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.

Pakistan monsoon rains kill nearly 200
The death toll from flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential monsoon rains in Pakistan has risen to nearly 200 as officials reported thousands more displaced.

Hunt on for missing siblings
Police are searching for a 15-year-old boy and his 11-year-old sister who have been reported missing in far north Queensland.

France detains L'Oreal heiress' financial adviser
French police have detained the financial adviser of L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt for questioning in a probe that has embarrassed president Nicolas Sarkozy's government.

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.

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.

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

US captures bear after grisly rampage
Authorities in the United States have captured a grizzly bear believed to be responsible for an extremely rare multiple attack in the well-known Yellowstone Park.

Crews suspect house fire linked to faulty insulation
Firefighters believe a house fire in Melbourne's north-west was caused by incorrectly installed insulation.

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.

Market closes lower amid Macquarie slump
The local share market has ended the week on a sour note after a profit warning from the investment bank Macquarie Group.

'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.

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.

Most Pakistanis see US as an enemy
A new poll shows a majority of Pakistanis view the United States as an enemy, oppose the US-led war in Afghanistan and are less concerned about the Taliban and Al Qaeda than a year ago.

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.