Tag-team assault by Howards 

Pime Minister John Howard and his wife, Janette, have launched a double-barrelled assault on Kevin Rudd, branding the Opposition Leader hopeless on economics, lacking strong convictions, and not as good a campaigner as Bob Hawke. 

The ABC's Faine hosts a morning radio talk program in Melbourne, and on Wednesday, after the Reserve Bank grievously upset Howard and Costello by yet again increasing the official interest rate just 2½ weeks before polling day, Faine told his listeners a very jolly story. 

Fed Chief Warns of Worse Times in the Economy

Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, told Congress on Thursday that the economy was going to get worse before it got better, a message that received a chilly reception from both Wall Street and politicians.

vaile pounces on latham broadside 

Federal Nationals leader Mark Vaile has seized on Mark Latham's broadside against Labor's election strategy, saying it proves that the Opposition is "completely poll-driven". 

Late last night, when respectable people were fast asleep, the Senate confirmed Michael Mukasey, a pro-torture/anti-Constitution, ultra-partisan reactionary as bushit’s Attorney General. This was engineered by two people, Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Whatever Mukasey does wrong should be lain on their doorsteps: 

Chinese press pans 'money-raking' Blair 

It’s no secret that the dollar is on a downward spiral. Its value is dropping, and the Fed isn’t doing a whole lot to change that. As a result, a number of countries are considering a shift away from the dollar to preserve their assets.  

These are seven of the countries currently considering a move from the dollar, and how they’ll have an effect on its value and the US economy. 

Sorry, no apology: Howard 

Prime Minister John Howard has drawn a distinction between saying he is sorry about yesterday's interest rate rise and apologising for it. 

Mr Howard and Treasurer Peter Costello have both said they are sorry for the financial problems it will cause. 

I've been waiting for something like this. An addition to the problems that Israel faces from Iran, it seems, is that by next year it will be capable of making dirty bombs. That's the message that's apparantly been given to the Israeli cabinet today.

Debkafile reports that a briefing is being given that Iran will now be capable of creating plutonium from 2008. They no doubt are aware of this from the receipts Dick Cheney kept from his Halliburton rector part sales in the late 90s.

The dirty bomb thing is, as I've been yapping all year, a pill coating to sell the Iran attack to the great unwashed. Mushroom clouds are too much to contemplate, but little radioactive bangs striking fear into a city are another thing altogher.. much more user-friendly in the fear factor department.

What happens now? Try this from RoD Greher of the Dallas Morning News:

PM says sorry for latest rate hike 

Prime Minister John Howard says he regrets the extra burden that will be placed on Australian families because of today's interest rate rise. 

Former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser gave an interesting speech last week entitled “Finding Security in Terrorism’s Shadow: The importance of the rule of law”. It is an interesting and thought provoking speech. It is appropriately scathing of the neo-conservatives and their malign influence not just in the USA but on the globe. 

RBA lifts interest rates 

The Reserve Bank has made history, weighing into the politically-charged federal election campaign by raising interest rates to their highest in a decade. 

Family-friendly Coalition policy a con: Democrats 

The Democrats have labelled the family-friendly measures contained in the federal Coalition's new industrial relations policy as a con. 

Pope, Saudi King hold historic meeting 

Pope Benedict and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah held a historic meeting and discussed the situation of minority Christians in the Islamic country where the Vatican wants them to have more freedom. 

Howard compares Cup to campaigning efforts 

Prime Minister John Howard has spent most of today on the hustings in his home electorate as the Melbourne cup overshadowed the campaign.