Focus on the big picture

KEVIN Rudd outlines his vision for the future as he prepares for a leadership challenge.

JULIA Gillard explains in detail why she had to wrest Prime Ministership from Kevin Rudd.

LABOR MP Michelle Rowland will not be able to vote for Julia Gillard on Monday - but she has a really good excuse.

INDONESIAN forces were locked in a tense stand-off outside a prison on Bali island today after inmates took control for a second night.

BUSINESS leaders have demanded an end to Labor’s leadership turmoil so they can confidently prepare for the future.

MACQUARIE Telecom has reported a record profit of $11.1 million for the December half despite declining voice revenues.

TIGER Woods had a narrow first-round escape at the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship.

APN News will enter a joint-venture with private equity to expand its outdoor advertising profile, the company said today.

SENIOR ministers in the Gillard government are urging the Prime Minister to declare the leadership open on Tuesday in a bloodletting that they are confident will see Kevin Rudd banished t...

Move could accelerate adoption of Android devices in corporate environments.

TV executives have reportedly agreed to let Lindsay Lohan play screen siren Dame Elizabeth Taylor in a new TV movie, as long as she keeps out of trouble.

They are yet to play a game in the competition but already the Greater Western Sydney Giants have set an AFL record, today surpassing the Gold Coast Suns as the games' biggest outsider he...

Online travel booking company Wotif.com Holdings has posted a record first half profit as it successfully expands into flight bookings.

Marie Colvin was a foreign correspondent of immense courage and charm who wrote about the rebels, underdogs and ordinary people caught up in war

Peter Hartcher: Kevin Rudd will present Labor with a shocking prospect - would it like to be electable?

Lenore Taylor: Julia GIllard now has the chance to do some long-overdue straight talking.

Three men suspected of planning bomb attack in Thailand partied with prostitutes before the blast.

Quade Cooper has signalled a potential early playing return as he recovers from injury.

GIRL aged nine dies after being forced to run as punishment for lying by her grandmother and stepmother. Photos

RADIO 2UE is considering a double act of Sky News presenter Tracey Spicer and publicist Prue MacSween to take on 2GB's king Ray Hadley.

RUGBY league burnt down its own house last night at the season launch - not for the first time - but for a change it was all good.

KEVIN Rudd has cast himself as Australia's political saviour and damned Julia Gillard by saying she cannot win the next federal election.

FIRE fighters are trying to contain a blaze which has broken out in a Darlinghurst building, closing all citybound lanes of Oxford St.

Wayne Swan continues savage take-down of Kevin Rudd, spilling more details about his 'erratic' personality.

Instrumental trio Dirty Three could have taken the easy option and added a singer. But where's the fun in that?

Channel Ten's controversial recruit stands his ground, writes Paul Kalina.

Filmmaker Julie Gavras warmed to her task when creating a romantic comedy featuring sixtysomethings.

AFL commentator Dermott Brereton sexually taunts Age journalist as Ricky Nixon launches online attack.

THE Oscars have barred Sacha Baron Cohen from attending the 84th Academy Awards, Deadline Hollywood reported today, after the outrageous comic actor vowed to hit the red carpet as his wil...

ACTRESS Jennifer Aniston was immortalised on Hollywood's Walk of Fame today with her own star -- the first of the Friends cast to achieve the honour.

A DEEP-CENTRED 5.1 quake has been recorded off New Zealand's Bay of Plenty coast.

AN HIV positive man who had unprotected sex with a woman who was later diagnosed with the virus has been jailed for two years.

A MAN who allegedly confronted police armed with a knife and a spear will appear in a far north Queensland court today.

SENIOR Cabinet minister declares support for Kevin Rudd to run in a leadership ballot against Julia Gillard, saying the former PM has a lot to offer Labor.

JULIA Gillard has confirmed she will declare the leadership vacant from Monday at 9am, Brisbane time.

KEVIN Rudd says Julia Gillard cannot lead Labor to victory at the next election, making an overt pitch to his colleagues for their support.

INDEPENDENT MP Tony Windsor says he is open to negotiating an agreement with Kevin Rudd if he wrests the leadership from Julia Gillard - just not over the phone.

PREMIER Anna Bligh will continue campaigning despite the federal leadership spat overshadowing the state election.

