Top Stories: London, Dec 25 (IANS) Actress Nicole Kidman has upset neighbours near her Australian country home after planting 150 of the notorious leylandii tree to shield her house from onlookers. IANS Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:20:03 -0500Melbourne, Dec 25 (IANS) Australian captain Ricky Ponting Friday said he would be fit in time for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan starting here Saturday. IANS Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:10:01 -0500Washington, December 25 : A new study has determined that an ancient dwarf whale unearthed in southeastern Australia captured its prey by slurping up mouthfuls of mud. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:50:05 -0500Melbourne, Dec 25 (IANS) Australia's hope to bid for the 2018 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup received a boost with the government saying that it will control the key elements of the bid and establishing a taskforce to sort out problems that have dogged Australia's push to host the largest event in world sport... IANS Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:40:02 -0500Melbourne, Dec 25 : Actress Sophie Monk says David Hasselhoff has been calling and asking her to have "Hoff-ee" ever since the duo starred together in 2006 comical Click. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:10:04 -0500Melbourne, Dec. 25 : Pakistan cricket captain Mohammad Yousuf will remind his team that brilliance alone won't be enough to beat Australia in the first Test at the MCG, starting on Saturday. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:00:03 -0500Melbourne, Dec. 25 : Australian captain Ricky Ponting is wary of the 'young' Pakistani team, and has described the visitors as a much better side than the West Indies. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:20:11 -0500Karachi, Dec. 25 : Swashbuckling Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi is hoping to utilize the KFC Big Bash, Australia's domestic Twenty20 extravaganza, as warm-up matches to prepare himself for the limited over series against the Aussies. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:40:13 -0500Nevada (US), Dec 25 : Oscar winner A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) is charging 100 dollars per person for a "VIP Experience" at his "free" concert in Australia on January 16. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:40:08 -0500Melbourne, Dec. 25 : Pakistan suffered a big blow ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Australia, as leg-spinner Danish Kaneria sustained a finger injury on his right hand during a practice session here. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:00:09 -0500Melbourne, December 25 : Researchers from University of Queensland's (UQ) School of Biological Sciences claim to found a way to control the spread of dengue fever. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:30:10 -0500Melbourne, Dec. 25 : Australian tennis great John Newcombe does not support the view that Queenslander Bernard Tomic is the most likely successor to Lleyton Hewitt as his country's next world class player. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:30:02 -0500Melbourne, Dec. 25 : New South Wales leg spinner Steven Smith has been called into Australia's squad for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan as standby for an injured Nathan Hauritz. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:40:09 -0500Melbourne, December 25 : Miley Cyrus' Australian boyfriend Liam Hemsworth and brother Chris got involved in a fistfight in Hollywood few months ago. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:40:06 -0500Melbourne, December 25 : Natalie Portman has dismissed reports linking her to Australian actor Chris Hemsworth. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:20:02 -0500Sydney, December 25 : Nicole Kidman's New South Wales country home neighbours are miffed with her because of an "ugly" fence she has built around her estate for privacy. ANI Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:20:02 -0500THE NSW Government has caved in to the powerful interests that dominate Sydney's taxi industry, reneging on a pledge to issue an unlimited number of new taxi plates. The Transport Minister, David Cam... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:21:01 -0500A NEW SOUTH WALES man who died after being shot by police on Christmas Day was helpful and "would do anything for anybody'', a neighbour says. News.com.au Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:20:03 -0500Two police officers have been injured, one seriously, in a brawl involving up to 80 people in Western Australia's north. The constables were called out to a fight that developed between rival familie... ABC News Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:10:31 -0500The fire threat in Victoria's East Gippsland region has eased, with the help of good overnight rain. Fire crews have contained a 7,000 hectare fire south-west of Cann River. An 80-hectare fire north... ABC News Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:10:30 -0500ACROSS-THE-BOARD income tax cuts are off Labor's agenda as the Henry review looks instead to ease the burden on individual taxpayers by simplifying returns and reducing churn in the tax and