Local National and World Breaking News

NZ 'most peaceful country on Earth'
June 8, 2010 at 4:02 PM


NEW Zealand has been named the most peaceful nation for the second year running, smashing Australia which barely managed to scrape into the top 20.
 

Lost silent film treasures uncovered
June 8, 2010 at 3:53 PM


A TREASURE trove of 75 long-lost US silent movies has been unearthed in New Zealand, including an early feature film by legendary Oscar-winning director John Ford.
 
 

Van der Sloot 'confesses to murder'
June 8, 2010 at 3:13 PM


JORAN van der Sloot has confessed to the May 30 murder of Lima woman Stephany Flores Ramirez.
 

Sea Shepherd's Bethune had weapons
June 8, 2010 at 3:09 PM


ANTI-WHALING activist Peter Bethune - on trial in Japan - has been expelled from Sea Shepherd, it emerged today.
 

Growth to slow, says RBA official
June 8, 2010 at 2:46 PM


AUSTRALIA is approaching the peak of its V-shaped recovery from the global downturn, according to a longstanding board member of the Reserve Bank (RBA).
 

Jobs the focus of Queensland's Budget
June 8, 2010 at 2:37 PM


MORE jobs, higher growth, lower deficits, lower debt and an earlier return to surplus have been detailed in Queensland's Budget as the state continues its economic recovery.
 

Modern 'Fagin' can consider himself lucky
June 8, 2010 at 2:33 PM


A GROVEDALE man described as Geelong's own "Fagin" - the leader of a juvenile crime gang - dodged jail today.
 

'Roman Gladiator graveyard' unearthed
June 8, 2010 at 2:26 PM


ARCHAEOLOGISTS unearth skeletons with the kind of violent injuries usually sustained in a Roman amphitheatre.
 

Lightning strike kills during proposal
June 8, 2010 at 2:22 PM


RICHARD Butler wanted his girlfriend to think they were just taking a scenic hike in the North Carolina mountains, but he had a secret plan. When they got to the top, he planned to pull out a ring and ask her to be his bride.
 

Book a place in the great face space race
June 8, 2010 at 2:20 PM


NASA has rolled out a quirky souvenir that lets you to send your face - your picture and name, that is - blasting into space.
 

Dollar deflates as bonds follow suit
June 8, 2010 at 1:26 PM


THE dollar was flat at noon as financial markets rebounded following recent slides in volatile conditions.
 

Puddy accused on track for murder trial
June 8, 2010 at 1:14 PM


THE man accused of murdering Perth millionaire Craig Puddy is on track for trial after paperwork bungles were finally sorted out.
 

Homeless 'on cloud nine' after special day
June 8, 2010 at 12:59 PM


HUNDREDS of homeless people converged on Sydney's Town Hall today to enjoy food and a range of free services.
 

Mass blood testing after HIV scare
June 8, 2010 at 12:54 PM


THOUSANDS of Australians at risk of contracting HIV and hepatitis after doctor's sterilisation error.
 

Passengers hurt in city depot tram crash
June 8, 2010 at 12:50 PM


PASSENGERS were taken to hospital after a Melbourne city-bound tram hit another tram moving out of a depot.
 

Rail workers walk off job
June 8, 2010 at 12:40 PM


HUNDREDS of rail workers have walked off the job in an unauthorised strike in north Queensland.
 

Stocks up 1pc after morning gains
June 8, 2010 at 12:34 PM


AUSTRALIAN stocks were 1 per cent higher at noon, extending gains through the morning as investors dipped their toes back into the market after recent losses.
 

Man burned lover's clothes in drunk fight
June 8, 2010 at 12:28 PM


A BUDDING Tasmanian musician who set fire to his girlfriend's clothes during a drunken argument has avoided jail.
 

Footy player's assault charge dropped
June 8, 2010 at 12:24 PM


FORMER Sydney Roosters NRL player Setaimata Sa no longer faces a charge of assaulting a female police officer, a Sydney court has been told.
 

NSW Budget makes early surplus return
June 8, 2010 at 12:20 PM


THE over 65s and those buying homes off the plan will benefit from the country's first zero per cent stamp duty, under the NSW Government's latest Budget showing the state back in the black two years earlier than expected.
 

Two Diggers dead in Afghanistan
June 8, 2010 at 10:41 AM


TWO Australian soldiers have been killed in southern Afghanistan as Taliban insurgents launched a fresh wave of attacks.
 

Diggers killed in Afghan clashes - Bligh
June 8, 2010 at 10:23 AM


QUEENSLAND'S Premier Anna Bligh has confirmed two Australian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.
 

Oprah shouts out to talk show host wannabes
June 8, 2010 at 10:13 AM


OPRAH Winfrey wants to give an undiscovered talent a chance to follow in her footsteps on her new cable network.
 

