Relax. It's the Arena Football League they're talking about. Sportsbusiness.com has more (even if they tagged the article incorrectly).

The signs were ominous. Firstly, the news that Penny Wong was not going to take Australia's emissions targets to COP 14 in Poznan last week, but would announce them on December 15, after the UN meeting was over.

Secondly, on Friday, the very day that COP 14 was wrapping up in Poland, Kevin Rudd announced, as part of a $4.7 billion "nation building package", an investment of $1.2 billion in the Australian Rail Track Corporation to "more than double the amount of coal being transported to export markets".

5% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. (Maybe 15% if the rest of the world pitches in.)
$4 billion compensation package to the coal industry.
Stacks of free emissions permits on offer.
Emissions from logging/deforestation exempt.

More later. Pardon me while I take my shoes off...

Sorry I couldn't pass this up.

Update: The White House has transcribed the above event as:

"(audience interruption)"

The alleged financial machinations of soon-to-be-ex Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich read like they have come from a parallel universe. My favourite charge against the Blagster is that he would help the Chicago Tribune sell Wrigley Field (home of the Cubs) if the paper sacked certain members of the paper's editorial staff who were seeking his impeachment. The deal wasn't a starter, of course.

December 10, 1948 - the day the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. There's background on the UDHR on the UN website, at Wikipedia and, lest his role be forgotten, the Evatt Foundation.

In honour of the sixtieth anniversary of this important document I reproduce it in full here:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Creative writers from the highly-leveraged Channel Nine's publicity department have been spruiking the announcement yesterday that the Haunted House of Packer will be televising next year's Why It Looks Like My Uncle Oscars on February 23 for, in their words, "the first time" in Australia.

Those of us who remember "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" cleaning up the WILLMOOs live on Channel Seven in March 1976 will know otherwise.

Three Norwegian tourists in Brazil came under fire on Saturday and one was shot after the satellite navigation system in their car guided them straight into one of Rio de Janeiro's most dangerous slums.

Reuters takes up the story.

There can be no more important event on television this year than the premiere of a new Wallace and Gromit movie, their first since "Curse of the Were-Rabbit", and their first TV program since "A Close Shave" thirteen years ago.

"A Matter of Loaf and Death" premieres in Australia on ABC1 on Wednesday, December 3 at 8.30pm, repeated on ABC2 on Thursday, December 4 at 8.10pm.

There's only one thing that could stop the 2008 Rugby League World Cup from being a totally forgettable, ill-conceived joke. And that is Australia not winning the final.

Congratulations New Zealand!