Judging by recent news, dictators had better get good lawyers. First, Ivory Coast announced that it intends to hand over Laurent Gbagbo, its recently deposed strongman, to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Then the Tunisian authorities announced that they have prepared 18 charges against former ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. He may have fled to Saudi Arabia, but Tunisians have a warrant out for his arrest and they will be ready, if they ever get the chance to prosecute him.

The head of the Australian Christian Lobby and former special forces soldier Jim Wallace has "unreservedly" apologised for commenting against gay marriage and Muslims on Anzac Day.

Jim Wallace, the managing director of ACL, wrote on Twitter this morning: "Just hope that as we remember Servicemen and women today we remember the Australia they fought for - wasn't gay marriage and Islamic!"

Mr Wallace was heavily criticised on Twitter for his comments.

Protesters Thursday interrupted President's Obama speech at a $5,000/ticket San Francisco fundraiser to demand improved treatment for Bradley Manning. After the speech, one of the protesters, Logan Price, approached Obama and questioned him. Obama's responses are revealing on multiple levels. First, Obama said this when justifying Manning's treatment (video and transcript are here):

PayUpNow.org is an online effort to "uncut" the cutbacks by promoting boycotts of corporations who pay little or no federal income tax.

According to a US Senate subcommittee report, eliminating tax havens could save $100 billion a year. That's a conservative estimate. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) calculated that companies and individuals are holding up to $5 trillion in foreign tax havens.

Most Americans would very likely deny that their government is a global empire, horribly destructive to national security, liberty, and wealth. But whatever we call this U.S. system of ubiquitous military bases, satellite regimes throughout the world, ever-growing "defense" budgets, and an ever-expansive international presence in military hardware and personnel, it is probably even more controversial to say that the whole apparatus cannot be sustained forever and that the pressing question is not whether it will be dismantled but whether its dismantling will happen disastrously and violently or deliberately and peacefully.

Anzac Day has been appropriated by those who manipulate the cult of state violence - militarism - in order to satisfy a psychopathic deference to foreign power and to pursue its aims. And the "legend" has no room for the only war fought on Australian soil: that of the Aboriginal people against the European invaders. In a land of cenotaphs, not one stands for them.

Oil and gas companies injected hundreds of millions of gallons of hazardous or carcinogenic chemicals into wells in more than 13 states from 2005 to 2009, according to an investigation by Congressional Democrats.

Can we ban the term ''un-Australian''? At the very least, I'd like to see hefty legislative controls. For example: an ''un-Australian'' licence in which people would pre-commit to how many times they intend using the phrase ''un-Australian'' in any one political argument.

As with gambling, pre-commitment is so important. We all know how common sense can depart after a few drinks. There you are, out with friends, planning to have a quiet discussion about climate change or Wayne Swan's hair and within a couple of hours you find yourselves repeatedly screaming ''that's un-Australian'' at each other while being circled by security guards.

This is why we need swift legislative action.

After a two-year bipartisan probe, a Senate panel has concluded that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. profited from the financial crisis by betting billions against the subprime mortgage market, then deceived investors and Congress about the firm's conduct.

Some of the findings in the report by the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will be referred to the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission for possible criminal or civil action, said Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the panel's chairman.

from Crikey .....

Is today's press coverage relating to Andrew Wilkie's behaviour as a senior Duntroon cadet in 1983, on balance, in the public interest?

Wilkie himself, in a thoughtful and forthright performance at his press conference today to respond to the claims, dismissed a direct link between this matter and the club industry's expensive, if barely literate, campaign against him. Beyond that, it is a fine judgment to make.

from Crikey .....

Sydney's sparkling elite gather to hear Julia kick the bludgers

Margot Saville writes:

from Crikey .....

Barry: 'Larrikin' Wilkie and his death-defying fight against pokies

Crikey senior journalist Paul Barry writes:

More than 250 of America's most eminent legal scholars have signed a letter protesting against the treatment in military prison of the alleged WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning, contesting that his "degrading and inhumane conditions" are illegal, unconstitutional and could even amount to torture.

Former One Nation politician Pauline Hanson has a good chance of winning the final NSW upper house seat.

Ms Hanson is 6000 votes ahead of her nearest rival, the Greens' Jeremy Buckingham, with 91 per cent of primary votes counted, ABC election analyst Antony Green said.

The full result is expected to be declared tomorrow, more than two weeks after the state election on March 26.

So far 20 of the 21 upper house seats up for election have been filled, with the Coalition winning 11 of the vacancies.

Labor has won five of the seats, the Greens have two, and the Shooters and Christian Democrats each have one.