The ABC is losing Lateline host Ali Moore, who hosted her final program on Friday night. She’s off to Singapore with her family. Plus other ABC news changes and media news from around the globe.
December, 2011
Power Shots: Power Shots: behind Labor’s gay marriage shift … Greiner’s people’s jury …
The 10 people behind Labor’s gay marriage shift. At the ALP’s last national conference two years ago, the party reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining marriage as between a man and a woman. Even support for gay civil unions seemed a long way off. This year, the party amended its official policy platform to advocate same-sex […]
Political snippets: The so-called virtues of austerity
It seems to be the political orthodoxy in most developed country democracies these days that government spending must be cut to produce budgets that balance.
Video of the Day: Nando’s last dictator standing
Nando’s has choked on the bone of a new advertisement for a six-piece chicken combo after it generated a windfall of negative attention in Zimbabwe from supporters of Robert Mugabe. The fun, zesty ad sends up Mugabe and other ruthless dictators, arming them with water pistols, microphones and a swing.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours
Gillard: pro gays, anti nuclear. This little snippet has been doing the rounds on Facebook. We’re not sure what publication or year it’s from — if you know, drop us a line — but it’s clear the prime minister wasn’t always for uranium exports and against gay rights … A new speech writer for the PM? Meanwhile, there was plenty […]
Crikey Says: A nasty set of numbers
A collection of sobering take home points from a consortium of climate scientists and economists from around the world — the Global Carbon Project — and their findings for 2010, published today in the journal Nature Climate Change.
healthcare 
New study: more people would cycle if helmets weren’t compulsory
The ongoing bicycle helmet legislation debate usually focuses on how effective helmets are. Another side of the debate is whether helmet legislation deters people from cycling, writes Professor Chris Rissel.
aviation industry Sydney to become Two Alliance Airport
In a breakthrough for commonsense, Sydney Airport is to replace its international (western) and domestic (eastern) divisions, reports Ben Sandilands.
The gradual growth of Africa
Six of the world’s ten fastest growing countries in the last ten years were African. The commodities boom and an enthusiasm for technology are key driving factors. The question is whether Africa can sustain its growth, according to The Economist.
Sally Sara: Farewell to Afghanistan, my adopted home
ABC’s Afghanistan correspondent Sally Sara is returning to Oz to work as a rural affairs reporter. But first she bids farewell to Afghanistan, a country where she lives in a compound yet still encounters its famous hospitality.
Marr: it’s time to talk openly about drugs
Every week a staggering amount of Australians — around one million — consume illegal drugs. Given efforts to prohibit narcotics have comprehensively failed, why can’t we talk openly about drugs? asks David Marr.
The Power Index 
Media maestro Morry Schwartz
His Quarterly Essay and The Monthly magazine are the most powerful left-wing voices in Australia. Paul Barry profiles publisher — and property tycoon — Morry Schwartz.
Fox launches campaign for a motion capture acting Oscar
Twentieth Century Fox have kicked off its Oscar lobbying campaign by pushing for a nomination for actor Andy Serkis, who, with the aid of performance capture technology, played a primate in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Chelsea stops denying she’s a Clinton
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Hillary and Bill, recently accepted a job as a NBC reporter. It’s the latest step in her move to a more public life, says Amy Chozick in this fascinating NY Times profile.
infographic 
Email still e-live and well
Despite social media platforms consuming more and more interaction between users, old trusty email is still alive and well, with around 3 billion active email accounts around the world sending about 188 billion emails a day.
Australians robbed of a debate on exporting uranium to India
Well-funded and resourced lobby groups successfully denied Australians a debate about exporting uranium to India. The ALP’s vote in favour of changing their platform is expected to have immediate policy ramifications, writes NAJ Taylor.
Dining at the mud buffet
It’s hot, dark and damp, and Claire Chaffey is covered from head to toe in a thick, gooey sludge. She got down and dirty at the Valley Stampede — a 5.3 kilometre dash through various obstacle courses at Glenworth Valley.
Newspoll: Gillard consolidates her lead
The latest Newspoll has the Coalition two-party lead at 54-46, down from an aberrant 57-43 a fortnight ago. The Coalition is down four points on the primary vote to 44%, reports William Bowe.
Ban the bomb: the fight to keep nuclear disarmament on the agenda
The global treaty prohibiting cluster munitions declared that they cause “unacceptable harm,” like the treaty outlawing antipersonnel landmines a decade earlier. Attention must now be turned to banning nuclear arms, writes Tim Wright.
Delegates back Gillard on uranium exports to India
ALP delegates back Julia Gillard on uranium exports to India despite an emotive round of speeches against the proposition. Andrew Crook reports from the national conference floor at The Stump.
Rudd parties with gay activists; will ‘examine bill closely’
Has Kevin Rudd changed his tune on gay marriage? Andrew Crook found him celebrating with activists last night at the ALP national conference, reporting the latest at The Stump.
Labor squibs it on party reform, says Left
The next ALP national conference will for the first time include delegates directly elected by the party’s grass roots. But the Left still isn’t happy, writes Andrew Crook from the floor.
