Gunns takes control of Auspine …..

The Tasmanian timber company Gunns Limited now holds more than 50 per cent of the South Australian-based sawmiller Auspine.

It gives Gunns a controlling interest in Auspine's sawmills in south-eastern SA and two at Scottsdale in north-east Tasmania.

Demagogue: one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.

H.L. Mencken

APEC Public Holiday …..

The NSW Government has announced details of a public holiday to coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit to be held in Sydney in September 2007.

The public holiday on the 7 September 2007 has been declared for the Sydney metropolitan area only, including Penrith, Camden and Campbelltown. (see full LCA list below).

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy: that is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."

John Kenneth Galbraith

Nelson admits strip visit as Rudd fallout continues …..

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson has admitted visiting a strip club when he was younger.

As Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd comes under fire for a night at a strip club in New York four years ago, Dr Nelson has admitted visiting one almost 30 years ago.

"I remember being at one when I was 20, in Adelaide," he told ABC radio in Adelaide.

Wall St up and down as Aust dollar slumps …..

It has been another testing night on global financial markets.

Stock prices on Wall Street have slumped, then recovered, while the Australian dollar has been subjected to another drubbing.

Wall St Up & Down As Aust Dollar Slumps

Alberto Gonzales

US Attorney General

Counsel to the President, Judge Alberto Gonzales

Alberto R. Gonzales was sworn in as the nation's 80th Attorney General on February 3, 2005.

PM says Rudd is a 'political contortionist'

The Federal Government has used question time to take aim at Labor leader Kevin Rudd, with the Prime Minister John Howard labelling the Opposition Leader a "superficial opponent".

Earlier today Mr Howard told his party room he believes Labor's lead over the Coalition will narrow when people focus on who would be best to manage the country's economy.

Mr Howard had the backing of his senior Ministers who repeatedly questioned Mr Rudd's character.

Crime 'training' videos posted …..

’Criminals are showing off their feats and even providing simple "how-to" videos to teach budding offenders the best way to commit crimes on YouTube.

After years of concern from authorities in the US, Australian criminals have started to educate the next generation about the best way to steal cars, create and use crude weapons and film high-speed car chases.

Rove to Quit White House, He Tells Wall Street Journal ….

Karl Rove, a political adviser to President George W. Bush and a lightning rod for anger among Democrats, will leave the White House at the end of this month, Rove told the Wall Street Journal.

"I just think it's time," Rove said in an interview with the newspaper published today.

A pope who refuses to compromise .....

The Church may change its mind about some things, but abortion is not one of them.

The latest development on the subject, under Pope Benedict XVI, is nothing to do with the basic policy but rather with its ramifications for politicians and organisations such as Amnesty International.

No need for emissions reduction: Liberal MP …..

A federal Liberal MP says he is not convinced there is a need for government schemes to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A report is due to be released this morning as part of a parliamentary inquiry into carbon capture and storage.

It is believed to contain dissenting views from Coalition MPs about global warming.

‘The British government was facing awkward questions last night over an arms deal involving a British company licensed by the Department of Trade and Industry to import weapons but which was also selling machine guns to an Iraqi official later implicated in an alleged $1.1bn (£545m) corruption scandal.