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4:47am (AEDT)

Bush to visit despite renewed violence

THE White House said US President George W Bush was committed to a diplomatic push for peace in the Middle East ahead of his visit to the region next week, despite renewed violence marked by an Israeli ground and air assault in Gaza.  Read more

4:36am (AEDT)

Body of slain diplomat returned to embassy

THE body of a murdered US diplomat has been turned over to the American embassy in Khartoum, the official SUNA news agency reported.  Read more

4:30am (AEDT)

Notorious plane hijackers walk free

PAKISTANI authorities released four Palestinians who were involved in the bloody hijacking of an American plane in 1986.  Read more

4:09am (AEDT)

Seaman drown as ship sinks in rough seas

A BULGARIAN cargo ship with 11 crew on board sank in rough weather in the Sea of Azov, drowning at least three seamen.  Read more

3:43am (AEDT)

Serbian PM tells EU it 'has to choose'

SERBIAN Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said the European Union would have to choose between closer ties with Serbia and support for an independent Kosovo.  Read more

3:07am (AEDT)

Suicide bomber kills seven in roadside attack

AN Indian engineer and six Afghani policemen were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself among security forces investigating an earlier explosion in western Afghanistan.  Read more

2:51am (AEDT)

Four killed by car-bomb near military base

AT least three people were killed and 35 injured in a car-bomb explosion Thursday in Diyarbakir, the main city in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast, hospital sources said.  Read more

2:34am (AEDT)

White House to co-operate with CIA probe

THE White House said it would fully cooperate with an investigation into the destruction of videotapes showing CIA interrogations of terror suspects.  Read more

2:20am (AEDT)

Musharraf denies cover-up

• Musharraf concedes he's not satisfied with probe
• Rejects suggestion of involvement in assassination
• Scotland Yard team sent to investigate

PAKISTAN President Pervez Musharraf, under fire over the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, said he did not believe intelligence agencies had ordered any cover-up in the probe of her death.  Read more

2:02am (AEDT)

Single online entertainment market mooted

THE European Commission said it would draw up plans to boost the online market for music, films and games while promising to uphold intellectual property rights.  Read more

1:38am (AEDT)

Motorcyclist killed after hitting tree

A 48-year-old man died when his motorcycle struck a tree in rugged forest country east of Melbourne, taking Victoria's already horrific holiday road toll to 16.  Read more

1:13am (AEDT)

Road toll subsidy scheme 'to cost $860m'

THE controversial road toll subsidy on Sydney's M4 and M5 motorways could be the NSW Government's most expensive broken election promise, costing $860 million by 2010.  Read more

12:52am (AEDT)

MySpace community votes for Obama, Paul

DEMOCRAT Barack Obama and Republican Ron Paul were selected by members of the MySpace community as their parties' 2008 US presidential candidates.  Read more

12:16am (AEDT)

Penn to head Cannes Film Festival jury

US actor and director Sean Penn will head the jury at this year's Cannes Film Festival, a move that could reinforce the event's reputation for supporting left-wing causes.  Read more

Yesterday

11:51pm (AEDT)

King, PM discuss Middle East peace plan

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II on the newly-revived Middle East peace process.  Read more

11:37pm (AEDT)

Man killed, three injured in car rollover

A MAN has died in a single vehicle crash in eastern Victoria tonight.  Read more

11:19pm (AEDT)

MPs held for recruiting youths to protest

TWO Kenyan opposition MPs were arrested as they reportedly mobilised youths in the western city of Kisumu to stage a banned protest over the country's presidential election.  Read more

10:57pm (AEDT)

Ayatollah sees 'no benefit' in US ties

SUPREME leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini said Iran saw "no benefit" in resuming ties with the United States at the moment but did not rule out a resumption of relations in the future.  Read more

10:41pm (AEDT)

Minister resigns over sex tape scandal

MALAYSIA'S former health minister accused his political "enemies" of orchestrating the release of a video showing him having sex with an unidentified woman in a hotel room.  Read more

10:26pm (AEDT)

