The federal budget must be passed in its entirety and the Senate must tell the
government if it will give it full support, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.

Overlooked Broncos prop Dave Taylor has reportedly signed a three-year deal with
South Sydney.
Boom forward Taylor, 20, again missed out on a first grade spot when coach Ivan

Global miner BHP Billiton Ltd has announced another round of likely redundancies,
with 240 people affected by plans to mothball its Leinster nickel operation in
Western Australia.

Australia is to change the way it makes electricity, with huge new solar power
plants and cleaner coal facilities to be built.

Brumbies halfback Patrick Phibbs believes being the first cab off the rank in the
final week scramble for Super 14 rugby finals places is a positive for his surging
side.

A Kinglake survivor has told the Victorian bushfires royal commission that residents
would have been better prepared for the inferno if fire danger ratings had been

The Australian economy is not expected to record any growth until 2010/11 as the
"inevitable" consequence of the global recession crimps business investment, weakens

Australians face working longer and harder as the labour force shrinks, while the
Rudd government pins its hopes of economic recovery on the biggest nation building

Single age pensioners and new parents will be among the few winners in a budget
expected to inflict pain on Australians across the board.

The NRL will not revisit the obstruction rule before the end of the season if at all
despite another weekend of controversial rulings and referee condemnations.