World - Top Stories
ADF probing claims Aust troops harmed Afghan civilians
Posted | Updated
Australian soldiers are being investigated over claims they may have wounded or killed up to nine civilians during fighting in Afghanistan.
1 dead, 4 stranded on Aconcagua
Posted
A crew of Italian climbers and their Argentinian guide are stranded on Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, and one of the climbers has died, a Mountain Rescue Police chief said.
Americans 'too depressed' for sex, porn barons seek US bailout
Posted
Two porn moguls, including Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt, are seeking a $US5 billion ($7 billion) bailout from Washington, arguing that the limp US economy has thrown cold water on the adult entertainment industry.
More Israeli tanks roll into southern Gaza
Posted | Updated
Israeli tanks roll into southern Gaza as air force hits tunnel complexes along the Egyptian border, witnesses say.
Monsanto says drought-tolerant corn ready for 2010
Posted
Agrichemical giant Monsanto has hailed a significant step in creating a drought-tolerant corn to be available as early as 2010, in a move decried as "misleading" by a public health watchdog.
US scientists learn how to levitate tiny objects
Posted
US scientists have found a way to levitate the very smallest objects using the forces of quantum mechanics, and say they might use it to help make tiny nanotechnology machines.
Iraq, India, Mexico deadliest for media - report
Posted
Iraq remained the deadliest country for media workers in 2008, followed by India and Mexico, although the number of deaths was down sharply from the previous year, a study showed.
Sri Lanka re-imposes formal ban on Tamil Tigers
Posted
Sri Lanka has decided to formally ban the Tamil Tigers in a symbolic move that signals closing the prospect of early peace talks with the rebels, a senior minister said.
Children make up third of Gaza dead: medics
Posted | Updated
Gaza medics say almost a third of the 702 Palestinians killed in the Israeli offensive are children.
Wall Street plunges after heavy job falls
Posted
Stocks on Wall Street plunged overnight after a report showing a bigger-than-anticipated fall in private sector jobs fuelled fears of deeper economic turmoil.
US Army apologises for 'Dear John Doe' letters
Posted
The US Army has apologised for sending 7,000 letters addressed to "Dear John Doe" to the relatives of US soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Atta Mills sworn in as new Ghana President
Posted
John Atta Mills has been sworn in as Ghana's new President after a cliff-hanger election victory.
Australian man murdered in Philippines
Posted
A former Melbourne man has been murdered in the Philippines during a home invasion.
Steve Irwin offered to help search for missing whaler: captain
Posted
The captain of the ship accused of harassing a Japanese whaling ship as it searched for a missing sailor says he has proof on tape of what really happened.
US Budget deficit to exceed $1.6 trillion: Congress
Posted
The US Budget deficit will swell to an unprecedented $1.6 trillion this year as the economic recession continues.
Obama, Bush meet former presidents at White House
Posted | Updated
US President George W Bush and his successor Barack Obama have joined all the living US presidents for a historic meeting at the White House.
Putin cuts gas supply to Ukraine
Posted
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has ordered state energy company Gazprom to stop all gas supplies to Ukraine.
China's New Year travel rush starts early
Posted
China's annual travel rush over the Lunar New Year has begun early, partly because of the country's economic woes.
Another British retailer goes to the wall
Posted
There have been more casualties of the financial crisis announced in Britain overnight, with one of the country's oldest clothing retailers placed in administration.
North Korea defector smuggles herself into Seoul
Posted
A North Korean defector who lived in hiding in China for a decade has been smuggled to South Korea.
China issues mobile phone internet access licences
Posted
China has issued licences for the next generation of mobile phone networks that will make internet access on mobile handsets available to hundreds of millions of people.
German trial of former SS man collapses
Posted
The planned trial of an 87-year-old former SS member who confessed to killing three Dutch civilians collapsed after the court decided he was unfit to stand trial for health reasons.
Israel agrees ceasefire principles, warns Gazans to flee
Posted | Updated
Israel warns residents of southern Gaza to flee their homes ahead of threatened air strikes later today.
Cambodians mark Khmer Rouge's fall
Posted
Tens of thousands of Cambodians have packed into a stadium in Phnom Penh to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the murderous Khmer Rouge.
Boy, 6, drives to school after missing bus
Posted
A six-year-old boy who missed his school bus hopped into the family car and drove 16 kilometres alone to school before losing control and crashing but escaping with only minor injuries, US police said.
