US sells fighter jets to Saudi Arabia

On November 22, the US, Britain and Europe tried to cut Iran off from the international financial system by aiming at its central and commercial banks. In retaliation, protestors stormed The British embassy chanting “Death to England” and diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed. Sanctions on companies involved in Iran’s nuclear industry, petrochemical and oil industries were also introduced and Iran must surely be suffering.



Although the middle-class businessman In Iran is doing it tough, the Revolutionary Guards’ power seems to have grown. When Western oil companies were forced to leave Iran, the guards moved in, partnering up with China and other countries who had not imposed sanctions. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad still insists their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only and its goal is to develop a nuclear program to generate electricity without dipping into the oil supply it prefers to sell abroad and to provide fuel for medical reactors.



This week, Iranian officials again threatened to close oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Oh really? Today the US announced they will sell 84 new fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The Boeing F-15 Eagle has advanced radar equipment and digital electronic warfare systems. America and the Saudis both see Iran as a significant potential threat.



The arms deal will cost the Saudis around $30 billion. A Whitehouse spokesman said “This agreement reinforces the strong and enduring relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a strong Saudi defense capability as a key component to regional security.”


Things are looking good for Obama at the moment.

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2011

The winner of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race Investec Loyal has been accused of cheating but skipper Anthony Bell is confident the protest will be dismissed. He will front the five man international jury at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania at 10 am today. The jury consists of two Australians, a Japanese, a Briton and a New Zealander. The protest wasn’t lodged by another boat but by the race committee who allege Investec Loyal asked a third party for assistance during the race. They have been accused of asking the crew of an ABC helicopter what sail Wild Oats XI was using just off Merimbula on the NSW south coast. In an audio recording Investec Loyal Michael Coxon asked “Can you confirm, does Wild Oats have their trysail up?" The ABC crewman who responded said he was not familiar with sailing terms so he was asked “What colour is it?” and the answer came back “Grey”. Coxon then seemed satisfied and signed off.






The yacht could be disqualified or face a time penalty but skipper of Wild Oats XI Mark Richards doesn’t agree with the protest and believes Investec Loyal deserved to win and should keep the title. "There were three stages to the race where we had a really big lead and then we lost it, had no wind at all and they sailed around us." he said "They did a fantastic job and we congratulate those guys. We'll have to come back next year and have another crack."


Maybe it’s time to take a good look at the rules and the power of the committee. Last year after winning its fifth title, Wild Oats XI had to endure a protest, they were accused of not radioing in properly before crossing Bass Strait which seems petty in the extreme. The protest was overruled and their win upheld.







Celebrity Channel 9 presenter Karl Stefanovic was so crippled by seasickness after 12 hours of 5 metre waves and 30-knot winds, he was unable to get to the phone for a live cross to his own network. He was told by fellow crew members to “stop being a princess” and to “man up”.


Footnote: Jury finds Investec Loyal did not breach race rules and is declared the winner.

Government bans asylum seeker TV coverage

The Immigration Department now has the power to impose new restrictions on TV networks showing pictures and videos of asylum seekers arriving by boat. Blind Freddy knows why they are doing this - because it reminds us of the incompetence of a government who has no idea how to fix the problem.


To pretend it’s not happening is a very bad idea, reminiscent of Putin’s control over the Russian media – the people only get to see what he wants them to see.


Last week the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) thrashed out a way to stop the media from showing us what is really going on and their reason is laughable - it’s to protect the asylum seekers’ privacy. Give me a break.


Peter Meakin, Seven Network’s head of news said “A blanket ban is just the big hand of censorship.” But Mr Meakin will have to toe the line because the ACMA oversees the licences of TV networks and they have the clout to punish if they don’t behave.


This is not the Immigration department's first attempt at censoring the media. Ever wondered why we never get to see inside a detention centre? Strange isn't it, why all the secrecy? Earlier this year they said that cameras were allowed inside only on the condition that all images were handed over to them for vetting before publication.


If the government thinks for one moment that this censorship will help people to forget about their continued incompetence in handling this issue, they are sadly mistaken.

Russian Protest on Christmas Eve 2011

Vladimir Putin is now in big trouble. The Russian people came out in their thousands to protest against his corrupt election held on the 4th December as video evidence of election officials stuffing voting boxes went viral around the world. A huge rally of around 120,000 people came out in force on Christmas Eve in the biggest protest since the collapse of the Soviet Union 20 years ago.



Blogger Alexei Navalny and charismatic leader of the protest movement said there were enough protestors to take over the Kremlin and threatened to do so if Putin continues with his lies. Mikhail Gorbachev and other prominent Russians have called on Putin to quit.


A young mother Yevgenia Chirikova started a campaign against a proposed road that would raze her local forest. Little did she know that the man in charge of the program was Putin’s judo coach and close friend. As her campaign took off, a newspaper editor who helped her by publishing articles in his paper had his car bombed, his dog killed and was beaten so badly he lost a leg, is brain damaged and remains in a wheelchair.


