POLITICS & POLICY

Bradley Manning is gone. The U.S. soldier convicted of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has revealed that he now wants to be called Chelsea Manning, and has launched a bid to begin hormone therapy in prison as soon as possible.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has been boosted by yesterday's stronger-than-expected Chinese manufacturing data.

The Australian Labor Party, allegedly, draws campaign budget through capitalizing on gay marriage

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday criticised the state government of Uttar Pradesh for banning a ‘yatra’ (pilgrimage) planned by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in the communally sensitive city of Ayodhya. It is a move that can be politically precarious for the Indian right-wing BJP in an election year, as it seeks to regain power in the 2014 election under its controversial but popular development mascot Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

President Obama’s “red line” statement last year on Syria has come to haunt him. On Wednesday, as reports of a horrific chemical attack by the Syrian army that killed hundreds on the outskirts of Damascus poured in, the US and global media screamed that Syria may have finally crossed the “red line.” However, the U.S. avoidance became evident, as it indicated reluctance to take direct action that could embroil America in an open-ended Syrian civil war.

The Government Has Apparently Suggested a Ban on Religious Headwear in Quebec

As the election date nears, Australia will have a new First Lady. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's wife, Therese Rein or Tony Abbott's marital partner Margie Abbott will soon become the Australia's First Lady.

It is a bit of news that Edward Snowden will be watching very closely. Like Snowden, who could not in his “good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, Internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world,” - Bradley Manning, 25, sentenced to prison for 35 years, on several charges of espionage, said he leaked the secret files in the hopes of sparking a public debate about U.S. foreign policy and the military.

According to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, men continue to earn more money than women in the country. Australian men earn an average of 17.53 per cent more than women with a weekly average of $1,518.40. The figure is higher compared to women who have an average of $1,252.20 per week.

It will be a date millions of Roman Catholics around the world will be looking forward to. On Sept 30, Pope Francis will host a meeting of cardinals to formally approve the canonisation of former popes John Paul II and John XXIII. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes said that the date for the canonisation will be announced at that time.

Intending to take a more moderate approach in its confrontation with the West, Iran, on Tuesday indicated that the new Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif would lead its delegation in talks with the major powers over Iran’s disputed nuclear programme.

The Federal Finance Minister Says that the Situation is not Concerning at All

Occurrences of worldwide flooding has cornered the bulk of global insurance claims for the first half or six months of the year 2013, according to preliminary data released by Switzerland-based reinsurance giant Swiss Re on Wednesday.

A Fairfax poll in New Zealand revealed that more than three-quarters of New Zealand citizens were concerned about the government reforming spy laws in the passing of the GSCB Bill. In a survey of 1,000 New Zealanders, the poll found that 75.3 per cent of the people expressed that they were either "very concerned," "somewhat concerned" or "little concerned" about the Government Communications Security Bureau (GSCB) to monitor their activities including foreigners who are in New...

Julian Assange WikiLeaks Party suffers simultaneous resignation over preference decisions

Australian Election 2013 Recap: The Brisbane debate reveals a talkative Kevin Rudd and Touch Tony Abbott

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar fell to a fresh three-year low, after US Federal Reserve policy-makers spoke of tapering in the July FOMC minutes, by suggesting "it might soon be time to slow somewhat the pace" of asset purchases.

The U.S. government, on Tuesday, condemned the military-backed interim government in Egypt for the detention of Mohammed Badie, the 70-year-old spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood terming it “certainly not the standard that the Egyptian people expect of their government.”

In a achievement that carries strategic significance for Indian defence forces, the Indian Air Force (IAF), on Tuesday, landed a C-130J "Super Hercules" tactical airlift aircraft at the rudimentary airstrip in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) in eastern Ladakh in the Himalayan range.

It is an epic war and will be studied for generations - media for freedom versus governments for security – the Snowden saga continues. On Tuesday, even as David Miranda sued Britain over his detention, UK defended its action saying that the government and the police have a duty to protect the public and national security.

An intruder, high on drugs, broke into German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s official aircraft on July 25 and partied on it for hours, in his underwear, before being apprehended. The incident happened last month, but has come into focus after a police report was leaked to German media.

Local Canadians lose have become gains for the nationals of the Philippines and India who are looking out for jobs. Retailer Sears Canada has announced it will shed some 245 jobs locally, of which some will be outsourced overseas.

A New Zealand citizen was reportedly abducted and tortured for five days in July 2013 after he travelled to China to check on his elderly parents. Nick Wang, 52-year old Chinese native and a former Chinese newspaper editor in New Zealand, has apparently displeased the Chinese Embassy since his media reports were about Chinese authorities.

Unless the governments of the world find immediate solutions to curb their respective fossil fuel consumptions and carbon emissions, the global populace might as well retire to an impending plausible scenario of rising sea levels by year 2100 to as much as three feet high.

Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, who recently quit as Egypt's interim vice president and left the country in the face of deadly crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood supporters by military-led government, will face charges for "breaching national trust".

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar weakened yesterday to the low 0.9000's but has opened this morning slightly higher after a lackluster trading session offshore.

New Zealand's GCSB Bill or the Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill will be passed into law despite the objections of the Opposition. A viral video of the prime minister in a post-cabinet press conference has triggered reactions in social media. Mr Key was poised to answer questions regarding the passage of the GCSB bill. One journalist practically interrogated the prime minister and specifically pointed out Mr Key's disagreement with expert de...

Authorities from both government and private sectors from the Philippines have brought forces together as they race to contain the oil spill damage in Cebu which has already greatly affected the sources of livelihood in the province.

Australian Election 2013: Australian Electoral Commission announces that telephone voting is now available for blind and low vision voters