After three years plotting his revenge, Kevin Rudd made a spectacular return to the labour leadership and could be named Australia’s prime minister today.

WikiLeaks says the group’s founder, Julian Assange, will run for a seat in the Australian Senate in elections due late next year despite facing criminal charges in Sweden.

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.