famil... News.com.au Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:55:38 -0500WITH Christmas out of the way, bargain hunters will begin feasting on the Boxing Day sales when doors open in major cities at an ungodly 5am (AEDT). News.com.au Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:55:33 -0500A NEW SOUTH WALES man who died after being shot by police on Christmas Day was helpful and "would do anything for anybody'', a neighbour says. News.com.au Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:55:32 -0500Karachi - Pakistan's all-rounder Sohail Tanvir Friday pulled out of a contract with Australian side Victoria after doctors advised him to rest an injured knee. The 25-year-old was due to play for t... IOL Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:54:14 -0500Authorities are investigating the cause of a fatal housefire west of Brisbane. Firefighters were called to the house in Oakey shortly before 2:00pm (AEST) on Friday. A woman's body was found in the ... ABC Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:45:30 -0500PAYMENT plans are being introduced to help parents meet the soaring cost of private schooling as fees pass $26,000 for the first time in Sydney. Private schools are raising their fees by as much as f... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:33 -0500THE Catholic Church, traditionally a Labor heartland, is fast colonising the Liberal Party. A Herald analysis shows as many Catholics on the front bench of the Federal Opposition as that of the Govern... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:31 -0500NOT a soul wanted to be there. Worse places can be found to spend Christmas - the burns ward, perhaps, of a children's hospital - but the bails court at Parramatta is near the top of the list. No tree... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:27 -0500WHERE does the money go? The question of what private schools do with federal funding and income from fees is sure to be discussed by families whose children are pupils. For many years state educatio... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:24 -0500PHARMACIES may face significant cost pressures after the Government extracted $1 billion in savings as part of a new five-year deal with the sector intended to curb the rise in government health-care ... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:19 -0500A LAKEMBA teenager on a religious studies holiday on the Central Coast has drowned during a beach swim. Mohamed Ibrahim, 18, was on a 10-day religious instruction course at the Central Coast Islamic ... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:16 -0500THE Prime Minister and the Queen used their Christmas messages to urge people to remember those hit by the global economic downturn of 2009, while Sydney's religious leaders urged people to pray more ... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:13 -0500AS WE recycle the wrapping paper, many are left wondering what to do with nearly 20 million unwanted presents worth $1.05 billion. This year Australians spent $8.5 billion on gifts - an average of $6... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:11 -0500CINEMAS are packing the popcorn machines in preparation for what many believe will be the highest grossing day of the year. Whether it's stinking hot or pouring with rain, the Boxing Day trip to the ... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:08 -0500MILITARY personnel serving overseas have sent Christmas wishes in word and song to families and friends back home. Standing outside the Uruzgan Medical Centre in Afghanistan, a Defence Force health t... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:05 -0500Lachlan Macquarie landed in Sydney on December 28, 1809 and assumed office on January 1, 1810. Friday will be the 200th anniversary of his taking over as the fifth governor of NSW. With supervisory j... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:33:01 -0500THE streets do not own the poor. Many of the needy have shelter but that can mean they are out of sight, desperately alone, failing to cope, often in squalor.The Brown Nurses find them. They have been... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:32:58 -0500At Mission Australia's Cafe One, in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, Christmas lunch was a bustling affair, with 25 volunteers dishing up roast meals and distributing presents to local disadvantaged peopl... The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:32:16 -0500CAPE York leader Noel Pearson has called on the Rudd government to urgently realign its policies on Aboriginal housing, predicting that the many billions currently being spent on building public housi... The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:32:11 -0500THE nation's political leaders yesterday urged Australians to reach out to friends and strangers less fortunate than themselves this Christmas. The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:32:09 -0500Sabi ... the Explosive Detection Dog missing in action for 14 months in Afghanistan, ponders the Christmas decoration in the chapel of the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan. Photo: Defenc... The Daily Telegraph Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:32:06 -0500CHRISTMAS Day for many Australian farmers meant the rekindling of hope as potentially drought-breaking rains drenched much of the inland. The rains were the best in almost a year for some farmers in n... The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:32:04 -0500THE release of the Rudd government's long-awaited white paper on counter-terrorism has been delayed yet again, after a draft circulated for comment in Canberra was rejected as being "totally... The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:58 -0500A QUEENSLAND grandmother suffered a premature death due to a litany of failures by a rogue doctor who operated "blind" without equipment allowing him to see properly, a coronial inquest has found. In... