These spats may be the least of the Murdochs’ worries.
Politics / The World
Vitriol cranks up to 11 in French election campaign
Calm and level-headed debate was nowhere to be seen when Nicolas Sarkozy and challenger François Hollande faced off in the only debate before the French presidential election, writes Steven Erlanger.
How Romney could become president
Only five incumbent US presidents have lost re-election over the last 100 years. David Lightman explains what Mitt Romney needs to win to move into the White House.
Rupert at the cross-roads — is it jail or a Packer pay-TV mop up?
Given the industry that has emerged to sledge and analyse Rupert Murdoch after 10 months of the phone-hacking scandals, you soon learn who is worth listening to.
Dog-whistle politics offends Indonesian ears
What should have been a brief exchange of pleasantries turned into a diplomatic disaster when Julie Bishop outlined the opposition’s policy on “sending back” asylum seeker boats to Indonesia.
Guy Rundle: The other media story that dwarfs the News fiasco
Quietly this week, while the UK was in uproar about the activities of the last big media company in a dying industry, something of far greater import happened in the world of media and information.
Pain in Spain as recession grips much of the eurozone
Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens told us told us in his post-board meeting statement on Tuesday that Europe had the capacity for “adverse shocks for some time yet”.
Tears and tumult in court as Edwards trial unfolds
The trial of former Democrat candidate John Edwards, accused of campaign finance violations, took a harrowing turn when a former adviser explained how Edwards’ late wife reacted to news that he was having an affair, reports Michael Biesecker.
Al-Qaeda op-ed: we’re nothing like Breivik
“It’s not like we target daycare centres,” wrote an al-Qaeda representative, arguing against comparisons between themselves and Anders Breivik in an English-language magazine produced by the terror organisation.
Rupert Murdoch’s letter to staff: ‘we’ve done the hardest part’
“It is difficult to read many of the report’s findings,” Rupert Murdoch tells staff after the release of the UK’s Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport report. Crikey has his memo.
Carr confronts messy legacy in democratically-challenged Fiji
The Fiji coup was an embarrassing failure of Australian policy. Now Bob Carr has to help fix the mess.
Ron Paul is hanging in there, but why?
Ron Paul has no chance of securing the Republican party nomination but continues to rack up delegates. When Paul inevitably loses, where, asks David Weigel, will they turn?
Rate cut, yes, but RBA still fearful of Europe rattling markets
The RBA understands that Europe could return to again rattle the global economy and financial markets.
Has the Obama campaign inadvertently selected a Marxist slogan?
It may not have been intentional, but the Obama campaign’s new slogan — “Forward” — has a long association with European Marxism, writes Victor Morton.
Oh the horror: Stephen King implores US govt to heavily tax the rich
US senators who refuse to consider raising taxes on the rich “squall like scalded babies,” writes horror author Stephen King in a fiery op-ed for The Daily Beast.
Your Sunday roast, brought to you by ritual animal slaughter
Legal loopholes mean you could be inadvertently buying meat coming from animals that were fully conscious when they were slaughtered, writes Sandi Keane.
Al-Qaeda one leader down, but active and dangerous
“It’s on the defensive but it’s far from defeated,” said a former CIA officer working for a US think tank, one of many experts who believe the death of Osama bin Laden should be viewed as little more than a setback for al-Qaeda.
Rundle: if only News was run by Rupert…
“Some day there will be billions of smart telephones” — thus spake Yoda of the tribunal, R. Murdoch, on the second day of his testimony to the Leveson inquiry.
Afghans forced to swallow the pill of progress at gunpoint
How can we bring development to Afghanistan if we don’t have security? asks Benjamin Gilmour, a writer and filmmaker.
Italian crime fighters turn (on) the other chic in fashion fake war
In the past 12 months raids from Milan to Taranto have delivered millions of euros in fake fashion merchandise, writes Josephine McKenna, an Australian freelance journalist in Rome.
What is causing the rise of the far right in Europe?
The rise in popularity of far right parties in Europe is widely attributed to the effects of the global financial crisis but, writes Adrian Hamilton, there are a myriad of factors involved.
Has the US lost faith in federal government?
A recent Pew poll reveals Americans have the lowest level of support for federal government in 15 years, with only 33 percent of participants stating they are satisfied with the White House administration, reports Tim Mak.
Rundle: Gingrich and why we’ll miss his endless entertainment
We did but see him passing by … like the Hindenberg on the way towards that mast.
