It’s no coincidence we have our first female PM during the ‘Women in League Round’. If she can play full forward for the Western Bulldogs, surely she can play prop for the Cowboys, says Ant Halstead.
June, 2010
A successful beat-up is still a beat-up: a semi-apology to The Oz
The Australian deserves congratulation, but its achievement is creating its own reality — Julia challenging Kevin — rather than accurate reporting of what was really happening, writes Charles Richardson.
Tasty fish = poison fish?
American scientists claim they have discovered record levels of toxic metals in sperm whales, revealing the kind of pollution that may be spreading all the way to your local fish and chips shop.
Poll bludger: The Gillard government
Australian politics has entered uncharted waters, but the consensus view is that Julia Gillard is favourite to lead Labor to a victory which might have been beyond Kevin Rudd, writes William Bowe
Julia moves the markets
Yesterday’s historic spill had quite an impact on the election betting markets, with the money moving towards Labor considerably. Possum Comitatus explains.
Finally it’s time for strawberries and cream
John Isner finally emerged as the winner of the three day, 12 hour, epic Wimbledon battle with Nicolas Mahut. The longest match ever contained the longest set, the most games and the most aces.
Too much money on Wall Street
Private equity firms on Wall Street have a current piggy bank of around US$500 billion and nowhere for it to go. But they need to make some deals, because if they don’t invest the money quickly, they’ll have to return it to their clients.
ALP ruthlessness puts British Labour to shame
The assassination of Kevin Rudd may have been act of cold and calculated political maneuvering, but it demonstrates a boldness British Labour lacked when it stuck with fallen leader Gordon Brown, writes Martin Kettle.
PHOTO GALLERY: Graffiti, police on bikes and violence — G20 protests begin
The G20 summit is nearly under way in Canada and already the security fences are erected, police are arresting protesters and protesters are covering themselves in oil to signify the BP spill.
Cheers TV: Episode #10: Right wine, right occasion
When you reach for a bottle of wine to take to your next engagement, why not take a minute and think about matching the wine to the event.
Colebatch: Wayne Swan went from surfie stoner to Deputy PM
These days Wayne Swan gets up early, dresses conservatively and works day and night - a lifestyle far removed from his early years growing up as a stoner in a working-class sugar town, writes Tim Colebatch.
Save Greece, buy an island
Fancy your own island home? Greece is flogging off 6,000 of its islands to help repay its mammoth debt issues, either by private sale or long-term lease.
No hope: Obama drops to a new low
It’s not just Australian politicians who are face polling woes. Barack Obama’s waning popularity means he has more disapprovers than approvers for the first time ever, says a WSJ/NBC News poll.
Marr: Rudd was made and destroyed by the polls
As the Howard years came to a close Kevin Rudd seemed to be everything Australian voters wanted. But the former PM was never well liked within his party and when the polls went down, so did he, writes David Marr.
Gillard Labor begins
Daily Media Wrap: Yesterday was a landmark day in Australian politics, with the induction of Australia’s first female Prime Minister and the ousting of a man who rescued the Labor party from more than a decade in the political wilderness.
Apple’s rotten iPhone 4: hold the sides and it loses reception
A quirk has emerged from the new iPhone 4, with reception disappearing if customers hold the sides of the phone. But, Apple knew of the fault and is selling an Apple cover to fix it.
Buzz (of vuvuzelas) builds for YouTube
The vuvuzela madness continues, with YouTube installing a vuvuzela button on all videos. Yes, you can now watch cute sneezing pandas with an annoying droning sound in the background!
Media briefs: Gillard pumps up news sites … Rupert backs US immigration …
Guess who believes in giving illegal immigrants in the US full citizenship? Plus, Fielding getting frisky, online news sites set records with Labor spill, David Speers stars at pay TV’s night of nights and other media news.
PHOTO GALLERY: Other women PMs
Australia may have its first female PM, but compared to other countries we’re late to the having ladies as leaders party. India was doing it back in the 1960s.
Lindsay Tanner resigns
A remarkable 24 hours in federal politics has continued with Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner announcing he will not contest the next election, writes Bernard Keane.
Giles sounded out as Tanner replacement
ALP sources say Victorian Socialist Left faction secretary Andrew Giles has been sounded out by the for the vacant state seat of Melbourne, writes Andrew Crook.
The Lion, the Witch and the Force
The decision by Walden Media to bring all of CS Lewis’s Narnia books to the big screen might have sounded like a good idea at the time, but how can filmmakers keep them interesting? Maybe lightsabers are the answer.
How Parisians cheat the metro ticket system
The French sure know how to be freeloaders. Fare evaders on the Metro system are forming co-ops and charging a small monthly group fee to pay off fines they receive when busted without a ticket.
Crabb: Rudd’s brutal goodbye
Kevin Rudd’s farewell speech was a long affair, full of heart breaking silence and attempts to remain peppy. PM Gillard’s opening number was a slicker and more upbeat affair, writes Annabel Crabb.
Will BP coverage reveal Fox News bias?
The feisty right wing shock jocks over at Fox News have long campaigned with a blanket anti Obama message. However, BP’s current woes might just reveal their political prejudices to the American public, writes Eric Boehlert.
