There is something bizarre going down in Australian politics, and its name is Clive Palmer.

In 2013, this mining billionaire formed a political party he called the Palmer United Party (PUP). Some people paid attention, most tried to look the other way.

This is because Palmer isn't your regular politician

First, the billionaire mining magnate built Palmersaurus, a theme park on the Sunshine Coast filled with fake dinosaurs. Then he moved on to bigger things — with a plan to build the Titanic II. He is a large man with a booming laugh and a twinkle in his eye. Read more...

SYDNEY — Jacqui Lambie is an interesting character. On first sighting, one isn't really sure what to make of her

The tough-as-nails former Australian soldier and single mother of two boys won Tasmania's sixth and final Senate seat in last year's election as part of the Palmer United Party.

The Palmer party is headed up by eccentric mining billionaire Clive Palmer, but if you think he speaks his mind, you need to check out Lambie

From saying on live radio she wants a man who is "well hung" to telling anyone who supports Sharia law to “pack up their bags and get out of here,” Lambie is causing controversy across the country with her inappropriate outbursts. Read more...

MELBOURNE — Australia's politicians have sure made some memorable public appearances of late.

We've had Senator Jacqui Lambie make a case for a ban on the burqa by stumbling through an explanation of sharia law on live television, federal MP and resident dinosaur enthusiast Clive Palmer's diatribe on Chinese business relations and of course, Prime Minister Tony Abbott vowing to get all up in the face of President Putin

And what better way to archive the missteps of the nation's leaders than superimposing their faces into some of film and television's most iconic scenes?

On Monday, Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced he had removed the titles of "knights" and "dames" from the Order of Australia, a formal award system that honours those who provide a great service to Australia.

The two archaic titles were only brought back last year in a controversial move by former prime minister Tony Abbott. In a decision that made many question Abbott's leadership, the first knighthood was awarded to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh — a man who has only been to Australia a handful of times.

Taylor Swift is currently sending Australia into Tay Tay fever as she tours the country, and it seems the nation's politicians aren't immune.

Take Treasurer Scott Morrison. The minister was responding to media questions Monday regarding whether he had been offered the treasury job by current Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in February, months before the dumping of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott

We won't bore you with the details, but please note the part where the Liberal Party member told reporters to "shake it off" in regards to these events.

He's one of Australia's most outspoken politicians, but conservative South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi has decided to go radio silent on social media.

On Tuesday, Bernardi mysteriously deleted all his tweets but left his profile intact

It's unclear why Bernardi bid adieu to tweets of times gone by, but on Nov. 22, he made an epic Twitter fail. Bernardi mistakenly quoted a neo-Nazi on the social media platform: "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise."

The quote — often attributed to Voltaire — is actually by American Holocaust-denier Kevin Strom, adapted from his essay titled "All America must know the terror that is upon us." Read more...

Selling a fridge would normally be a straightforward affair — money is exchanged, the other person gets the appliance.

For Emily Hastings and her husband Emmanuel it turned into a photo opportunity, when Australia's former prime minister Tony Abbott turned up to their Sydney home to buy their three-year-old Daewoo refrigerator

My husband with Tony Abbott the proud new owner of our 3 year old Daewoo fridge bought on gumtree for $300 #gumtree #tonyabbott

A photo posted by Emily Hastings (@emilyhastings_) on Dec 4, 2015 at 4:36pm PST Read more...

The Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has proposed legislation that would allow for convicted terrorists to be held indefinitely in prison if considered a threat.

The proposed changes to legislation would allow convicted terrorists to be detained in jails for an infinite amount of time, regardless of their sentence length. While Turnbull said the changes were about promoting and ensuring community safety in a time of heightened uncertainty, the proposal has been criticised on the basis of civil rights.

Australia has no Charter of Human Rights which would require the Parliament or the courts to consider whether counter-terrorism laws comply with human rights principles. Without this charter, the Australian Government can operate in a legal grey area. Read more...

A note to politicians: Stop blaming an entire race, creed, religion or any other social group for the actions of the radicalised. 

Australia's Lebanese Muslim Association President, Samier Dandan, said as much Tuesday when he responded to claims by Australia's own Immigration Minister Peter Dutton. 

The minister called out Lebanese Australians during parliament on Monday, responding to the wry question "Which group of people, from which country, does the minister believe should not have been allowed into Australia?"

