In acting, Abbott made three gains. First, he dumped a senator few on his own side cared for or about. Bernardi had already put many of his colleagues offside with his Islamophobic writings and speeches.

from politicoz …

A furious row has erupted over a French study claiming to have found tumours and other problems in rats fed on genetically modified maize and exposed to a common, associated herbicide.

The next election will be austere if the Treasury boss, Martin Parkinson, gets his way.

Back in June, Dr Parkinson told the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia in Canberra that Australians should get real and realise they couldn't ''have it all''.

Oh, Mitt. America's favourite bazillionnaire has stuck his Gucci loafer in it again, and as usual, it's money-related.

The grotesquery of corruption within our banking systems seems endless, writes contributing editor-at-large Tess Lawrence, with vaultlines leading to the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi has suggested legalising same sex marriage would lead to demands for bestiality to also be sanctioned.

Speaking in Parliament last night on a gay marriage bill sponsored by four Labor senators, Senator Bernardi said the push for same-sex marriage was part of an attack on ''our enduring institutions.''

Mitt Romney is in damage control after a new video surfaced showing the Republican presidential nominee ruling out peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

BARRY O'FARRELL is taking every opportunity to remind us NSW is in a terrible financial state.

A day that was supposed to see Mitt Romney reboot his faltering presidential campaign ended in disarray last night, after he was caught telling a room full of wealthy donors “my job is not to worry” about attempting to appeal to poor people.

Shares in Fortescue Metals have soared after the iron ore miner was handed a $4.26 billion lifeline by its creditors, which will delay its earliest debt repayments until November 2015.