Peter Costello says he ''would not seek nor accept'' a nomination to be the new opposition leader and instead would step away from politics for a business career. 

Australia's longest serving treasurer, who had long dreamed of being prime minister, made the shock announcement in Melbourne today, saying he would stay on in parliament for now and then move on. 

Prime Minister John Howard has rung Labor leader Kevin Rudd to concede defeat after voters deserted his  11-year government in tonight's federal election. 

Mr Howard then appeared at Sydney's Wentworth Hotel to address Liberal Party faithful. 

Remember that heading in the Herald a few weeks back, after one of the opinion polls bumped up the Government's lousy standing a point or two? "Lazarus stirs", it said optimistically of John Howard.  

Wrong. It was just the flies moving.  

from Crikey ….. 

Reality check: Honey, I doomed the universe 

Richard Farmer writes: 

The U.S. Military is demanding that thousands of wounded service personnel give back signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their commitments. 

To get people to sign up, the military gives enlistment bonuses up to $30,000 in some cases. 

So on this Thanksgiving week as stomachs are stuffed and the cacophony of credit card transactions deafens and defies the reality of global economic meltdown, I will celebrate that we are now closer to the total collapse of civilization than we have ever been, and that for all the rampant suffering it will evoke around the world, the soul-murdering, mind-numbing, body obliterating culture of empire is terminally ill and on life-support.  

Gordon Brown suffered a seismic shock to his premiership yesterday, as it was revealed that the privacy of half the UK's citizens had been compromised.  

The Prime Minister listened solemnly as his Chancellor, Alistair Darling, laid bare a bureaucratic bungle on an unprecedented scale.  

We're not faking it: Howard 

Commentators who think Prime Minister John Howard and Treasurer Peter Costello are faking their friendship are wrong, Mr Howard says. 

from Crikey ….. 

John Winston Howard, political extremist 

Norman Abjorensen writes: 

According to bushit: "Whatever political party you belong to, whatever your position on Iraq, we should be able to agree that America has a vital interest in preventing chaos and providing hope in the Middle East."  

Turnbull under fire for million dollar water deal 

MalcolmTurnbull is fighting for his political life and now another battle is brewing. 

Greens astounded as Flannery backs Turnbull

Greens leader Bob Brown has attacked environmental scientist Dr Tim Flannery for endorsing Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull. 

Hundreds of defendants sitting in prisons nationwide have been convicted with the help of an FBI forensic tool that was discarded more than two years ago.