Heavy fighting as tattered truce collapses

HEAVY fighting between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels broke out in northern Sri Lanka, hours after the government said it was pulling out of a tattered truce.  Read more

10:16pm (AEDT)

Rally for 'people's president' postponed

A MASS rally organised by Kenya's opposition Orange Democratic Movement to protest election results has been postponed until January 8.  Read more

9:54pm (AEDT)

Human stampede kills six at Hindu temple

FIVE adults and an eight-year-old boy were trampled to death and at least 12 people injured in a stampede at a Hindu temple in southern India.  Read more

9:42pm (AEDT)

Two dead in suspected murder-suicide

A FATHER and his teenage daughter have been found dead inside a Sydney home in what police believe is a murder suicide.  Read more

9:38pm (AEDT)

Kylie to drop raunchy moves for new tour

POP princess Kylie Minogue is set to tone down her raunchy dance routines during her next concert tour.  Read more

9:16pm (AEDT)

Lions kill and eat game farm worker

LIONS killed and ate South African man at a game farm in the country's North West province.  Read more

8:55pm (AEDT)

Five killed in air and ground strikes

ISRAELI raids killed five Palestinians in Gaza, including two women, in the latest strikes against the Hamas-ruled territory.  Read more

8:49pm (AEDT)

Watchdog to oversee alternative therapy

THE Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) is to be given greater powers disciplining naturopaths, herbalists, homeopaths and massage therapists, NSW Health Minister Reba Meagher says.  Read more

8:33pm (AEDT)

Shots fired to disperse brawling gangs

EAST Timorese and UN police fired warning shots into the air to disperse hundreds of brawling gang members in the capital.  Read more

8:13pm (AEDT)

Man arrested over 114 cannabis plants

A 55-YEAR-OLD man arrested north of Hobart has been charged with growing 114 hydroponic cannabis plants.  Read more

8:11pm (AEDT)

Government silent on monitoring whaling

THE Federal Government has refused to confirm or deny claims the ship it pledged more than two weeks ago would be monitoring Japanese whalers within "a few days" is still in port.  Read more

8:07pm (AEDT)

28 arrested in women trafficking sting

UNITED Nations and East Timorese police have arrested 28 foreigners as part of investigations into illegal immigration and possible human trafficking, the UN mission said.  Read more

8:02pm (AEDT)

Disgraced Estrada to star in comedy

DISGRACED former Philippine president Joseph Estrada said he would stage a comeback, but only on the silver screen where he plans to star in a comedy.  Read more

7:57pm (AEDT)

Flood warnings for southeast Queensland

QUEENSLANDERS in the state's southeast are being warned of flash flooding, with prolonged wet and wild conditions.  Read more

7:43pm (AEDT)

Bushfire destroys home, threatens 30 in Perth

ONE house has been destroyed and up to 30 are under direct threat from a bushfire in suburban Perth, fire authorities say.  Read more

7:42pm (AEDT)

Six killed in Hindu temple stampede

Six worshippers were crushed to death and a dozen injured in southern India as thousands of devotees rushed to offer prayers at a Hindu temple during a religious ceremony.  Read more

7:41pm (AEDT)

Jemaah Islamiah leader in terrorism trial

AN Indonesian court has ruled it would go ahead with a terrorism case against Abu Dujana, the self-described militant leader of an Islamic extremist group blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings.  Read more

7:36pm (AEDT)

'Stocks' beats 'sex' in China Google search

THE names of three banks and the word "stocks" beat "sex" to become four of the most Googled words in China last year, according to a Google China list.  Read more

7:33pm (AEDT)

Tear gas, water cannon used on peace rally

KENYAN police have used tear gas and water cannon on several hundred anti-government protesters chanting "Peace" as they sat down on a Nairobi highway, blocking a major roundabout.  Read more

7:29pm (AEDT)

Eight killed as police gun down protesters

EIGHT people were killed and 20 injured when police opened fire on protesters demanding village elections in north-eastern India, police said.  Read more

7:16pm (AEDT)

