Thursday's headlines

22 Aug 2013

Rudd and Abbott took questions from undecided voters last night, marking the halfway point in the election campaign. In international news, hundreds of people have died in Syria, allegedly due to toxic gas.

Rudd and Abbott meet in feisty debate

A feisty debate marked the halfway point in the election campaign last night as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott took questions from undecided voters in Queensland. Read the full story on Sky News.

Claims hundreds killed in nerve gas attack

The United Nations Security Council is meeting to discuss claims that hundreds of people died after Syrian government forces used toxic nerve gas. Footage of more than 1300 people convulsing and struggling for breath in areas outside Damascus has been posted online. ABC News has the details.

Women remanded in Peru for drug trafficking

A judge in Peru has ordered that a woman from Britain and a woman from Ireland been remanded in custody pending trial for drug trafficking. Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, and Melissa Reid, 19, were arrested as they tried to board a flight to Spain carrying 11 kilograms of cocaine. Read more.

Manning sentenced to 35 years

Bradley Manning, the US Army Private who handed classified information to WikiLeaks, has been jailed for 35 years. Manning can apply for parole within a decade. Prosecutors had been pushing for a 60-year jail term. Seven News has the full story.

Fukushima leak worst since crisis began

The strongest warning about the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has been issued as workers struggle to seal a tank that leaked 300 tonnes of radioactive water. The leak represented a level-three serious incident on the UN’s seven-point International Nuclear Event Scale. Read more.