+ Tell the truth, Xenophon warns Thomson—NICK Xenophon urges Craig Thomson to be honest when he fronts Parliament over corruption allegations.

+ Service station set alight, owner tied up—INTRUDERS assaulted and tied up a petrol station owner in central western NSW, then burned it to the ground.

+ O'Farrell slashes NSW premiers' entitlements fund—RETIRED premiers will get just one year of pay under new reforms and cars and free air travel will be gone for good.

+ Man charged over Sydney shooting—A MAN will front a Sydney court today, charged with attempted murder following a shooting in the city's west. [Link to media]

+ Suicide blast kills 13 in Afghanistan—A SUICIDE bomber detonated his explosive vest at a police checkpoint in eastern Khost province, killing 10 civilians.

+ Guatemala volcano belches ash, lava—THE Fuego volcano in Guatemala has begun shooting lava and columns of ash into the air.

+ Will Smith slaps kissing journalist—WILL Smith channelled Muhammed Ali at the MIB III premier, slapping a journalist who tried to kiss him.

+ Mary Kennedy is mourned at private funeral—FAMILY and friends have gathered at a church north of New York City to farewell Mary Richardson Kennedy. [Link to media]

+ Vatican threatens to sue over new book—THE Vatican has denounces new book of leaked documents revealing power struggles inside the Holy See.

+ One dead, seven injured in Italian school blast—A TEENAGE girl was killed and several others injured after a bomb exploded outside an Italian high-school. [Link to media]

+ Freighter drifting toward Great Barrier Reef—CREW of striken cargo vessel attempting to repair the engine and prevent ship from crashing into the reef.

+ Murdered journalist was 'a Soviet spy'—JOURNALIST killed in a horrific attack in his own home. Now his family claims he was a Soviet spy. [Link to media]

+ Philippine rally demands Lady Gaga ban—PROTESTERS claim Gaga's lyrics are anti-Christian and she should be banned.

+ French PM's name causes Arab embarrassment—WHEN newly elected French President Francois Hollande named Jean Marc Ayrault as his premier, Arab media faced some "technical confusion" re...

+ Private rocket launch fails—A PRIVATE US rocket launch has just failed seconds before lift-off. 

+ Stricken ship 'won't hit reef'—MANAGERS of a stricken cargo ship adrift off far north Queensland say there's no danger of it smashing into a coral reef on the Great Barrier Reef. [L...

+ Greece euro exit threatens all Europe: Greek left leader—GREEK poll front-runner Alexis Tsipras says forcing his country out of the eurozone would sink the region as a whole.

+ One dead, six hurt in Italian school blast—A BOMB has gone off in front of a school in the southern Italian city of Brindisi, killing one student and injuring six as they were going into class,...

+ 73-year-old woman scales Mount Everest—A 73-year-old Japanese woman has climbed Mount Everest, breaking her own record to again become the oldest woman to scale the world's highest mountain...

+ St Hilliers to reopen four more sites—EMBATTLED builder St Hilliers Construction Pty will reopen four more work sites on Monday. [Link to media]

+ 15-year-old dead after car hits tree in Melbourne—A 15-year-old unlicensed driver is dead and his passenger is lucky to have escaped serious injury after their four wheel drive struck a tree and burst...

+ Anger over dictionary slurs against Maori—A PETITION is calling for an online dictionary to take down comments which portray Maori as liars, thieves and bludgers. [Link to media]

+ PM flies out of Townsville for NATO talks—PRIME Minister Julia Gillard is believed to finally be on her way to NATO talks in the US after her VIP jet broke down in Townsville. [Link to media]

+ Prime Minister's plane breaks down—PRIME Minister Julia Gillard's VIP plane has broken down, delaying her arrival in the US city of Chicago for a major NATO summit. [Link to media]

+ Stricken ship drifting near Great Barrier—EMERGENCY boats are racing to assist a cargo ship which has broken down off Cairns amid fears it will run aground near the Great Barrier Reef. [Link...