Yevgenia Chirrikova was declared an “unfit mother” and officials threatened to put her young daughters into an orphanage. She posted a video online which caused such an outcry that officials backed off and she even won an apology. She is now a celebrity and has added her voice to the protest against Putin and his party United Russia.



Last month Putin went along to watch a martial arts tournament. After the match, when he took the microphone to congratulate the winner, the 20,000 crowd started booing and jeering him and he was so shocked he began to stumble over his words. Naturally, it was edited out on television but within hours, the real event went viral on the internet and 50 million internet uses in Russia saw it. No one can compete with this.



But Putin has delivered peace and economic growth to the people of Russia and surely that must count for something. When Communism ended, the people suffered terribly as living standards collapsed, criminal activity was rife and then along came Putin - the tough ex KGB man - just the man they needed to sort things out.


And he did, a new generation has grown up wealthy under Putin, he gave the people stability, prosperity and pride in their country. But 12 years is a long time to be calling the shots, some would say too long.


Because the constitution states that only two terms may be served as President, he swapped jobs with his puppet Dimitry Medvedov but when he recently announced that he would run again for the Presidency next year, his luck ran out. The people have had enough of the same old corruption and want a fresh start with a new leader. I hope Putin has enough sense to see the writing on the wall.

US troops pull out of Iraq

Iraq’s vice president Tariq al-Hashemi is a Sunni Muslim and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a Shiite. Fourteen bombs exploded across Baghdad during rush hour last Thrusday, killing at least 72 people and the two leaders are blaming each other for the shocking terrorist attack. Prime Minister Maliki, who is a member of the Shiite majority, has issued a warrant for Hashemi's arrest.



Hashemi is convinced the PM is on a mission to wipe out his political opponents and has hired personal bodyguards to run a death squad. He said "After the Americans decided to pull out, he felt free to try to get rid of his political rivals and opponents and critics - this is why he started with me, in due course he will continue with others." Hashemi also says the United States should shoulder some of the blame, because of the style of management left in place after the withdrawal of its troops.


President Obama says he has no intention of sending troops back to Iraq, even if sectarian violence and political upheaval disintegrate into civil war. He said the US had given Iraqis an opportunity and what they do with that opportunity is up to them.


Vice-President Biden talked to Mr. Maliki; Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni political leader; and Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish leader and urged them to organize a meeting of Iraq’s top political leaders, from Mr. Maliki on down, with the message that “you all need to stop hurling accusations at each other through the media and actually sit together and work through your competing concerns.” American officials say that Mr. Talabani is the best person to convene such a meeting, because he is respected by the most Iraqis.


All hope now lies in the ability of Prime Minister Maliki to hold together a coalition government made up of bitter enemies who have hated each other for generations. Dare we hope that it is possible for them to stop the hatred and agree to live in peace?

New Azaria Chamberlain Inquest

When baby Azaria Chamberlain died in mysterious circumstances at Ayres Rock in 1980, many Australians were quick to believe that something fishy was going on, especially when they learned that Michael Chamberlain was a pastor of a religion they didn’t know much about – the Seventh Day Adventists.


The general consensus of the media was that the Chamberlains had killed their baby so they ran newspaper articles and television interviews to support this theory. Azaria meant “Sacrifice in the Desert” they said when in fact it was Hebrew for “Blessed of God”. Lindy often dressed the baby in black which had sinister connotations, there was no way that a dingo would take a sleeping baby from a tent and then the clincher – the expert witness who said that blood found in the Chamberlain’s car was foetal. Everyone seemed satisfied that justice was done, Linda was found guilty and sent to prison and Michael was found to be an accessory after the fact.


It didn't matter that there were attacks on children around the Rock leading up to Azaria's death, earlier that month a three year old girl was seized around the head by a dingo and dragged from the family car. Chief ranger Derek Roff posted notices around the camp area, motels, visitors' block and store to warn people not to feed the dingoes.


NT Coroner Elizabeth Morris will hold a fresh inquest into Azaria’s disappearance in February and this time, they will focus on new evidence about dingo attacks on infants and children. Clinton Gage was killed by two dingoes on Fraser Island in 2001 and a three year old girl was stalked by a pack of dingoes, pinned to the ground and bitten on both legs. The Coroner said that no witnesses would be called but evidence would be tendered and submissions received.


After 30 years, three inquests, a trial, a royal commission and a pardon, let’s hope they get it right this time.

Asylum Seeker Solution Possible

Thank God the government has agreed to sit down with Tony Abbott to thrash out a deal on asylum seekers. Minister Chris Bowen said he believes Scott Morrison is a man of good faith and is hoping they can agree and get on with stopping the boats.



But Tony Abbott is still saying the Malaysian plan won’t work and is pushing Nauru, temporary protection visas and turning boats around where it’s safe to do so. The government won’t have a bar of TPV’s or turning the boats around so dare we hope for a resolution?



