Scotland Yard helped the former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks to go out hacking, it was revealed yesterday – but the arrangement owed nothing to the interception of mobile phone messages.

New archaeological evidence suggests that America was first discovered by Stone Age people from Europe – 10,000 years before the Siberian-originating ancestors of the American Indians set foot in the New World.

picture by Gus Leonisky.... Hopefully this is in the vicinity of Arkaroola... For more than 40 years I've taken pictures in Australia, some pictures got stolen, some have lost their identification... so I go by my memory which is flinching like a candle in the wind of forgetfullness...

There were movements at the stations as the emails passed around

Rudd's bolt of Old Regret had got away

Rumours ran like independants, Murdoch made a thousand Pounds,

and Julia Gillard's cracks began to fray

A Hawker of the Faceless Men came down to lend a hand

on the media cycle he so loved to ride

cracking Whips and Albanese as he Galluped through the pack

It was grand, the way that old spin-doctor lied.

But the hardy little Brisbane bloke could hardly raise a vote

and it looked like he would fail in his attack,

and he strained there, single-handed, till his sides were white with foam

as he begged the squatters (please) to bring him back

And those squatters, who had gathered from their homesteads near and far

stood and shook their heads at Kev in disbelief

When possession still is thought of as nine-tenths of modern law

Proposed laws that would empower the Australian Crime Commission to share information with the private sector could lead to people being unfairly sacked from their jobs, according to civil liberties groups.

Under legislation due to be voted on in the Federal Parliament this year, the crime commission would be allowed to pass on information about serious and organised crime to businesses such as banks and superannuation funds. This would include telling them when an employee was suspected of criminal links.

Civil libertarians say the proposals toss away the presumption of innocence and may lead to lives being unfairly destroyed.

Dramatic new evidence to the Leveson inquiry this week is expected to unleash a "bloodbath" of bitter recriminations between police and prosecution officials arguing over failings in a series of investigations into allegations of phone hacking, computer hacking and bribery by journalists.

Julia Gillard has staved off a challenge from Kevin Rudd, winning the leadership ballot 71-31 to retain the prime ministership.

Returning officer and the member for Fowler, Chris Hayes, said there was no recount and that the mood in the party room meeting was "reasonably tense".

Mr Rudd has said that after ballot he will be working for a unified Labor team, according to Mr Hayes.

He also said that there was relief on the faces of some senators and MPs after the result and some clapping.

Mr Rudd is reported to have reacted well to the result.

"He seemed fine," Mr Hayes said.

A prominent state Liberal MP has been accused of misusing his position while campaigning against a wind farm that is to be built next to his property in western Victoria.