adapted from the ABC …..

PM predicts relationship with US will grow closer

By US correspondent Kim Landers

Prime Minister John Howard arrived in Washington at the weekend but he is
only just now catching up with his good friend and ally, US President
George W Bush.

The President and his wife are about to join Mr and Mrs Howard in planting
saplings, taken from 200-year-old trees at the White House at the home of
the Australian Ambassador in Washington.

Read the whole tree planting at the ABC

Congratulations to the two miners, Todd and Brant, and to their rescuers. Their survival is a complex fantastic story at the forefront of human endurance, good luck, planning and great community spirit.

The media reports on the unfolding events were in general quite good.

The various outlets, print and TV, have a complex dynamic of necessarily reporting the news as it happens as well as the ingrained urge to corner the grand prize without offending too many people. Checkbook journalism for exclusive interviews has never been a proper way towards "objectivity" (a journalist who believes in objectivity is deluded anyway — as no matter what, the reporting always become part of the calculated importance of the story) but in some circumstances cheque book journalism can help victims or accidental subjects...

Cheney, Visiting Kazakhstan,
Wades Into Energy Battle

From the NYT

By ILAN GREENBERG and ANDREW E.
KRAMER
Published: May 6, 2006 

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, May 5 — A day
after chastising Moscow for its use of oil and natural gas as "tools
for intimidation and blackmail," Vice President Dick Cheney visited
Kazakhstan on Friday to promote export routes that bypass Russia and
directly supply the West. 

from the ABC ….. 

Philosophical about ALP policies 

‘We will not be taking Medicare Gold to the next election
- new problems, new focus," Mr Beazley said. 

But he says the party's focus at the next election will be
on fixing problems in the public hospital system. 

 
From the ABC …..

Costello plays down 'line-ball' rate hike

Federal Treasurer Peter Costello says today's interest rate hike is
a line-ball decision.

Mr Costello agrees, saying the standard variable rate is likely to be around
7.5 per cent.

"People will be paying more in relation to their mortgage and that will
have a dampening affect in relation to the economy," he said. 

From the ABC and the wind vane

Antarctica ripe for mining, says Joyce
National Party Senator Barnaby Joyce says Australia should consider mining the rich resources of Antarctica, before other nations do.

Senator Joyce visited Antarctica in April on a month-long mission in his role as a member of the federal Parliament's External Territories Committee.

He has told Australian Story that Australia's claim to 42 per cent of the frozen continent is not recognised by a lot of countries.

"There's minerals there, there's gold, there's iron ore, there's coal, there's huge fish resources," he said.

"What you have to ask is: do I turn my head and allow another country exploit my resource or do I position myself in such a way as I'm going to exploit it myself before they get there?"

He says he fears that Australia does not have any real power to stop other nations exploiting Antarctica.

"They're whaling in our area, we can't stop them, we don't have the economic or military power to be a threat to them, so what are we to do?" he said.
------------------------
read more at the ABC

...and see all the cartoons on Joyce on this site... The little big man who's been doing the "conscience" illusion vote-dancing for Howard's benefit

 
As mentioned yesterday by Gus but
here is confirmation:

From the New York Times …..

Bush Picks Fox Commentator as Spokesman 

WASHINGTON, April 26 — President
Bush today named Tony Snow, the Fox News radio and television commentator, as
the new White House press secretary, despite Mr. Snow's past criticisms of his
policies. 

 
From the ABC ….. 

22/04/06

Beazley urges Howard: stay on until election

The Federal Opposition Leader Kim
Beazley has issued a challenge to John Howard to contest the next election. 

There has been more leadership
speculation in the wake of the Prime Minister yesterday declaring he was not considering
retirement.