice every speck of dust and dirt and immediately want to clean it up... There is a reason why men don't clean normally and I think it's because we just don't see the dirt. But since the transplant I now see it wherever I go."