Malaysia urged to stop caning immigrants

HUMAN rights watchdog Amnesty has urged Malaysia to abolish caning, saying that tens of thousands of migrants have received the "inhuman and degrading" punishment in recent years.

Poker star in court after win

A TOP New Zealand poker player has been dragged through the courts by his closest card-playing mate after a big cash haul at a Melbourne casino.

Baptist minister's son jailed for rapes

THE son of a high profile Baptist minister has been jailed for more than 15 years for a series of aggravated rapes he committed in the 1980s.

'Richest man' considering BHP assets

ONE of Australia's wealthiest individuals says he will consider buying BHP Biliton's troubled nickel assets to underpin an expansion of the Yabulu nickel refinery in Queensland.