Kabul is the beating heart of Afghanistan. It is the centre of politics and commerce and culture, the place to which all roads here lead. This is why the Mujahedeen battled the Soviets so hard here in the 1980's and why the Taliban fought so desperately to capture it during the brutal civil war that followed.

BARNABY Joyce is not going to be riding off into the sunset with fellow Queenslander Bob Katter any time soon, no matter how much the maverick independent tries to woo the outspoken Senator to his new party.

Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has defended a comment he made about Australian telecommunications bosses wearing red underpants on their heads.

from Crikey ….

Get Fact: will Abbott's formula deliver jobs and growth?

Last year punters lost $130 million gambling at the Catholic Clubs of Sydney, writes Wendy Carlisle. How can this fact be reconciled with the tenets of the Catholic faith?

For about eight days now, Tony Abbott has been in worsening trouble, and he has no hope any more of being Prime Minister.

Not all of it is his fault, some of it was coincidence, but the overall effect has been a perfect storm whose hail and lightning is beating him senseless and consuming him.

from politicoz ….

PM Sells Security Credentials To UN

When the so-called "Jesus rifle" came to light in Jan. 2010, it sparked constitutional and security concerns, and a maelstrom of media coverage. The Pentagon ordered the removal of the secret code referring to Bible passages that the manufacturer had inscribed on the scopes of the standard issue rifles carried by U.S. soldiers into battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser has urged Australia to become independent of the world's super powers.

"I don't want to be a puppy dog to the United States as we have been over the last 10 or 15 years, just doing what America wants," Mr Fraser said.