Australian families have helped to drive Shell into the record books, after the oil giant posted a $A35.5 billion profit. 

Motoring group NRMA said the company owed a thank you note to Australian motorists, after it turned a profit of almost $4 million every hour of last year. 

Tony Blair has been holding discussions with some of his oldest allies on how he could mount a campaign later this year to become full-time president of the EU council, the prestigious new job characterised as "president of Europe".  

Brazil's Government is unwilling and unable to halt destruction in the Amazon rainforest despite emergency measures it announced last week to curb rising deforestation, environmental expert say. 

High commodity prices and increased land use elsewhere in Brazil are driving ranchers and farmers deeper into the Amazon in search of cheap land, environmentalists say.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared his support for John McCain's presidential bid, handing the Republican front-runner a prized endorsement ahead of the state's key primary.

Governor Schwarzenegger told a press conference he was backing Senator McCain after touring a solar technology plant in Los Angeles together with the Arizona senator and former Republican contender Rudolph Giuliani.

from Crikey ….. 

Look at Mick Keelty's new 5 year contract negotiated just before the election - making sure he was a winner either way.  

Giuliani expected to endorse Florida winner McCain 

Rudy Giuliani is expected to throw his weight behind John McCain's campaign for the Republican nomination after the senator for Arizona won a convincing victory in the Florida primary to become the clear front runner. 

from Crikey ….. 

A sorry tale of politics, pragmatism and principles 

Editor of The National Indigenous Times Chris Graham writes: 

The Republican contest for Florida ended in acrimony on Monday as the two leading candidates traded attacks, aggressively courting voters across the Florida peninsula in a primary battle that could produce a clear front-runner for the party’s presidential nomination before a virtual national primary next week.

Openly celebrating George Bush's last state of the union address, Democrats in Congress last night dismissed his entreaties on tax cuts and government wiretaps but left the president some room on a $150bn economic aid package.  

Economy, War To Dominate State of Union

Bush's Challenge May Be Getting People to Listen

For years, President Bush and his advisers expressed frustration that the White House received little credit for the nation's strong economic performance because of public discontent about the Iraq war.

Economic Woes Again Batter Global Stocks 

Persistent fears about the world economy battered global stocks again on Monday and drove investors towards safer assets despite expectations of more interest cuts from the Federal Reserve to bolster growth. 

To pay for World War II, Americans bought savings bonds and put extra notches in their belts. President Harry Truman raised taxes and cut non-military spending to pay for the Korean conflict. During Vietnam, the US raised taxes but still watched deficits soar.

But to pay for the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has used its credit card, counting on the Chinese and other foreign buyers of its debt to pay the bills. ... 

Real faith makes us humble and mindful, not of the faults of others, but of our own. It makes us less judgmental, as we see others with the same frailties we have. Faith gives us strength in the face of injustice and motivates us to do our best for "the least of us." 

Our nation was birthed in a spirit of faith - not a prescriptive one telling us whether to believe, but one acknowledging that a providence pervades our world. 

Primary Choices: Hillary Clinton 

This generally is the stage of a campaign when Democrats have to work hard to get excited about whichever candidate seems most likely to outlast an uninspiring pack. That is not remotely the case this year. 

Hoping to give a quick adrenaline shot to the ailing economy, President Bush and House leaders struck a deal on Thursday for a $150 billion fiscal stimulus package, including rebates for most tax filers of up to $600 for individuals, $1,200 for couples and, for families, an additional $300 a child.