Breaking News

Today

Constitutional crisis ... inmates of the San Roque jail in Sucre take advantage of the chaos during political clashes in the Bolivian city to escape / AP Read story now

8:51pm (AEDT)

UK papers offer Rudd republic, Iraq advice

A BRITISH newspaper has urged Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd not to pursue a republic now.  

7:57pm (AEDT)

Rudd tells MPs to go back to school

PRIME Minister-elect Kevin Rudd says education will be the No.1 item on the agenda when the Labor Cabinet meets for the first time next week.  

7:38pm (AEDT)

Aussie wins world Santa comp

AN Australian man has won the world Santa Claus championships in Sweden by impressing the judges with his chimney climbing skills and gentle nature with children.  

7:07pm (AEDT)

Three stabbed outside shopping centre

THREE people have been stabbed outside a shopping centre in Brisbane's south, police say.  

7:03pm (AEDT)

Date set for presidential election

RUSSIA'S upper House of Parliament named March 2, 2008, as the date of the next presidential election today, opening the way for candidates to start registering.  

6:16pm (AEDT)

Footage shows Kylie's concert collapse

A DOCUMENTARY about Kylie Minogue's battle with breast cancer has gone to air in Britain, showing dramatic footage of the pop star's collapse during a show in Manchester.  

6:08pm (AEDT)

Jesus Christ's evil twin to make film debut

THERE'S no mention of him in the Bible but the plot of a fantasy film set in India gives Jesus Christ a twin brother – and an evil one at that.  

5:56pm (AEDT)

Joyce won't rule out passing ALP IR Bill

QUEENSLAND Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce says he'll consider Labor's new industrial relations (IR) laws on their merits and may not block them.  

5:55pm (AEDT)

No care where rocket launchers ended up

A MAN who sold eight stolen army rocket launchers has told a Sydney court he didn't think twice about the potentially disastrous consequences of the deals.  

5:50pm (AEDT)

Beckham best with the round ball

DAVID Beckham may be 32 and as busy off the pitch as on it, but the man dubbed "golden balls" by his wife has no thoughts about hanging up his golden boots.  

5:43pm (AEDT)

Dollar closes slightly up

THE dollar closed one US cent stronger today as the local federal election passed and risk appetite improved.  

5:35pm (AEDT)

Artwork a health and safety nightmare

A NEW installation at London's Tate Modern gallery is proving to be a health and safety nightmare, causing 15 injuries in the first month it was on display.  

5:24pm (AEDT)

Mum has no memory of smothering baby

A BRISBANE woman who was captured by security cameras smothering her baby in his hospital cot has told a court she has no memory of the incident.  

5:18pm (AEDT)

Man taped bag over lover's head, court told

A MAN bound and gagged his lover before taping a plastic bag over her head to suffocate her, a murder trial has been told.  

5:12pm (AEDT)

Mokbel brother for trial on drugs charges

A BROTHER of gangland fugitive Tony Mokbel has been ordered to stand trial on drug charges.  

5:00pm (AEDT)

Man hunted over noise complaint shooting

POLICE in New South Wales have issued an arrest warrant for a man wanted over the shooting death of a neighbour who complained about his persistent loud music late at night.  

4:50pm (AEDT)

Share market jumps 2 per cent

THE share market surged by more than 2 per cent today as takeover speculation among the big miners sent investors on a spending spree.  

4:45pm (AEDT)

Formal apology in first term, says Rudd

PRIME Minister-elect Kevin Rudd says his government will make a formal apology to indigenous Australians early in its first term.  

4:30pm (AEDT)

Brendan Nelson joins race for leadership

BRENDAN Nelson will also stand for the Liberal leadership, in an increasingly complex battle with Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott.  

4:13pm (AEDT)

Bishop undecided on leadership tilt

OUTGOING education minister Julie Bishop says she has not made up her mind whether to stand for either the Liberal leadership or deputy leadership.  

3:49pm (AEDT)

Rugby players 'threw' quokkas

POLICE on the Perth island of Rottnest are investigating claims Western Force rugby players mistreated protected quokkas at the weekend.  

3:47pm (AEDT)

Australia in the hands of a woman next week

A WOMAN will run Australia for the first time in history next week when the new prime minister is overseas.  

3:40pm (AEDT)

China celebrates moon mission success

CHINA'S leaders celebrated the first images sent from the country's first lunar satellite today, saying they showed the nation had thrust itself into the front ranks of global technological powers.  

3:38pm (AEDT)

Japan will not bow to Labor on whaling

JAPAN says it will not end its research whaling program but also expects to maintain strong ties with Australia, one of the most vocal critics of the hunt.  

3:33pm (AEDT)

Education policies top priority, says Rudd

IMPLEMENTING Labor's education policies will be the top priority of the new cabinet, Prime minister-elect Kevin Rudd says.  

