The rebels' rapid advance through the west of Libya seems to have been halted. Libyan government troops have thwarted the rebels' attempt to take Colonel Gaddafi's birthplace of Sirte. But they came under heavy fire as they approached the town.

 

And a worrying sign in Japan -- Highly radioactive water and plutonium have been found for the first time outside one of the reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant. The leak is in a tunnel linked to reactor No. 2. Plutonium, the most dangerous substance on earth, has been found in soil at five places at the plant. But the company running Fukushima insists the contamination does not pose a threat to human health. 

 

Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has turned up to court in Milan to face corruption charges. It's the first time in eight years he's fronted one of his trials in person. Mr Berlusconi denies claims he misused money for a political slush fund.

 

And the Greens want to stop the Federal Government from giving big companies a tax cut. The Government's planning to cut company tax from 30 per cent to 29 per cent as part of its mining tax deal. Greens leader Bob Brown will announce today his party would support cuts for small business, but would block any tax cut for bigger companies.