Abbott says he will call an election if asked to form a government in the wake of Labor's leadership ructions.

On Anna Bligh's election campaign bus it started with a few tweets and some rapid-fire emails.

Quade Cooper has signalled a potential early playing return as he recovers from injury.

Jennifer Aniston is loving being lewd and thrilled to finally shed her girl-next-door image.

Kevin Rudd will now present the Labor party with a shocking prospect - would it like to be electable?

A former Somare government minister says Sir Michael was ousted because he failed to consult with his back bench.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she will end the Labor Party leadership speculation by calling a leadership ballot on Monday.

The Australian dollar was lower at noon as a result of a softer trend in equity markets and uncertainty around the ALP leadership.

Cabinet minister Chris Bowen has urged Kevin Rudd to run for the federal Labor leadership next week.

Therese Rein has urged voters to lobby their local MPs if they want her husband Kevin Rudd to return to the Labor leadership.

It was the most audacious stealth attack in modern Australian political history.

Sunday is being snatched away from Perth's beachside revellers and reclaimed by hip urbanites.

It's hard to believe that Luke Adams, a young man full of life, faced death in a coma less than a year ago.

Good enough to be nominated, but not good enough to be played. Nominee disappointed his song won't be played at Oscars ceremony.

Australian company that was on the verge of extinction is now turning new and old technology into treasure.

A PERTH aviation business and its director have been accused of sacking a teenager after his mum queried his alleged pay of just over $5 an hour.

JULIA Gillard explains in detail why she had to wrest Prime Ministership from Kevin Rudd.

VOTERS could head to the polls early if Kevin Rudd becomes PM again, with the independent MPs warning they would have to reconsider their deal with Labor.

KEVIN Rudd says he has lost confidence in Prime Minister Julia Gillard and outlines his vision for the future.

POLICE are this morning returning to the scene where a woman was set alight in her apartment last week.

JULIA Gillard has called a leadership ballot for Monday - and explained for the first time in detail why she knifed Kevin Rudd. LIVE SKY NEWS COVERAGE

KEVIN Rudd has cast himself as Australia's political saviour and damned Julia Gillard by saying she cannot win the next federal election.

LIVE BLOG: JULIA Gillard's allies today will maintain a savage attack on Kevin Rudd to further weaken his numbers.

A LESBIAN former prostitute who killed a transvestite truck driver invaded homes and robbed people after her release on parole, a court has heard.

FIREFIGHTERS believe they have extinguished a blaze in a grain silo at Wallaroo that prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

A SPURNED lover, who stabbed his ex-girlfriend in the stomach will only serve four months in jail.

DOCTORS need to tell patients they must lose weight says a Tasmanian general practitioner.

TOURISM Tasmania has been attacked for spending a "pittance" to attract visitors during autumn.

JOB losses at TOTE Tasmania will be far higher than initially claimed, insiders say.

A YOUNG British photographer who was left in a coma after a quad bike accident will be flown home.

BHP has announced it will be suspending production at its Temco facility at Bell Bay.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called the leadership ballot for 10am Monday morning.

Denison independent MHR Andrew Wilkie says he won’t judge former prime minister Kevin Rudd on poker machine reform until he spoke to him.

Police have charged two 17-year-old males with motor vehicle stealing after allegedly catching them driving a stolen van at Invermay early this morning.

Tasmania will find out tomorrow exactly how much GST it has lost, after details were leaked over the weekend of a record $500 million cuts in payments to Western Australia.

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At a press conference in Adelaide, Julia Gillard has announced that she will call a Labor leadership ballot on Monday at 10am.

Mitt Romney faces a crucial debate as he tries to stop surging rival Rick Santorum from derailing his presidential bid by winning key Republican primaries in Arizona and Michigan.

Yemen has announced a high turnout in a landmark vote that ended Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule and named a new president, despite boycott calls in the south, where violence marred pol...

The death of journalist Marie Colvin and dozens of civilians in the restive Syrian city of Homs has galvanised a bid to create safe havens and send in aid.

Three executives have been named in a probe into the Costa Concordia tragedy, as eight more bodies were found in the wreck.

Kevin Rudd says Julia Gillard can't win the next election but the PM seems confident she can win the ballot.

