Thursday's news in 2 minutes.

1. Speculation is rising that a final showdown between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd could come within weeks. Tensions rose yesterday in the Labor caucus after the leaking of a letter which was critical of the former PM.

MPs have also been seen coming and going from Mr Rudd’s office this week, sparking further talk that another challenge is being hatched. It has been almost 1 year since the last Labor leadership ballot.

2. ASADA, the anti-doping authority, has revealed that it will interview 150 NRL and AFL players, as well as staff and administrators, as part of their investigation into doping in sport. It is understood that 70 to 80 players and officials could be charged with violations and penalties and may face lifetime bans from professional football.

3. In Victoria today, more than 300 schools will be closed, as teachers go on strike. More than 30,000 teachers and support staff will campaign for better pay and conditions by walking off the job..

4. A Tibetan monk set himself on fire on Wednesday, marking the 100th self-immolation in protest of Chinese rule since 2009. Police in Tibet said that the monk burned himself in an eatery near one of the world’s holiest Buddhist shrines, terrifying tourists nearby.

5. An emu has been stolen from a wildlife park in Sydney. On Monday night, thieves broke into Featherdale Wildlife Park, grabbed the female emu and threw it over a two-metre electric fence onto train tracks. Staff from the wildlife park are extremely concerned about the emu’s safety and are calling for whoever stole her to return her home.

6. The 26th annual Cleo Bachelor of the Year competition has seen not one but TWO unusually political entries. Nathan Lambert (the ALP’s assistant national secretary) and James Boyce (Tony Abbott’s principal press secretary), are both in the running. “Hopefully there’s a lot of people out there who prefer normal-looking guys, not chiselled guys,” Boyce said.

7. Two gentlemen from NSW have made My Kitchen Rules history by scoring four perfect 10 scores. Luke and Scott, both personal trainers, doubled the previous record by cooking up a prawn salad for entrée, twice cooked spatchcock with coconut kale salad for main and a spelt berry macaroon tart with crème anglaise for dessert.

8. This image of a woman who had her chest tattooed after a mastectomy has been repeatedly removed from Facebook because it contains offensive content. The ban on the image hasn’t been terribly effective though, it has only prompted more Facebook users to post the photo.