His response was unbelievable. "The advice I have is that out of the last 33 people who have been charged with terrorist-related offences in this country, 22 of those people are from second and third generation Lebanese-Muslim background." Read more...

Major publishers working with NPD to share their download numbers.

Of $75 million in loans, state gets $2.5 million from "tapped out" baseball star.

Cloud-based business management software (CRM, ERP) can revolutionise an SME.

NPD “restatement” shows consistent spending growth as digital sales dominate.

But the streaming gaming revolution "is not going to happen overnight."

Managing roughly $7 trillion in assets gives BlackRock's decisions a major impact.

Football in Scotland has been further suspended until June 10 at the earliest across all levels, from professional to recreational.

Manchester City long-term absentee Leroy Sane has revealed he was "on the verge" of a comeback prior to football's shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Welcome to the Evening Standard's LIVE coverage as the coronavirus crisis continues to heavily impact sport across the globe.

Mario Gotze has confirmed he is to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season when his contract expires.

Marcus Rashford has been leading Manchester United's charm offensive to bring Jadon Sancho to Old Trafford - and he will have another chance tonight.

Barcelona misfit Philippe Coutinho would "love" a return to the Premier League, according to agent Kia Joorabchian.

Leeds United legend and one of England's 1966 World Cup winners Norman Hunter has been admitted to hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.

Valencia midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia could be available for around €30 million this summer amid reported interest from Tottenham.

If there is one thing footballers have in common with fans during the coronavirus pandemic, it is that when it comes to hairstyles, they are all very much in the same boat.

Football Manager 2020 predicts Coutinho's first season at Stamford Bridge...

Dimitar Berbatov says Jose Mourinho broke government guidelines to meet with Tanguy Ndombele because the manager is "impatient for football to return".

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST) has warned that the board's decision to furlough staff has potentially "damaged the club's reputation" and "exhausted any future goodwill" from fans.

Barcelona have moved to strongly deny 'corruption' claims made by Emili Rousand and have threatened legal action against the former vice president.

Former Arsenal man Paul Merson believes football's coronavirus shutdown may end up giving Alexis Sanchez a second chance at Manchester United.

West Ham's players have become the second Premier League squad to defer part of their wages while owners David Sullivan and David Gold have injected £30million into the club in order to combat the financial impact of coronavirus.

Welcome to the Evening Standard's LIVE coverage as the coronavirus crisis continues to heavily impact sport across the globe.

Football managers in England do not want the season to be restarted unless players have been tested for coronavirus, the head of the League Managers' Association has said.

Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish has tested positive for Covid-19 but does not currently have any symptoms of the virus.

Jadon Sancho got the better of Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford as the two England internationals met in the Football's Staying Home Fifa tournament.

Pierre Alain Mounguengui, the president of Gabon's football association, has urged Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to sign for a more 'ambitious' club.

Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes Roberto Firmino doesn't focus on scoring goals, instead providing the 'gel' that glues his side together.

Mikel Arteta says he is trying to use the coronavirus shutdown to strengthen his bond with his Arsenal players.

Rangers have called for SPFL's chief executive Neil Doncaster and its legal adviser Rod McKenzie to be suspended "while an independent investigation is conducted' following their vote on how to end the season.

Russian club Zenit St Petersburg have come up with a novel way around social distancing measures, using a drone to deliver their Player of the Month award.

Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann has raised almost €30,000 for the Red Cross after enlisting the help of French teammates Paul Pogba and Ousmane Dembele for a gaming marathon.

Manchester United star Paul Pogba has opened up on his injury frustration, but says his time on the sidelines has reminded him how much he loves football.

Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish has praised the efforts of NHS staff across the UK after being released from hospital following a positive coronavirus diagnosis.

And the France World Cup winner 'won't sign a new contract' with the Ligue1 giants

Welcome to the Evening Standard's LIVE coverage as the coronavirus crisis continues to heavily impact sport across the globe.

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland is an attractive option for any club in Europe, believes former Real Madrid defender and assistant coach Aitor Karanka.

Former Barcelona youngster Takefusa Kubo believes he has a big future in the first team at Real Madrid.

Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard admits he is 'trying not to eat a lot of buns' during the coronavirus lockdown.

Welcome to the Evening Standard's LIVE coverage as the coronavirus crisis continues to heavily impact sport across the globe.