There are calls for a fresh election to be held to resolve the West Australian Senate result, following revelations that nearly 1,400 votes have gone missing.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has asked former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty to investigate the "serious administrative issue", after revealing on Thursday 1,375 votes, which had been verified during the initial count, could not be "located, rechecked or verified in the recount process".
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon says if the ballots are not found, voters should go back to the polls.
"It will cost a lot of money, but there is no choice," he said.
Watchdog confirms disarmamentSyria has destroyed its equipment for making chemical weapons and placed its arsenal under "tamper-proof" seal.
No more 'stuffy elitism'Rupert Murdoch says Australia has moved on from being a nation riddled with "stuffy, narrow-minded elitism".
Clive Palmer to be an MPMining magnate Clive Palmer has won the federal seat of Fairfax with a final margin of 53 votes.
Police admit bikie law errorsQueensland Police admit to errors in lists of groups and locations in the state's anti-bikie legislation.
Editors 'knew about hacking'Emails prove the editor of a tabloid newspaper knew how to hack voicemails, a British court hears.
Teacher 'forced' boy's suicideA young Chinese boy jumps to his death after reportedly failing to write a self-critique demanded by his teacher.
Through the microscope
By Nic MacBean
Award-winning photos provide a stunning window into the microscopic world.
Halloween in Australia
We asked our readers to share what they think of Halloween and what they dressed up as.
Trafficking charges dropped
By South-East Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel
An Australian woman has been released in Vietnam after being arrested on heroin trafficking charges.
Bikies 'worse than corruption'
Melinda Howells
Campbell Newman says gang crime in Queensland is a bigger problem than corruption issues that sparked the Fitzgerald inquiry.
Horseshoe bats caused SARS
By Cameron Best and Margaret Paul
Scientists say the virus that killed 774 people in 2002 originated in horseshoe bats from China.
Flippering to freedom
Hundreds watch as a turtle which nearly died from eating fishing line is released back to the wild.
Powerful Putin unseats Obama
Vladimir Putin topples Barack Obama in Forbes magazine's list of the world's most powerful people.
Live export cruelty video
By Dan Oakes and Peter Lewis
Barnaby Joyce says the live export system is working, despite a new video showing cruelty to sheep.
NAB profit reboundsAustralia's fourth-biggest lender reports a 34 per cent increase in its annual profit to $5.5 billion.
Following the golden ruleReport says gold industry sets a high standard for global responsible mining practices.
Fed decision sparks sell-off The Australian share market has fallen after the US Fed decided to maintain its economic stimulus program.
NBN updates rollout mapsHundreds of thousands of homes and businesses have been removed from the NBN's construction schedule.
Phone-hacking admissionsThree ex-News Of the World news editors have pleaded guilty to phone-hacking charges, a court heard.
End of the line
A recent tragedy in his childhood home has Peter Leneghan struggling to reconcile changes in Bendigo.
Falling behind
Australia hasn't been ahead of the rest in tackling climate change after all, writes Mike Steketee.
Nearly free speech
The last word on Chinese blogs always belongs to the state, writes Jeremy Goldkorn.
Prosperity and democracy
Democracy isn't getting a free ride on the surging tide of wealth, writes Benjamin Herscovitch.
More than art
It's a commercial success, but the Sydney Opera House remains a half-realised dream, writes Robin Larsen.
Failing politics
It seems climate action might be beyond politics as we know it, writes Jonathan Green.
NBN takeover?
The NBN might be looking to acquire Telstra's wholesale division immediately, writes Alan Kohler.
China Club
Will the Coalition reverse the Huawei ban? And at what price to national security, asks Michael Danby.
'Right to publish'A Malaysian court has granted an independent news website the right to go into print.
New economic zonePNG's prime minister wants a special economic zone to be established between PNG and Australia. (video)
Trafficking charges droppedAn Australian woman has been released in Vietnam after being arrested on heroin trafficking charges.
PNG mine hit by strikeProduction at PNG's biggest mine has been cut after staff went on strike over concerns about redundancy offers.
Queen of the TrackPNG sprinter Toea Wisil hopes her country's sporting success will follow her into next year's Commonwealth Games. (video)
England has had a rough start to the Ashes Tour, with the WA Chairman's XI racking up 4 for 369 on day one.
Murdoch declares 'elitism' over
During his address to the Lowy Institute, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch declares Australia's 'stuffy elitism' is at an end.
Lost votes investigated
Mark Simkin
The AEC has ordered an independent inquiry into the loss of 1,375 Senate ballot papers in WA.
Activist's wife demands action
The wife of an Australian Greenpeace activist arrested in Russia says Australia has not done enough to help him.
Welfare watchdog scrapped
Peter Lewis
A federal animal welfare watchdog is being scrapped, despite shocking footage from the Middle East.
Historic shears go for $38,000
Francene Norton
Mechanical shears presented to legendary shearer Jackie Howe have been auctioned for $38,000.
Here comes the sun
Europe correspondent Philip Williams
A Norwegian town has built giant mirrors to reflect the sun's rays onto its town square during winter.
Afghan war questioned
As Australia prepares to withdraw entirely from Afghanistan, questions are being asked over the worth of our involvement.
Reef betrayed by board
As the Great Barrier Reef battles to keep its World Heritage listing, its board ignored advice to ban port developments.
Boosting brain powerWorried about a decline in your mental performance as you age? There's much you can do to reduce the odds.
SARS originsA decade after the SARS pandemic, scientists have found the strongest evidence to date it originated in bats.
Preventing suicideAround two and a half thousand people take their own lives in Australia every year and it’s not always associated with mental illness or a desire to die.
Power play
Tony Abbott says electricity and gas prices will drop by 9 per cent and 7 per cent once the carbon tax is abolished.
Golden rails
A UK commentator was on the right track when he said Pilbara train drivers were probably the highest paid in the world.
Women in cabinet
Tanya Plibersek was out by 25 years when she claimed the last time there was one woman in cabinet was 1976.
Bushfire risk in NSW
Barry O'Farrell says in the past two years, his Government has increased the amount of hazard reduction two-and-a-half times.
Frost costs farmers millionsSevere frost has ruined hundreds of thousands of hectares of crop across NSW and Victoria
Vet urges Hendra vaccinationsThe Australian Veterinary Association says vaccination is the best way to prevent the spread of the Hendra virus. (audio)
Sheep cruelty in JordanThe Agriculture Minister has rejected calls for additional, independent oversight of the live export trade. (video) (audio)
Rare giant oarfish found
The carcass of a giant eel-like oarfish is discovered by a snorkeller off the Californian coast.
The private heiress
By Brigid Andersen
She has been described as a recluse and one-time family favourite, but who is Bianca Rinehart?
Australia knew about PRISM
By Will Ockenden
Secret documents show Australia knew about a US spying program before Edward Snowden lifted the lid.
Robot running into battle
A US engineering company showcases the WildCat, possibly the most advanced running robot so far.
Want a dose of summery fuzz-pop goodness? West Coast coolies Gunns have got you sorted.
A delicious summer chicken dish served with a fresh pineapple tabouli.
Biologist Miguel Ordenana uses CK Obsession for Men to lure jaguars close enough to be photographed.
Shark nets do less than you'd think to prevent shark attack, writes Alexia Wellbelove.