Mr Bowen thinks Nauru will send a message to asylum seekers that it is just a delayed detour to Australia, if they are prepared to wait long enough, they will eventually get their visas. However, knowing they will be sent to Malaysia will be enough deterrent to change their minds about coming. To my mind, this doesn't sound unreasonable.



Scott Morrison said the government could begin organizing the re-opening of Nauru with just one phone call and TPV’s could be implemented without legislation, before Christmas.

Asylum Seekers still coming

Tony Abbott’s refusal to talk to the government about any other proposal but his own to solve the asylum seeker problem is wearing thin. Just days before the latest tragic sinking of an asylum seeker boat, Julia Gillard wrote to Tony Abbott, reminding him that as weather conditions were worsening, she was prepared to recall Parliament to find a solution and invited Scott Morrison to meet with Chris Bowen. Abbott rejected the offer.


Now his own people are urging him to change his mind - former immigration minister Philip Ruddock said that a Malaysian solution is still possible and there is only one major obstacle – Malaysia must guarantee not to return refugees to the countries they are fleeing from. Another former Howard minister Alexander Downer says that Tony Abbott could save face by keeping out of negotiations himself and letting his ministers sit down with the government and possibly nut out a solution before Christmas.


But Abbott will not be moved, he’s still saying that because Malaysia hasn’t signed the United Nations Refugee Convention, their country is not an option.


It’s hard to explain the feeling of frustration and anger I feel about the incompetence of this government and how they have handled the asylum seeker issue. They flatly refused to issue Temporary Protection Visas as being too harsh and then put forward a proposal that the High Court threw out.


And what really hurts is knowing that we are paying for the refugees to be clothed, fed and housed in accommodation with access to gymnasiums, computer games and other pleasantries that make life enjoyable and when they eventually go out into the community, they are found public housing. Then we see on the news how some Australian families are squatting in houses that don’t belong to them, living in cars with their children or camping in caravan parks in tents because rents are too high and there isn’t enough public housing available for them. That’s just not fair.


We’ve had a gutful of politicians playing around, for God’s sake Tony Abbott, get together and fix it.

Kim Jong-Il Dies

Kim Jong Un

North Korea’s embassy in London has shut its doors to the public so nobody knows how the people inside are reacting to the death of Kim Jong-Il. These Korean diplomats haven’t been trapped inside a Communist regime like millions of peasants who are starving to death, they know what freedom feels like. There have been a few people arriving in Mercedes who enter the Embassy through a rear entrance but that’s about it, hardly newsworthy.



The bored and half-frozen press were waiting patiently for something to happen and then someone rang the bell. Within half an hour, two police officers turned up to tell the press that the embassy was definitely not impressed and to keep away. No surprises there.


But what happens now that the power passes to his youngest son Kim Jong Un? Not much is known about him except that he was educated in Switzerland, he speaks English and German and bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather, their founder Kim Il Sung.


Last year his father made him a four-star general and gave him a prominent political post and his sister and her husband have also been promoted to top positions which has created a powerful family dynasty.


China prefers the status quo and worry that if the South takes over the North, the South would bring its U.S. military ally to the Chinese border. Oh yes, you can bet on it.

Malcolm Naden search winds down

Owner surveys the kitchen of the holiday cabin after the break-in in which food, including dry stores in jars were stolen




Malcolm Naden has broken into over a dozen holiday homes and private residences in the remote, rugged bushland of Barrington Tops over the past 7 years and the owners all say the same thing - there was no mess and everything was put back neatly in its place. In his latest break-in, Naden stocked up on rice, sugar and Jatz biscuits before neatly stacking the empty jars. He also took blue flanelette pyjamas, a hammock, two cans of fly spray, fire lighters, Driazabone jackets and pocket knives.


As yet, he hasn’t harmed anyone but women in the area have good reason to be nervous, they believe he watches their movements from a distance and knows when the house is empty.


Last week the search team involved 75 tactical ground and support crew but this could be reduced if they don’t find him soon. As the Christmas break looms, police officers are urgently needed elsewhere and the search will wind down over the holiday break unless new information is found.

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Sarkozy now isolated and alone

If only we knew what European politicians really think of each other. Judging by the above picture, it looks as though Sarkozy and Merkel genuinely like other but things have changed since David Cameron vetoed the Eurozone treaty in Brussels. Chancellor Merkel has come out on the side of David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy is now the one looking vulnerable and isolated. British banks were spooked at the prospect of the French economy failing and pulled almost twenty billion pounds out of France between July and September this year.


There seems to be some angst about the credit ratings, France wants the UK’s downgraded. French Prime Minister Fillon said “Our British friends have a higher deficit and debt than us but it seems the ratings agencies have not yet noticed.” Ratings agency Standard & Poor has warned France that its AAA credit rating is at risk while Britain’s is ‘stable’. Yesterday another ratings agency Fitch is tipped to downgrade the ratings of Italy, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Slovenia and Cyprus. Eurozone countries will have to get their total debt levels below 60 per cent of national income and limit annual budget deficits to 3 per cent of GDP.


