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The most recent 250 top stories.

Hot topics: australia, government-and-politics, law-crime-and-justice, nsw, business-economics-and-finance, crime, united-states, community-and-society, qld, world-politics

Explosion on Gulf of Mexico oil rig: coast guard

Posted September 3, 2010 02:00:00

An explosion has ripped through an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico dumping 13 people into the water, one of whom was injured, the US Coast Guard says.

Tags: accidents, united-states

NASA drone used in hurricane flyover

Posted September 3, 2010 00:43:00

In a scientific first, a pilotless NASA aircraft is set to overfly Hurricane Earl in a bid to gather data about the potentially deadly storm bearing down on the US east coast.

Tags: emergency-incidents, storm, cyclone, united-states

Hamas vows to keep attacking Israelis

Posted September 3, 2010 00:37:00

Hamas said its militants would continue attacking Israelis and denounced peace talks between Israel and the West Bank-based Palestinian government due to start in Washington.

Tags: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, israel, palestinian-territories

Abbott's 'reckless' offer pushed Wilkie to Labor

Posted September 3, 2010 00:24:00

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has questioned Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's judgement in making a $1 billion offer to rebuild the Royal Hobart Hospital, describing it as "almost reckless".

Tags: government-and-politics, elections, federal-government, federal-elections, australia, tas, hobart-7000

British PM backs foreign minister over gay rumours Photo

Posted September 3, 2010 00:02:00

British prime minister David Cameron backed foreign secretary William Hague after the top diplomat's aide resigned over "malicious" rumours that they had an inappropriate relationship.

Tags: world-politics, united-kingdom, england

NATO accused of killing 10 Afghan civilians

Posted September 2, 2010 22:47:00

An Afghan official said that 10 election campaigners had been killed in an airstrike by international forces in the relatively peaceful north of the country.

Tags: unrest-conflict-and-war, afghanistan

Burger King dumps Indonesian palm oil company Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 22:47:00

US fast food giant Burger King said it would no longer buy palm oil from Sinar Mas or its subsidiaries after Greenpeace campaigned against the Indonesian group's land-clearing practices.

Tags: business-economics-and-finance, environment, endangered-and-protected-species, forests, rain-forests-and-forest, environmental-impact, indonesia, united-states

God didn't create the universe: Hawking Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 21:51:00 | Updated September 2, 2010 22:08:00

Stephen Hawking says God no longer has any place in theories on the creation of the Universe due to a series of developments in physics.

Tags: religion-and-beliefs, science-and-technology, astronomy, the-universe, united-states

Rio Tinto banking on Gillard sticking to tax promise

Posted September 2, 2010 21:35:00

The head of Rio Tinto's Iron Ore division says he trusts Prime Minister Julia Gillard will stick to her promise of a 30 per cent mining tax despite Labor's deal with the Greens.

Tags: business-economics-and-finance, industry, mining, government-and-politics, elections, federal-government, federal-elections, australia

Chain-smoking toddler kicks habit Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 20:42:00

A two-year-old Indonesian boy who smoked about 40 cigarettes a day has kicked the habit after receiving intensive specialist care, a child welfare official said.

Tags: family-and-children, health, smoking, children, children-toddlers, indonesia

Horse bite severs man's artery

Posted September 2, 2010 20:38:00

A man is in a serious condition after being bitten by a horse at Seymour in central Victoria on Thursday afternoon.

Tags: disasters-and-accidents, accidents, australia, vic, seymour-3660

Feral cats wiping out endangered bush species

Posted September 2, 2010 20:37:00

A new report from the Nature Conservancy has found that mammal species in northern Australia are in rapid decline and many are at risk of becoming extinct within the next decade.

Tags: environment, conservation, endangered-and-protected-species, environmental-management, national-parks, nt

Zsa Zsa Gabor to be preserved by plastination Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 20:12:00 | Updated September 2, 2010 20:28:00

The German husband of ailing 93-year-old Hollywood actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor said he wanted to preserve her body by plastination after she dies, the Bild newspaper reported.

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, popular-culture, human-interest, offbeat, united-states

Fortescue boss backs taxation summit

Posted September 2, 2010 20:05:00

Fortescue Metals Group chief executive Andrew Forrest has met with key independent MP Rob Oakeshott this afternoon and says they have agreed on a plan to hold a "taxation summit".

Tags: business-economics-and-finance, industry, mining, government-and-politics, elections, tax, federal-elections, australia, wa

PM slams Abbott's attempts to woo Wilkie Video Audio Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 19:50:00 | Updated September 2, 2010 20:14:00

Julia Gillard attacks the Coalition's economic credentials as Labor edges closer to forming the next Federal Government with the support of independent Andrew Wilkie.

Tags: government-and-politics, federal-government, federal-elections, australia, tas, hobart-7000

Pakistan stars protest innocence in fix probe Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 19:47:00 | Updated September 2, 2010 21:37:00

The three Pakistan cricketers at the centre of a betting scandal request their release from the squad and maintain their innonence.

Tags: sport, cricket, australia, pakistan

Ailing tunnel project takes toll on investors Audio Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 19:45:00 | Updated September 2, 2010 19:48:00

Investors in the Clem7 toll road project have turned their attention to legal action over grossly over-estimated traffic forecasts.

Tags: business-economics-and-finance, company-news, industry, road-transport, australia, qld, brisbane-4000

High house prices drive ex-miner underground

Posted September 2, 2010 19:03:00

A retired Chinese coal miner has found an underground solution to the country's sky-high housing costs, by carving out a new home beneath the shack he lives in, state media reported.

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, china

Ants use landmarks to navigate, study finds Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 18:30:00 | Updated September 2, 2010 17:30:00

Ants travelling along a familiar route use their photographic memory to calculate how to stay on track, British researchers say.

Tags: animals, invertebrates-insects-and-arachnids, united-kingdom

Surgeon banned over patient deaths

Posted September 2, 2010 18:29:00

A Gold Coast surgeon has been ordered to retire permanently from medical practice.

Tags: doctors-and-medical-professionals, medical-procedures, hearing, australia, qld, brisbane-4000

Japan begins annual dolphin hunt

Posted September 2, 2010 18:06:00

A controversial annual dolphin hunt that was depicted in an Oscar-winning documentary has begun in Japan.

Tags: environment, endangered-and-protected-species, animals, japan

Explosive end for sick whale Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 17:41:00 | Updated September 2, 2010 17:54:00

Animal experts have used explosives to euthanase an ill humpback whale that washed up onto a sandbar off WA's south-west coast.

Tags: emergency-incidents, animals, science-and-technology, mammals-whales, australia, wa, albany-6330

Remains recovered from PNG crash debris Video Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 17:39:00 | Updated September 2, 2010 18:58:00

The remains of the four people killed in Tuesday's plane crash in PNG have been recovered from the crash site.

Tags: disasters-and-accidents, accidents, air-and-space-accidents, australia, nsw, qld, wa, papua-new-guinea

Mitchell quits Force for Lions Photo

Posted September 2, 2010 17:21:00 | Updated September 2, 2010 17:26:00

John Mitchell will take the reins of South Africa-based Super 15 franchise Golden Lions after being granted an early release from the Western Force.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, wa, perth-6000, south-africa

Local shares climb on Wall St surge

Posted September 2, 2010 17:15:00

Local shares have backed up a 2 per cent jump yesterday with a 0.8 per cent rise, after Wall St surged last night.

Tags: business-economics-and-finance, finance-markets, stockmarket, currency-markets, australia