Australia
Plane hits Ferris wheel in Australia; no injuries
An ultra-light plane crashed into a Ferris wheel at a rural festival in eastern Australia on Saturday, trapping two children on the ride and two adults in the aircraft for hours. There were no serious injuries.
Australia to tax nation's worst polluters
Australia will force its 500 worst polluters to pay 23 Australian dollars ($25) for every ton of carbon dioxide they emit, with the government promising to compensate households hit with higher power bills under a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emi...
Australian company to export feral camel meat to Middle East
AN Egyptian businessman plans to build an abattoir in South Australia to export camel meat to the Middle East.
Australia PM introduces contentious floods tax
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Thursday introduced contentious legislation for a one-off tax to help pay for devastating floods which killed 35 people and swamped thousands of homes.
Railway bridge feared to be mass grave after Queensland flood
BENEATH this bridge, submerged in the muddy water, could lie the most heartbreaking story of the Queensland floods. What was once a railway overpass crossed daily by freight trains is now, resigned rescuers fear, a marker for a mass underwater grave.
Australia floods inundate Brisbane, over 90 missing
Thousands of residents of Australia's third-largest city evacuated homes on Wednesday as massive floods threatened to inundate the financial district, sparked panic buying of food and left authorities despairing for more than 90 people missing.
'Biblical' floods threaten thousands in Australia
Flood waters swept through vast areas of northeastern Australia Saturday, threatening to inundate thousands more homes in a disaster one official said was of "biblical proportions".
Boat Hits Rocks off Australian Island; 28 Dead
Australians on a high cliff watched helplessly Wednesday as a wooden boat smuggling about 70 would-be migrants was smashed against the rocks of Christmas Island by monstrous waves, dumping screaming men, women and children into the stormy surf. At...
Australia set for hung parliament as voters punish PM
Australia awoke to the prospect of its first hung parliament in 70 years on Sunday after a voter backlash against Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who ousted an elected leader just eight weeks ago.
Australian vegetables poisoned as police probe sabotage
Police in Australia are investigating the poisoning of seven million vegetable seedlings, including tomatoes, aubergines and melons.
First all-electric car approved for Australian roads
The Federal Government has unveiled the first all-electric car that has been certified to run on Australian roads.
Australia may take former Guantanamo Bay inmates
KEVIN Rudd has left open the possibility of Australia taking former inmates from the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. But he warned that any US request for an inmate to come would be subject to legal criteria and assessed on a case-by-case basis, Th...
100s of new creatures found on Australian reefs
SYDNEY, Australia - Marine scientists have discovered hundreds of new animal species on reefs in Australian waters, including brilliant soft corals and tiny crustaceans, according to findings released Thursday.
India-born surgeon Patel to face Aussie court in Feb next year
Melbourne, Sept 1 (PTI) India-born surgeon Jayant Patel, who has been facing about 14 charges of manslaughter, causing grievous bodily harm and fraud, will be facing the court for a committal hearing in February next year.
Lone Sydney baby whale put down
A baby whale abandoned by its mother in the waters off north Sydney has been put down, after veterinarians decided it could not survive on its own.
Aussie outback mayor seeks "ugly duckling" women
CANBERRA (Reuters) - A plea for lovelorn female "ugly ducklings" to move to a remote Australian mining town to reverse a shortage of eligible women has landed the local mayor in hot water.
Judge Marcia Hines told to get tougher for Australian Idol
AUSTRALIAN Idol's Marcia "the mother judge" Hines has been told to replace her signature terms of endearment with a much harder edge in another attempt to revitalise the show's waning format. As the karaoke competition enters its sixth season, fol...
Wife auctions evidence of husband's affair on Internet
SYDNEY (AFP) — An Australian woman has taken revenge on her cheating husband by auctioning his mistress's "huge" panties and his "size small" condom packet on eBay.
Australian doctors warn against 'designer vagina' craze
SYDNEY - AUSTRALIAN doctors have raised concerns about clinics offering vaginal cosmetic surgery, warning the trend towards so-called 'designer vaginas' may be exploiting vulnerable women.
SYDNEY, Australia: Qantas Airways suffered its second safety scare in less than a week when a landing gear door failed to close, prompting a precautionary landing just three days after a near-disaster aboard an international flight that forced an ...