+ Couple charged in washing machine murder—A BRISBANE couple have been charged with the murder of a baby girl who was found dead in a washing machine earlier this year. [Link to media]

+ Brisbane couple charged with baby's murder—A BRISBANE couple have been charged with the murder of a baby girl who was found dead in a washing machine earlier this year.

+ Stranded ship drifting near Great Barrier—EMERGENCY boats are racing to assist a cargo ship which has broken down off Cairns amid fears it will run aground near the Great Barrier Reef. [Link...

+ Manhunt after teens escape from Alice Springs jail—SEVEN teens are on the run from the law after staging a night-time jail break from the Alice Springs Juvenile Detention Centre.

+ 'It was like something out of the Middle Ages'—NEW Zealand couple flee French village amid accusations they tortured hundreds of cats or sold them for experiments.

+ Obama welcomes G-8 leaders to summit—PRESIDENT Barack Obama greeted Group of Eight (G-8) leaders at his rural presidential retreat of Camp David today, marking the opening of a summit exp...

+ Man tries to run down rival with 4WD—A MAN has been charged after allegedly trying to run a man down with a four-wheel-drive at Roadvale, south of Ipswich. [Link to media]

+ Man tries to run rival down with 4WD—A MAN has been charged after allegedly trying to run a man down with a four-wheel-drive at Roadvale, south of Ipswich. [Link to media]

+ LeAnn Rimes poses with guns amid feud with husband's ex—LEANN Rimes has posted pictures online of herself at a shooting range - just days after her husband's ex Brandi Glanville admitted, "I thought I ...

+ MP travel entitlements the same - Gillard—PRIME Minister Julia Gillard says there is nothing unusual about the $7 million annual travel bill for federal MPs.

+ Gillard farewells Townsville troops—PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has addressed Townsville troops ahead of their deployment to Afghanistan. [Link to media]

+ Hospital probe after baby born in waiting room dies—AN investigation is underway into the death of a baby who was born in a hospital waiting room in England. [Link to media]

+ Tourist bus rolls over near Port Douglas—A TOURIST bus that rolled in to a creek, injuring three people, was on its way to a popular Port Douglas restaurant. [Link to media]

+ 74-year-old man charged over sex abuse of girl—A MAN has been arrested and charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a girl aged under 12 throughout an eight-year period. [Link to media]

+ Boy dead after fiery car crash—A 15-YEAR-OLD driver is dead and his passenger was lucky to escape serious injury after the car in which they were travelling struck a tree and burst ...

+ Shots fired into home, injuring boy—A TEENAGE boy has been injured after shots were fired into a Gold Coast home. [Link to media]

+ US woman sent back Russian adoptee—A US woman who adopted a Russian boy and later sent him back to Moscow ordered to pay child support until the child turns 18.

+ Sri Lankan woman bites off lover's penis—A SRI Lankan woman has bitten off the penis of her 30-year-old lover during a row, a doctor says, as police investigate two other incidents.

+ Australian cricketer faints in court—AUSTRALIAN cricketer Luke Pomersbach has been granted bail after being charged with molesting a woman and beating up her fiance at a posh New Delhi ho...

+ US sergeant faces murder charges on shootings—THE US Army says murder charges have been filed against a sergeant accused of killing five other soldiers in May 2009 at a mental health clinic in Ira...

+ Yemeni troops kill 11 al-Qaeda militants—YEMENI troops have killed 11 al-Qaeda fighters in southern Yemen as government forces battle their way into the outskirts of a key town under the mili...

+ Former CBS newsman Rosenbaum dies at 64—MICHAEL Rosenbaum, an award-winning CBS News producer who served as Tel Aviv bureau chief during the first Palestinian uprising against Israel, has di...

+ Facebook closes flat in market debut—FACEBOOK shares have stumbled, managing a gain of less than one per cent in the first day of trade, dampening optimism over the much-anticipated debut...

+ US shares skid as Facebook IPO stumbles—US stocks have slumped as Facebook's highly anticipated record market debut disappointed, adding to bearish sentiment about Europe's financial woes.

+ Girl, 15, assaulted in Sydney's west—A 15-YEAR-OLD girl has been indecently assaulted in Sydney's west.