Hollywood actor seeks Aussie girlfriend

HOLLYWOOD actor Michael Vartan is in Australia for three reasons: to play poker, find a girlfriend and tell us what he really thinks about news channel CNN.  Read more

7:13pm (AEDT)

Stranded dog rescued from cliff

A DOG left stranded on a south-east Queensland mountain has been rescued in a tricky hour-long descent.  Read more

7:09pm (AEDT)

Pyongyang executes 'Labour hero'

THE chief of a North Korean cooperative farm who was honoured by the country's founding president has been executed in public for starting a private farm to support his luxurious lifestyle, a South Korean aid group said.  Read more

7:06pm (AEDT)

Two choke to death on rice cakes

TWO people choked to death and 11 others were hospitalised after eating traditional sticky rice cakes to celebrate the new year in Tokyo.  Read more

7:05pm (AEDT)

Man stabs woman, then himself

A MAN allegedly stabbed a woman before turning the knife on himself in Alice Springs.  Read more

7:03pm (AEDT)

Bushfire threatens Perth homes

HOMES in the Perth suburb of Parkerville are being threatened by a bushfire about to pass through the area.  Read more

7:01pm (AEDT)

Nearly 50 freeze to death in India cold snap

AT least 47 people have died because of a biting cold wave sweeping northern India over the past two weeks, media reports said.  Read more

6:56pm (AEDT)

Graduates are 'a burden'

MORE than 1600 graduate nurses will not ease the pressure on NSW public hospitals but simply place a burden on existing staff, the Opposition says.  Read more

6:51pm (AEDT)

Missing teenage boy last seen with two men

POLICE are searching for a 14-year-old boy who they believe may have been spotted with two men in a Mandurah shopping centre, south of Perth.  Read more

6:38pm (AEDT)

Victoria will burn until April

VICTORIAN fire authorities are warning of a long, perilous bushfire season and say massive swathes of grassland in western and central Victoria are ready to burn.  Read more

6:35pm (AEDT)

Hackers crack Korean military computers

SOUTH Korea's military has been put on alert against overseas hackers who have gained access to some soldiers' personal computers, the defence ministry said.  Read more

6:31pm (AEDT)

Mandatory jail 'won't stop police assaults'

THE Queensland Government has again rejected calls for people who seriously assault police to be given mandatory prison sentences.  Read more

6:26pm (AEDT)

Amnesty, rights groups may protect sources

A US court has ordered that Amnesty International and other human rights groups can assert the same privileges that journalists use, allowing them to better protect anonymous sources.  Read more

6:23pm (AEDT)

Cyclone warning issued for WA and NT

A CYCLONE warning has been issued for coastal and island communities in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.  Read more

6:21pm (AEDT)

Inquiry into rape, murder of 10yo girl

ACTING Queensland Premier Paul Lucas today announced an inquiry into the case of a 10-year-old girl who was raped and murdered.  Read more

6:04pm (AEDT)

Circle of blood in whale slaughter protest

ANIMAL liberationists have staged a anti-whaling protest outside the Japanese consulate in Melbourne.  Read more

6:03pm (AEDT)

600 Australians stranded in Kenya

AROUND 600 Australians in Kenya could find it increasingly hard to get out of the strife-torn country as post-election violence approaches its second week.  Read more

6:01pm (AEDT)

Man shot by police clings to life

A VICTORIAN man continues to cling to life after being shot by police, as debate rages over calls for the introduction of Taser stun guns.  Read more

5:55pm (AEDT)

Holiday road toll at 39

THE death of a motorcyclist in Perth and a driver in Sydney have taken the national holiday road toll to 39 – 23 fewer than for the same period last year.  Read more

5:52pm (AEDT)

Dollar stronger in thin trade

THE Australian dollar closed firmer against its US counterpart, nearly touching $US0.8850, despite lack of trading volume and disinterest from offshore investors.  Read more

5:49pm (AEDT)

Rivalry sends Palestinians bald

FORMER Palestinian MPs and journalists shaved their heads in public in protest at the humiliating shaving of the moustache of a Fatah official by Hamas men in Gaza.  Read more

5:43pm (AEDT)

