Rudd plans wider post-surgery campaign
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has welcomed a statement from Kevin Rudd indicating he is willing to campaign nationally for Labor after he undergoes surgery and is released from hospital.

High Court challenge targets missing voters
Figures released by the Australian Electoral Commission show fewer than 87,000 people managed to get on the roll after this year's election was called.

Sobbing teen driver jailed for cyclist's death
A teenager said to have driven his car like a missile has been sentenced to 18 months in detention for killing a cyclist on Adelaide's northern fringe.

Gulf coast locals beg not to be forgotten
While the oil has stopped flowing in the Gulf of Mexico, many of the people who live along the Gulf Coast fear they will soon be forgotten.

CA accepts Howard's fate
Cricket Australia says it will support New Zealand Cricket's nominee for the ICC vice-presidency, all but ending John Howard's chances of taking the role.

Survivors brace for Black Saturday report
The Royal Commission into Australia's worst bushfire disaster will release its final report tomorrow, and it is expected to traumatise some survivors.

Sydney mother forced Thai women into prostitution
A Sydney mother who forced 11 Thai women to work as prostitutes to help pay off her mortgage has been jailed for at least 13 months.

'Common sense' MySuper will face a fight
A member of the Cooper superannuation review panel says its proposals should be made law, despite campaigns against some proposed changes by sections of the finance sector.

Palestinian rocket hits Israeli city
A rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip has struck the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon, causing damage but no injuries.

US police destroy $2b worth of marijuana
Police in California say they have destroyed nearly $US2 billion ($2.2 billion) worth of marijuana plants in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

London launches bike hire scheme
The first large-scale bicycle hire scheme in Britain will get under way in London on Friday (local time).

Splendour in the mud not dampening spirits
The gates are open, tents are pitched and 30,000 people have migrated to the south-east Queensland town of Woodford for the sold-out 2010 Splendour In The Grass music festival.

Maths solves sperm movement mystery
UK scientists may have unravelled one of the long-standing mysteries of human fertility: why sperm cells tend to behave like tiny, surface-seeking missiles.

Deadline set for NRL commission
A new independent rugby league commission is set to be established by November 1 following a meeting between NRL club chief executives on Friday.