+ Shots fired at Gold Coast home, boy hurt—SHOTS have been fired into a Gold Coast home, slightly injuring a teenage boy.

+ Greece tops G8 agenda as EU crisis snares Spain—DEBT-stricken Greece topped the world agenda overnight as leaders headed for talks with US President Barack Obama.

+ Graphic film on female sex tourists cheered in Cannes—A graphic, unflinching look at European women sex tourists and African gigolos hit the screen yesterday in the Cannes contender "Paradise: Love&q...

+ Malawi to overturn ban on homosexuality—MALAWI'S new president has announced she will repeal her southern African country's ban on homosexual acts.

+ North Qld zinc mine 'threatening health'—CONTAMINATED water from a north Queensland zinc mine is putting the livelihoods of hundreds of people at risk, a state MP says.

+ Taliban rocket attack kills two US troops in Afghanistan—TWO US troops were killed today in a Taliban rocket attack on a NATO base in Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar.

+ US kids less whiny in cars than Aussies—NEW research shows US kids are better behaved on long drives than their contemporaries across the pond and Down Under.  

+ Two feared dead in Philippine Air Force crash—TWO Philippine Air Force officers were feared dead after their plane crashed at the mouth of Manila Bay during a training mission toiday.

+ 'Angel of The Gap' farewelled by hundreds—HUNDREDS pay tribute at a funeral for Don Ritchie, who for half a century helped hundreds of people reconsider suicide.

+ Arrests in washing machine baby death—TWO people have been arrested after a newborn baby girl was found dead in a washing machine in a north Brisbane home on Australia Day.

+ Russia jails missile spy for eight years—RUSSIA today sentenced a worker at a weapons plant to eight years in jail for handing over secret information to foreign intelligence.

+ Thai court disqualifies 'Red Shirt' Thai lawmaker—THAI court strips top "Red Shirt" leader of his parliamentary seat, in a move likely to anger supporters of the movement whose protests in B...

+ Dollar falls as European worries worsen—THE dollar has plunged to its lowest level in almost six months as concern deepens about the euro zone debt crisis. [Link to media]

+ Man arrested over roasted foetuses—POLICE seize six human foetuses that had been roasted and covered in gold leaf in a black magic ritual, then packed in luggage. [Link to media]

+ Beijing's re-emergence desirable - Carr—FOREIGN Minister Bob Carr says Australia's strengthening ties with Japan and the US were not aimed at containing China, describing Beijing's rising cl...

+ $35bn wiped off in sharemarket shocker—MARKET falls 2.6pc to close at its lowest level for six months as the latest developments in troubled euro zone scare investors. [Link to media]

+ Katter party misses NT but eyes Canberra—KATTER'S Australian Party (KAP) has missed out on standing candidates in the Northern Territory election, which could have been a platform to expand...

+ Girls' custody case to be heard in closed court—RELATIVES of four "missing" sisters at the centre of a bitter international custody dispute will give evidence about the girls' whereabout...

+ Japan whale ships leave for the Pacific—A PAIR of Japanese whaling vessels has left for the northwestern Pacific aiming to catch 260 whales for "scientific research".

+ Welfare officers to watch cattle slaughters—TWO Australian cattle exporters will have to ensure an animal welfare officer is present when their livestock are slaughtered overseas.

+ South Australian MP beats five child porn charges—A MAGISTRATE has dismissed five child pornography charges against a South Australian MP and he will fight seven remaining charges.

+ Australian cricketer held for hotel fracas—INDIAN police have arrested Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach for allegedly molesting a woman and beating her fiance at a New Delhi hotel. [Link ...

+ Russian spy babe's gadgets in new exhibition—RUSSIAN spy babe Anna Chapman was outfitted with a $2,300 Chanel bag featuring a hidden, high-powered wi-fi device so she could secretly communicate...

+ Australia, US sign cyber security deal—AUSTRALIA and the United States have formalised closer relations on cyber security that will allow for greater sharing of information.

+ Toulouse-Lautrec's art works coming to Australia—AUSTRALIANS will get a rare chance to see classic artworks by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec when an exhibition opens at the National Gallery of Australia...

