Congratulations to the two miners, Todd and Brant, and to their rescuers. Their survival is a complex fantastic story at the forefront of human endurance, good luck, planning and great community spirit.

The media reports on the unfolding events were in general quite good.

The various outlets, print and TV, have a complex dynamic of necessarily reporting the news as it happens as well as the ingrained urge to corner the grand prize without offending too many people. Checkbook journalism for exclusive interviews has never been a proper way towards "objectivity" (a journalist who believes in objectivity is deluded anyway — as no matter what, the reporting always become part of the calculated importance of the story) but in some circumstances cheque book journalism can help victims or accidental subjects...

Cheney, Visiting Kazakhstan,
Wades Into Energy Battle

From the NYT

By ILAN GREENBERG and ANDREW E.
KRAMER
Published: May 6, 2006 

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, May 5 — A day
after chastising Moscow for its use of oil and natural gas as "tools
for intimidation and blackmail," Vice President Dick Cheney visited
Kazakhstan on Friday to promote export routes that bypass Russia and
directly supply the West. 

from the ABC ….. 

Philosophical about ALP policies 

‘We will not be taking Medicare Gold to the next election
- new problems, new focus," Mr Beazley said. 

But he says the party's focus at the next election will be
on fixing problems in the public hospital system. 

 
From the ABC …..

Costello plays down 'line-ball' rate hike

Federal Treasurer Peter Costello says today's interest rate hike is
a line-ball decision.

Mr Costello agrees, saying the standard variable rate is likely to be around
7.5 per cent.

"People will be paying more in relation to their mortgage and that will
have a dampening affect in relation to the economy," he said. 

From the ABC and the wind vane

Antarctica ripe for mining, says Joyce
National Party Senator Barnaby Joyce says Australia should consider mining the rich resources of Antarctica, before other nations do.

Senator Joyce visited Antarctica in April on a month-long mission in his role as a member of the federal Parliament's External Territories Committee.

He has told Australian Story that Australia's claim to 42 per cent of the frozen continent is not recognised by a lot of countries.

"There's minerals there, there's gold, there's iron ore, there's coal, there's huge fish resources," he said.

"What you have to ask is: do I turn my head and allow another country exploit my resource or do I position myself in such a way as I'm going to exploit it myself before they get there?"

He says he fears that Australia does not have any real power to stop other nations exploiting Antarctica.

"They're whaling in our area, we can't stop them, we don't have the economic or military power to be a threat to them, so what are we to do?" he said.
------------------------
read more at the ABC

...and see all the cartoons on Joyce on this site... The little big man who's been doing the "conscience" illusion vote-dancing for Howard's benefit

 
As mentioned yesterday by Gus but
here is confirmation:

From the New York Times …..

Bush Picks Fox Commentator as Spokesman 

WASHINGTON, April 26 — President
Bush today named Tony Snow, the Fox News radio and television commentator, as
the new White House press secretary, despite Mr. Snow's past criticisms of his
policies. 

 
From the ABC ….. 

22/04/06

Beazley urges Howard: stay on until election

The Federal Opposition Leader Kim
Beazley has issued a challenge to John Howard to contest the next election. 

There has been more leadership
speculation in the wake of the Prime Minister yesterday declaring he was not considering
retirement. 

From the ABC …..

Easter prayers focus on peace, justice 

Religious leaders are calling on
Australians to embrace the values of peace and justice this Easter. 

Catholic and Anglican archbishops
say international differences can be overcome. 

From the SMH ….. 

Mike Carlton 

‘The
sharemarket has been going gangbusters lately, although not for us mugs who
were conned into buying Telstra shares, which have tanked. 

‘This week's most terrifying remark came from the foreign
secretary, Jack Straw. He declared that a nuclear attack on Iran would be
"completely nuts" and an assault of any sort
"inconceivable". In Straw-speak, "nuts" means he's just
heard it is going to happen and "inconceivable" means certain. 

A measure of the plight of
British foreign policy is that such words from the foreign secretary are
anything but reassuring. Straw says of Iran that "there is no smoking gun,
there is no casus belli". There was no smoking gun in Iraq, only weapons
conjured from the fevered imagination of Downing Street and the intelligence
chiefs. 

From the New York Times …..

Rumsfeld Faces Growing Revolt by Retired Generals 

By DAVID S. CLOUD, ERIC SCHMITT
and THOM SHANKER
Published: April 13, 2006
WASHINGTON, April 13 —

An expanding group of influential
former military officers is calling for Defense Secretary Donald
H. Rumsfeld's resignation in a public rebellion that has become
a significant challenge to the Pentagon's civilian leadership. 

 
On April 13 2006, Miranda Devine writes (tongue in cheek, I hope) an opinon piece in The Sydney Morning Herald:

Baby boomers' gyrating days are numbered ….. 

It's time to accept that youth culture is for the young, not the young at heart. 

From the ABC …..

Andrews moves to allay Easter sacking fears 

The Federal Government has moved
to reassure workers that they are protected from getting the sack if they
have reasonable grounds for not being able to work on public holidays over
Easter. 

Labor says Easter will be a test
for the new rules and say they are weighted in favour of the employer.