Australia's population is set to overtake the 22 million mark shortly after
lunchtime on Thursday, a demographer predicts.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has offered his condolences to Samoa - part of what he
called the Pacific family - following the deadly tsunami that struck the tiny
nation.

A six-year-old girl has died in the Samoa tsunami, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.
"We have ... had confirmed the death of a six-year-old girl, an Australian," he said.

Towering tsunamis sparked by an early morning earthquake have devastated the
neighbouring Pacific nations of Samoa and American Samoa killing more than 100

A terrorist who helped plan July's attacks on two Jakarta hotels calls for the
destruction of Australia in a video that shows the suicide bombers enjoying a picnic

Property developer Ron Medich responded angrily when asked at a NSW parliamentary
inquiry if he was involved in the murder of a Sydney businessman.

Fugitive killer driver Puneet Puneet is reportedly hiding out in the Indian city of
Chandigarh and it could be years before he is extradited back to Australia.

Australia has been told not to mourn but to honour the 741 police officers killed in
the line of duty since 1803.

Newly-retired stars Matthew Lloyd and Michael O'Loughlin have taken development
roles at the AFL.

He's the NRL's form player of 2009 but Cameron Smith doesn't know if he could find a
spot for Dally M medallist Jarryd Hayne in the Australian Test team.