3:04pm (AEDT)

Teens meted out savage bashing, court told

A NEW Zealand man was bashed so severely by three 16-year-old boys that the artery connecting his brain and central nervous system was severed, a Sydney court has been told.  

2:53pm (AEDT)

Three dead in Indonesian quake

AT least three people were killed and 45 injured when powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Sumbawa island in central Indonesia.  

2:41pm (AEDT)

Patients at risk from inexperienced doctors

EMERGENCY department patients are being put at risk by young and inexperienced doctors, a conference has been told.  

2:39pm (AEDT)

China might crash BHP bid for Rio - report

CHINA Investment Corp (CIC), the country's new sovereign wealth fund, is considering teaming up with major steel producers to counter offer about $US200 billion ($227 billion) for Rio Tinto, according to a Chinese newspaper.  

2:28pm (AEDT)

Final result not until next week - AEC

THE final make-up of the new federal parliament won't be known until next week.  

2:25pm (AEDT)

Hockey out of leadership race

OUTGOING workplace relations minister Joe Hockey has ruled himself out of the race for the federal Liberal leadership.  

2:20pm (AEDT)

Facebook is... reconsidering 'is'

FACEBOOK users have reported an unprecedented level of freedom while updating their status – no longer having to begin sentences with the word "is".  

2:20pm (AEDT)

Oil bubbles toward $US99

OIL prices hovered near $US99 ($112.15) in Asian trade today as traders continued to fret over tight supplies globally, dealers said.  

2:10pm (AEDT)

Calls for dedicated housing minister

AUSTRALIA'S peak real estate body is calling for a dedicated housing minister to be part of the new Labor cabinet.  

2:08pm (AEDT)

Vaile steps down as Nationals leader

OUTGOING deputy prime minister Mark Vaile has stepped down as Nationals leader in the wake of the Coalition's election defeat.  

2:04pm (AEDT)

Police know where woman was murdered

POLICE have found where missing South Australian woman Glenys Heyward was murdered but not her body, an Adelaide court has been told.  

2:01pm (AEDT)

China considers crashing BHP's party

CHINA Investment Corp (CIP), the country's new sovereign wealth fund, is considering teaming up with major steel producers to counter offer about $US200 billion ($227 billion) for Rio Tinto, according to a weekly newspaper.  

1:53pm (AEDT)

Drug-smuggling honeymooner-widow jailed

A DRUG-smuggling honeymooner has been jailed for her role in a bungled cocaine importation that killed her new husband.  

1:50pm (AEDT)

The real Sweet Caroline revealed

US singer Neil Diamond has revealed that President Kennedy's daughter was the inspiration for his classic 1969 song Sweet Caroline.  

1:42pm (AEDT)

Thorpe: My name is forever tarnished

SWIMMER Ian Thorpe says he will never fully regain his squeaky clean reputation in the wake of the drug sample controversy that rocked his world this year.  

1:38pm (AEDT)

Vaile expected to quit

NATIONALS leader Mark Vaile is contemplating resigning from his role and moving to the back bench.  

1:31pm (AEDT)

New NT chief minister sworn in today

THE new chief minister of the Northern Territory, Paul Henderson, will be sworn in later today.  

1:29pm (AEDT)

Telstra has no tears for Coalition

TELSTRA says it can begin rolling out fibre optic cable for a new super fast national broadband network within 48 hours, if given the all clear by the new Federal Labor government.  

1:23pm (AEDT)

Australian tourist dies in bike accident

AN Australian woman's family cycling holiday in the US ended in tragedy when she looked the wrong way while trying to cross a busy Florida highway.  

1:14pm (AEDT)

McKew claims Bennelong, momentarily

FORMER journalist Maxine McKew remains reluctant to publicly claim victory over John Howard in the Sydney seat of Bennelong, despite slipping up and referring to it as a Labor seat.  

1:12pm (AEDT)

Theory McCanns sold Maddie probed

PORTUGUESE detectives reportedly spent "several days" investigating whether Kate and Gerry McCann sold their daughter to pedophiles to ease money worries.   

12:48pm (AEDT)

Now Professor Kim Beazley

FORMER federal Labor leader and Rhodes scholar Kim Beazley has become a professorial fellow in politics and international relations.  

12:35pm (AEDT)

Dollar stronger at noon

THE Australian dollar was stronger at lunchtime today, in a day of "erratic" trading.  

12:24pm (AEDT)

Beauty queen's gown, makeup spiked

ORGANISERS of a beauty pageant in Puerto Rico are investigating a case of sabotage after evening gowns and makeup were doused with pepper spray.   

12:13pm (AEDT)

Dumping AWAs unlikely to have much impact

ELECTION spending promises made by the incoming federal Labor government will need to be reassessed in the face ongoing inflationary pressures, economists say.  