Eddie Murphy's beach marriage 'invalid'

FILM star Eddie Murphy's beach marriage in French Polynesia this week is likely to be invalid, a lawyer in the territory has said.  Read more

5:36pm (AEDT)

Guns, ammo found after police chase

POLICE say they found guns, ammunition and a large amount of cash in a car abandoned by two men who led them on a pursuit in north Queensland.  Read more

5:16pm (AEDT)

Mobile phone rescues lost hikers

IMAGES sent to park rangers from a mobile phone were instrumental in rescuing three people lost in rugged country in a Victorian national park.  Read more

5:12pm (AEDT)

Shares down on US recession fears

THE share market closed in negative territory amid lingering fears the United States is heading for a recession.  Read more

5:07pm (AEDT)

Fires claim seven lives in a fortnight

THE Victorian Government, police and firefighters have renewed pleas for all homes to be fitted with working smoke alarms after three Indian students died in a blaze in Melbourne early today.  Read more

4:48pm (AEDT)

Sean Penn to head Cannes jury in 2008

US actor turned director Sean Penn is to head the jury of the 2008 Cannes film festival, organisers said today.  Read more

4:41pm (AEDT)

Injection replaces firing squad in executions

CHINA will expand the use of lethal injections to replace execution by gunshot, state media said, in a country which kills more convicts than anywhere else.  Read more

4:32pm (AEDT)

California takes Bush to court over emissions

CALIFORNIA and 15 other US states are seeking to overturn a Bush administration decision in December that denied California's attempt to set tough new standards for auto emissions.  Read more

4:28pm (AEDT)

'We're green, but lungfish ain't that rare'

THE site of the Queensland Government's controversial Traveston Crossing Dam is flooding but debate over its merits has reignited over measures to protect rare marine species.  Read more

4:21pm (AEDT)

Criminal probe for CIA over torture tapes

THE US Government has announced a criminal investigation into the destruction of CIA videotapes that allegedly showed the use of torture during interrogations of al-Qaeda suspects.  Read more

4:11pm (AEDT)

Letterman back on TV with union backing

LATE-NIGHT TV host David Letterman kicked off the return of his show from a two-month hiatus in support of striking screenwriters, boasting his was the "only show on the air" with union-backed jokes.  Read more

4:07pm (AEDT)

Musharraf defends election delay

PAKISTANI President Pervez Musharraf has defended the postponement of elections until February 18 after the killing of Benazir Bhutto, and invited Britain to help investigate her death.  Read more

3:59pm (AEDT)

Search for missing woman finds body

POLICE have found a body at the base of a cliff while conducting an aerial search for a missing woman on the NSW south coast.  Read more

3:50pm (AEDT)

Drought relief review anti-farmer - Nationals

THE federal Opposition has accused the Government of having an "anti-farmer, anti-country vendetta" because it plans to review drought-relief payments.  Read more

3:39pm (AEDT)

'Nanny state' cramps Europe's style

EUROPE started 2008 with a raft of new laws against smoking, air pollution and even junk food adverts, but some grumbled that the New Year's resolutions from the "nanny state" cramped their style.  Read more

3:13pm (AEDT)

Cricket last straw in 'dead' relationship

THE British Government has told English cricket's governing body that it wants them to pull the plug on Zimbabwe's planned tour next year, The Sun newspaper said.  Read more

3:09pm (AEDT)

Learner driver blows .24

A LEARNER driver has returned a blood-alcohol reading of 0.245 after being pulled over by police in the northern NSW resort town of Byron Bay.  Read more

2:53pm (AEDT)

No plan to fight for lost wages - union

CONSTRUCTION workers are not planning to fight for lost wages and penalty rates even though they "lost" out under the former coalition government, a key trade union official says.  Read more

2:51pm (AEDT)

Hunt for man thrown from bridge 'fruitless'

POLICE will call off a search for a man reportedly thrown from a Gold Coast bridge during New Year's celebrations if a search today proves fruitless.  Read more

2:27pm (AEDT)

