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Brain plaque could cause Alzheimer's
6:19PM AUSTRALIAN scientists have identified an early warning sign for Alzheimer's, evident in the brain years before the disease causes any cognitive decline.
Dollar higher after Greece bailout hopes
5:59PM THE Australian dollar closed higher after news of a potential bailout for debt-ridden Greece boosted investor appetite for risk-sensitive currencies.
Pizza mogul killed in motorbike crash
5:23PM MILLIONAIRE restaurateur Rocco "Rocky" Pantaleo has been killed when his motorbike was hit by a car at a notorious Melbourne intersection.
Man denies rage-fuelled killing - court
5:21PM A PERTH taxi driver has denied being in a rage with his parents before kicking them to death with steel-capped boots in their bedroom after drinking heavily.
Mums with more children 'less suicidal'
5:14PM From correspondents in Taiwan THE more children a woman has, the less likely she is to commit suicide, a Taiwanese researcher said today, summarizing a study of more than 2000 mothers who took their own lives.
Abducted mum, baby found safe
5:11PM A MOTHER and her baby daughter reportedly abducted from outside a home at Wagga Wagga in southwest NSW have been found safe and well.
Some women born bad mums - study
5:03PM AS bad mothers dominate headlines, neurological research from the United States raises the question of whether a bad mother switch in the brain can be detected, and if so, whether neglectful or abusive behavior could be prevented.
Man hit by car in serious condition
4:50PM A 65-YEAR-OLD man is in a serious but stable condition after being hit by a car as he was crossing a road at in Sydney's southwest.
ASX ends lacklustre week with small gains
4:40PM THE share market closed slightly higher as cautiousness concerning recovery in the US and debt problems in Europe remained a dominant theme.
Victoria on bushfire alert
4:21PM WESTERN Victoria has been put on bushfire alert this weekend, with hot, dry weather expected.
Shand to face retrial over Nuttall bribes
4:04PM A BUSINESSMAN will be re-tried over allegations he paid a $60,000 secret commission to former Queensland government minister Gordon Nuttall.
Killer caught after 38 years on the run
4:00PM By Greg Milam A CONVICTED murderer who has been on the run for 38 years is back behind bars in the United States after being discovered running a wedding chapel.
Robin Hood to kick off Cannes
3:55PM From correspondents in Paris RIDLEY Scott's Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett will open this year's Cannes film festival.
Serial sex offender jailed indefinitely
3:51PM A QUEENSLAND serial sex offender will remain in indefinite detention after losing an appeal.
Officer stood down over 'obscene act'
3:33PM A QUEENSLAND police officer has been stood down from duty after being sent home from a rugby league competition for an off-field misdemeanour.
Former member hints at ABBA reunion show
3:24PM From correspondents in London SWEDISH pop group ABBA could re-unite for a one-off performance after years of rejecting calls to take to the stage again, two former members of the band hinted in an interview.
Baby bonus blamed for rise in tot abuse
2:56PM By Matt Cunningham THE baby bonus is a curse that is causing teens to get pregnant just to get money from the Government, an academic says.
Driver found guilty of pedestrian murder
2:48PM A DRIVER accused of deliberately running down a pedestrian who threw cheese balls at her car has been found guilty of his murder.
Asylum seekers moved to mainland
2:29PM THE Government is preparing to move asylum seekers from Christmas Island to the mainland but denies it's because the offshore facility is almost full.
Two-wheel Holden car pod drives itself
2:10PM By Tim Dornin AUSTRALIAN car maker Holden has helped style the future of city motoring, designing a radical two-wheel, pod-like vehicle that can drive itself.
Woolies warns on predatory share offers
2:01PM RETAILER Woolworths has urged shareholders to seek independent professional advice before responding to unsolicited offers to purchase their shares.
Cartridges 'found at Moran murder scene'
1:38PM SEVEN fired cartridge cases were found at the scene of Des "Tuppence" Moran's murder, a Melbourne court has heard.
Patel's surgery contributed to death - court
1:18PM By Christine Flatley AN operation carried out by Jayant Patel sparked a chain of events that eventually led to a patient's death, a court has been told.
Dollar lower on Greece rescue woes
1:05PM THE dollar was lower at noon as concerns over a Greece rescue package remained.
ABC Learning wind-up meeting delayed
1:00PM ABC Learning creditors have voted in favour of a 45-day adjournment of a meeting to wind up the group of companies.
Sam Leach wins Archibald Prize
12:50PM SAM Leach has won the Archibald Prize for a portrait of singer songwriter Tim Minchin.
BoQ buys St Andrews from CBA
12:49PM BANK of Queensland has agreed to buy the St Andrew's insurance business from the Commonwealth Bank for an undisclosed sum, in what the buyer describes as "a true bolt on acquisition".
Shares dip lower at noon
12:37PM SHARES were trading lower at noon, with weakness among mining and financial stocks dragging the broader market down.
Barnaby 'backs irrigators over Murray-Darling'
12:26PM THE Government has accused Barnaby Joyce of being a supporter of irrigators and against water purchases to restore health to the Murray-Darling Basin.
Short work-weeks 'creating working poor'
11:58AM By Eoin Blackwell THE short work-week strategy that helped employers avoid the worst of the global financial crisis (GFC) is growing an army of the working poor.
240 caught as scenic train derails
11:56AM THE Kuranda Scenic Railway train has derailed near Redlynch in far north Queensland, with more than 240 passengers on board.
Doctors remove boy's extra fingers, toes
11:35AM By Laura Holmes A SIX-year-old Chinese boy has undergone surgery to remove an extra five fingers and six toes, Sky News reported.
