News in Australia

• Boys arrested after fires
  

  Three boys have been arrested after shed and car were set alight on the NSW mid-north coast, causing tens of thousands of dollars damage.

• New govt more equitable for all: ACOSS
  

  The Australian Council of Social Service says the new parliament gives real hope for fairness and greater equality for all Australians.

• Carney pips Farah to win Dally M Medal
  

  Sydney Roosters five-eighth Todd Carney has won the 2010 Dally M Medal, beating Wests Tigers skipper Robbie Farah by a single point.

• Slow ticket sales a worry for Hong Kong
  

  The Hong Kong Bledisloe Cup rugby Test next month is reportedly under threat due to poor ticket sales.

• The real Julia is not timid
  

  Prime Minister Julia Gillard promises she will not run a timid government, saying she is optimistic and has big ambitions for the country.

• Brian Smith named NRL coach of the year
  

  Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith has been rewarded for taking the club from NRL wooden spooners to finalists by being named Dally M Coach of the Year.

• No power for homes four days after storm
  

  About 1500 homes are expected to enter a fourth day without power after a ferocious storm battered the NSW south coast and plunged the region into darkness.

• Rice in hot water over Tweet
  

  The fallout over Stephanie Rice's bizarre homophobic slur on Twitter has cost Australian swimming's glamour girl a luxury car deal.

• All Blacks not peaking too early: McCaw
  

  New Zealand captain Richie McCaw is adamant his rampaging All Blacks aren't repeating their old trick of peaking a year out from the World Cup.

• Independents get $10bn boon for bush
  

  Regional Australia had been the big winner out of the independents' negotiations with Labor to form government.

• Regions to enjoy affordable internet
  

  Internet users in regional Australia will pay the same price to surf the web as people in big capital cities as part of Labor's deal to stay in power.

• Balloon ban unlawful: judge
  

  Judge's order banning marking of national child abuse day was unlawful: judge

• Hasler patches up depleted Manly squad
  

  Manly coach Des Hasler has been forced to search far and wide to cobble together an unfamiliar line-up for Sunday's final against St George Illawarra.

• AFL announce byes for 2011 draw
  

  Next year's AFL fixture will have 19 rounds of eight games and five rounds of seven games to accommodate the introduction of the Gold Coast.

• Wallabies set to feel NZ quake fallout
  

  The devastating earthquake in Christchurch has steeled the All Blacks' resolve ahead of the Bledisloe Test against the Wallabies on Saturday night.

• Body found at Gold Coast home
  

  A woman has been found dead in a Palm Beach home on the Gold Coast.

• Atlas, BC hope for fruitful tax summit
  

  Junior iron ore miners have welcomed the announcement of a tax summit and say they hope any new mining tax will be an improvement on the current plan.

• Electorate of Lyne confused: Gillespie
  

  The electorate of Lyne will be "confused, surprised and disappointed" at Rob Oakeshott's decision to back a Labor government, his former opponent says.

• Markets wobble on Independents' pick
  

  Currency, fixed interest and equity markets had some jitters in the lead up to the decision by independent MPs to hand Labor the lead in federal parliament.

• Bennett holds off on plans post-2011
  

  St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett will reassess his future at the completion of the NRL finals, with a return to the Dragons for 2011 his only guarantee.

• Coal boss sees strong mid-term demand
  

  The head of Xstrata Coal says fossil fuels will not be replaced 'overnight', with demand for thermal coal expected to outstrip supply in the medium term.

• Bligh congratulates Gillard
  

  Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says Julia Gillard is up to the task of leading a minority government.

• ALP can learn from Tas example: Giddings
  

  Federal Labor can learn from their Tasmanian counterparts in running a successful minority government, acting premier Lara Giddings says.

• Katter offers something for everyone
  

  Bob Katter's decision to back the coalition while saying he'll happily work with a Labor government offers something for everyone.

• Prime Minister Julia Gillard visits GG
  

  Prime Minister Julia Gillard has left Government House after formally advising Governor-General Quentin Bryce she can form government.

• Crook sticks to cross benches
  

  West Australian National Tony Crook is sticking to his guns and will sit on the crossbenches in the new federal parliament.

• Mother drugged, slashed kids: courts
  

  A Melbourne mother accused of murdering her two young children has been committed to trial.

• Sporting codes 'need integrity officers'
  

  The head of betting agency Sportingbet, Michael Sullivan, has called on the major codes in Australia to each appoint a specialist to oversee gambling on sports.

• WA will suffer under Labor/Greens govt
  

  WA's economy will be damaged and jobs are at risk with a mining tax all but certain under a Labor minority govt, Premier Colin Barnett says,

• Swans still wary of Bulldogs' bite
  

  Sydney veteran Ryan O'Keefe has warned that an injury-hit and slumping Western Bulldogs outfit remains a potent threat.

• Abbott disappointed with poll result
  

  Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he is "disappointed" with the decision of independents to support a minority Labor government.

• Keneally congratulates Gillard
  

  NSW Premier Kristina Keneally says she looks forward to working with the new Gillard government.

• Bikies charged over business extortion
  

  Two alleged Rebel bikies and another man have been charged with extorting money from a Newcastle business.

