ITEMS STILL BEING POSTED – APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY, NOW HAVE A BACKUP WIRELESS ALTERNATIVE

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

AUSTRALIA

Political life

Rudd gears cabinet for jobs poll – The Australian

Arbib says it’s all about jobs, jobs, jobs – new Minister on what his job entails – The Australian

Arbib to be Labor’s man on the jobs – Sydney Morning Herald

Defence

Defence industry tsar Combet will command $100bn budget – the elevation of Greg Combet into Kevin Rudd’s ministerial line-up means Australia’s defence industry will have its first dedicated minister in the past 25 years. – The Australian

Privatisation

Bligh stares down ALP on $15bn sell-off – Brisbane Courier Mail on the Queensland ALP Conference

Racial hatred

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Bashings undermine image blitz – Further attacks on Indian students in Melbourne have undermined a public relations blitz to defend Australia’s reputation as a safe place to study. – Melbourne Age

Education

Student plan unfair, says Coalition – Melbourne Age says Coalition will propose amendments to the Federal Government’s controversial overhaul of student income support so people who took gap years to become eligible for payments will still qualify.

University offers protest degrees – Sydney University’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies offered students a six-week “Peace and Activism Training Course” culminating in a trip to Queensland next month to disrupt Exercise Talisman Sabre reports the Sydney Daily Telegraph

Opinion

Suffering from a blast from the past – Daniel Flitton in the Melbourne Age writes that whether the attacks are merely opportunistic, as Victorian police chief Simon Overland maintains, or the work of bigots deliberately targeting Indian students, the outcome is the same: the image of Australia is taking a hammering on the world stage.

New blood and more protection for the PM – Glenn Milne in The Australian sees a ise and rise reshuffle of the baby faced political killers: Arbib, Bowen, Clare and Combet.

Kevin’s class of 07 gets early leg-up – Lenore Taylor on the Cabinet reshuffle in The Australian

PM goes to extremes in playing Mr Tough Guy – Hugh Mackay in the Sydney Morning Herald

President Rudd’s holiday reading – Phillip Coorey reports in the Sydney Morning Herald on some research on attitudes to Australia becoming a republic

ELSEWHERE

Elections

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In Iran, disparate, powerful forces ally against Ahmadinejad – Los Angeles Times

Would Hezbollah win in Lebanon election lead to war with Israel? –  Zvi Barel writing in Haaretz

Unity set to hold in Lebanon polls – Melbourne Age

Gordon Brown readies for European election drubbing – London Times

BUSINESS

Chairman resists call to dump Rio boss – The Australian

Backlash fear over Rio deal – Treasurer Wayne Swan yesterday reaffirmed the importance of Chinese investment in Australia. Concerns are intensifying that Rio Tinto’s scrapping of its deal with Chinalco could have negative fallout for local miners. – Melbourne Herald Sun

MEDIA

ENVIRONMENT

Fielding back from Washington with list for Wong – The Australian

LIFE

Celebrations

090608advertiserbubblySocceroos into World Cup finals – Adelaide Advertiser

Verbeek and his Socceroos prove up to the test – Socceroo boss Pim Verbeek was not seen cracking open a champagne bottle, nor was he seen belting out the national anthem. But there was no mistaking his pride and happiness after his team took the point it needed to ensure World Cup qualification – Melbourne Age

Swine flu

Expert: hospitals missing true extent of swine flu infection – London Times

Six Brisbane Broncos Origin stars quarantined in swine flu scare – Fox Sports

Swin flu quarantine is just not necessary – Sydney Daily Telegraph

Honours

Gongs for fashionista, battler, teacher – The Australian on the Queen’s Birthday honours list