A French photojournalist and an American newspaper journalist have been killed in Syria by regime shelling.

Treasurer Wayne Swan has cancelled his attendance at the G20 Finance Ministers' meeting in Mexico.

At least 49 people have died after a train derailed and struck a station platform in Buenos Aires.

Divers searching the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship off a Tuscan island have found eight more bodies.

Thai sugar giant Mitr Phol has completed its takeover of the sugar milling company, MSF Sugar, in far north Queensland.

Fake SES volunteers have been doorknocking in Lismore telling people they are carrying out flood relief fundraising, police say.

A 33-year-old man has been arrested for high-range drink driving, after leading police on a low-speed pursuit in Darwin before jumping into the harbour in an effort to avoid being caught.

The father of a serial paedophile has called for the removal of suppression orders placed on evidence at an inquiry into child abuse at a former Perth hostel.

Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman says federal Labor's leadership turmoil has not made his Queensland election campaign for premier any easier.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says whatever happens in Monday's prime minister ballot, it will be the faceless men of the Labor party pulling the strings. Video --> Photos -->

A 15-year-old US boy has lifted a car weighing more than 900kg that had fallen on top of his grandfather.

Julia Gillard says she will end the Labor Party leadership speculation by calling a leadership ballot.

Kevin Rudd says he was encouraged by federal Labor members and ministers to contest for leadership.

Treasurer Wayne Swan has cancelled his attendance at the G20 Finance Ministers' meeting in Mexico.

A French photojournalist and an American newspaper journalist have been killed in Syria by regime shelling.

At least 49 people have died after a train derailed and struck a station platform in Buenos Aires.

TenNewsSydney: Opposition Leader Tony Abbott calls for an election in order to let the people decide. #auspol #tennews #respill

TenNewsSydney: Tony Abbott: Whatever happens on Monday, it will be the faceless men pulling the strings. #respill #auspol #tennews

TenNewsSydney: Tony Abbott: We have a plan for a stronger economy. #respill #auspol #tennews

TenNewsSydney: Tony Abbott says the Coalition is ready to lead the country and give Australia the good government it needs. #respill #tennews #auspol

TenNewsSydney: Tony Abbott: We’re being let down by a bad government. #respill #auspol #tennews

It was no surprise to anyone that one of the first cabinet ministers to come out fighting in defence of Julia Gillard’s leadership was Trade Minister Craig Emerson.

China has signalled for the first time that it could be willing to open its markets to Australian farm products, a move which could clear the way for a long-delayed Free Trade Agreement.

The NSW government has rejected recommendations for tax reforms and asset sales in an audit it commissioned from former Treasury head

Atlas Iron chief David Flanagan said he was being demonised after Labor senator Doug Cameron accused him of whingeing about paying tax in a heated exchange during a Senate committee inqui...

A short black and a long look at your books. That is the order set to stir cafes nationwide as the tax man does the rounds.

Fairfax Media's December-half result shows predictable cyclical weakness as the softness in the economy outside the resources sector washes through.

BHP Billiton may be about to join the ranks of big companies shedding jobs, as Australia's manufacturing crisis deepens.

Sydney Airport Holdings has reported a full-year tax loss due to the sale of its stake in two European airports in 2011.

Origin Energy, Australia's biggest energy retailer, reported a 61 per cent rise in half-year profit, well ahead of two brokers' forecasts, powered by two retail acquisitions last year.

Transport group Toll Holdings has had a four per cent fall in first half profit and says economic conditions make it difficult to forecast its performance for the rest of the year.

Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown will return from his injury layoff in Saturday night's AFL NAB Cup opener on the Gold Coast.

St Kilda star Lenny Hayes makes his long-awaited comeback from a knee injury in the NAB Cup. Get the full squads for this weekend.

Mark Bosnich says Australia's failure to reach the London Olympics is not a true reflection of the future prospects of the Socceroos.

As the start of the Super Rugby season draws nearer, we bring you the 15 most popular players in Fantasy Super Rugby.

It's been a watershed year for Australia as they fought back from their Ashes humiliation, but who was their Test Player of the Year?

Drivers travelling northbound from Wollongong are advised to expect delays following a truck crash south of Helensburgh and an unrelated fuel spill on Mt Ousley.