Yesterday

11:32pm (AEDT)

Malaysian PM praises green Rudd

MALAYSIA'S Prime Minister Abdulah Ahmad Badawi has praised his new Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd for pledging to quickly ratify the Kyoto protocol and withdraw troops from Iraq.  

11:00pm (AEDT)

Two die after separate crashes

TWO men in their 20s have died in hospital following separate single-car accidents in northern Victoria's Goulburn Valley yesterday.  

10:25pm (AEDT)

Natalie Gauci wins Idol 2007

MELBOURNE songstress Natalie Gauci has pulled off a come-from-behind win to be named the 2007 Australian Idol.  

9:55pm (AEDT)

Hundreds arrested in anti-Putin demo

RUSSIAN riot police detained opposition leaders and some 150 other protesters in Saint Petersburg as they broke up the second demonstration against President Vladimir Putin in two days.  

9:36pm (AEDT)

Idol finalists arrive at Opera House

AUSTRALIAN Idol finalists Natalie Gauci and Matt Corby have arrived at Sydney's Opera House less than two hours before one of the pair is named winner of popular television competition.  

9:19pm (AEDT)

Man dead after group attack: police

A MAN is dead after being attacked by a group of teenagers at a sports oval in suburban Sydney, police say.  

8:44pm (AEDT)

Meningococcal detected at schoolies

QUEENSLAND Health has carried out an emergency screening of a group of schoolies on the Gold Coast after a 17-year-old boy contracted meningococcal disease.  

8:25pm (AEDT)

Idol stars melt red carpet

A CROWD of thousands braved the sweltering afternoon sun while the stars did their best not to melt away on a red hot carpet at the Australian Idol grand final.  

8:00pm (AEDT)

Boy serious after window accident

A TWO-YEAR-OLD boy is in a serious condition in a Sydney hospital after a window closed on his neck preventing him from breathing, an NRMA CareFlight helicopter spokesman says.  

6:58pm (AEDT)

NSW gives Rudd up to eight seats

NSW was tonight poised to deliver Kevin Rudd up to eight new Labor seats – and the Prime Minister's electorate of Bennelong was among them.  

6:40pm (AEDT)

PNG floods expose WWII bombs and shells

DISASTER officials in Papua New Guinea's flood-ravaged Oro Province are warning people to avoid unexploded wartime bombs and shells uncovered by surging waters.  

6:10pm (AEDT)

Digger's body to return next week

THE body of the Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan yesterday will be brought home late next week, the defence department says.  

5:58pm (AEDT)

QC takes hold of Kath and Kim territory

PROMINENT Melbourne QC Mark Dreyfus has strengthened Labor's hold on the Melbourne seat of Isaacs.  

5:54pm (AEDT)

Turnbull first to contest Liberal leadership

FORMER environment minister Malcolm Turnbull was the first MP out of blocks in the race to become the next federal Liberal party leader in opposition.  

5:32pm (AEDT)

Crowd gathering at Opera House for Idol final

THOUSANDS of people are gathering at the Sydney Opera House to witness the result of the other big vote of the weekend – the Australian Idol grand final.  

5:21pm (AEDT)

Columnist Matt Price dies, aged 46

NEWSPAPER columnist and political sketch writer Matt Price has died in Perth, just hours after votes were cast in the federal election he had planned to cover.  

4:26pm (AEDT)

Premiers set to cooperate over health

THE state premiers have pledged to work with Kevin Rudd to fix the public health system, one of his first key tests as prime minister-elect.  

4:02pm (AEDT)

Beckham accused of snubbing cancer kids

FOOTBALL superstar David Beckham was accused of snubbing a group of child cancer survivors when he arrived in Sydney today.  

3:56pm (AEDT)

Son questioned over father's death

A MAN is likely to be charged over the death of his father following a family dispute at their home in Perth, police say.  

3:54pm (AEDT)

Riot police shut down illegal dance party

THREE people have been charged after riot police were called to an illegal dance party of 1000 people at a factory in inner Sydney early today.  

3:52pm (AEDT)

Severe storm warning issued for Queensland

SEVERE thunderstorms with hailstones big enough to damage cars are forecast to hit parts of southern Queensland in the next few hours.  

3:28pm (AEDT)

Garrett silent on ministerial prospects

LABOR environment spokesman Peter Garrett is refusing to speculate on his ministerial prospects ahead of a federal caucus meeting next week.  

3:21pm (AEDT)

Historic win for Labor in Queensland

LABOR'S overwhelming win in Queensland has exceeded all expectations, the party's state branch said today.  

3:21pm (AEDT)

Passengers hurt in five-car collision

A FIVE-CAR pile-up has caused traffic problems on a major inbound arterial in Melbourne's outer west.  

3:04pm (AEDT)

Bernie Banton acknowledges Rudd's praise

GRAVELY ill asbestos campaigner Bernie Banton has acknowledged words of praise from Kevin Rudd in the Labor leader's election victory speech.