MORE BREAKING NEWS
Labour to cut deeper than Thatcher
2:02PM BRITAIN'S Finance Minister conceded a re-elected Labour government would make "deeper and tougher" spending cuts than in the early days of Margaret Thatcher.
Vatican defends Pope in abuse scandal
9:13AM THE Vatican has defended Pope Benedict XVI against an allegation that he failed to act over a US priest accused of molesting up to 200 deaf children.
Mexican police nab 'King of Heroin'
12:13PM MEXICAN police have arrested a suspected top supplier of heroin to the US known as "The King of Heroin".
Bruni fears for Sarkozy's health
9:12AM Charles Bremner CARLA Bruni does not want President Sarkozy to run for a second term in 2012 because she fears for his health under the pressure of the job.
Congress fights over death threats
10:20AM US Congress has united to denounced threats and violence aimed at politicians who voted for Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul, but feuded bitterly over who was to blame.
Prince Charles visits Afghanistan
9:41AM NAD ALI, Afghanistan: Prince Charles has paid tribute to his country's forces in Afghanistan during a surprise visit to the frontline of a war that has claimed hundreds of British lives.
Miclyn wobbles may weaken IPO market
5:02PM Michael Bennet MICLYN Express Offshore gave up early gains to close flat, putting a dampener on Australia's initial public offering market.
Two-speed global recovery worries RBA
9:52AM James Glynn GLENN Stevens says the two-speed global economic recovery will present challenges, particularly with V-shaped recoveries in some areas.
Japanese deflation tightens grip
3:09PM UPDATE: Megumi Fujikawa JAPANESE consumer prices have fallen for the 12th straight month, as deflation tighten its grip on the world’s second biggest economy.
Stocks fight back to end higher
4:48PM THE Australian sharemarket fought back to close slightly higher after early losses, but the rebound failed to help the Australian dollar.
Ten secures NBL broadcast rights
12:52PM EXCLUSIVE: James Chessell TEN Network is poised to announce it has secured the rights to broadcast the National Basketball League for the next five years.
MMC buys wealth assets for $195m
11:58AM Bill Lindsay MMC Contrarian plans to raise $73 million to fund the purchase of life insurance and wealth management assets for $195 million.
Ten secures NBL broadcast rights
12:52PM EXCLUSIVE: James Chessell TEN Network is poised to announce it has secured the rights to broadcast the National Basketball League for the next five years.
Kubica sets early pace at Albert Park
4:49PM RENAULT’S Robert Kubica was fastest in o today’s practice ahead of the Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.
Sharks circle Tim Smith
3:28PM NRL strugglers Cronulla is deep in negotiations with the Brisbane Easts over a release for former Parramatta star Tim Smith to join the Sharks.
Meares leads Australia's golden run
8:25AM ANNA Meares was at it again as Australia enjoyed another golden night at the track cycling world championships in Copenhagen.
Allenby in the hunt at Bay Hill
1:25PM ROBERT Allenby made a spectacular long range eagle as he put himself on the leaderboard after the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Fanning quick to put pro behing him
4:12PM Cassandra Murnieks AFTER an uncharacteristic performance at last month's Quiksilver Pro two-time men's world surfing champion Mick Fanning is seeking atonement.
Wong turns tap on Joyce water torture
11:13AM Joe Kelly LABOR has stepped up its pressure on Barnaby Joyce, bombarding him with questions on water policy a day after he was dumped as Opposition finance spokesman.
Brown hits back as Tanner slams Greens
3:47PM Joe Kelly BOB Brown has hit back after Lindsay Tanner slammed the Greens for “doing nothing” and having the luxury to campaign on progressive issues.
Buswell undermines Swan on health talks
2:44PM Joe Kelly and AAP WEST Australian Treasurer Troy Buswell has shot down Wayne Swan's positive take on health talks with the states today.
Boatpeople fly out as 70 more arrive
3:49PM Paige Taylor and Joe Kelly A GROUP of 51 asylum-seekers without visas left Christmas Island on a special charter jet today as two more boatloads were brought ashore.
Keneally rides out debate jitters
2:32PM Imre Salusinszky, NSW political reporter NSW Premier Kristina Keneally stressed her experiences as a working mother today in her first public debate against Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell.
Joyce ousted for steady Robb
Sid Maher and Nicolas Perpitch TONY Abbott has eliminated the risk of election-campaign economic gaffes from Barnaby Joyce, dumping the maverick Queenslander as opposition finance spokesman.
Vic Police halts database overhaul
1:31PM Correspondents in Melbourne A multi-million-dollar overhaul of the Victoria Police criminal database has been suspended over potential cost blow-outs and ongoing problems.
BlueScope Steel keeps faith in CSC
9:20AM Fran Foo AUSTRALIA'S largest steel maker, BlueScope Steel, has extended its multi-million-dollar IT contract with CSC that could last up to eight years.
Wall St Journal sets price for iPad
9:07AM THE Wall Street Journal plans to charge $US17.99 ($19.83) a month for a subscription to the newspaper on Apple's upcoming iPad.
Steve Jobs tops global CEO study
8:35AM John Durie APPLE boss Steve Jobs has emerged as the top-ranked chief executive in an Insead/Harvard study of the top 200 global bosses.
NBN too important to play politics
Matthew Stevens NO one should doubt Stephen Conroy when he says the national broadband network can be built without Telstra.
Industry welcomes clarity on NBN wholesale terms
12:49PM Mitchell Bingemann THE telecoms industry has thrown its support behind the NBN Co's decision to put to bed arguments for the company to offer more complex services.
