1. We may well have a new Prime Minister by the end of this week, with Australia’s most prominent political commentators all predicting a spill for the Labor leadership in the coming days. While most still favour Kevin Rudd as the likely candidate against Julia Gillard, new rumours are emerging today that former leader Simon Crean could be winning some internal support.
2. The House of Representatives have begun passing the Government’s controversial media reform package. So far they have agreed to two bills but reports suggest that the Government are unlikely to secure the passage of the remaining bills, including one that would create a public interest media advocate.
3. Australian researchers are recommending mothers-to-be get vaccinated against whooping cough before giving birth or getting pregnant. Scientists at The University of Sydney found babies whose mothers were vaccinated against whooping cough were 50 per cent less likely to contract the potentially deadly disease in the first four months of their lives.
4. An 18-year-old man in the US has been forbidden from saying the word “bingo” for the next six months. Austin Whaley was cited for second-degree disorderly conduct after he walked into a bingo hall with some friends and yelled “bingo” and “caused the hall to quit operating since they thought someone had won”. The police officer who gave him the citation said: “Just like you can’t run into a theater and yell ‘fire’ when it’s not on fire, you can’t run into a crowded bingo hall and yell ‘bingo’ when there isn’t one.”
5. Pope Francis has officially begun his papacy. The new pontiff addressed around 200,000 at his inauguration at The Vatican overnight. Tomorrow he’ll have lunch with Benedict XVI, who resigned from his papacy last month.
6. Australia’s head swimming coach Leigh Nugent has reportedly been dropped in the wake of Australia’s performance at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Nugent was appointed to the top job in 2009. He was told on Monday that he would no longer be required.
7. Saudi Arabian women are planning to protest the country’s ban on female drivers. They’ve created a Facebook group called the “Women2Drive campaign” and as part of the protest, women who have drivers licences from other countries are asked to drive around the streets of Saudi Arabia on June 17. Under South Arabian law, women are forbidden from getting behind the wheel.
8. Gerard Baden -Clay has been committed to stand trail for the murder of his wife, Allison Baden Clay. Mrs Baden -Clay’s body was found in a Brisband waterway 10 days after her husband reported her missing last year. In court the chief magistrate said: ‘‘I’m of the opinion the evidence is sufficient to put the defendant on trial on the offences charged.”
Top Comments
Jamilla, can you just clarify the feminist position on the leadership speculation, please?
Now you are being facetious aren't you, Anon ? :)
Well, Bradley, the silence is deafening, is it not? We have a female Labor PM, the first woman to hold the office, the poster girl of the femosphere, beloved by the media/celebrity clique, oh, and *that* speech ... remember? The premeditated, prepared speech that McTernan orchestrated, where she screamed to the world that a decent man hated, abused and violated his wife, his daughters and women in general?
One just presumed that the feminists would be screaming 'misogyny' at the faceless ones for so much as hinting that such an icon wasn't up to the job.
Still, what do I know. I've been a woman for over 50 years and still can't work out the rules.
Hi MM
Have I missed something? I can't seem to find outraged posts on this site regarding Labor's new Media "Reform" Package?
When the rest of the publishing world is in melt down about the proposed changes, there doesn't seem to be anything on MM...
Aren't you concerned about this?
The potential staggering erosion of free speech and the promise of the Government vetting the news?
Really shocked that you're note more interested in the issue.
And maybe I shouldn't be surprised that there is no mention on MM today about Julia Gillard's spiteful comment yesterday. If that was reversed and Tony Abbott had said something along those lines, all hell would have broken loose. She has done the feminine cause such a huge disservice. What a disappointment she is.
*Absolutely* agree. She was a disgrace in QT yesterday. Shameful and delusional behaviour.
I know that in my office the comment "misogynist Tony is back" was greeted with "misandrist Julia never went away".
I didn't bother looking. You don't when you know that something won't be there, do you ?