From Pete Costello

Period of Record

420,000 years BP-present

U.S., citing use of chemical weapons by Syria, to provide direct military support to rebels

Vivid festival has ended as a spectacular success with a record-breaking attendance in Sydney, but behind the scenes the relationship between the popular event and photojournalism festival Reportage has soured amid accusations of censorship and breaches of contract.

Whether it's the ABC, Fairfax or Murdoch, the media is desperately resolute in getting what it wants... The media does not want Gillard for a plethora of reasons, none of which make sense, but the media is gunning harder and harder to destabilise her leadership... One thing is for sure, behind all this, is a powerful religious lobby... The catholic hierarchy in Australia. Sure, they are not forward in overt claims in this affair, but they are in force behind the political scene.

pointing the finger at the power of institutions...

Humans are the weirdo beasts of an unfit species where invention compensates for our weakness... 

The Opposition has been forced on to the back foot in the row over sexism in politics, after a Liberal Party fundraising menu which contained crude references to Prime Minister Julia Gillard's breasts, thighs and genitalia emerged online.

In 2009 the American ambassador to Tunisia spent the evening at the home of Mohamed Sakher el-Materi, the president's son-in-law. By any standards the dinner was lavish – yogurt and ice cream were flown in from St Tropez – and the home was opulent.

US intelligence agencies are accessing the servers of nine internet giants as part of a secret data mining program, according to reports from the US and Britain this morning.

On Tuesday, a poll published by News Ltd showed that Labor's primary vote has fallen one point to 30 per cent and the Coalition is up three points to 49 per cent. On a two party-preferred basis, this puts the Coalition in a definitive election-winning position, 58 per cent to Labor's 42 per cent.