From the normally execrable Cut&Paste in The Australian on Monday 13 January.

‘Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Tanya Plibersek, [and deputy Labor Party leader] the other day:

Almost half of the world’s wealth is now owned by just one percent of the population, and seven out of ten people live in countries where economic inequality has increased in the last 30 years. The World Economic Forum has identified economic inequality as a major risk to human progress, impacting social stability within countries and threatening security on a global scale.

A rare public spat between Washington and Israeli in recent days has revealed much about the essential political relationship between the two.

The row began when Israeli minister for military affairs Moshe Ya’alon spoke to local media with vitriolic contempt about America’s top diplomat, John Kerry…

It is not surprising that Australian naval vessels have crossed into Indonesian waters in the course of implementing the Abbott government's Operation Sovereign Borders.

Senior UK military and political figures could end up in the dock as 400 victims denounce 'systemic' use of torture and cruelty.

In candid interview, Julie Bishop expresses scepticism about the peace process, says boycott Israel activists are ‘anti-Semitic’.

Immigration minister Scott Morrison will no longer hold weekly press briefings and will instead only hold conferences on an “as needs basis.”

Only weekly written statements will now be provided on boat arrivals and conferences will be held sporadically when the minister announces them, Morrison told ABC 7:30 in an interview with Leigh Sales on Tuesday evening.

“We'll do them on an as needs basis to detail operational matters that are able to be released and we'll respond to questions there," Morrison said.

Lyn Bender asks the important question: What if Tony Abbott is not, in fact, evil but is just, simply, an idiot?

REMEMBER THE FAIRY TALE The Emperor’s New Clothes?

Cunning swindlers sold an Emperor cloth that could not be seen, because it wasn’t there.

The re-emergence of the Medicare co-payment idea for GP services could be the first step in the Coalition dismantling Australia’s universal health system, writes Dr Shaun Wilson.

All Australians should be deeply worried about the re-emergence of the Medicare co-payment idea for GP services.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has once again distanced himself from Liberal senator Cory Bernardi after the backbencher called for a new debate on abortion, railed against ''non-traditional'' families and called for more flexible industrial relations laws.

The history of capitalism has running through it a history of alcohol.

Alcohol appeared at the beginnings of class society, with beer jugs found in the late Stone Age. Wine and beer existed in class society in Egypt, beer being brewed in the home. While most gods were local, Osiris, the god of wine, was worshiped across the country.

A recent poll asked people in Britain how many Iraqis had been killed as a result of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The answers they gave were shocking.

You, like most Americans, are friendly and like to mind your own business. You have 2.3 kids, a mortgage, and a loving spouse.

But, this is the 21st Century. A grand era of technology. Buck Rogers and H.G. Wells would be so proud of our technological advancements.

Loose ends tend to clutter our lives and, supposedly, a new year is a good time to tidy them up or burn them to cinders.