• Four teens charged over sexual assault
  

  Three teenagers have been charged over the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl at a park in Sydney's inner west.

• Wilkie excited about new parliament
  

  Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says the new parliament will be one of the richest and most productive in Australian history.

• 25 homes bulldozed for rail link
  

  Twenty-five homes in Melbourne's inner-west will be bulldozed to make way for the Victorian government's regional rail link project.

• Dutch reporter cops fine
  

  A high-profile Dutch TV crime reporter has copped a $200 fine after he was arrested for ignoring a police order to leave a Perth man's home.

• Gillard a hard-working PM: Brumby
  

  Brumby congratulates his former chief of staff, Julia Gillard, after she scraped in by the barest of margins to remain prime minister.

• Fowler loving life in Perth
  

  Prized Glory recruit Robbie Fowler says he and his family are happy in Perth, but he has warned team-mates to stay focused on their great start to the season.

• Flukey bath bungle kills kingfish
  

  Aquaculture company Clean Seas says it will take a $700,000 pre-tax hit on its earnings from the loss of 80 tonnes of kingfish.

• Darchinyan to defend world title in US
  

  Australian boxer Vic Darchinyan will defend his IBO bantamweight world title in December when he fights Mexican Abner Mares.

• Nth Qld mayors wait for fine print
  

  North Queensland mayors are waiting to see the fine print on what the region will reap from the Gillard government's regional package.

• Retailers expect lift after election
  

  Consumers will gain confidence from the end of the political uncertainty, the National Retailers Association (NRA) says.

• Milton and Choiseul agree on merger
  

  Listed investment companies Milton Corporation and Choiseul Investments agree on terms for a to merger to create a $2 billion entity.

• Changes in substantial shareholdings
  

  A list of companies to record an increase or decrease in substantial shareholdings.

• Qld at risk under Gillard: Langbroek
  

  A Gillard government risks Queensland's economic base and tens of thousands of jobs in mining and agriculture, Queensland opposition leader says.

• Mortgage sales jump 11% in August
  

  Mortgage sales jumped 11 per cent in August as homebuyer confidence strengthened and mortgage delinquencies stabilised.

• The regions will remain unloved: Truss
  

  Nationals leader Warren Truss says independents Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor will be judged by their electors on a decision to back Labor.

• Bartel top of the class for Cats
  

  Statistics have shown that Jimmy Bartel, and not his more heralded midfield colleagues, has been at the heart of Geelong's engine room in 2010.

• Brown predicts a beautiful three years
  

  Australian Greens leader Bob Brown expects the next parliament to be more "beautiful" than "ugly".

• Cats desperate for redemption: Ablett
  

  Geelong star Gary Ablett says the Cats know what went wrong against St Kilda last Friday night and are desperate to redeem themselves.

• No JORC estimate for MetroCoal's project
  

  MetroCoal says it has not yet released a resource estimate for its Columboola project in Queensland that complies with Australia's mineral reporting code.

• Labor prepared to govern: Gillard
  

  Prime Minister Julia Gillard says Labor is prepared to deliver stable and effective government for the next three years.

• Fittler warns Titans of Warriors' threat
  

  Roosters great Brad Fittler believes Friday night's final between injury-hit Gold Coast and New Zealand Warriors could be an elimination game.

• OCD drove canteen lady to theft
  

  A Perth hospital canteen lady stole $1300 a week to feed her obsessive compulsion for using skin care products, a Perth court has been told.

• SA wine body restructured
  

  South Australia's wine industry council has been restructured to ensure the state retains its spot as Australia's top wine producer.

• Ashley-Cooper eyes another hoodoo
  

  Wallabies centre Adam Ashley-Cooper reckons the hoodoo-breaking win over the Springboks is reason to believe Australia can finally beat the All Blacks.

• Shots fired at rowdy footballers
  

  Shots have been fired at a group of rowdy footballers at a home in Sydney's southwest.

• Rudd offers no comment on outcome as yet
  

  Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has no immediate comment on the election outcome, his spokesman says.

• Aborigines recognised as 'first people'
  

  NSW Premier Kristina Keneally will on Wednesday introduce an amendment to the state's consitution to recognise Aborigines as the "first people".

• Some voters will be critical of Windsor
  

  Some voters in the federal electorate of New England will be critical of Tony Windsor's decision to back Labor to form the next government.

• Labor will work against regions: Joyce
  

  A minority Labor government will work against the interests of regional Australia, Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce says.

• AMEC still hopes mining tax will be axed
  

  Small-to-mid tier miners continue to hope the planned new mining tax will be scrapped altogether.

• Funeral ads misleading, says Invocare
  

  Funeral operator says ads claiming funeral insurance can cost less than the cup of a coffee a week are not telling the full story.

• NSW businesses says govt faces tough job
  

  The NSW Business Chamber has congratulated Labor on forming a minority government but says the real challenge is making it work.

• Leighton expected to name new King
  

  Leighton has declined to comment on speculation that the company will announce the end of chief executive Wal King's 23-year reign within days.

