ADF 'deeply
regrets' Iraqi shooting

The
Australian Defence Force (ADF) says it deeply regrets an incident where
Australian soldiers in Baghdad opened fire on the bodyguards of Iraq's
Trade Minister, Abdel Falah al-Sudany.

One of the
guards was killed and three others wounded when their convoy followed the
Australians' convoy from Mr Sudany's compound.

Israeli Air Strike Again Kills
Palestinian Civilian

By Ian Fisher & Steven Erlanger

Published: June 21, 2006

JERUSALEM, June 21 - A
Palestinian woman was killed today in Gaza after a pair of Israeli
missiles veered off target, one of them slamming into a house. It was the
latest in a series of botched air strikes that have killed a dozen Palestinian
civilians in the last eight days. 

 
Car bomb and air strike kill
Iraqis

From Al Jazeera
Wednesday 21 June 2006, 4:15
Makka Time, 1:15 GMT 

... Four others who were injured
in the strike on two farm houses in the Shaikh Qaddur al-Shahin village
early on Tuesday, were detained by US forces, Haidar al Tamimi, an Iraqi
journalist, told Aljazeera. 

Senate committee overhaul evil:
Beazley 

Federal Opposition Leader Kim
Beazley has described the Government's plan to cut the number of Senate
committees as an "evil act". 

The Senate committees can hold
specific inquiries into legislation or broader investigations of general
issues. 

From the ABC ….. 

Labor got it wrong on AWAs: Howard 

Prime Minister John Howard has
stepped up his criticism of Labor's pledge to abolish individual workplace
contracts, after an opinion poll revealed it has not impressed voters.

The AC Nielsen poll shows support for the ALP has dropped 3 percentage
points since the Labor Leader, Kim Beazley, pledged to do away with
Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA). 

Liberal? A very confusing word? or a word used confusingly? In the US the liberals are associated with the desire of real freedom in social policies, in Australia, the only liberalism being applied is for the rich to make more money on the back of everyone else... The rest is stuck in the dark ages of deliberately misunderstanding the moires of humanity. In the US, the fight is between the Liberals and the conservatives... In Australia the Liberals are the conservatives... And they hug the cream-cake like uncle Scrooge.

Quote from Wikipedia:
""Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. Broadly speaking, liberalism seeks a society characterised by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on power, especially of government and religion, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that supports relatively free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of minorities are guaranteed. In modern society, liberals favour a liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law and an equal opportunity to succeed...""

From the ABC …..

Bush talks up progress in Iraq 

Americans can expect steady
progress in Iraq but it would be unrealistic to hope for "zero
violence", President George W. Bush said after a surprise trip to Baghdad
to bolster the new Iraqi Government. 

From the ABC

Howard should convert to Islam: Bashir
By Geoff Thompson in Solo, Central Java

Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir says Prime Minister John Howard should become a Muslim if he wants to avoid going to hell.

The cleric was speaking after his release from a Jakarta prison where he had been serving a sentence related to the 2002 Bali bombings.

While holding a late night press conference in his Ngruki religious boarding school, Abu Bakar Bashir was asked by the ABC if he had a message for Mr Howard when the Prime Minister visits Indonesia later this month.

"I think John Howard should convert to Islam," he said.

 
Meanwhile in the parallel universe of conservative
bed-time history for right-wing raised kiddies... 

From the New York Times 

Bush Discusses Iraq With Top War
Commanders ….. 

CAMP DAVID, Md. (AP) -- President
Bush declared Monday to a nation weary of war that democracy in the Middle
East is worth the high price to the United States. He also said Iraq's
neighbours should be doing more to help.

Hamas ends truce after beachside shelling .....

Islamic militant group Hamas has
called off a 16-month-old truce with Israel after attacks blamed on
Israeli forces killed 10 Palestinians, including three children playing on
a beach. 

Israel's army, which had been
shelling northern Gaza to curb rocket fire by militants, says it is
investigating the deaths. 

There is more
to the Prime Minister's family history than modesty, honesty and hard work,
writes David Marr. 

‘The corner of Ewart Street and
Wardell Road in Sydney's Dulwich Hill is sacred ground for John Howard and the
modern Liberal Party. For nearly 30 years, the Prime Minister's father ran a
service station on this spot, setting an example his son thinks Australia
should follow.