+ Rugby league match fixing charges dismissed—MATCH fixing charges against rugby league player manager Sam Ayoub have been dismissed in a Sydney court.

+ Lawyers seek closed court in girls' custody case—LAWYERS have applied to close a court where relatives are due to give evidence on the whereabouts of four sisters at the centre of a bitter custody ...

+ Evicted protesters call for official probe—PROTESTERS evicted from an Aboriginal tent embassy have taken their fight to Queensland's corruption watchdog.

+ Broken promise 'lowest act' - WA Treasurer—WEST Australian Treasurer Christian Porter says a broken federal government promise to help fund native title compensation is "the lowest act&quo...

+ Man who dismembered lover gets at least 21 years—A MAN who claimed his live-in lover had died an accidental death before he cut up her body with a power saw has been jailed for at least 21 years for ...

+ Final two Bridgecorp directors sentenced—FORMER Bridgecorp financial controller Robert Roest will join the finance company's former boss Rod Petricevic behind bars but their former colleague ...

+ NSW aged care workers protest pay—AGED carer employers have been trading on the goodwill of nurses by paying them less than shop assistants, nurses say.

+ 34 die in Vietnam bus plunge—OFFICIAL'S in central Vietnam say a bus has plunged into a river bank, killing 34 people and injuring 21 others.

+ Gillard talks up Australian economy—PRIME Minister Julia Gillard says people can have confidence in the Australian economy, as other countries fight high levels of unemployment. [Link to...

+ Hundreds to farewell 'Angel of the Gap'—HUNDREDS of mourners have gathered at a naval chapel overlooking Sydney Harbour to honour the life of the "Angel of The Gap", Don Ritchie.

+ Reality star jailed: 'We'll die together'—A FORMER political staffer and reality TV show contestant will spend the next 11 years in jail for the attempted murder of his girlfriend. [Link to me...

+ Shares plummet to lowest level this year—AUSTRALIAN shares continue to tumble after investors panick over the debt crisis in Europe. [Link to media]

+ Former footballer stabbed in Perth—FORMER promising East Perth australian rules player Trevor Oliver has been stabbed while confronting car thieves in Perth's western suburbs.

+ Strong dollar contributing to drug flood—AUSTRALIA'S "insatiable appetite" for narcotics is largely to blame for drug packages continuing to be mailed into the country, police say.

+ Spanish bank woes send dollar sliding—THE  Australian dollar has fallen to its lowest level in almost six months on fears of a worsening European debt crisis. [Link to media]

+ Child porn couple to plead guilty—A MELBOURNE couple who spent three weeks on the run after police discovered child porn images during a raid on their home are to plead guilty to sex c...

+ Vietnam bus plunge leaves 34 dead—OFFICIALS in central Vietnam say a bus has plunged into a river bank, killing 34 people and injuring 21 others.

+ Man found alive in bushes seven days after crash—THE California Highway Patrol (CHP) is under fire from the family of a man who is fighting for his life in hospital, after spending a week unconscious...

+ Couple jailed for forcing girl to live in bathroom—THEY imprisoned their young granddaughter in a bathroom for four years - and will now each serve three years behind bars.

+ Ayoub to learn fate on betting charge—RUGBY league player manager Sam Ayoub will learn his fate over an allegedly fixed NRL match this afternoon.

+ NSW teachers flag more industrial action—STRIKING teachers are considering whether to take further industrial action this school term if the NSW Government refuses to listen to them.

+ Two men injured in microlight crash—TWO men have been injured in a microlight plane crash in central western NSW.

+ 'Sir' Becks the star in Olympic flame bungle—IN soccer-mad Greece, David Beckham is seen as a god - and he was mistakenly made a knight overnight, as he helped a British delegation take control o...

+ Furious Minogue refuses $1.6m X Factor return - report—POP star Dannii Minogue has rejected a million-pound offer to return to The X Factor - reportedly still furious after her tryst with the show's execut...

+ NZ 'runaway millionairess' found guilty—A JURY has found a "runaway millionairess" guilty of all the 30 charges she faced after a bank blunder deposited $NZ10 million ($7.78 millio...