2007 sixth warmest year on record

LAST year was the sixth warmest on record and more than half a degree above the Australian annual average temperature.  Read more

1:56pm (AEDT)

Junkfood? Yeah, whatever

NEARLY two thirds of Australians do not think fast food tastes so good that they couldn't give it up, a new survey has revealed.  Read more

1:38pm (AEDT)

Rescuers reach dog trapped on cliff

THREE men who found lost hikers on a hillside yesterday have returned in an attempt to save their dog.  Read more

1:21pm (AEDT)

Bollywood beckons for cricket greats

SOME of Test cricket's biggest names, past and present, are about to become movie stars in a Bollywood film about the sport being shot in Australia.  Read more

1:08pm (AEDT)

State governments 'addicted to pokies'

STATE governments need to free themselves from their addiction to poker machines, says the author of a new gambling report.  Read more

1:03pm (AEDT)

Scientists can read your mind... sort of

THOUGHTS are successfully being read for the first time by scientists using nothing but a modified MRI scanner and a special computer program.  Read more

12:55pm (AEDT)

Britney Spears' lawyers quit

LAWYERS acting for troubled pop princess Britney Spears in her child custody battle have quit, saying representing her is "impossible".  Read more

12:25pm (AEDT)

Queensland in for more wild weather

SEVERE weather warnings have been issued for parts of north and south Queensland.  Read more

12:23pm (AEDT)

Extreme weather hampers fire-fighting

FIREFIGHTERS will have to contend with extreme weather conditions today as they try to contain a bushfire which killed three West Australian men.  Read more

12:08pm (AEDT)

Who knew? Alcohol makes males amorous

RESEARCHERS in the US say alcohol makes males more amorous and less sexually inhibited - and gay, apparently.  Read more

12:05pm (AEDT)

Westpac boss discloses $6m in BHP shares

OUTGOING Westpac boss David Morgan has disclosed he holds close to $6 million worth of BHP Billiton shares after his appointment to the major miner's board.  Read more

12:00pm (AEDT)

Petrol will hit $1.50 within weeks

PETROL prices will hit $1.50 within three weeks but the worst for motorists will be offset by a weaker US dollar, the Service Stations Association says.  Read more

11:29am (AEDT)

Plane crashes at lowest for 40 years

THE number of air crashes has fallen to its lowest level for more than 40 years in 2007, the Aircraft Crashes Record Office (ACRO) says.  Read more

11:24am (AEDT)

Gold price breaks 28-year record

UNREST in Pakistan, a faltering US dollar and surging oil futures sent the price of gold soaring to a record high overnight, beating its previous highest level set 28 years ago.  Read more

11:23am (AEDT)

Bali bombers' execution within a month

THE three Bali bombers on death row have 30 days to lodge an appeal for presidential clemency or their executions will be carried out.  Read more

11:09am (AEDT)

Marion Jones: I've been punished enough

FORMER Olympic champion Marion Jones has asked a judge for leniency in her doping and fraud case, saying she has been punished enough.  Read more

11:00am (AEDT)

Beauty queen charged with kidnap, torture

A BEAUTY queen and law student has been arrested in a horrifying tale of armed robbery and torture.   Read more

11:00am (AEDT)

Three men die in house fire

THREE young men died in a house fire in Melbourne early today.  Read more

10:36am (AEDT)

Male monkeys pay for sex

SELLING sex is said to be humankind's oldest profession but it may have deep evolutionary roots, according to a study into our primate cousins which found that male macaques pay for intercourse by using grooming as a currency.  Read more

10:26am (AEDT)

Sri Lanka withdraws from Tamil truce

SRI Lanka's Government has decided to formally end a peace process with Tamil rebels and withdraw from a ceasefire arranged by peace-broker Norway.  Read more

10:24am (AEDT)

Officials visit Aussie held in Bulgaria

AUSTRALIAN officials have visited a Sydney man in custody in Bulgaria over a stabbing murder.  Read more

10:15am (AEDT)

Tourists stranded in Kenya mayhem

TOURISTS seeking out Kenya's world-renowned beaches and safari parks have been caught off-guard by the deadly tribal clashes and economic paralysis gripping the country since last week's disputed polls.  Read more

