Local National and World News

Poker player folds after record 115-hour game
Poker star Phil Laak halted the longest poker game in history at 115 hours early on Monday (US time), nearly two days longer than the current mark recognised as the official world record.

Census records 157-year-old woman
Estimates of the size and composition of Indonesia's booming population may remain just that despite an ongoing census, if the "discovery" of a 157-year-old woman is anything to go by.

Jungle woman found in toilet
A Cambodian woman whose story gripped the nation after she apparently spent 18 years living in the jungle has been found in a dugout toilet 11 days after she disappeared again.

10yo made to stay with alcoholic aunt tries suicide
An inquiry into the Northern Territory's child protection system has been told that a 10-year-old boy attempted suicide after he was sent to live with an alcohol-dependent relative in a remote Indigenous community.

Land battle for Cape Barren Islanders
The local council on Cape Barren Island in Tasmania's Bass Strait is threatening to sell land owned by Aboriginal families to recoup unpaid rates.

Criminology expert questions child abuse taskforce
A specialist in criminology has questioned whether the taskforce set up to target child abuse in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities is actually producing any results.

Dead albatrosses wash up on beach
Conservationists say as many as nine dead albatrosses have been found on the beach at Goolwa, south of Adelaide.

Experts probe whale calf death
The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) is investigating the death of a whale on Queensland's Gold Coast.

Contract clears way for safer shipping
A new shipping navigation system will be trialled in the Torres Strait off far north Queensland over the next couple of months.

Hendra insurance woes end Magic Millions hopes
A central Queensland stud at the centre of last year's Hendra virus outbreak has been forced to withdraw horses from the Magic Millions sale on the Gold Coast.

US medical staff 'ran experiments on terrorism suspects'
A human rights group says United States medical personnel allegedly experimented on terrorism detainees during CIA-led torture after the September 11 attacks, aiming to improve interrogation techniques.

Mums-to-be ignoring booze rules
A new survey says one-third of new or pregnant mothers choose to drink alcohol, despite knowing that its consumption can harm their baby.

Wheel Of Fortune's Adriana Xenides remembered
Australia's entertainment industry is mourning the passing of former Wheel Of Fortune star Adriana Xenides.

Jeremy Renner to join Avengers
Jeremy Renner is in final negotiations to join The Avengers, Marvel Studios' big screen take on its superhero team.

Gossip guy Chase Crawford busted for pot
Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford was arrested in the early hours of Friday (US time) outside Dallas, Texas for possession of marijuana.

Celtics tie up series in LA
Ray Allen was unstoppable from the perimeter, hitting eight three-pointers as his electrifying Boston team outran Los Angeles 103-94 in Game Two and stole home-court advantage in the NBA Finals on Monday.

Webber re-ups with Red Bull
Formula One championship leader Mark Webber will stay with Red Bull next year in an unchanged line-up with Germany's Sebastian Vettel, the team has announced.

Swifts make it 11 in a row
New South Wales Swifts secured the minor premiership and a psychological advantage over New Zealand's Magic with a crushing 60-43 win in their trans-Tasman netball competition clash at Sydney Olympic Park on Monday night.

Newman defends 5pc rates rise for Brisbane residents
The Brisbane City Council will raise household rates by an average of 5 per cent in tomorrow's council budget.

Coalition says road revamp won't be axed
The Federal Opposition has rejected claims that a Coalition government would scrap a key road infrastructure project planned for central Queensland.

Victoria leads home building figures
A report from the Housing Industry Association (HIA) shows Victoria had 10 of Australia's top 20 so-called building hot spots in the last financial year.

Victoria leads home building figures
A report from the Housing Industry Association (HIA) shows Victoria had 10 of Australia's top 20 so-called building hot spots in the last financial year.

US jobs figures still weighing on markets
The disappointment over last week's employment data in the United States continued to cast a shadow over Wall Street last night.

