When the Foreign Office urges British motor racing fans to stay away from Bahrain, this ain't no sporting event, folks, it's a political one. The Bahraini authorities prove it by welcoming sports reporters but refusing visas to other correspondents who want to tell the world what's going on in this minority-run, Saudi-dominated kingdom.

Transcript of the Prime Minister's press conference. Parliament House, Canberra, April 21.

from Crikey …..

Customers snore on hold as federal cardigans rebel over Wong's cuts

The federal opposition wants Peter Slipper to step aside as Speaker of the House of Representatives while allegations of sexual harassment are before the court.

I must have written this when I was drunk last night. but here it is anyway...

I am going to stick my neck out... I am going to say that Tony Abbott is worse than Anders Behring Breivik. 

Breivik if you don't know is a murderer in Norway who killed 77 people in July 2011. Breivik acted under a Nazi philosophy of purity of race and a way to de-emotionalise himself... 

from Crikey .....

Who stopped Robinson? The inhibition of responsibility

Crikey Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane writes:

Rupert Murdoch's grip on his media empire was dramatically challenged yesterday after his company was labelled a "toxic shadow state" which launched a dirty tricks campaign against MPs and now faces a salvo of phone-hacking claims in the United States.

On a tumultuous day for the media mogul, the lawyer who brought the first damages claims against the News of the World in Britain said he had uncovered new allegations of the use of "dark arts" by News Corp in America and was ready to file at least three phone-hacking lawsuits in the company's backyard.

International summit split over cost-cutting exit strategy that would see security forces radically depleted as soon as West leaves

A senior Israeli army officer has been removed from his post after he was caught on film striking a Danish pro-Palestinian activist in the face with a rifle.

Since being sent to the Opposition benches in 2007, the Coalition has fought almost every effort by Labor to means-test or otherwise curb welfare entitlements.

from Crikey .....

Australian human rights lawyer and WikiLeaks supporter Jennifer Robinson appears to have been placed on a travel watch list and was prevented from leaving the UK this morning until approval was secured from the Australian High Commission.

Robinson was returning to Australia to speak at the same conference as Attorney-General Nicola Roxon tomorrow - the Commonwealth Lawyers' Association's Regional Law Conference - on the apt subject of "Lawyers in the firing line". Roxon is giving an address on human rights.

By WILLIAM NEUMAN and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT

CARTAGENA, Colombia — At the Ligueros Club, one of many busy bordellos in this seaside tourist city, prostitutes dressed in lingerie wait for a bell to ring, signaling the arrival of men on the prowl. But the next group of American visitors to walk in the door may not be customers at all.

American investigators seeking to get to the bottom....