Australia’s incoming conservative government promised to reboot a stalled mining boom and revive an appetite for investment yesterday after leader Tony Abbott swept into office on a platform to scrap a mining tax and run a stable administration.

Australia’s new government prepared to take control of the nation yesterday, with prime minister-elect Tony Abbott vowing to immediately scrap a hated tax on carbon polluters and implement a controversial plan to stop asylum seekers from reaching the nation’s shores.

Australia’s new government prepared to take control of the nation on Sunday, with Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott vowing to immediately scrap a hated tax on carbon polluters and implement a controversial plan to stop asylum seekers from reaching the nation’s shores.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and opposition leader Tony Abbott have held their first televised debate of the week-old election campaign without either candidate emerging as a clear winner.

Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd is to fight next month’s general election on who can be trusted to manage the Australian economy as it moves from a decade-old mining boom that is fading.

Australian prime minister Julia Gillard has faced down a leadership challenge, emerging victorious from a party vote after former leader Kevin Rudd made a last-minute decision not to run.

Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to stay on as prime minister but in a weakened position after the Israeli elections.

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has claimed victory for his conservative VVD party in national elections widely seen as a referendum on the Netherlands’ commitment to Europe.

Australia’s foreign minister resigned yesterday, saying he was unable to continue without prime minister Julia Gillard’s support, paving the way for his leadership challenge.

AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s sinking popularity has plumbed new depths and her Labor Party faces electoral oblivion, an opinion poll revealed, a week after she suffered a major setback on immigration policy.

An Australian MP has been accused of using an official credit card to pay for prostitutes, sparking a political scandal that could bring down the government.

Businessman and journalist Niall O'Dowd has pulled out of the Presidential race, saying the system here favours the "big guns".

FORGET the prime minister. Real political power in Australia right now is being wielded by a maverick in a cowboy hat and his two colleagues. A week after national elections ended on a knife edge, the unlikely trio of lawmakers have emerged as kingmakers.

Australia’s first woman prime minister today announced minimum changes to her cabinet in a reshuffle that analysts say points to an election within weeks.

A sudden revolt within Australia's ruling party gave the country its first woman prime minister, who today promised to safeguard her government's reforms in education, health and industrial law.

ISRAEL’S Labor Party voted last night to join the incoming government of Benjamin Netanyahu, lending a moderate voice to a coalition dominated by hard liners and easing concerns of a head-on confrontation with Washington over Middle East peacemaking.

AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister John Howard, pictured, battled yesterday to contain a last-minute scandal ahead of weekend elections, after campaigners for his Liberal Party were exposed distributing pamphlets accusing the opposition of sympathizing with terrorists.

The rock singer and environmentalist who was front man for Australian rock band Midnight Oil announced this morning he will run for Parliament on the opposition Australian Labor Party’s ticket in elections expected later this year.

A “very unstable” man opened fire today during an argument at an Alabama employment agency, killing four people and wounding a fifth.

An Israeli government official today accused Egypt of trying to meddle in politics – bringing into the open a rift over Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s overtures to the Israeli left and his harsh criticism of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Palestinian leaders have urged the resumption of peace talks with Israel from the point where they stopped.