10:13am (AEDT)

Scotland Yard to help Bhutto probe

A SCOTLAND Yard team will go "immediately" to Pakistan to help probe the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf says.  Read more

10:01am (AEDT)

Fire rips through top cancer hospital

A FIRE tore through the top floor of a leading cancer hospital in London overnight, forcing the evacuation of all staff and patients including some already in the operating theatre.  Read more

9:46am (AEDT)

Woman charged with backpacker's murder

A 21-YEAR-old woman has been charged with murdering a Perth backpacker whose body was found in Adelaide's parklands on New Year's Eve.  Read more

9:40am (AEDT)

Healthy food getting more expensive

THE price of fruit and vegetables is climbing faster than inflation, while junk food is getting cheaper, a new study suggest.  Read more

9:36am (AEDT)

Warning on excessive mobile phone use

THE French Health Ministry has issued a warning against excessive mobile phone use, especially by children, even though it says science has not proved cellular technology is dangerous.  Read more

9:25am (AEDT)

Union to challenge Government on strikes

THE building union says it will challenge the Government's new workplace laws with strikes and other actions in a bid to reinstate workers' lost pay and conditions.  Read more

9:12am (AEDT)

Criminal probe into CIA tapes announced

THE US Justice Department will open a criminal investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes of al-Qaeda operatives, Attorney-General Michael Mukasey has announced.  Read more

9:09am (AEDT)

Giuliani wants Afghanistan troop surge

REPUBLICAN presidential contender Rudy Giuliani has called for doubling US combat troops in Afghanistan as part of a broader military expansion.  Read more

9:05am (AEDT)

Man hurt as car hits house

A MAN was seriously hurt when he crashed his car into a house in Brisbane.  Read more

9:01am (AEDT)

Police Taser tomahawk man

POLICE used a Taser on a man armed with a tomahawk during a 2-½-hour stand-off in far north Queensland.  Read more

9:00am (AEDT)

Oil hits record $US100 a barrel

The price of oil hit $US100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time, providing a new jolt to oil-dependent economies, particularly the United States.  Read more

8:54am (AEDT)

Traffic cop dragged by stolen car

A POLICE officer suffered shoulder injuries when he was dragged by a car during a routine traffic stop.  Read more

7:31am (AEDT)

Paul McCartney has secret heart surgery

BEATLES legend Sir Paul McCartney has had a secret heart operation, British media reports said today.  Read more

3:52am (AEDT)

Tourists rescued as volcano erupts

ARMY troops rescued 53 tourists from the slopes of a volcano erupting in southern Chile, authorities said.  Read more

3:31am (AEDT)

Government planning drought relief

THE Federal Government will revamp farmers' drought relief payments in a move to reduce the plan's long term costs.  Read more

3:04am (AEDT)

100 pilgrims return to Gaza

ABOUT 150 Palestinian pilgrims returning from Mecca entered the Gaza Strip today after a border-crossing dispute left about 2000 of them stranded in Egypt for days, witnesses said  Read more

2:35am (AEDT)

Bhutto killed by terrorists, says Musharraf

SLAIN opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed by terrorists, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said in a speech broadcast to the nation on state television.  Read more

2:00am (AEDT)

Stun gun call after police shoot man

POLICE have renewed calls for stun guns to be used in Victoria as a police shooting victim fights for his life in a Melbourne hospital.  Read more

1:20am (AEDT)

Car bomb at police station kills three

A CAR bomb hit a police station in Algeria, witnesses said, in an attack that officials said killed three people and injured seven.  Read more

12:56am (AEDT)

Subsidy paves way for thalidomide trial

THE Federal Government subsidy of the mesothelioma drug Alimta has paved the way for a national clinical trial of follow-up treatment using the controversial drug Thalidomide.  Read more

12:30am (AEDT)

Driver injured in speedway crash

A SPEEDWAY driver suffered serious injuries when he ploughed his car into a wall during a race meeting west of Melbourne.  Read more