Unclear if any deaths in gas explosion
June 8, 2010 at 9:39 AM


OFFICIALS now say they don't know if anyone was killed when a natural gas line exploded in Texas.
 

Whistleblowers lift lid on Japanese whaling
June 8, 2010 at 9:23 AM


CREWS aboard Japanese whaling ships are "stealing and selling whale meat" from the scientific expeditions.
 

Accused stalker enters insanity plea
June 8, 2010 at 9:09 AM


A MAN accused of stalking Olympic gold medallist Shawn Johnson entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity today.
 

Public offers 'helpful' ideas on oil spill
June 8, 2010 at 9:02 AM


THOUSANDS of ideas have streamed into BP from average citizens proposing solutions to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
 

Marvin Isley of The Isley Brothers has died
June 8, 2010 at 8:56 AM


MARVIN Isley, the bass player for the funk band The Isley Brothers died of undisclosed causes at age 56 in Chicago today.
 

Women in finance 'overlooked, underpaid'
June 8, 2010 at 8:54 AM


MOST women working in the finance sector feel overlooked, underpaid and under-represented at executive levels, a new survey suggests.
 

Euro heads agree to $647bn rescue fund
June 8, 2010 at 8:47 AM


EURO finance ministers fixed an unprecedented €440 billion ($647 billion) fund to dig debt-laden partners out of the mire, pressured by a dizzying fall for the single currency overnight.
 

Man survives after falling on train tracks
June 8, 2010 at 8:02 AM


A MELBOURNE man has been treated for cuts and grazes after falling onto the tracks as a train arrived last night.
 

Man who set himself on fire has died
June 8, 2010 at 7:52 AM


A MAN who set himself on fire outside the Brisbane Supreme and District Court complex has died.
 

Not a happy start for the dollar
June 8, 2010 at 7:50 AM


THE dollar opened lower today as European debt crisis fears continued to weigh on financial markets.
 

Three dead, 10 missing in gas line blast
June 8, 2010 at 7:46 AM


A GAS line exploded today killing three and leaving at least 10 people missing.
 

BP plans to replace containment cap
June 8, 2010 at 7:37 AM


BP said today that it plans next month to replace the cap collecting the crude with a slightly bigger device.
 

Man shoots wife, targets women at eatery
June 8, 2010 at 7:30 AM


A GUNMAN shot and killed his wife outside a restaurant, then killed three others before committing suicide.
 

Ex-CIA agent raped drugged Muslim woman
June 8, 2010 at 7:24 AM


AN ex-CIA agent pleads guilty to raping a Muslim women after rendering her unconscious in February 2008.
 

Singer Alanis Morissette marries rapper
June 8, 2010 at 7:17 AM


CANADIAN singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, 36, married rapper Mario "MC Souleye" Treadway, 30, in late May.
 

Dow takes another hammering
June 8, 2010 at 6:31 AM


US stocks have fallen to their lowest level in seven months on fears that Europe's economic problems will derail a global recovery.
 

Photos from Coleman's deathbed sold - TMZ
June 8, 2010 at 6:01 AM


PHOTOS of actor Gary Coleman's final moments have been sold to a tabloid and his ex-wife will get a cut of the profits, TMZ reports.
 

10mm thick iPhone 'the biggest leap'
June 8, 2010 at 4:30 AM


APPLE CEO Steve Jobs says the next iPhone will have a clearer screen and is noticeably thinner than previous versions.
 

Media veteran quits over Israel comments
June 8, 2010 at 3:54 AM


VETERAN White House correspondent Helen Thomas has retired after coming under fire for controversial remarks about Israel.
 

Burglar threatened to take soccer star's kids
June 8, 2010 at 3:07 AM


AN "extremely violent" burglar has been jailed after threatening to abduct the children of England soccer captain Steven Gerrard.
 

Woman cries rape to avoid car crash rap
June 8, 2010 at 2:32 AM


A BRITISH woman lied to police about being gang raped and wasted more than 15 hours of police time to avoid being punished for wrecking her boyfriend's car.
 

'Surfing' crocodiles go long-distance
June 8, 2010 at 1:08 AM


AUSTRALIA'S saltwater crocodiles love to surf, and ride tides and currents to travel thousands of kilometres.
 

Chrysler recalls 600,000 Jeeps, vans
June 8, 2010 at 12:35 AM


CHRYSLER recalls nearly 600,000 minivans and Jeep Wranglers because of brake or wiring problems.
 

Dave Hughes, Ruby Rose join star voters
June 8, 2010 at 12:09 AM


ELECTORAL commission enlists star power to encourage young Australians to enrol to vote.
 

Libs dump candidate famed for surgery
June 7, 2010 at 11:47 PM


THE Liberals have dumped the candidate they had selected for the Queensland seat of Wright at the federal election.
 

Pink's tour bus catches fire
June 7, 2010 at 11:22 PM


A TOUR bus being used by the pop singer Pink has caught fire on its way from Munich to Berlin.
 

