The claims from thousands of classified US military documents from the Iraq War, released to the public by WikiLeaks, are startling: 15,000 new civilians deaths have been uncovered, torture of detainees in Iraqi prisons and Down’s Syndrome patients used as suicide bombers. The UK’s Bureau of Investigative Journalism spent three months combing through them.
Must read
US troops + Afghan police: not exactly a match made in heaven
Politicians keep talking up the important of training Afghanistan’s police force, but as Christopher Beam learns, the ANP and US Troops encounter cultural misunderstandings, Taliban infiltration of the cooking department and arguments about whether the Afghanistan police are lazy.
Silvester: Women are sluts and men are morons?
The latest alleged sexual assault incident involving two Collingwood footballers has reignited the “she was asking for it” argument. Do we say the same thing about young men bashed while hanging around notorious night spots? asks John Silvester.
Hitchens: My battle with cancer
Christopher Hitchens eloquently writes about his struggle with cancer of the esophagus. “In whatever kind of a “race” life may be, I have very abruptly become a finalist,” he mourns.
Blowing the whistle on the BER whistleblower
Much of The Oz’s criticism of the BER revolved around “whistleblower” Craig Mayne, but his claims don’t stack up.JohnL delves through Mayne’s false credentials and dodgy figures.
Maloney: I was there for the spill (and the mopping up)
Author Shane Maloney was sniffing around the corridors of parliament house last week. He wasn’t expecting to stumble into a PM leadership spill while eating dinner with Lindsay Tanner.
The best blogs of 2010
Update those RSS feeds and bookmarks people, with Time’s annual list of the best blogs of the net. Check out the essential reading picks and the totally overrated blogs.
McChrystal gives the bird to Obama
This is the controversial Rolling Stone profile that has landed General McChrystal, US Commander in Afghanistan, in hot water and possibly forced him to tender his resignation to Barack Obama.
Inside the Thai killing zone
A terrifying tale as journalist and photographer Nick Nostitz reports from the riots in Bangkok, where the army opened fire on the protesters, killing 33 and injuring 239. Be warned, some of the photos are graphic.
Inside the world of White House dinners
Air out the tuxedo and polish the pearls, Vanity Fair goes behind the scenes of White House state dinners. From protocol to presidents and promoting the Obama brand, they’re complicated affairs.
How Google will save the news
The media moguls may be pining the murder of the news industry on Google, but they couldn’t have it more wrong, says James Fallows: the search giant is actually working overtime to come up with strategies to save it. Read what the big G has in store for the future of the media.
Iggy Pop interviews Shepard Fairey
Ex-frontman of The Stooges Iggy Pop meets Shepard Fairey, the artist responsible for the iconic Barack Obama HOPE image. Iggy questions him about the AP case and choosing “hope” over “progress”.
Two paths for the future of text
Author Steven Berlin Johnson’s excellent take on how the great minds of the 17th and 18th century compiled their favourite passages of text, and what it means for journalism today.
I was a pregnant embedded journalist in Afghanistan
Elizabeth Rubin tells of her time as a pregnant war journo embedded with the US military, dealing with injured mothers and children, relieving her bladder in drink bottles and watching the Taliban kill those around her.
How I blew publishing J.D Salinger’s final book
Roger Lathbury recounts the fascinating story of how he wrote to famously reclusive author JD Salinger, met with him, was to publish his final book and then… the story hit the news and Salinger walked away.
My life as a tabloid newspaper editor
Former Sun editor David Yelland spills on being a tabloid editor (and an alcoholic) at the News Ltd empire, from embarrassing breakfast meetings with Rupert Murdoch to dinner with the Blairs and commuting on the Concorde.
NYT liveblogs the health reform vote
Health care reform in the US is looking like it just might happen, with Democratic leaders claiming they now have the 216 votes needed to pass the bill later today. The NYT has the all the latest as this historic moment unfolds.
I accidentally killed my child: is it a crime?
A heartbreaking investigation on parents who forget and accidentally leave their children to die in the backs of cars. It may be a devastating and horrific mistake, but is it a crime worthy of prosecution? asks Gene Weingarten.
Mad Murdoch and his media legacy
An in depth profile by NY Mag on the aging Rupert Murdoch’s holy media missions, including his hatred of lazy liberal journalists, his obsession with the Wall Street Journal and his plan to bleed the NY Times dry.
Inside the world of Paul Krugman
A rare and in depth profile on Nobel prize winning economist and NY Times columnist Paul Krugman, focusing on how he became the darling of the political Left and his problems with Barack Obama.
The Jock Wrap: Scientologists are sports people too
Resident Crikey sports buffs First Dog on the Moon and Leigh Josey give their wrap on this week in sport, from zombie bob sledding to whether we should go to war with New Zealand.
My life as an unqualified, untrained government insider
Former speech writer for Nicola Roxon, Myles Peterson, spills on the secret life of working in a government department. From wasting public money on “training”, to launching large health reforms with no prior planning, the state of our public service is deeply worrying.
Want to settle in Australia? There’s a 40 year wait
A new generation of ‘lost boys’ has emerged, with Afghanistan children being smuggled out by their parents to avoid the Taliban, but instead ending up in an endless refugee queue in Indonesia. Why isn’t Australia helping? asks Pamela Curr.
Calories, cakes and cookies: the horror of school cafeteria food
You think Jamie Oliver had it hard? Michelle Obama has launched an anti-obesity program, with a focus on American school cafeteria food. With meals being made for US$1, it’s no surprise that they’re neither healthy nor tasty.
