Mother Mary MacKillop has a place in all Australian hearts, Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd said shortly before visiting the Pope at the Vatican on Thursday.

Australian mining companies are continuing normal operations in China, amid reports
another man linked to iron ore negotiations has been detained by the authorities.

Loy Kong is a typical low-income earner.
She works full time at a Melbourne blinds factory for $14.31 an hour.

Australians are finding it harder to escape work thanks to BlackBerrys, mobile
phones and laptops, but it has made us more efficient, a study has shown.

Human wrecking ball Wycliff Palu will be considered for Australia's opening rugby
Tri-Nations clash with New Zealand in Auckland, but the Wallabies other powerhouse

Port Adelaide defender Troy Chaplin and North Melbourne backman Daniel Pratt will
both serve suspensions after they failed to beat charges at the AFL Tribunal.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has paid tribute to the millions of Jews killed during the
Holocaust and Australian airmen killed in daring bombing raids over Berlin during

Dumped NSW halfback Peter Wallace could have done "something special" if Blues
selectors had kept the faith, according to his Broncos teammate and Queensland foe
Karmichael Hunt.

Global efforts to end poverty and make the world a better place by 2015 are on the
brink of failure because of the economic crisis.

Australia's 1.3 million low-paid workers will miss out on a pay rise after a
decision to freeze the minimum wage for the first time in 17 years.