Chancellor Merkel told David Cameron she doesn’t like Mr Sarkozy’s grandiose plans for new EU rules that undermine Britain’s interests so is she getting ready to desert the sinking ship of European debt? British banks also pulled billions out of Italy and Spain and invested in Germany and the US instead.

Islamic Extremists sentenced for Sydney terror plot

Wissam Fattal (left) in a kickboxing match in 2004.




Three Islamic extremists were found guilty last year of planning an attack on Holsworthy Army base in Sydney and yesterday they were sentenced to 18 years. They intended to kill as many people as possible and were prepared to die in the battle. Wissam Fattal, 35; Nayef El Sayed, 28; and Saney Aweys all refused to stand when Supreme Court Justice Betty King entered the courtroom. She described Fattal as a simple man, but said his low IQ did not make him any less dangerous. Before sentencing, Fattal started shouting abuse and had to be dragged from court and his companion Sayed shouted "Allah gives us justice, not these courts."



Justice King said the plot which took ten months to plan was “amateurish” and “far from sophisticated” but it would nevertheless have been an horrific event. The men, originally from Lebanon and Somalia have not changed their extremist views and still believe strongly in Jihad and martyrdom. Judge King said they should hang their heads in shame for plotting against a country that had welcomed and nurtured them.



For the past 989 days Fattal he has been kept in protection, mainly at the Melbourne Remand Centre, due to his behaviour. He is extremely hard to manage, he refuses to obey prison guards and tries to convert other prisoners to Islam. The men must serve 13-and-a-half years before they are eligible for parole.


The judge said the men were a real threat to the community but if they don't change their thinking, won't they still be a threat when they come out?

Ian Molly Meldrum Critical

Molly Meldrum, 65, suffered a fractured skull, shoulder blade injuries, broken ribs and a punctured lung after a serious fall at his home last night. He was found unconscious by his gardener before ambulance officers arrived at 6.40pm. He was later taken to surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.


Professor Jeffrey Rosenfeld, director of neurosurgery at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital said this morning he is in a critical condition and they are concerned for his life – “this is a life and death matter” he said. "He's not conscious at the moment but he got through the night so that's a positive - as with these sorts of injuries, the next 24 hours are important."


Although he fell in love with the opposite sex and was actually engaged a couple of times in his youth, Molly says he’s proud to be gay and has a long-time partner.


When asked about his mother he said “I was in London at the time when my mum passed away and when I flew back from London for the funeral I was able to give it a lot of thought. And I thought my mother was always influenced by a lot of other people and it tended to rule her life, you know, what other people thought and I decided that I would live my life as best I could and not be influenced by what other people thought, you know, to live your life in your own right.”

Malcolm Naden still out there

The manhunt for Malcolm Naden is now an embarrassment. Embarrassing because the Army has brought in equipment used by our special forces in Afghanistan - helicopters with sniper platforms, thermal imaging equipment, a command post with hi-tech communication gear – but he’s still out there.


The tiny township of Nowendoc is now a military camp and looks like a war zone but the enemy is only one man, a man who allegedly murdered a mother of four children, and responsible for the disappearance of another. Malcolm Naden is Aboriginal and was taught how to survive in the bush by his father when he was a boy.


Yesterday squads of officers in camouflage gear, set off in a convoy of 4WDs and drove 25 kms to begin a harrowing hike through rugged bushland. They were carrying M4 assault rifles mounted with torches and holographic sights, semi-automatic Glock pistols, long blade hunting knives, and attack dogs. Two police helicopters hovered nearby.


The 4WD convoy arrived back at Nowendoc last night around 6pm, weary and frustrated. They should catch this man before he becomes a legend and a hero.

HSC Results 2011

There were 72,000 students who sat for the HSC in New South Wales this year, the largest contingent ever. But they will have to wait until 9am tomorrow to find out their university entrance rankings from the Universities Admission Centre.



Two young men who won’t have to worry about getting into university are Timothy Large 17 and Harry Stratton 18 from Sydney Grammar. These two debating partners have been schoolmates for eight years and they decided to take identical course programs. They were equal first in Classical Greek continuers - Harry topped Classical Greek extension and Latin continuers while Timothy came first in the extension two course for mathematics. President of the Board of Studies Tom Alegounarias said “Topping an HSC exam is one thing but topping two, especially in different subject areas, puts a student in an entirely different realm.”



But Timothy Large doesn’t think the exam is hard enough. “Hard is good” he said. ''One of the things the Board needs the power to do is to throw up examination papers which students do find incredibly difficult because that's the sort of thing which stops cultures of coaching, drilling and general practice which are the absolute opposite of what you want to see in education,'' he said. He fears coaching is robbing maths of its essence, the opportunity to learn analytical and creative thought processes.


