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Nick O'Malley
Gillard signs off on millions of dollars of aid for Afghanistan
1:08pm The Prime Minister Julia Gillard has committed to increasing Australia’s aid to Afghanistan by $85 million a year to $250 million by 2015 in an agreement signed with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai during a side meeting at the NATO summit.
Tom Arup
Brown coal exports not yet viable: energy giant
A company trying to buy a massive brown coal mine and power generator in the Latrobe Valley says it has no plans to sell coal overseas despite a government push to develop a new export industry.
The columnists More Columnists
Lenore Taylor
Mud, splat and tears on 'judgment day'
3:06pm It was supposed to be Craig Thomson's ''judgment day''. Instead he told the parliament and the media they had no right to pass final judgment on anyone. And the parliament? It just continued to throw mud.
Jacqueline Maley
Believe him or not, Thomson rises to occasion
4:31pm Whether or not you believed him, it was a brilliant performance. Thomson reeled in his audience quickly at the start by quoting from the threatening emails and phone calls he had received - charming anonymous types urging him to slash his wrists and the like.
The contributors More Society & Culture
Tim Soutphommasane
A moderate lament for the imminent passing of privacy
If you had told me seven years ago that I'd be writing a newspaper column about the global impact of Facebook, I wouldn't have believed you. But here I am.
David Day
Alert, but not alarmed: enemy not at the gates
For the past two centuries we have been consumed by recurring fears of invasion. Australia needs to take a reality check on its fears. We are less threatened than we imagine.
The bloggers More Blogs
Judith Ireland
The elephant in the chamber
4:47pm For the first half of question time it was like Craig Thomson’s statement had never happened.
Katharine Murphy
Politics live: May 21, 2012
4:46pm Welcome to our live coverage of politics from the national capital. All times in AEDST. You can also follow me on Twitter @murpharoo
Dick Gross
Confessing to an atheist heresy
8:14am The relationship between faith and state is inevitable because of the historical strength of faith and the current numbers of the faithful.
Rocco Fazzari
A Greek tragedy
Apart from the analogies and headlines, we need to remember how lucky we are.
Features
Uneasy Truth
Shop wars are a dirty business
The sign in the shop window near Acland Street caught my attention on a recent afternoon stroll: ''If you don't shop locally, there won't be any local shops.'' In a flash I resolved to never step inside that particular St Kilda shop again.
Global Opinion
Chicago Tribune
Afghanistan on the precipice
The Independent
How to change the shape of the establishment in one generation
