After failing to anticipate Hamas's victory over Fatah in the 2006 Palestinian election, the White House cooked up yet another scandalously covert and self-defeating Middle East debacle: part Iran-contra, part Bay of Pigs.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC), which produces 40 per cent of the world's oil, appears set to ignore US President George W Bush's 11th-hour demand that the cartel increase oil output at its ministerial meeting. 

Mr Bush, whose nation is the world's biggest energy consumer, said it would be a 'mistake' by OPEC not to hike production to help bring down record-high oil prices of above $US100 when the organisation meets in Vienna on Wednesday.

US President George Bush told Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev by telephone that he hopes they can have a 'close working relationship', the White House said. 

Chuck Norris supports our troops. This means Huckabee will bring them all home honorably.  

Mike Huckabee Ad: "Chuck Norris Approved" 

Federal Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson's approval rating as preferred prime minister has sunk to a new low of just 7 per cent in the latest poll out today. 

The Newspoll published in The Australian newspaper has Dr Nelson's rating slipping two points from its previous low of 9 per cent. 

As J.G. Hülsmann stated in his seminal essay The Cultural and Spiritual Legacy of Fiat Inflation: "The government’s fiat makes inflation perennial, and as a result we observe the formation of inflation-specific institutions and habits.  

More than any other issue, the question of ‘who is a Jew’ has repeatedly roiled relations between Israel and American Jewry.  

Psychologically, it is an argument over who belongs to the family. In the past, the casus belli was conversion: Would the Law of Return, which grants automatic citizenship to any Jew coming to Israel, apply to those converted to Judaism by non-Orthodox rabbis?  

Israeli troops turned heavy firepower on rocket squads bombarding southern Israel Saturday, killing 54 Palestinians in the deadliest day in Gaza since the current round of fighting erupted in 2000.  

Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven were wounded in the clashes, the military said.  

Professor Ian Harper is the part-time chair of the Fair Pay Commission, the body which increased minimum wages by a derisory amount last year (a whole $5.32 a week for those privileged bastards on $700 a week). 

It turns out he got a pay rise himself last year which was a bit more than the amounts his Commission awarded. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his handpicked successor Dmitry Medvedev on his projected presidential poll victory, at a rock concert on Red Square. 

"I congratulate (Medvedev) and wish him success," Putin said, standing beside Medvedev in front of a cheering crowd under the pouring rain. 

Gus: Turnbull 'saved' $40 million …..

Malcolm Turnbull says the $10 million grant was only one fifth of what was requested for the trail. (AAP: Mark Graham). 

The Federal Government says Shadow Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull has some explaining to do over an generous grant he made at the start of last years election campaign.

Well, so much for our new government taking an even-handed position on Israel/Palestine.

Before our politicians even warmed their seats in the new parliamentary sittings, the Australian Prime Minister announced that he will lead a parliamentary motion to honour Israel on 12 March acknowledging Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day. The Opposition Leader will second the motion. Then, celebrations will take place at a reception in the Mural Hall of Parliament House. 

Bush has bankrupted America... financially and morally. And he seems proud of it... 

"As of 1940 hrs 29/02/08 I have been placed under an injunction preventing me from speaking publicly and publishing material gained as a result of my service in UKSF (SAS).

Gates said he sympathised with the Turks’ concern about cross-border raids by Kurdish rebels ….. 

Gates warns Turkey not to invade Iraq - USATODAY.com