"When you start talking about students going to cram schools on the weekends and doing completely ludicrous amounts of drill exercises then really you are taking something away from the subject,'' Timothy said. “Unfortunately it works – maths is one of the subjects where coaching really, really helps you get higher results”. Timothy who was never coached himself believes about 60-70 per cent of his classmates at Grammar and almost all students at other top achieving schools like Sydney Boys High and James Ruse, undertook this form of study.


Timothy will pursue mathematics at university and Harry plans to study law.

Alternative Medicine in Australia

Professor Edzard Ernst is the first Professor of Complementary Medicine in the world and worked at the University of Exeter, England. He is in Australia to speak at the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association conference in Adelaide. The professor once called Prince Charles a “snake oil salesman” for his dandelion and detox remedy which eventually led to his early retirement.

Australia is one of the highest users of alternative medicine in the world and around half the population take some form of it every day. Professor Ernst thinks it's unethical, criminal and probably contributed to the death of Apple boss Steve Jobs. He’s particularly critical of homeopathy, aromatherapy, herbal remedies, Bach flower remedies and magnetic therapies but supports evidence-based tested medicine such as St John's wort.

His run-in with Prince Charles over a “confidentiality claim” proved fatal and the University of Exeter treated him as “persona non grata”. His funding eventually dried up, his staff drifted away, and he took early retirement this year.

In 2008 he wanted to crack down on chemists in the UK who sold homeopathic remedies without a warning. “My plea is simply for honesty, let people buy what they want, but tell them the truth about what they are buying. These treatments are biologically implausible and the clinical tests have shown they don't do anything at all in human beings. The argument that this information is not relevant or important for customers is quite simply ridiculous."

I find this a totally grey area and believe the Jury is still out on alternative medicine. Steve Jobs admitted he made a terrible decision not to embrace traditional medicine when he first discovered he had cancer, perhaps he could have been around a lot longer if he had. But if the professor agrees that St John's wort is a proven herbal treatment, there must be others. If Aspirin originally came from the willow tree, it’s reasonable to assume that other cures, as yet undiscovered, will also be found in nature and I’ll wager that’s where the cure for cancer will come.

Russians want new election

"Crooks give us the election back”

The people came out in force in Russia on Saturday to show their disgust after seeing election officials stealing votes in the 4th December elections. Mobile phone footage from Yekaterinburg showed three teachers putting ticks on an entire pack of voting slips. Dmitry Finikov, a small businessman, posted a video that went viral - it showed how election officials had forged the final results to boost United Russia's share from only 128 votes to 515.

Some estimate there were up to 50,000 orderly, resolute men and women of all ages who turned out to show their contempt for the corrupt regime headed by supreme ruler – ex KGB man Vladimir Putin.

Protesters want the election results annulled and have promised to gather again in two weeks if the Kremlin refuses to act. Putin made a lame attempt of trying to blame Hillary Clinton for his predicament over the weekend and it shows just how desperate he has become.

Putin isn’t talking but President Dmitry Medvedev said on his Facebook page that vote violations would be investigated. "I do not agree with the slogans or speeches made at the protests," Medvedev wrote. "Nonetheless, I have given the instruction to investigate all messages from polling stations related to the following of electoral law." And the response? Thousands of mocking comments appeared within minutes of his post, giving it the contempt it deserved.

Hard to believe that Putin still persists with portraying the protesters as traitors and officials are gathering supporters to put on a demonstration of their own. Alexander Isayev, a United Russia Duma deputy, tweeted: "A reminder that on Monday at 4pm on Manezh Square, there will be a demonstration by supporters of Putin and Medvedev – those who love Russia and don't want revolutionary turmoil."

Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov wrote in his blog: “After 10 years of hibernation, Moscow and all Russia woke up."

David Cameron Goes it Alone

This looks like the first step towards ‘world government’ and thank goodness the British have enough common sense to stay out of it. Why would you sign a treaty that not only gives Brussels ultimate authority over the way your country raises taxes, spends its money, but you also agree to give them the power to severely punish you if your deficit exceeds 3 per cent of GDP.

David Cameron asked for an exemption from a new European banking tax which he says would penalize financial institutions. One square mile in London is home to 75 per cent of Europe’s financial services and when it became obvious that he wasn't going to get what he wanted he said. “Where we can’t be given safeguards, it is better to be on the outside."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Cameron had negotiated in bad faith. “I really don’t believe he was ever with us at the table” she said and they couldn’t accept any “dodgy compromises where the euro is concerned.” The general feeling amongst the EU nations is that Britain has shut itself out and now faces certain isolation but Mr Cameron says his country's interests in the EU are still protected under the existing treaty.

