In 2002, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) videotaped its officials administering harsh interrogation tactics on two al Qaeda operatives, but three years later, destroyed at least two videotapes documenting the incidents.  

the opposition frontbench at a glance ….. 

Julie Bishop: employment, business and workplace relations 

Malcolm Turnbull: shadow treasurer 

Andrew Robb: foreign affairs 

On Tuesday, President Bush said he was never forewarned by the intelligence community that Iran had suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003: 

Gillard defends Garrett sidelining 

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has defended Labor's decision to bar Environment Minister Peter Garrett from answering parliamentary questions about climate change. 

Steve Irwin' ship to confront Japanese whalers 

Whaling is no longer the only threat to whales.

The oceans, or rather, human impacts on the oceans, have changed dramatically over the half-century since whales have been protected.  

Faulkner may have conflict of interest with ALP job: Nelson 

The Federal Opposition says there may be a conflict of interest with new Special Minister of State John Faulkner's presidency of the Labor Party.  

Ruddock plans to mentor MPs from backbench

Philip Ruddock says he has not decided whether he will serve out his full parliamentary term 

Officially, the Israeli government maintains a position of "nuclear ambiguity": neither confirming nor denying its possession of nuclear weapons.  

But everyone who has studied the issue knows that this is a formula with a simple purpose: to give the United States an excuse to keep breaking its own laws, which forbid it to grant aid to a country with unauthorised weapons of mass destruction.

The cutting wisdom of the ordinary folk, once a week …..   

The man in the street is not happy... 

Sure, the demise of the Rat-gang leader puts a wry smile on the man's glowing unshaven face...  

US politics has crawled through the gutter for so long, that it's easy to forget that the country was founded on ideals of freedom & human dignity. 

Or that in the past it has been led by people of character & intelligence. 

There can have been few more excruciating sights than President Bush parading the Israeli and Palestinian leaders before the cameras at the Annapolis summit on Tuesday, clasping their hands, squeezing their shoulders, pushing them together for a handshake and then leaving them to return to their seats like awkward boys summoned to the podium to be congratulated for their efforts at a school prizegiving. 

Brendan Nelson is out of touch with working families on workplace laws. 

The Liberal's extreme and unfair WorkChoices laws pushed the balance in the workplace against working families.  

An internal CIA memorandum has been obtained by Venezuelan counterintelligence from the US Embassy in Caracas that reveals a very sinister - almost fantastical, were it not true - plan to destabilize Venezuela during the coming days.