Already we have the Nazi slogan of ‘Work Will Make You Free’ splattered heavily across our social welfare landscape. ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ … work will make you free.

We are beginning to be bombarded with interpretations of the popish call to save the planet from ourselves. And many religious people are using this as a conduit to reinforce faith and proselytise religious beliefs. I have no beef with this... as long as the planet is protected from our greedy hands. Easier said than done... So:

The night had the most poignant ending... A song by Anthony Hegarty accompanied by two aboriginal elders or was it two aboriginal elders accompanied by Anthony — in turns... I usually don't watch the Q&A programme, ABC TV. Most followers of my rants on YD would know why: TV is an emotional medium while facts and figures can be as dry as dried apricots from Turkey, as good as they can be. But emotions are not my thing when they are stirred with big ladles by lying or mediocre politicians. I prefer the straight facts and dried figs.

It’s a little hard to judge these things. But it’s likely, not certain, that Abbott won’t be Prime Minister by Friday and Malcolm Turnbull will.

The terrorist imaginary necessarily requires mutual enforcement. It begins with the idea of a red under the bed, or the monster in the woods. The work for such a monster is essentially done by the fantasist victim, the individual who fears what he or she might become.

A deal to jointly build an extension of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline across Greece will help Athens to settle its multibillion euro debt to international creditors, President Vladimir Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Talking to the representatives of international media at the Forum, Putin said he didn’t see any support for Greece from the EU, RIA Novosti reports.

“If the EU wants Greece to pay its debt then it should be interested in the Greek economy growing,” Putin said. “The EU should be applauding us. What’s bad about creating new jobs in Greece?” he said, commenting on Russia’s preliminary gas deal with Greece.

N.R.A. Board Member Deletes Criticism of Victim in Church Massacre

The targeting of the ex-wife of a national political leader by a $61 million royal commission will add weight to Labor claims that the inquiry is part of a "political witch-hunt"

It comes as one of the elders of the labour movement, Bill Kelty, offered a strong defence of Mr Shorten's record as a unionist.

To date the commission's focus on Mr Shorten - at least publicly - has been limited to industrial and political issues from his time as AWU leader. 

If governments are to maintain public support for their military ventures, war narratives must be kept simple and consistent. The underlying message must not change: the West is always the innocent victim of terrorism, never its perpetrator.

Asylum seekers from a boat whose crew was allegedly paid thousands of dollars by Australian authorities to return to Indonesia have questioned why they were intercepted in international waters.

The claims came as the ABC obtained images showing the moment Australian authorities intercepted the boat.