• Aussie has British motor race in sights
  

  South Australian Scott Pye is on target to capture the British Formula Ford open-wheeler series.

• Brabham name returns for V8 enduro
  

  David Brabham is set to renew his acquaintance with Supercars in this weekend's Phillip Island endurance race.

• Bligh willing to cop it over assets sale
  

  Queensland's premier admits she's on the nose with voters and will be for a while, but she's willing to cop it if she can build a stronger economy.

• Child sex groomer jailed in police sting
  

  A Queensland man has been sentenced to at least one year and two months behind bars for procuring a person he believed to be under 13 for sexual activity.

• Economist backs asset sale
  

  BIS chief economist backs Queensland asset sale as Ms Bligh tells an audience it's put the government on the nose with voters.

• Pro-euthanasia ads to hit TV screens
  

  A "hard hitting" pro-euthanasia campaign soon appear on television screens and billboards across Australia.

• ALP to form minority federal govt
  

  ALP leader Julia Gillard will form the first minority federal government since 1940 after winning the support of key rural independents.

• Galea stays with Raiders
  

  Former Penrith and Wests Tigers back-rower Danny Galea has extended his time in Canberra until the end of 2011.

• Parliamentary reform flagged by premier
  

  NSW Premier Kristina Keneally is pushing for reform of the NSW parliament.

• Miner in court over alleged sand swindle
  

  A company accused of unlawfully taking and selling sand worth $80 million from North Stradbroke Island says the case is an abuse of process.

• House searched for missing woman
  

  Police have wrapped plastic sheets around the house of a missing Perth mother as they conduct further forensic investigations into her disappearance.

• Rates unchanged, statement lacks 'meat'
  

  The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left the cash rate unchanged at 4.5 per cent on Tuesday, and gave little indication of what the future holds.

• WA adoption apology an Australian first
  

  Western Australia will become the first state to apologise to women, children and families affected by past adoption practices.

• Dockers can disprove doubters: Barlow
  

  Having made a habit of proving doubters wrong, Fremantle's Michael Barlow believes his AFL club can do likewise.

• Policeman shot at two homes
  

  A court has been told a policeman shot at two families in a neighbourhood dispute over land.

• Storm settlements being finalised
  

  More than 900 of the 1120 claims lodged with a legal firm by victims of the 2008 Storm Financial collapse have been finalised.

• Bligh dismisses MPs Wild Rivers worries
  

  Premier Anna Bligh says federal MP Bob Katter's opposition to Queensland's Wild Rivers legislation is a moot point.

• $A falls as RBA leaves rates unchanged
  

  $A falls as rates remain unchanged at 4.5 per cent.

• Four men on child porn charges
  

  Four Perth men have been charged during a four-day police operation after allegedly sharing pictures of sexually abused children over the internet.

• Reserve Bank leaves cash rate unchanged
  

  Homeowners can rest easy for another month after the Reserve Bank left its key interest rate unchanged after Tuesday's board meeting.

• Up to 700 homes in Shepparton at risk
  

  At least 700 residents in the fruitbowl region of Shepparton are at risk of becoming isolated by floodwaters when the rising Goulburn River peaks on Tuesday.

• Intrepid turns 21, plans share float
  

  The hope was to start a little business that gave them an excuse to keep travelling, but for Darrell Wade and Geoff Manchester it became much more.

• Greens call for full term from govt
  

  Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called on the next federal government to serve its full three-year term of office.

• Drillsearch ups stake in SA gas finds
  

  Oil and gas producer Drillsearch has increased its interest in four wet gas discoveries in South Australia's Cooper Basin.

• Last laugh goes to Michaels
  

  Broncos discard Steve Michaels says he has mixed feelings after helping steer the Gold Coast to a home final while Brisbane crashed out of the NRL top eight.

• Jobless rate expected to fall in August
  

  Australia's unemployment rate is expected to have fallen in August as the nation's economy continues to pick up steam, economists say.

• Coalspur expands landholdings in Canada
  

  Coal explorer Coalspur Mines Ltd has expanded its landholdings in Alberta, Canada.

• Tuqiri confident Tigers can roar
  

  Wests Tigers winger Lote Tuqiri is convinced the joint venture have the players and the coaching staff to repeat their 2005 NRL premiership success.

• Pysch report for knife-wielding teen
  

  A Perth teenager who confronted a female classmate with a knife has had his sentencing adjourned so that his psychological state can be assessed.

• $A rises/falls as Katter backs coalition
  

  The Australian dollar rises and falls sharply as federal independent Bob Katter backs coalition.

• Magpies know they're the real deal: Swan
  

  Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan says the Magpies knew they were not at AFL premiership standard entering last season's finals, but this year is different.

• Katter backs coalition to form govt
  

  North Queensland independent MP Bob Katter will back the coalition to form a minority government.

• Rate hikes, costs leave homebuyers cold
  

  Homebuyers are more worried about meeting their repayments or buying property than they were a year ago, a survey has found.

• Oppn pledges Kilmore-Wallan bypass
  

  The Victorian coalition has pledged to build a $130 million bypass to take trucks off roads in Kilmore and Wallan, north of Melbourne, if elected in November