Rattled Rudd in fear, says Abbott
STEPHANIE PEATLING POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

 

KEVIN RUDD is ''rattled'' by the Coalition's resurgence and ''is in fear of his political life'', Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

Here in the States when someone mentions "UI," most of us think of Unemployment Insurance, but not former UK prime minister, Tony Blair.

Late last week came word of a major scandal from the UK Daily Mail. In the three years since he stepped down as prime minister, Blair pocketed more than $30 million in oil revenues from his secret dealings with a South Korean oil consortium, UI Energy Corporation. Despite all his best efforts to keep his connection to UI secret, word is spreading like wildfire throughout the U.K.

Here is news of the Third World War. The United States has invaded Africa. US troops have entered Somalia, extending their war front from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Yemen and, now, the Horn of Africa. In preparation for an attack on Iran, American missiles have been placed in four Persian Gulf states, and "bunker-buster" bombs are said to be arriving at the US base on the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

The Vatican has denied the Catholic Church covered up a case of a priest accused of molesting 200 deaf boys in the US from the 1950s to the 1970s.

It has been alleged the Vatican ordered a church trial of Father Lawrence Murphy be stopped, after the priest wrote a letter to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - now Pope Benedict.

Arthur Budzinski, 61, says he was repeatedly molested at the St John's School for the Deaf in suburban Milwaukee 40 years ago.

His daughter Gigi says it has had a huge impact on the whole family.

From the ABC

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has denied Barnaby Joyce was forced to stand down from the finance portfolio after being white-anted by some of his own colleagues.

Senator Joyce was sacked from the Opposition finance portfolio yesterday, with Victorian Liberal Andrew Robb getting the job as Mr Abbott reshuffled his frontbench.

This morning Senator Joyce took another swipe at anonymous Coalition figures who he says have mounted an anonymous briefing campaign against him.

"Obviously it's disappointing when you have colleagues who are anonymous," he told ABC2.

Former Federal Treasurer Peter Costello has declared the Coalition is back in the political game under Tony Abbott's leadership.

The Opposition Leader has dumped Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce from the finance portfolio, replacing him with Victorian Liberal Andrew Robb.

Labor has attacked the move, saying Mr Abbott lacks economic credibility for not dumping Senator Joyce sooner, while the Coalition says the Government should feel threatened.

Britain took the extraordinary step Tuesday of expelling an Israeli diplomat for the first time in more than 20 years, after concluding there was compelling evidence that Israel was responsible for the use of forged British passports in the plot to slay a senior Hamas operative in Dubai.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said trust between the two countries had been badly dented, demanded formal assurances it never happen again and - in an unusual step - issued travel advice to U.K. citizens warning their identity details may be at risk if they visit Israel.

‘Everything will be shit’ including the BBC if David Cameron becomes PM, says Stephen Moffat

 

By Rachel Helyer Donaldson

The boss of one of the BBC's biggest shows has launched an extraordinary attack on the Conservative party, saying that a win for David Cameron's party would see the "brilliant" BBC turn to "shit".

10 states line up to sue over health bill, Florida AG says

 

(CNN) -- Ten states plan to file a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new health care reform bill, Florida's attorney general announced Monday.

Westpac gets ready to gouge Australia

Glenn Dyer writes:

A fascinating scandal has erupted in Washington that is exposing the sordid underbelly of the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

According to a New York Times investigation and other Washington sources, the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies have fielded covert mercenary networks in Afghanistan, Pakistan (AKA "Afpak"), and Iraq whose mission is to murder tribal militants and nationalists opposing Western occupation.

 

Don't believe a politician who tells you the worm is a harmless distraction, or a TV toy they ignore.

In the words of Greg Turnbull, a former adviser to both Paul Keating and Kim Beazley: "The worm they regard as completely unscientific mumbo jumbo - except when it supports you."

Viewers who tuned in to today's lunchtime debate got a contest that on one side at least, pandered to the worm.

Did you notice Kevin Rudd's opening gambit?

The great world powers would learn from local criminal groups about how to deal with brutally enforced occupation of land by gun-laden heavies and the subtle and sometimes savage negotiations and killings needed to move that group out and replace them with muscled-up rightful owners of the turf.

Kings Cross is now called Little Lebanon. It wasn't too long ago that it was under Jewish control by Abe Saffron, using independent local private security firms led by Lenny McPherson - the Australian equivalent of the US's Blackwater.