Ex-Stereophonics drummer found dead
June 7, 2010 at 11:19 PM


STUART Cable, the former drummer of British rock band Stereophonics has been found dead at his home.
 

AFL legend Kevin Sheedy backs Kevin Rudd
June 7, 2010 at 11:07 PM


FOOTBALL legend Kevin Sheedy says it's not yet time to send Kevin Rudd to the interchange bench.
 

MasterChef hopeful kills oyster dish
June 7, 2010 at 10:37 PM


CONTESTANT booted from reality show MasterChef after a "doozy" of a slip-up led to overcooked oysters.
 

Killer whale dies while giving birth
June 7, 2010 at 10:26 PM


A KILLER whale at SeaWorld Orlando has died from complications while giving birth.
 

Israel condemned as 'world gangsters'
June 7, 2010 at 9:51 PM


MALAYSIA'S prime minister says Israel should face International Criminal Court over Gaza aid flotilla attack.
 

Miners could pay 58 per cent tax - Swan
June 7, 2010 at 9:30 PM


WAYNE Swan admits miners could pay up to 58 per cent tax under the Government's proposed resource profits levy.
 

Census unearths 157-year-old woman
June 7, 2010 at 9:22 PM


INDONESIAN woman says she's 157, says her daughter is 108, and says she's been smoking all her life.
 

Doctors honed CIA 'torture' technique
June 7, 2010 at 8:52 PM


MEDICAL professionals helped the CIA perfect legal but harsh interrogation methods for terror suspects.
 

City at war with rats the size of cats
June 7, 2010 at 8:30 PM


TEHRAN launches campaign to control rising population of rats, some of them said to be as big as cats.
 

Credit card stolen from plane crash body
June 7, 2010 at 8:25 PM


VICTIM'S credit card apparently stolen after plane crash in which Poland's president was killed.
 

Girl, 13, arrested over murder
June 7, 2010 at 8:18 PM


GIRL, 13, among seven people arrested on suspicion of murdering a man described as "a gentle giant".
 

Two mums tie knot in first for Portugal
June 7, 2010 at 8:09 PM


A LESBIAN couple has wed in Portugal's first same-sex ceremony since a new law was passed in January.
 

Police dig up cocaine dumped on island
June 7, 2010 at 7:26 PM


POLICE have dug up over one million dollars' worth of cocaine on a central Philippine island.
 

Five dead in Miami restaurant shooting
June 7, 2010 at 6:57 PM


MIAMI-area police say a gunman shot and killed four people at a restaurant and wounded three others before killing himself.
 

Dollar lower on poor EU news
June 7, 2010 at 6:55 PM


THE dollar closed almost three US cents lower on doubts about the US economic recovery and concerns the European debt crisis had spread to Hungary.
 

Adriana Xenides dies
June 7, 2010 at 6:09 PM


ADRIANA Xenides, the long-running hostess of television game show Wheel of Fortune, has reportedly died.
 

Academy to save English from youth 'txt spk'
June 7, 2010 at 5:57 PM


AN Academy of English is being formed to protect the language from impurities, bastardisations and horrors introduced by the text-speak generation.
 

Guilty verdicts 25 years after Bhopal disaster
June 7, 2010 at 5:48 PM


EIGHT people found guilty over the 1984 Bhopal gas leak, including the then-head of the company blamed for poisoning tens of thousands of people.
 

Queensland rules out daylight saving
June 7, 2010 at 5:44 PM


DAYLIGHT saving for Queensland has again been killed off, with Government MPs voting against a trial and referendum on the issue.
 

Darwin Harbour bacteria 'dangerous'
June 7, 2010 at 5:40 PM


A POPULAR Darwin fishing and swimming spot has become contaminated by E.coli, but the source of the bacteria remains a mystery.
 

Iran Red Crescent sends aid to Gaza
June 7, 2010 at 5:27 PM


THE Iranian Red Crescent will send aid ships to Gaza in the latest bid to break the blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory by Israel.
 

Shares in red on US jobs data
June 7, 2010 at 5:22 PM


THE share market has closed sharply in the red after disappointing US jobs data cast a shadow over the US growth recovery story.
 

Ombudsman won't investigate Keneally
June 7, 2010 at 5:17 PM


THE NSW Ombudsman will not investigate Kristina Keneally over claims she tried to smear a man who blew the whistle on former MP Karyn Paluzzano.
 

Agape Ministries 'not a doomsday cult'
June 7, 2010 at 5:11 PM


THE controversial Agape Ministries Church is "not a doomsday cult" and any claims to the contrary are "a load of rubbish", a criminal lawyer says.
 

Macdonald quits NSW politics
June 7, 2010 at 5:00 PM


NEW South Wales Labor MP Ian Macdonald has tendered his resignation from politics, effective immediately.