Japan imports about 60% of the calories it consumes, much of them from the United States. Esperanto may be dead, writes Daniel Gross, but the language of food transcends borders.
June, 2009
Labor holds steady — Essential Research: 57-43
The latest Essential Research survey was conducted during the worst period for Labor of the “Utegate” saga, from June 17 to 21, but it shows Labor’s two-party lead steady on 57-43, says The Poll Bludger.
Big Four weather the GFC — and then some
Australia’s banks have survived the global financial crisis because, quite simply, they didn’t need to take risks, says Ian Verrender. NAB’s $825 million purchase of parts of Aviva confirms their strength.
Telstra puts a lid on executive pay
At least it’s not British Airways where they’re asking staff to work for free. Telstra chief David Thodey has told around 280 execs that their pay will be frozen in place. Indefinitely.
Guardian harnesses people power for MP expenses investigation
Almost 20,000 have answered The Guardian’s call for a hand to sort through the 457,153 pages of British MP expense claims.
Breakfast Media Wrap: The verdict is clear – Turnbull the big loser from utegate
The pick of the morning’s media
How Sol scratched our racist underbelly
The commentariat may have vehemently disputed Sol Trujillo’s accusations that Australians are racist, but for Indigenous leaders, the outgoing Telstra head hit the nail on the head, says Stephen Hagan.
Going down in the downturn: sex work on the rise
More women are turning to sex work in the worsening economy.
Discrepancies might affect 3 million Iranian votes
The number of votes cast in 50 cities exceeded the actual number of voters, state television has reported
Why Israel prefers Ahmadinejad
Even though Ahmadinejad has threatened Israel with destruction, many officials and analysts there actually prefer him to Mousavi, because they believe he is be easier to isolate from the international community.
George Lucas does a Citizen Kane?
Director George Lucas is building an enormous studio complex outside of San Francisco. Problem? It looks eerily like Hearst Castle from the movie Citizen Kane. And that didn’t end well so well for the mogul…
Get ‘em while they’re down!
The new vanguard of Asian automakers, Hyundai and Kia, is attempting to break the fortress of American car-making: Detroit.
Venture capitalists take note: the new Internet
What is the megatrend that could make investors millions if they buy in now? Cleantech, says a partner at the famed venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
The real-time carbon emissions counter
Deutsche Bank has installed the world’s first real-time scientifically-calculated, carbon counter on a billboard — and it’s going up at a scary 800 tons a seconds.
Tim Winton uses Breath win to speak out for copyright
Literary Minded’s Angela Meyer uses Tim Winton’s Miles Franklin Award win for Breath to review the book and show his amazing speech, championing copyright laws.
Utegate update: AFP chief due to make statement
Following this morning’s raid on Treasury official Godwin Grech’s home, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty is expected to make a statement this afternoon. As ever, stay tuned…
Church of England offers beer and bacon to entice men back
The Church of England are offering beer, bacon rolls and chocolate bars to men who attend church on Fathers’ Day.
Interview with Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Foreign Policy speaks to Mi- Hossein Mousavi’s external spokesman, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, about why Mousavi is the “Obama of Iran”.
AOL’s PoliticsDaily quickly overtakes Politico
AOL’s new online news-magazine, PoliticsDaily.com is only a month-and-a-half old, but quickly surpassed rival Politico.com in unique visits for May.
Sarkozy’s grand cultural revolution
In recent weeks French MPs have a new game to play with their maverick, megalomanic leader: spot the cultural reference, writes Jason Burke.
Down and out with Jack Charles
Documentary Bastardy captures the beggared and destitute recent years in the life of prolific Indigenous actor Jack Charles. Sad and pitiable, but there is something pleasantly candid about Charles’s eloquence.
9/11, the colouring-in book
First published in 2003, A Scary Thing has been traumatizing kids with color-it-yourself pictures of towering infernos and children weeping outside hospitals for their dead kin, writes
Katherine Mangu-Ward.
Pizza Hut to slice their name
Pizza Hut are planning rebrand by dropping the “Pizza” from their name in some stores, to be known simply as “The Hut”, and present a more “healthful” image by introducing multigrain crusts and “all natural” tomato sauce. So what’s in their regular tomato sauce if not tomatoes? asks Consumerist.
Turnbull admits he has no case against Rudd
As the Utegate saga continues to unravel for the Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull has admitted that there is no case for Prime Minister Rudd to answer, and is now shifting his focus to target ailing bureaucrat Godwin Grech.
UK media collapses
Pay TV channel Setanta is expected to go bust in the UK today, while the tottering Independent News & Media group is said to be considering a deeply discounted cash issue to raise enough money to keep staggering on.