Sarkozy is furious with David Cameron and refused to shake his hand. He said "In order to accept treaty revision among the 27 EU states, David Cameron asked us - something we all judged unacceptable - for a protocol to be inserted into the treaty granting the United Kingdom a certain number of exemptions on financial services regulations," he said. "We could not accept this, since we consider, quite on the contrary, that a part of the world's woes stem from the deregulation of the financial sector."

David Cameron said "So we will not be presenting this new treaty, when it's agreed, to our parliament. It will not involve Britain.” Well done Cameron

Renaissance Masters come to Oz

Raphael's Saint Sebastian 1501-02

Italian Renaissance masters are coming to The National Gallery for the first time with more than 70 works by Raphael, Botticelli, Bellini, Titian, Mantegna, Carpaccio and Perugino. The works are on loan from the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, Italy which is closed for renovations.

Nine hundred thousand Australians visit Italy every year and an important part of that visit is to marvel at the art museums and churches but for those who haven’t had the pleasure, a trip to Canberra this summer is a must.

Bergamo cultural councillor Claudia Sartirani says the exhibition presents a unique opportunity to see Italian masterpieces that have never left Italy before. "There were a lot of people that said 'Why Australia?' Why so many pictures, so far away from Italy?” She added "The Gallery is very good, the people are very interested, very serious, professional, they have a lot of passion for culture, for the arts and for our art, so I think they will take good care of our pictures."

During the summer of 2009/10 the gallery hosted Masterpieces From Paris which broke all attendance records with almost 500,000 visitors. National Gallery director Ron Radford said "We've never seen a Renaissance exhibition before and never 15th century pictures - so there's never been a Botticelli or a Bellini or a Raphael seen in Australia before," he said.

Renaissance opens today at the National Gallery of Australia until April 9, 2012. http://nga.gov.au/Home/Default.cfm

Russia's Stolen Election

Many Russians now believe that last week’s elections were rigged and former leader Mikhail Gorbachev said they should be annulled and held again. It comes as no surprise because Putin and Gorbachev hate each other, Putin blames Gorbachev for the Soviet Union's demise.

Ex KGB agent Putin was taken by surprise when his party, United Russia lost popularity - he thought the Russian people adored him. But to give credit where it’s due, he was responsible for the return of order, and brought stability and progress to Russia which earned him widespread support but the election result shows that his popularity is now on the decline. And enough is enough, he fixed it so he could be in power until 2024. Because his party had such a huge majority, they pushed a constitutional amendment through parliament to extend the presidential term from four to six years.

Butter wouldn't melt

So what went wrong? Blogger Alexei Navalny is one of Putin’s biggest headaches but there are plenty more like him. He devised a protest vote – vote for any party except United Russia and it worked and had a devastating effect. When the Kremlin found out what had happened, they had to make up the lost votes quickly. United Russia’s real vote in Moscow was 23.5% but officially it stands at 46.5% which means that one million votes were stolen in one city alone.

Putin panicked and shut down websites but realized it was a mistake, it's impossible to fight the social media, especially when You Tube was showing video clips of election officials stuffing ballot boxes.

There is a huge demonstration planned near the Kremlin this Saturday and it will be interesting to see how Putin handles it. He could do nothing and pretend it isn’t happening, come down hard on the protestors while the world looks on, or announce another election. No matter which way he goes, he's in trouble.

Nick D'Arcy Declares Bankruptcy

Nick D'Arcy seriously injured fellow swimmer Simon Cowley in a Sydney nightclub three years ago and was ordered to pay him $180,000 in damages. His behaviour was condemned and he lost his place on the Olympic swimming team and the chance to shine at the Bejing Olympics. It took a long time for Cowley to heal, surgeons inserted a total of five plates into his face, one under his fractured eye socket, two on either side of his broken nose, and another two in his jaw.

Initially D’Arcy was defiant and denied everything but finally admitted he has a drinking problem and anger issues. But now he has filed for bankruptcy and it looks bad because it is. The right thing to do would be to go to Cowley and work something out but he didn’t. When he is discharged from bankruptcy, somewhere between three and five years, whatever he still owes is not repayable, it’s all over, finished.

The media is saying that filing for bankruptcy won’t affect D’Arcy’s participation in the London Olympics and both he and Cowley are hoping to qualify for the games next year. But the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is currently looking into it. “Remember we didn’t take him last time because he brought himself into disrepute” an AOC spokesman said.

Nick D’Arcy’s account of what happened that night.