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:54 -0500IN the wake of the hard-fought Queensland election, victorious Labor backbencher Jo-Ann Miller slapped defamation lawsuits on four people -- including political rivals -- who allegedly accused her of ... The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:53 -0500A SEXUAL assault victim was unable to claim criminal compensation for severe burns she received after her attacker's car crashed and burst into flames. The woman was awarded $42,750 in criminal compe... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:52 -0500This year, Mr Liesfield had to endure his first Christmas alone, without his beloved wife Elizabeth and James, 14, and Matthew, 13, who died on Black Saturday when a firestorm ripped through their Mar... The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:49 -0500A QUEENSLAND company has helped uncover a scam involving businesses being sold advertisements in magazines that did not exist. Sydney-based Pacific Publishing Group was fined $8000 in the Beaudesert ... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:49 -0500THERE'S a science to shopping the sales. It's all about staying comfortable, calm and keeping hands free. So, keep everything simple, ditch anything extraneous and have a plan. After years of collect... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:47 -0500FAMILY AFFAIR: Sisters Lilly and Mary Smith play with a Christmas tree on Narrowneck Beach. Christians were urged to remember the real meaning of Christmas this year. Pic: Adam Smith... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:45 -0500INVESTIGATORS are exploring a new theory on the cause of August's Kokoda plane crash, which killed all 13 onboard, as families of the victims still wait for answers. Fresh evidence has emerged about ... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:43 -0500SUMMER storms with dark, brooding clouds and powerful lightning bolts make striking pictures for those who brave the elements with a camera. Local photographers who regularly contribute stunning stor... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:39 -0500MOTORSPORT: Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher says he is gunning for an eighth title in his comeback to Formula One with Mercedes GP from next season. The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:38 -0500NONE of his Brisbane Boys College mates was surprised when big Jock Fairweather finished school and became a steelworker and part-time personal trainer. The 19-year-old gym junkie was, after all, a f... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:35 -0500CINEMAS are ready for bumper crowds today, with major new movies opening and box-office sensation Avatar in its second week. Traditionally, Boxing Day is one of the busiest for film exhibitors, and t... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:33 -0500The official box office figures for 2009 will not be released until the new year, but The Weekend Australian understands the $1bn mark was broken before Christmas.And ticket sales show no sign of slow... The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:32 -0500IT WASN'T the best of times, or even the worst of times. It was fraught. The Noughties were overshadowed by fear, anxiety and division in Queensland. The prelude to our past 10 years was a global fea... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:31 -0500A YEAR ago and just a week after the Mumbai terror attacks, Kevin Rudd rose in federal parliament to deliver Australia's inaugural national security statement. "The first priority of governm... The Australian Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:31:26 -0500Groups: Moderator Joined: 8/26/2007Posts: 21,851 All I care about is whether or not Super Mario Ancic makes a comeback. Alicia's past it, by the way. Way to build for the future of Australian te... Sportal Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:04:36 -0500Pakistan's all-rounder Sohail Tanvir on Friday pulled out of a contract with Australian side Victoria after doctors advised him to rest an injured knee.The 25-year-old was due to play for the Bushrang... NDTV Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:33:35 -0500A 19-year-old man has been charged with grievous bodily harm over an assault which left a police officer with bad facial injuries. The 32-year-old officer was hit in the face with a rock during a bra... ABC News Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:22:18 -0500Peter Baines a former forensic police officer has started a charity called "Across the water" in Thailand to support tsunami survivors. Peter pictured