+ Man robbed Parkinson's disease sufferer—A MAN who robbed a 71-year-old Parkinson's disease sufferer he met at a TAB has failed in an application to appeal his sentence. [Link to media]

+ Alleged 'boiler room' mastermind charged—THE alleged American mastermind of a network of "boiler rooms" that raised $US35 million ($35.51 million) by preying on investors in Austral...

+ Boat carrying 68 people intercepted—AUTHORITIES have picked up another boatload of suspected asylum seekers inside Australian waters.

+ McDonald's spy cam manager avoids jail—A GOLD Coast McDonald's manager who secretly filmed his female staffers as they changed for work has avoided jail time. [Link to media]

+ Court orders vaccine despite parents' plea—A SUPREME Court judge has ordered a baby be given a hepatitis B vaccine against the religious and general principles of the infant's parents. [Link to...

+ Man steal woman's handbag, shoes after fatal crash—A MAN admitted today stealing the handbag and shoes of a grandmother who had just been killed in a horrific road crash in northwest England.

+ 'Jury not judge should hear Slipper case'—A JURY rather than a judge should hear the harassment claims brought by former staffer of federal Speaker Peter Slipper, a judge has been told.

+ Market slides to a new 2012 low—AUSTRALIAN shares have opened more than 1.5 per cent lower following more big falls on Wall Street. [Link to media]

+ Man broke jaw of ex-girlfriend's new lover—A FORMER boyfriend broke the jaw of his ex-girlfriend's new partner after they ran into each other in a hotel toilet, a court hears. [Link to media]

+ Al-Qaeda chief urges Saudis to rise up—AL-QAEDA chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has urged Saudis to follow Tunisians, Egyptians and Libyans in rising up against their rulers.

+ Afghan government with Taliban desirable - Carr—AFGHANISTAN'S prospects of stability will be boosted if the Taliban are part of the government, Foreign Minister Bob Carr says.

+ Abbott rejects Combet's climate 'egging'—OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has rejected claims he's "over-egged the pudding" with his warnings on the climate tax.

+ Exporters breach animal welfare rules—TWO Australian cattle exporters have breached new live exports rules by using Indonesian abattoirs that did not meet approved standards.

+ Drug could boost brain cancer survival—A NEW drug could help prolong the life of people diagnosed with one of the most deadly forms of brain cancer, Australian researchers say.

+ Sica murder trial gets into hot water—POLICE asked university experts to help solve why spa bath water, in which the murdered Singh siblings were dumped, was still hot when they were disco...

+ Mum vows to keep fighting to keep girls in Australia—THE mother of four girls caught up in an international custody dispute can't say if her relatives will front court to reveal the children's whereabout...

+ Big banks may have to raise $572b—THE world's biggest banks together may have to raise $US566 billion ($A572 billion) to meet new requirements for holding cushions against risk. [Link...

+ Killer let drug cook turn home into lab—A CASH-strapped killer allowed a mate to use his home to cook drugs in return for amphetamines so he could stay awake while driving trucks to support ...

+ Moody's downgrades 16 Spanish banks—MOODY'S has cut the debt ratings of 16 Spanish banks by one to three notches. [Link to media]

+ Teachers forced to take action - Greens—TEACHERS are being forced to walk off the job because NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli has refused to listen to them, the Greens say.

+ Victorian in Sydney over credit card fraud—AN extradited Victorian man will appear in a Sydney court after allegedly assuming the identities of 12 people in widespread credit card fraud.

+ Bikie crime makes community a victim—TWO Bandidos bikies charged with the alleged assault of a restaurant owner at Mt Gravatt, with police calling the community a victim of the crime. [Li...

+ Family threatened in home invasion—A FAMILY has been terrorised by a balaclava-clad gang of men wielding machetes and iron bars during a home invasion in Sydney's west.

+ World's first Wikipedia town to launch—A SMALL Welsh town where English King Henry V was born is about to make history again by becoming the world's first "Wikipedia town".

+ One dead in single-car crash—ONE person is believed to be dead following a crash at Brassall, northwest of Ipswich. [Link to media]

+ Trayvon Martin 'had drugs in system'—TRAYVON Martin, the Florida teen shot and killed by former neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman in February, had the drug THC in his system at the ...

