THE Gillard government is understood to be considering a media inquiry with narrow terms of reference focused on the print media, despite a strong push from the Greens for a much broader probe.

The Greens leader, Bob Brown, will move to set up an inquiry on Wednesday, with draft terms of reference seen by the Herald proposing it consider whether technological change is hurting quality journalism and whether the government can do anything to encourage investment in quality journalism.

Historian Says Perry Misses Point on Galileo and Climate Change

More than 300 asylum seekers who had been slated to be sent to Malaysia will now be processed in Australia after the High Court threw the Government's offshore processing regime into chaos.

This morning Immigration Minister Chris Bowen told Radio National that 335 asylum seekers on Christmas Island would have their refugee claims heard on Australian soil.

The men, women and children had been due to be sent to Malaysia under the now-defunct swap deal with Kuala Lumpur.

picture by Gus

Federal Treasury analysis shows the Opposition's direct action climate change policy would cost twice as much as a carbon tax for the same reduction in emissions.

The analysis has been released following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

Both major parties have committed to reducing carbon emissions by 5 per cent by 2020.

The Treasury analysis says the Coalition's direct action plan would be more expensive because it forgoes opportunities for cheaper, international sources of abatement and would be generally less effective.

Retail sales rebounded in July and business investment plans surged to a record high, boosting the Australian dollar and making the debt market think twice about expectations for deep interest-rate cuts.

The debt futures market, which weeks ago was betting on global market turmoil sending rates plummeting by 175 basis points, fell on the data today.

"There's nothing here that adds to the rate-cut case which is doing the rounds of markets, and it shows why rates over the medium term are going to need to go higher," said Michael Blythe, chief economist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Dick Cheney lavishes praise on Tony Blair in new book

Dick Cheney, the former US vice-president, has used his new memoir to heap praise on Tony Blair and insist that the torture of a key al-Qaeda terrorist helped foil a devastating attack in Britain.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/8732152/Dick-Cheney-lavishes-praise-on-Tony-Blair-in-new-book.html

Well, I may be biased... But the ABC 7:30 program seems to have turned into the Australian Liberal (conservative) glorious show. Last night, John Howard Rattus was invited to say all what he wanted without an ounce of proper questioning. It was as if he was in a lounge room, having a conversation with friend while drinking a cup of tea... This interview and the next stories were mostly designed to bash Labor and promote another Liberal (conservative) Andrew Robb who had been suffering from the "black dog" (depression)... No person on earth knows more about the "black dog" than I do. I could let it take over my life if I let it to...

 

Australian apologises to PM for Milne's false claims