The Bugle, audio newspaper for a visual world.

Welcome to the Bugle, issue 8 of Times Online's unique audio newspaper for the week beginning

3rd of December 2007. This is the 8th Bugle, so you now have enough editions of the Bugle

to have a straight knockout from quarterfinals onwards to decide your favourite Bugle so far.

So do enjoy that. I'm Andy Zoltzman here in London and in New York,

let's miss the John Oliver. Hello from the Big Apple, not the biggest Apple,

but still a pretty big Apple nonetheless. What's Apple is bigger than New York, John?

Granny Smith. As always, some sections of the Bugle do go straight in the bin. This week,

the extreme sport supplement, including features on the latest crazes in the adrenaline-seeking world,

including volcano diving, shock polo, bungee driving and asylum-seeking. Also in the bin,

a commemorative poster marking 100 years since the invention of the zebra.

Top story this week, and it is all change in Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald

described Australia's recent election as a political earthquake, and it is important to remember

that earthquakes come in different sizes, this particular earthquake, was probably enough to

knock an ornament off a mantelpiece somewhere. Perhaps cause someone to say, what was that,

or make a dog bark, but it was an earthquake nonetheless, hold onto your breakfast world.

Australia have voted out John Howard, the undisputed four-time Australian General Election Champion,

who now becomes the second of the Iraq War's three biggest cheeses to bite a democratic bullet

until it goes bang in his own face. Some commentators say that Howard ran a negative,

aggressive and pessimistic campaign, which makes his defeat all the more surprising.

He was ousted by Kevin Rudd, and the name Kevin Rudd sounds like a mid-level accountant.

Kevin is this stapler tax deductible, only if you like prison food bill, thanks Kevin, I owe you one

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