It was a marked night for celebration, but ended in tragedy, unfortunately. Everyone had been drinking, everyone had been celebrating Olympic selection. I hadn't drunk personally in between 10 and 12 weeks. I came over and talked to my friend, Eamon. I was giving him a bit of a hard time, because he'd decided to stop drinking. And I copped a bit of a whack on the side of the face and I was a bit taken back and Josh then apparently said "What the hell did you do that for?" to a person I now know as Simon, Simon Cowley. And I kind of, was in a little bit of shock because obviously I wasn't expecting to get a slap. Maybe if I'd kind of known the guy and like I expected something like that, it would have kind of been laughed off, but I didn't expect it. As I walked back to where I was almost to approach him to say "What was that about? Like who are you? What are you doing?" He then got up out of his chair and made a motion towards me which I found quite, which I found threatening, because I had just been struck. And I thought "Well, if he's slapped me, he's getting up to hit me". And just in that split second that he was getting up towards me, he was quite close, so the strike that I did use was an elbow, struck him in the middle of the face and he fell back in his seat and kind of looked quite shocked and the look on his face kind of scared me a little bit. I was like, whoa, it wasn't a look of anger, it kind of a look of a little bit spaced out. I've just kind of just put my hands up and just, whoa, like started to walk away. I was talking with one of the girls and they said the police have been notified because an ambulance has been called and I've, "well is he okay?" and they were like "well, he's quite hurt, he was bleeding out of his nose" and I just thought well maybe it's a broken nose. I mean it sucks but it happens, like he shouldn't have hit me in the first place and he shouldn't have done what I thought was quite a, quite a threatening move. But, um, there's statements that support that story, there's statements that are completely different to that story, there's statements that are in the middle.

When John Coates, Olympic Australian Committee President announced he was terminating Nic’s membership of the 2008 Olympic team, his parents were furious, they believed he had earned his spot in the team. Nick didn’t care and said he didn’t want to swim for a country that didn’t want him but his father Justin D’Arcy, general surgeon, was outraged and immediately appealed through the Court of Arbitration of Sport. But the decision was upheld and he didn’t get to go with his team mates to Beijing.

The question for the Olympic Committee now is does he deserve to go to London?

Putin popularity wanes in Russia

You were cheated

Thousands of Russians protested in the streets of Moscow about alleged fraud in Sunday’s elections. They chanted “Russia without Putin” as they headed towards the Kremlin, but police intervened and they never got there. A Whitehouse spokesman said they had concerns about the elections as there were “serious indications of ballot box stuffing.”

Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said “The country has never seen such a dirty election" and dismissed the official results as “theft on an especially grand scale” and will challenge the “absolutely illegitimate” result in court. The Communist Party is officially in second place with 19.2% of the vote and 92 seats, A Just Russia was in third place with 13.2% and 64 seats, and the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) had 11.7% and 56 seats.






But even the “official” figures show that Vladimir Putin has suffered a severe setback and it looks like the Russian people are ready for a change. Electoral Commission head Vladimir Churov said United Russia should have a slim majority, with 238 seats out of 450. This would mean that Putin’s party would lose its current two-thirds majority which allows it to change the constitution unchallenged.





A popular anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny, one of those arrested in the demonstration said "They are a party of crooks and thieves”. He later tweeted he was “sitting in a police bus” and photos were posted of him held at a police station. Another observer, Heidi Tagliavini, said the elections had suffered because several opposition parties were barred from taking part. "To me, this election was like a game in which only some players are allowed to compete," she said.

Putin served as president from 2000 to 2008 and was prohibited by the constitution from running for a third consecutive term but he plans to run again in March 2012. Could it be that the Russian people are trying to tell him something?

Pippa Middleton invited to Sandringham

Pippa Middleton has been asked to take part in the traditional Boxing Day pheasant shoot at Sandringham, normally restricted to members of the Royal family and their spouses. It’s thought that it's mainly for her sister Kate’s benefit, to help here feel more at home. Kate has been practicing her shooting skills and will try to match her husband, who is an excellent shot.

Sandringham is the much-loved country retreat of Her Majesty The Queen, and has been the private home of four generations of British monarchs since 1862. The house, set in 24 hectares of stunning gardens, is perhaps the most famous stately home in Norfolk and is at the heart of the 8,000-hectare Sandringham Estate, 240 hectares of which make up the woodland and heath of the Country Park, open to the public free of charge every day of the year.

But William “Bill” Edgar Oddie said he was disappointed that Kate did not taken the opportunity to set an example and break away from the needless and bloodthirsty traditions of hunting. Oddie who became famous as one of The Goodies, is an English author, actor, comedian, artist and naturalist and was appalled when he saw pictures of Kate and her sister brandishing shotguns.

Oddie wrote “Disappointment and despair were amongst my emotions at seeing photos in the papers of Kate Middleton toting a rifle”. He went on “The Duchess of Cambridge has a real opportunity to set a different, 21st century kind of example and sadly she has not taken it. As little as 200 years ago, people in this country were shooting ducks and game for food – but those days are long gone. …For most countries wildlife conservation, and this case protecting birds, is something to be proud of.”

Murder in the family

Jeffrey Gilham walked out of prison yesterday and into the arms of his wife after serving three years for murder. She never doubted his innocence for a minute and has been relentless in telling anyone who would listen, that it was his brother Christopher and not her husband, who murdered his parents 18 years ago. Earlier yesterday, in a packed courtroom, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal quashed Gilham’s murder convictions and ordered a retrial. But it’s not over yet, Gilham is out on bail awaiting a possible third trial.

