International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde has implored the United States to bolster debt-ridden European countries.

Supreme Court Ruling Allows Strip-Searches for Any Arrest

By ADAM LIPTAK

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday ruled by a 5-to-4 vote that officials may strip-search people arrested for any offense, however minor, before admitting them to jails even if the officials have no reason to suspect the presence of contraband.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has rejected the idea of decriminalising narcotics, saying tough policing is necessary instead to prevent the devastating consequences of drug use.

But Ms Gillard's immediate rejection of calls for a rethink of drug laws is at odds with the views of her Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, and those of former police chief Mick Palmer.

Mr Carr called today for a "de facto decriminalisation" of some drugs, as a report declared Australia's "war on drugs" had failed.

from an alien-fearing Gerard Henderson...

Imagine the media reaction if the atheist Julia Gillard or the Christian Tony Abbott raised the possibility, in a major address, of extraterrestrial life on one or more planets beyond Earth.

"Does God exist?" is a valid and relevant question. Here are my top reasons why the answer is a resounding, "No."

A tyrannical air is supplanted by an image of grumpy uncle.

It got a bit lost in the uproar over the Labor catastrophe in Queensland, but the truly alarming news from the banana republic this week is that Barnaby Joyce is on the hunt for a lower house seat.

Gillard wants to be seen as the leader who delivers the policy goods but the voters may have already switched off.

It has tried every avenue of marketing, from TV ads to sponsorship of sport. Now McDonald's is opening up a new front: its own TV show.

The former Labour MP, George Galloway, one of the most divisive figures in Westminster politics, has created political history by winning yesterday's Bradford West by-election for his Respect party with a stunning majority of 10,140, grabbing a seat held by Labour since 1974.