Inside Egypt’s secret police headquartersThe headquarters of the secret police in Cairo served as an intimidating fortress where prisoners were tortured and kept on spurious charges for years. But now locals have raided the building post-Mubarak, finding underground torture chambers and documents outlining the horror.
March, 2011
Carbon tax: what is it all about?
The debate over carbon tax is going around in more circles than Senator Mary Jo Fisher’s hokey pokey. There’s not enough detail given to understand the tax, let alone criticise yet, writes Martin Jones.
Gender selecton: family balance or gender imbalance?
Gender selection and parental choice is a prime example of how sanctifying individual choice can lead to undesirable outcomes for society as a whole, writes Shakira Hussein.
The bloody war for freedom of press in Mexico
Threats and killings have, with few exceptions, successfully muted the Mexican press, who are fighting a losing battle for freedom of expression in one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists, writes Joseph J. Kolp.
The Televised Revolution podcast
This week on the Televised Revolution podcast the boys discuss James Packer stepping down from the Ten Board, James Wharburton’s defection to Ten and Colin Lane as the new host of Ready Steady Cook.
Libya 
The West pays the waiting game for Libya intervention
The West are waiting for the first real massacre in Libya and once that happens they will feel politically justified to get involved. But the longer they wait, the more they will be resented, says Christopher Dickey.
The ‘red’ 748-Intercontinental paint job worked
As we were quick to suggest on roll out day, the red ‘sunrise’ livery on the first of the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinentals was a vivid indication of where Boeing saw it winning more orders, with the announcement that Air China had ordered five, reports Ben Sandilands.
What role should clinical doctors play in issues of efficiency and equity?
The AMA recently came out in criticism of the government’s plans on the proposed membership of Lead Clinician Groups. AMA President Dr Andrew Pesce also dubiously suggested doctors should be involved in issues of efficiency and equity, writes Professor Gavin Mooney.
That one seat represents more than 1.4 million Australians
The Green extremists are holding the majority hostage, even though they only have one seat, claims the right wing commentariat. But that one seat and voice in parlimanent represents the 11.76% of Australians who voted for them, writes Jeremy Sear.
PHOTO GALLERY Guanajuato: the most beautiful city in the world?
With it’s labyrinthine streets, hidden plazas and winding subterranean tunnels, the city of Guanajuato in central Mexico may well be one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Inga Ting went wandering with her camera.
Xanadu, a place where you can now dare to go
The story of a Greek muse with an Aussie accent descends from the heavens to a California beach to inspire a struggling artist to achieve his dream of creating a roller disco? Stupid concept but it’s a lot of fun, writes Jason Whittaker.
Newsreader Ron Wilson on gays: from ‘disgusting’ to support
Yesterday, Channel Ten news presenter Ron Wilson seemed to suggest he thought Sydney’s gay and lesbian Mardi Gras was “disgusting”. Today, Wilson appeared to back the gay marriage campaign.
Staff leave ailing Fairfax glossies
The turmoil has continued inside Fairfax Community Network’s ailing suite of Victorian real estate glossies, with a host of staff jumping ship.
The Coalition builds its lead
Labor is copping a belting in the polls but it is right to wear voters’ anger and get on with a key reform.
The Chinese planes are coming — bringing more tourism dollars
The sight of China’s airlines flying to a schedule between Broome, Darwin and Cairns to Perth, Melbourne and Sydney carrying domestic passengers may well become commonplace.
Simons: ABC journalists have some ‘explaining’ to do
The ABC is trying some new things in how it does journalism. But, I think, not enough.
The copyright industry’s war on filesharing: outsourced and ineffectual
The copyright industry has changed tactics in its war on filesharing but it’s still not working, even as it hits legitimate internet users.
Human Development Index is wider than just being No.1
The perennial concern with the Human Development Index is that of how it is used, writes Robert Johnson from Namibia.
Cote d’Ivoire — rebels take west, massacre caught on tape
Insurgents opposed to Ivorian President Laurent Gbabo have continued their advance, capturing another city in the country’s west, writes Rafiq Copeland from northern Africa.
Fear and status still the drivers in housing sales
If there really were a housing shortage, it would be very quickly borne out in higher rental costs.
Rundle: what’s with Galliano, Gibson ‘n’ Sheen’s anti-Semitism?
How to explain the insistent and free-floating nature of contemporary anti-semitism, the manner in which it ceaselessly returns, attached to very little or nothing at all?
Academy of Science: how has climate changed during the recent past?
Measurements from many hundreds of thermometers around the globe, on land and over the ocean, show that the average near-surface air temperature increased over the 100 years to 2009 by more than 0.7°C.
The Long View: Tuvalu a nation sinking as the world warms
In my home land of Tuvalu, a person without land is known as a fakaalofa — “a person deserving pity”. Not that many Tuvaluans want pity, despite the real possibility they will lose their island to the increased effects of climate change, writes Reverend Tafue Lusama.
Cox: a centenary of continuous struggle for women
Women still have a long way to go for equality and we need to get moving because there are serious issues that cannot be solved by economic modelling of independent self-interested masculinity equations.
