Minchin 'surprised' by criticism of possible Parliament recall ....

Federal Finance Minister Nick Minchin has dismissed claims that it would be a waste for Parliament to sit next week.

The Labor Party is using today's three-year anniversary of the last election to again call on Prime Minister John Howard to set a date for this year's poll.

If Mr Howard calls the election before next Monday, Parliament will not return until after the poll.

from The Observer

The PM might mouth platitudes, but our phone records lie exposed, a whistleblower is prosecuted and a demonstration is banned.

The art of government these days is to extend power without people noticing. Gordon Brown proclaims his solemn duty 'to uphold freedom of speech, freedom of information and freedom of protest', yet his ministers steal through the night to attack each one of these rights. We are moving with a sickening speed to a point where the reality of government intentions is the precise opposite of its presentational rhetoric.

US accuses Iran's envoy to Iraq

The top US military commander in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, has accused Iran's ambassador of belonging to an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

Gen Petraeus said Hassan Kazemi-Qomi was a member of the Quds Force, which the US believes backs foreign Islamic revolutionary movements.

Gen Petraeus said he had no doubt Iran was behind attacks that had led to the deaths of US soldiers.

In two separate legal opinions written in 2005, the Justice Department
authorized the C.I.A. to barrage terror suspects with a combination of
painful physical and psychological tactics, including head-slapping,
simulated drowning and frigid temperatures.

The memorandums were written just months after a Justice Department opinion
in December 2004 declared torture "abhorrent."

Trees are our most valuable resources in combating global warming, IF WE LEAVE THEM THERE, but we are about to cut more of them for paper.

Vatican buys soccer club

The players of Italian third division side Ancona will most likely think twice before misbehaving on the pitch after the club was bought by the Vatican.

La Stampa reported on Wednesday that the Centro Sportivo Italiano (CSI) has bought 80% of the club through a group of Milanese Catholic entrepreneurs, leaving 20% to the former president Sergio Schiavoni.

Abbott announces $15m health plan for elderly

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott has announced the Federal Government will provide Medicare-funded health checks for people aged 65 and over.

Patients can be referred to a geriatrician, who can then develop treatment plans to help patients stay out of aged care homes.

Mr Abbott says the program will cost about $15 million over four years.

Telstra has accused Communications Minister Helen Coonan of being a failure, but she says the company should end its "King Kong-like antics" and get on with improving services.

Already tense relations between the Federal Government and Telstra soured even further when Telstra wrote to all 1.6 million shareholders, accusing the government of excessive, costly regulation.

That relates to the company's move to close down the CDMA mobile phone network, established in 1999 to supercede the old analog network in regional areas.

“If I had to use one word to describe the environmental state of the planet right now, I think I would say precarious. It isn’t doomed. It isn’t certainly headed toward disaster. But it’s in a very precarious situation right now.”

Journey to Planet Earth

Abbott warns states of hospital revolt

The Federal Government is defending plans to scrap state and territory control of public hospital funding.

If re-elected the Government says it will require hospital budgets to be managed by local boards as part of health funding arrangements.

The idea has received a mixed response.

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott is warning states and territories they will face a public backlash if they oppose the changes.

Europeans angry after Bush climate speech 'charade'

· US isolated as China and India refuse to back policy

Howard announces $1m for Xmas parade

Prime Minister John Howard has announced that the Federal Government will provide $1 million in funding for an inaugural Christmas parade to be held in Sydney.

The parade will be similar to Thanksgiving and Christmas parades held annually in America and will be held on November 25 this year.

In a statement, Mr Howard says that the parade aims to "strengthen a sense of community by encouraging people to join together to celebrate the holiday season."