Live fire: no defence for the indefensible

The fatality this week during a live-fire exercise is incredibly sad ("Defence releases soldier's last letter to family and friends", October 23). It leaves me with a feeling of deja vu and incredulity that such close-quarters live-fire exercises are still carried out.

Ponting causes selection poser

WHAT a delightful dilemma Australia's selectors find themselves in. During the Ashes they couldn't get it right, yet in this one-day series, they can't go wrong with batsmen and bowlers firing as the team eyes a 7-0 rout of England.

Odd Spot

Peru's top court has ruled that workers cannot be fired for being drunk, a decision the Government says sets a dangerous precedent. The Constitutional Tribunal said the firing of a janitor was excessive because even though he was drunk, he did not offend or hurt anybody.

New Light On Flare

NEWCASTLE water police expect to complete this week an investigation of the firing of a flare that hit a 10-year-old girl in a New Year's Eve fireworks show at The Foreshore.

From Beloved To Berated, Aloisi Trudges A Tough Road

A poor season has brought a star into the firing line.

No Solace At End Of A Gun

THE Bali bombers execution by a firing squads has provided little relief for South Coast families who lost loved ones in the bombings six years ago.

Graphic Bid To Stop Bali Executions

THE fate facing condemned Australian drug smugglers and the three Bali bombers was played out in grisly detail as the bombers' death penalty challenge heard a first-hand account of firing squads yesterday.

Freddy Summons His Serious Side

Brad Fittler is under pressure to get the ruffled Roosters firing again, writes Andrew Webster.

Bombers' Plea Ignored

JAKARTA: A last-ditch attempt by the Bali bombers to escape firing squads with a constitutional challenge is likely to fail because the Indonesian Government says it is "irrelevant" to the executions.

Indonesia Executes Drug Duo

TWO Nigerian drug traffickers were handcuffed to poles in Indonesia early yesterday morning and shot by firing squads.

Bates Halfway To Taking Corolla Home

FORMER Australian rally champion Neal Bates has come out firing this season, stamping his authority on the 2008 title at the season's halfway point.

Freedom Betrayed In South Africa

SOUTH AFRICAN police firing into squalid townships as frenzied mobs "necklace" their hapless victims with burning tyres. Not scenes from a documentary about the apartheid years, but South Africa today. The President, Thabo Mbeki, and his Government would like the world to believe that a mysterious criminal "third force" is responsible for the wave of xenophobic violence against foreigners that has claimed more than 40 lives and forced 25,000 people to flee their homes in the past fortnight. But ...

We Kept Souths Alive: Politis

The rivalry between the Roosters and Souths is such that even when he is holding his tongue, Nick Politis can't help firing off a few barbed comments, writes Andrew Webster.

Australian Lives On The Line - Indonesia Rules On Death Penalty

SIX Australians could be saved from firing squads by a landmark decision to be handed down in Indonesia's Constitutional Court today.

Bali Bomber Facing Firing Squad After Appeal Fails

A FINAL legal attempt to escape a firing squad by Amrozi, the "smiling bomber" behind the 2002 Bali attacks, has failed.

Pact With The Devil

As a teenage prisoner of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Marina Nemat narrowly escaped a firing squad - but she paid a high price.

Besieged Bush Feels Sting Of Empowered Democrats

GEORGE BUSH is under siege from a resurgent Democratic Party. The President's firing of eight US attorneys has developed into a political controversy that may force him to sack his close friend, the Attorney-General, Alberto Gonzales.

Indonesia Flags Lethal Injection Deaths For Condemned Bali Nine Members

INDONESIA'S Attorney-General says he is considering killing members of the Bali nine on death row by lethal injections rather than by firing squads.