at home in Middle Cove. Pic. Cameron Richardson... The Daily Telegraph Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:09:35 -05000 posts UQ researcher Dr Lane Strathearn sees strengthening the bond between mother and baby as a possible way of reducing childhood neglect. Dr Strathearn's recently completed PhD identifies how incr... Medical News Today Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:12:37 -0500Police say they have interviewed a man they believe was operating a speedboat which struck a swimmer in the Murray River yesterday. The 47-year-old ACT man died at Royal Melbourne Hospital after the ... ABC News Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:03:00 -0500Pakistan's all-rounder Sohail Tanvir on Friday pulled out of a contract with Australian side Victoria after doctors advised him to rest an injured knee. The 25-year-old was due to play for the Bushra... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:50:51 -0500As I'm sure some if not most of you know Australia will playing Pakistan in England (including a test match at Lords) in July 2010. This will be IMO a perfect opportunity to see Australia play at Lord... Sportal Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:23:45 -0500END: Module - M24 Article Headline with landscape image (d) --> BEGIN: Module - Main Article --> Members of the British Armed Forces have descended on Australia to take part in the a... Times Online Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:03:35 -0500Imagine that you were traveling on the cheap in Cambodia when a phone call changed your itinerary and your life. Imagine that as part of that change, you found yourself unexpectedly back on board the ... International Herald Tribune Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:35:01 -0500After a lifetime of competing in the water, the former Australian swimming star Grant Hackett is making a slight adjustment. “I don’t have much experience competing on top of the water, bu... International Herald Tribune Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:34:58 -0500In a downsized era, where sponsorship and grand budgets are much harder to secure, the Rolex Sydney-to-Hobart race somehow keeps getting bigger. The overall numbers are not inflating. The fleet of 100... International Herald Tribune Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:34:55 -0500Alicia Molik's return to tennis continued to gather pace with the former world No.8 granted a wildcard to the Brisbane International next year. Molik, on the comeback trail after several years interr... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:33:38 -0500A Sydney family watched in horror as their home burnt to the ground on Christmas Day, leaving them with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The Lamrock Avenue home in Glossodia, in Sydney's outer... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:17:30 -0500A MAN was killed when he was thrown from his vehicle after it rolled at East Greenmount, south of Toowoomba, about 5.50pm. The man was pronounced dead when emergency services arrived on Bellinghams R... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:16:10 -0500Tennis stars are expected to descend on Sydney for the Medibank International tournament, which is due to be held in January.SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, December 25, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Tennis fans who ... Earth Times Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:13:25 -0500Migration Expert is encouraging prospective skilled migrants to begin the migration process as priority processing and tighter entry requirements are introduced. Australia (... PR Web Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:24:21 -0500As the Christmas road trip season approaches, NRMA Insurance is encouraging Queenslanders not to get frazzled with their GPS, after research revealed nearly two-thirds of drivers (62 per cent) blamed ... PR Web Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:24:12 -0500As we head into the Christmas road trip season, SGIC is encouraging drivers not to get frazzled with their GPS, after research revealed that two thirds of SA drivers blame the technology for getting t... PR Web Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:24:12 -0500New research from SGIC has revealed that around half of SA residents rarely or never have a proper conversation with our neighbours, with around 40 per cent preferring to socialise online. (... PR Web Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:24:10 -0500Sydney - The rainstorms that swept across the drought-plagued Australian interior Friday brought Christmas cheer to farmers. Reservoirs were replenished and crops drenched by a coast-to-coast low-pres... Earth Times Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:14:53 -0500One person is dead but another has been rescued in separate Christmas Day house fires in Queensland. Police said a resident was found dead after emergency services were called to a house fire at Oake... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:57:36 -0500The boy crashed the trail bike into a fence, dislodging a 1.8-metre star picket which stabbed him below his chest, exiting through his back, RACQ Careflight spokesman Brian Russell said.The accident h... News.com.au Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:56:51 -0500Police intercepted the 26-year-old driver about 9am (AEDT) today on the Western Ring Road at Tullamarine, in the Melbourne's north.The driver, who had a female passenger in the car at the time, was sp... News.com.au Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:56:48 -0500The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) this afternoon issued the warning for people in upper western, central west slopes and plains, and central tablelands.Heavy rain and thunderstorms affected most of thos... News.com.au Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:56:43 -0500Consumers are being urged to boycott Woolworths' range of "home brand" eggs in Tasmania, after the company's decision to source most of the eggs from interstate. Woolworths says despite its preferenc... ABC News Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:51:49 -0500Thousands of disadvantaged Victorians sat down to hearty Christmas lunches thanks to the work of charities helped by tireless volunteers. The Christmas spirit shone through at dozens of festive meals... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:40:18 -0500Australian military personnel serving overseas have sent heartfelt Christmas wishes in word and song to their families and friends back home. Standing outside the Oruzgan Medical Centre in Afghanista... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:40:15 -0500It's a white Christmas in the middle of nowhere for teenage solo round-the-world yachtswoman Jessica Watson. The 16-year-old Queenslander is vying to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:40:12 -0500The 29-year-old Ourimbah woman was walking along Coachwood Road at Ourimbah shortly after 10am (AEDT) today when hit by the vehicle, police said."Police have been told the van left he road and st... News.com.au Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:39:17 -0500Forget all the hype about the race for line honours in this year's Sydney to Hobart, the real battle for overall victory will be 10 times harder according to the skipper of the defending champion. Bo... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:21:13 -0500Mild temperatures and impending rain have kept people off the sand for the traditional Christmas Day trip to Sydney's beaches. On a hot Christmas Day, thousands of people usually flock to Bondi Beach... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:21:03 -0500Mild temperatures and impending rain have kept people off the sand for the traditional Christmas Day trip to Sydney's beaches. On a hot Christmas Day, thousands of people usually flock to Bondi Beach... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:21:00 -0500Christmas Day dawned in central Australia with lower than normal temperatures and a promise of goodwill for the Aboriginal families of the Ukaka, Wanmarra, Lilla and Ulpanyali homelands. From first l... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:20:56 -0500`Tis the season to be jolly - but there is clearly no love lost between A-League rivals Brisbane Roar and Gold Coast United. Not much was needed to further stoke their simmering feud ahead of their B... Sydney Morning Herald Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:20:54 -0500SHE'S alone, in the middle of the ocean ... and enjoying a White Christmas. Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old currently vying to become the youngest person to sail solo non-stop and unassisted around t... Courier Mail Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:19:27 -0500WELLINGTON -- New Zealand's four biggest banks have agreed to pay a total of NZ$2.2 billion (US$1.5 billion) to settle the largest tax avoidance case in the country's history. Revenue Minister Peter D... The China Post Thu, 24 Dec 2009 23:14:01 -0500Finding the right outfit for a New Year's Eve party will drive fashion-savvy shoppers to spend more than $6 billion in the post-Christmas sales, the nation's peak retail industry body says. Shoppers ... Sydney Morning Herald Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:59:03 -0500Police have taken a slippery character into custody after making an unusual Christmas Day arrest. Officers picked up a one-metre long tiger snake found sunbaking near the South Melbourne Life Saving ... Sydney Morning Herald Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:59:01 -0500Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old currently vying to become the youngest person to sail solo non-stop and unassisted around the world, today posted a festive video message on her website.She told how sh... News.com.au Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:58:06 -0500Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old currently vying to become the youngest person to sail solo non-stop and unassisted around the world, today posted a festive video message on her website.She told how sh... News.com.au Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:58:00 -0500Police intercepted the 26-year-old driver about 9am (AEDT) today on the Western Ring Road at Tullamarine, in the Melbourne's north.The driver, who had a female passenger in the car at the time, was sp... News.com.au Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:57:58 -0500 | 
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