+ Distracted mind 'may block pain signals'—MENTAL diversions have long been known to make pain easier to handle, and new research suggests that's more than just a psychological phenomenon.

+ Coffee drinking linked to longer life—NEW research suggests several cups of coffee a day might not be so bad for your health, and it may even be tied to a longer life.

+ Man bashed at knifepoint—A MAN and woman have been accused of holding a man at knifepoint, bashing him and stealing his mobile phone, before turning on a passerby who came to ...

+ Second Travolta sex accuser drops lawsuit—A SECOND masseur who had filed suit against John Travolta has dumped his lawyer and is now being represented by celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred.

+ Owner of belly dancing TV station arrested—EGYPT'S vice police have arrested the owner of a belly dancing TV station on suspicion of operating without a licence, inciting licentiousness and fac...

+ US 'ready to strike Iran'—THE US has plans in place to attack Iran if necessary to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, Washington's envoy to Israel said, days ahead of ...

+ Rejected refugees back on the boats—ASYLUM seekers rejected after arriving by boat a decade ago are boarding vessels, coming back to Australia in the latest surge. [Link to media]

+ Worker fears asbesto hugs for his kids—A CARPENTER and father-of-two is one of more than 100 workers and families potentially left exposed to deadly asbestos after a safety bungle at an Ips...

+ Ahmadinejad wants to attend Olympics—IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he is eager to attend the Olympic Games in London to support Iranian athletes but Britain doesn't want to h...

+ RFK Jr's wife died of hanging - coroner—THE estranged wife of Robert Kennedy Jr died of asphyxiation due to hanging, the Westchester County Medical Examiner's office said.

+ Buffett buys up 63 US newspapers—BILLIONAIRE Warren Buffett's company is making another foray into US newspapers, agreeing to buy 63 newspapers from Media General Inc for $US142 milli...

+ Spanish bank hit by report of withdrawals—CONFIDENCE in Spain's banking sector has been shaken after a newspaper reported that depositors were rushing to withdraw their money from Bankia, a ba...

+ New export car for Holden—AUSTRALIAN-MADE Holdens are to make a return to the streets and racetracks of North America with the production of a new Chevrolet SS performance seda...

+ NSW teachers to walk off the job—NSW teachers will walk off the job for two hours this morning to attend meetings where they will discuss government reforms to the education sector.

+ UK urges action to resolve euro crisis—BRITISH PM urges Europe to sort out its currency crisis, calling on the eurozone "to make-up or it is looking at a potential break-up". [Lin...

+ Police really hope diamonds are not forever—POLICE holding a man who allegedly swallowed a $20,000 diamond for as long as it takes for him to produce the evidence. [Link to media]

+ US stocks flat as Greece, Spain weigh—US stocks are essentially flat in opening trade as negative news continues from Europe, with Greece's woes deepening. [Link to media]

+ Iran threatens legal action against Google—IRAN today threatened legal action after becoming angered by Google's choice of names on its mapping software. [Link to media]

+ Terminator actor goes missing—TERMINATOR 3: Rise of the Machines actor Nick Stahl has been reported missing by his wife. [Link to media]

+ Terminator actor Nick Stahl missing in LA—TERMINATOR 3: Rise of the Machines actor Nick Stahl has been reported missing by his wife. [Link to media]

+ Buffett makes big bet on small newspapers—BILLIONAIRE Warren Buffett's holding company has unveiled plans to pour millions of dollars into a chain of small newspapers. [Link to media]

+ Spain in recession amid European drama—SPAIN has tumbled into recession as Greece installs a crisis government to tackle its crippling debt. [Link to media]

+ Is that the time? I must be naked—US shoppers at two New York stores got a shock after a naked woman calmly walked in and asked the time.

+ Carr hopeful China will accept Huawei ban—FOREIGN Minister Bob Carr is hopeful China will eventually accept Australia's decision to ban Huawei from bidding for work on NBN. [Link to media]

Last new 20/5/12 10:12am.