Fraser flags no big 'sweeteners' in Qld budget
Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser will deliver his third state budget today, focusing on infrastructure and job creation, however the state will remain in deficit.

IMF dismisses Hungarian debt crisis claims
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has dismissed comments by Hungarian officials that the country faces a Greek-style debt crisis.

US gas pipeline explodes, 3 dead
Reports say three people in the United States have been killed in an explosion along a natural gas pipeline in Texas.

US medical staff 'ran experiments on terrorism suspects'
A human rights group says United States medical personnel allegedly experimented on terrorism detainees during CIA-led torture after the September 11 attacks, aiming to improve interrogation techniques.

IMF dismisses Hungarian debt crisis claims
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has dismissed comments by Hungarian officials that the country faces a Greek-style debt crisis.

US gas pipeline explodes, 3 dead
Reports say three people in the United States have been killed in an explosion along a natural gas pipeline in Texas.

US medical staff 'ran experiments on terrorism suspects'
A human rights group says United States medical personnel allegedly experimented on terrorism detainees during CIA-led torture after the September 11 attacks, aiming to improve interrogation techniques.

Man's neck slashed during robbery attempt
A man has had his neck slashed during an attempted robbery in Sydney's south last night.

IMF dismisses Hungarian debt crisis claims
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has dismissed comments by Hungarian officials that the country faces a Greek-style debt crisis.

Wheel Of Fortune's Adriana Xenides remembered
Australia's entertainment industry is mourning the passing of former Wheel Of Fortune star Adriana Xenides.

US gas pipeline explodes, 3 dead
Reports say three people have been killed and another 10 people are missing in an explosion at a natural gas pipeline in Texas.

Legal fight over breast cancer gene
Landmark legal action challenging a patent over breast cancer gene BRCA1 is being launched in Australia today.

White House press legend quits amid Israel row
Veteran White House journalist Helen Thomas, who has covered every US president since John F Kennedy, has abruptly retired amid a storm of criticism over her controversial remarks about Israel.

10 NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
Ten NATO soldiers serving in Afghanistan have been killed in the deadliest day for foreign forces in the country for months.

Gillard to face miners at Perth meeting
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard will face fresh criticism over the Government's proposed mining tax when she meets business leaders in Perth today.

PM one day, ALP leader the next
The sun doesn't stop shining much in Queensland - but it has certainly stopped shining on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. His push for a resources rent tax and the public money spent on his advertising campaign has turned a tide of voters against him, which now threatens to turn his home state into a liability on poll day. He's now being seen as Premier Anna Bligh's Canberra colleague, not the hometown boy who is better than the state mob. And that's all bad news for those whose job it is to market him.

The Catch: Japan's whaling culture
The trial of the Tokyo Two could seriously damage Japan's claim that its whaling program is for purely scientific research. Foreign Correspondent' spent weeks investigating these accusations, scoring exclusive interviews with the Japanese whalers who blew the whistle on their industry.

It's time for the Greens
The Greens are proving more electorally effective on the cross-benches than their Democrat predecessors. The surge in the Green polling to up to 16 per cent, along with the party's recent 20 per cent record in the Tasmanian election, shows that criticism suggesting the party would be unable to attract a broad base of support has proven to be unfounded.

Global calamity or domestic drama: what will save Rudd?
Whether it be a global financial calamity, a sympathy vote kicking in, or Tony Abbott doing a Mark Latham, it's time we started making a list of stuff that might save Kevin Rudd. You might not think this is a task worth the undertaking ... on the available evidence this is increasingly likely. So let's just call this an academic exercise. A parlour game if you will.

Howard's sticky wicket with the ICC
The aligning of international forces against Howard's nomination for one of cricket's top jobs is surprising. Most would have expected opposition from the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, which has made little secret of its allegiance to Robert Mugabe and the Zanu-PF, and from Sri Lanka, for the shaming of their national hero. But it's South Africa's intention to vote against Howard that's the real story.