Man bashed with bar from own wheelchair (AAP)
The girlfriend of a Canadian tourist who was battered with a metal bar ripped from his own wheelchair said the cowardly attack made her sick to her stomach.

Dams save border towns from big floods (AAP)
Floodwaters are being channelled into vast storage dams on the NSW-Queensland border, saving towns there from major flooding.

Govt orders 150,000 insulation checks (AAP)
Safety inspections will occur in at least 150,000 homes fitted with insulation under the federal government's bungled rebate program.

Minchin not keen on ALP parental scheme (AAP)
Opposition Senate leader Nick Minchin has fuelled speculation that the coalition will vote against Labor's paid parental leave scheme in the upper house.

SBY shows sympathy for Balibo Five (AAP)
The Indonesian president has expressed sympathy to the families of Australian newsmen killed in Balibo in 1975.

Lone man targeted for robbery: court (AAP)
Irishman David Keohane was bashed and robbed because he was the only person walking down a Sydney street in the early hours of August 9, 2008.

Australia to play Ukraine in Fed Cup (AAP)
A tricky away assignment against the Ukraine stands in the way of Australia returning to the Fed Cup world group for the first time since 2004.

Coulter-Nile destroys Bulls top order (AAP)
West Australian paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile has ripped through Queensland's top order in the Sheffield Shield match at the Gabba on Wednesday.

Clarke no certainty for Tests in NZ (AAP)
Australia have included troubled vice-captain Michael Clarke and out-of-form batsman Marcus North in a 14-man squad for a two-Test tour of New Zealand.

Four Nations relying on strong Pumas (ABC)
The Australian Rugby Union says Argentina will have to overcome a number of hurdles to join an expanded Tri-Nations series in 2012.

Samuelsson hat-trick lifts Canucks over Avalanche (Reuters)
* Canucks get 10th win when trailing after two periods

Kookaburras to play Dutch at World Cup (AAP)
Australia will play the Netherlands in the semi finals of the field hockey World Cup on Thursday.