An expert witness in the 2008 murder trial has conceded that he was not fully qualified to give evidence about low levels of carbon monoxide in the blood - an area that was crucial to Gilham's defence, a court has heard.

Jeffrey and Christopher with their parents

But there will be one man who won’t be joining in with family and friends as they celebrate his release, “Mad Uncle Tony” thinks that Jeffrey is guilty of killing his brother and sister-in-law and went to great lengths to prove it. One of Uncle Tony’s brothers told him to forget about it and stop wasting his money but another brother living in the US, now deceased, sent him money to finance his quest to put Jeffrey behind bars. And it worked.

At first it seemed like an open and shut case. When Jeffrey entered the house he saw his brother Christopher standing over their mother with a lit match in his hand. “I’ve killed mum and dad” Christopher said before setting his mother’s body alight. Outraged by what he had done, Jeffrey killed him. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter of his brother on the grounds of grave provocation and the plea was accepted and he was sentenced to a five year good behaviour bond.

Uncle Tony and nephew Jeffrey

It was all done and dusted until "Mad Uncle Tony" (as he likes to describe himself), decided the evidence didn’t stack up - he believed Jeffrey fooled everyone and people should remember there was a $900,000 inheritance involved. He went to Sixty Minutes who highlighted several inconsistencies in the forensic evidence and after fresh information came to light in February 2006, 13 years later, Jeffrey Gilham was charged with the murder of his parents. The jury couldn’t agree and he walked free but the jury of his second trial found him guilty and he was sentenced to life in prison. Uncle Tony said “I’m so pleased the jury worked it out, I’m so pleased they worked out fact from fiction.”

So how does Uncle Tony feel about his nephew’s release yesterday? He's furious that “the killer can be let out to walk the streets of Sydney” he said. In a few weeks time, he would provide his own “new evidence” to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions which he claims will add another twist to the story. “I want Jeffrey and his supporters to know it’s not over yet, I’ve seen the photos of what Jeffrey did to my family members and it’s not a pretty picture” he said.

Israel and Iran unofficially at war

The boss - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

It looks like Israel has taken matters into their own hands and destroyed two atomic facilities in Iran. As usual, the Iranians are denying everything. Not exactly admitting responsibility, Israel said that any intervention, divine or otherwise, is welcome.

The Revolutionary Guard is a key Iranian military force closely tied to powerful clerics. In November, founder of Iran’s missile program, General Hasan Moghaddam was killed along with 16 guard members. Iran said the accident occurred while military personnel were transporting munitions. Moghaddam was an important figure and was favoured by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In 2002 Khamenei said he was disappointed with the performance of the minister of science and higher education Mostafa Moeen, because he had allowed students to pursue activities which are anti-Islam, namely practicing and studying music, arts, travelling abroad to the land of non-believers and conducting field trips that were not religious in nature. He asked for stricter control on these issues urging the universities to enforce Islamic values.

There has been accidental deaths of nuclear scientists, mysterious explosions and even a computer virus in the past two years and it suits Israel down to the ground – they don’t have to take responsibility for doing anything because Iran will always deny it ever happened - they are all “accidents”.

Maj. Gen. Hassan Moghaddam

‘About us’ on the Mossad website says:

The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, otherwise known as the Mossad, has been appointed by the State of Israel to collect information, analyze intelligence, and perform special covert operations beyond its borders. "Where no counsel is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.".... Proverbs XI/14

Greeks buying oil from Iran on credit

The US is so worried about Iran developing an atomic bomb, the Senate has unanimously approved legislation that will allow them to put tough new sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank, cutting them off from the global financial system, unable to receive payment for their oil. The vote is also designed to persuade banks around the world to adopt economic sanctions similar to the UK's announcement that they will block Iran's entire banking system.

The US stopped importing Iranian oil in 1987 and have pressured most European countries to do the same. But there are still countries like Italy, Spain and Greece who rely on it and hurried negotiations are being made to find alternative sources. Greece initially voted against the oil sanctions because the Iranians allowed them to pay on credit and one wonders who will be prepared to sell them oil in the future, knowing about their cash-strapped circumstances.

The 27-member European Union says there is now ‘credible evidence’ to show that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and they have hatched a plan to bring the regime into line. They have agreed to impose European travel bans and freeze the assets of 370 Iranian individuals and companies involved in Tehran’s nuclear weapons programme and those blacklisted include members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Iran said they were sorry for the attack on the UK embassy this week and a number of protesters had been arrested. But Fars news agency said yesterday that police had freed 11 militant students and no explanation was given for their release.

It looks like Iran is going to pay dearly for the mindless destruction caused to British compounds and private homes on Tuesday and several UN countries, including Germany and France have responded to the UK’s suggestion to bring their Ambassadors home.