A Sydney minister is leaving the city jungle to don camouflage and join the ranks as an air force chaplain.

A Sydney Anglican minister is off on the trip of a lifetime as he follows U2 and their faith-driven lead singer on their Australian tour.

Calls for the Sheik to resign are obviously an inappropriate interference by government officials into Muslim free association and a gross intervention into religious affairs. Only NSW Community Relations Commission chairman Stepan Kerkyasharian seems to get it right when he said that 'the position of leadership is a matter for his constituency, but he owes the rest of Australia an apology.

TAFE NSW has said no to chaplains but a 10-year struggle to get the ministry in all colleges will continue.

Have we become so like our neighbours that the only questions they ask are those concerning plasma vs. home theatre, holiday destinations or superannuation schemes?

"I really believe that it was the power of prayer that saved my child." A conversation with a local mother made missionary Cathy Smith realise it is who we pray to that matters.

It is 2011 and Australia has been transformed by the war on terror. This is the future imagined by Andrew McGahan in his new book, Underground.

Its the title that gives the strength of Gordon Chengs book away.