Not leaving it to divine chance, the state Catholic Conference has turned in recent years to some of Albany’s most well-connected and influential lobby firms to help block a bill that would make it easier for child sex abuse victims to seek justice.

Tony Abbott's former chief of staff Peta Credlin has rubbished claims her old boss wants his job back, labelling deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce's comments "horse s--t".

The Nationals leader, a political ally of Mr Abbott, on Tuesday said he believed the former PM still harboured leadership ambitions but would realise a comeback wasn't possible.

"He will want to, but he'll realise he can't," Mr Joyce told AAP. "To say that he doesn't have a desire is ridiculous - to say that he can't overcome that desire by the reality that's just not going to happen [is another]."

Spain ‘betrays NATO allies’ hosting Russian warships – oh, really?

Returning to the United States in an election year, I am struck by the silence. I have covered four presidential campaigns, starting with 1968; I was with Robert Kennedy when he was shot and I saw his assassin, preparing to kill him. It was a baptism in the American way, along with the salivating violence of the Chicago police at the Democratic Party's rigged convention. The great counter revolution had begun.

Malcolm Turnbull has taken Bill Shorten to task after the Labor leader accused US presidential hopeful Donald Trump of being "barking mad".

Whistleblower Edward Snowden wants Australians to care more about protecting their privacy, describing it as “the right to individuality.”