Rudd rails against the politics of division while outlining policy initiatives before flying back to Australia

Gillard seeks to end the turmoil "once and for all"

Throsby MP Stephen Jones has pledged to vote for Prime Minister Julia Gillard in any leadership contest against Kevin Rudd.

Funding may have been withdrawn, but commuters lobbying for the installation of lifts at Unanderra train station say they will continue their campaign.

A WOMAN has labelled local police "stupid" after it took them eight years to arrest her over a vicious group assault even though she's always remained at the same address.

TOWNSVILLE Grammar School principal Richard Fairley is recovering in hospital after suffering a near fatal blood clot in his lung while playing golf.

YOU'VE heard of boxercise, but what about crocercise?

A MAN released into rehab after ransacking a hearing-impaired and partially blind 89-year-old widow's home is on the run after breaching his bail.

TOWNSVILLE has hit the list of the cheapest places to buy unleaded fuel in Queensland.

NERVES were running high at The X-Factor auditions in Albury yesterday and all Paul Lizza wanted was a beer.

THE price tag for the Oddies Creek playground is almost $1.4 million after higher than expected patronage convinced the Albury Council to carry out further works in the area.

WODONGA will not have an outdoor pool for the first two months of the next swimming season.

WHEN Wangaratta police pulled over a driver for a licence plate matter, they didn’t know they were about to catch a man with four outstanding warrants for his arrest.

WODONGA nurses are primed to return to unprotected strike action next week unless the Baillieu government agrees by 5pm today to talks with an independent umpire.

GOLD Coast United goalkeeper <strong>Glen Moss</strong> says the 'divorce' of Clive Palmer and Miron Bleiberg' has been tough on the players but he's now looking to the fu...

LEGENDARY crooner Tony Bennett is the latest star in what's sure to be a sell-out show as part of two weeks of celebrations to mark the reopening of Gold Coast's Jupiters Theatre after a ...

ONE of the smallest crowds in A-League history almost witnessed one of its biggest upsets as lowly Gold Coast United threatened to overcome a week of off-field dramas to stun ladder leade...

THE Coolangatta-Tweed Barbarians are locked in a battle to keep rugby union at Coolangatta.

INCUMBENT MP for Broadwater, Peta-Kaye Croft said last night she would 'welcome' the nomination of Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke for the seat if that's what the 75-year-old decided to do. &...

A girl who was swept away in the Indian Ocean tsunami seven years ago said Friday she broke down in tears this week after tracking down her parents, who had long lost hope of finding her...

If North Korea's new leader is looking for advice on how to carry on his family's dynasty, he could turn to Rahul Gandhi, who is on a quest to become the fourth generation of h...

Protesters gathered Saturday outside a town hall in southern China to appeal for the release of people detained during demonstrations over a planned power plant expansion, a witness said.

A new survey shows people in poorer countries send text messages more often than those in wealthier countries. Men in Spain and Germany access the Internet on their phones twice as much ...

The National Center on Family Homelessness said 1.6 million children were living on the streets of the United States in 2010 or in shelters, motels and doubled-up with other families. Th...

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Thursday called a ballot on the leadership of the ruling Labor party, bringing to a head an increasingly bitter and ugly row with predecessor K...

Prime Minister Julia Gillard put her job on the line Thursday, announcing a leadership ballot in hopes of quashing a comeback by the premier she ousted in a Labor Party coup. But Kevin R...

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Thursday called a ballot on the leadership of the ruling Labor party, bringing to a head an ugly row with predecessor Kevin Rudd.

CANBERRA, Australia - Prime Minister Julia Gillard is announcing that her party will vote next week on its leadership.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces party leadership ballot next week.

Australia's foreign minister resigned Wednesday amid an ongoing leadership squabble, saying he could not continue in his role without the support of Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Australia's foreign minister Kevin Rudd resigned Wednesday, saying he was unable to continue without Prime Minister Julia Gillard's support, paving the way for him to make a leadership ch...

Australia Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said today he could not work with Prime Minister Gillard amid  'soap opera' reports that she intended to fire him as foreign minister for disloyalty.

Australia Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said today he could not work with Prime Minister Gillard amid  'soap opera' reports that she intended to fire him as foreign minister for disloyalty.

Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd resigns amid widespread reports of a leadership tussle between him and Prime Minister Julia Gillard.