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East Timor's president-elect Taur Matan Ruak. [Newsline]

East Timor ready for generational change: President-elect

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 08:43:00 +1000

East Timor's new president says the 10th anniversary of his country's independence from Indonesia is a time for generational change.

Threats to Australian embassy in Pakistan: police

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 06:34:00 +1000

Pakistani officials say several Western embassies, including Australia's in Islamabad, have received letters containing suspicious powder and threats to poison NATO soldiers in Afghanistan.

Francois Hollande is France's first Socialist president in 17 years. [AFP: Fred Dufour]

Hollande unveils new French Government

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 08:58:00 +1000

French president Francois Hollande has unveiled a government made up mainly of moderate Socialists and long-time allies.

Greens Leader Christine Milne says Australia needs a national anti-corruption body. [ABC]

Australian Greens call for anti-corruption body

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 11:58:00 +1000

The Greens say public confidence in Australia's Parliament is so low it will move to set up a national anti-corruption organisation.

Syria's President, Bashar al Assad, has claimed vindication for his government's reform policies.

Polls vindicate my reforms: Assad

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 08:39:00 +1000

Syria's President, Bashar al Assad, says the recent parliamentary elections have vindicated his government's reform policies.

The Western Australian Government is reviewing the future of Broome prison.

Australian state considers 'Indonesian-only' prison

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 00:13:00 +1000

The government in Western Australia is considering converting a prison in the state's Kimberley region into a facility that would only accommodate Indonesian offenders.

A US Apache helicopter accidently dropped an inactive missile over Texas. [AFP]

US army helicopter accidentally drops missile over Texas

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 11:29:00 +1000

A US Army Apache helicopter has accidentally dropped an inactive missile over the US state of Texas, forcing dozens of homes to be evacuated.

Manny Pacquiao has been criticised for comments he is alleged to have made about gay marriage. [ABC]

Filipino boxing star denies homophobia accusation

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 10:42:00 +1000

Philippine boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has denied being homophobic, after he was banned from a Los Angeles shopping complex for comments about gay marriage.

Half a billion people around the world are now considered obese. [stock.xchng]

Global obesity rates double: WHO

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 07:14:00 +1000

The World Health Organisation says obesity levels doubled across the world between 1980 and 2008.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo has left the door open to once again supporting the annual Japan whale harvest.

Solomon Islands prime minister supports scientific whaling

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 06:36:00 +1000

Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo has left the door open to once again supporting Japan's annual whale harvest.

Universal free education is not yet a reality for students in PNG. [AFP]

Funding boost for PNG schools

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 10:09:00 +1000

A promise by successive PNG governments to provide free education for primary school students is yet to be realised.

Michael Clarke and Kyly Boldy tied the knot in New South Wales' Wolgan Valley. [Twitter: @mclarke23]

Australian cricket Captain Michael Clarke marries

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 08:40:00 +1000

Australia's cricket Captain Michael Clarke has married his model girlfriend, Kyly Boldy, in a secret ceremony in Sydney.

Forbes estimated Lopez's earnings in the past 12 months at $52 million. [Jason Merritt: Getty Images]

Jennifer Lopez most powerful celebrity: Forbes

Last Updated: Thu, 17 May 2012 08:15:00 +1000

Jennifer Lopez has topped the annual Forbes list of the 100 most powerful celebrities in the world, taking over from fellow pop singer Lady Gaga and beating out media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

Australian Edward Norman Myatt, 54, sits in front of the evidence as he is shown to the press at the customs office in Denpasar, Bali, March 2, 2012. [Reuters]

Australian accused of drug smuggling faces Bali court

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 20:10:00 +1000

Prosecutors in Bali have detailed their case against an Australian man accused of attempting to smuggle hashish and methamphetamines into Indonesia.

Blind activist Chen Guangcheng says Chinese authorities are taking revenge on his relatives. [AFP]

Chen accuses China of targeting family

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 22:44:00 +1000

A dissident at the centre of a stand-off between Beijing and Washington has accused Chinese authorities of a pattern of abuse against his family.

Julia Gillard will sign a Long-Term Partnership with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, covering cooperation beyond 2014 across a range of areas including security, trade and investment. [ABC]

Australia commits $US100m to support Afghan security

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 18:12:00 +1000

Australia will contribute $US100 million a year for three years to support the Afghan National Security Forces beyond the transition process.

A caretaker government will be formed until a new vote can be held - election rules suggest it will be in mid June. [Reuters]

New Greek election after talks collapse

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 20:57:00 +1000

Greece will hold fresh elections after talks on forming a new government broke up without agreement.

Equity and currency markets are expected to remain volatile for several months. [Getty Images: Sergio Dionisio: File]

Shares tumble as Greece drama continues

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 20:55:00 +1000

Concerns over China's economy as well as political and economic uncertainty in Europe has led to a severe sell-off on the Australian market.

The Wheatstone LNG project is among the big projects underway in Western Australia.

Japanese firms to spend billions on Australian gas

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 19:13:00 +1000

The operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant and several other leading Japanese firms will spend more than $US4 billion dollars to buy a stake in a major West Australian natural gas field.

Thousands of Australians lost millions of dollars due to the Trio Capital Superannuation collapse. [ABC]

Australian government urged to help fraud victims

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 22:00:00 +1000

A Parliamentary Joint Committee is urging the Australian government to assist more of the victims of Australia's biggest superannuation fraud.

Former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic pleaded not guilty to the charges at a court hearing in June 2011. [Reuters]

Ratko Mladic war crimes trial begins

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 23:25:00 +1000

The war crimes trial of the former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic has opened in The Hague.

Waikiki beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. [AFP: Robyn Beck]

Study reveals Hawaii's beaches disappearing

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 21:59:00 +1000

A report shows the beaches on Hawaii's three largest islands are eroding, with the process likely to accelerate as sea levels rise.

Asian company's commitment to protecting natural forests questioned

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 20:05:00 +1000

Environmental organisation, Greenpeace is calling on the Asia Pulp and Paper logging company to require all of its suppliers to stop natural forest logging.

BHP Billiton chairman Jac Nasser believes commodity prices will continue to fall and potentially weigh on Australia's growth. [ABC: File]

Australian miner slams IR, tax systems

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 21:10:00 +1000

The Chairman of Australia's biggest mining company believes the country's industrial relations and tax systems are holding the country back.

The search for bodies will continue at the crash site, with those recovered sent to Jakarta for DNA identification. [Reuters]

Black box recovered from Indonesia crash site

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 07:06:00 +1000

Indonesian officials hope the discovery of the black box from a doomed Russian jet will shed light on how the new plane crashed into a dormant volcano, killing all 45 on board.

Solomons police nab 'most wanted man'

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 13:11:00 +1000

Solomon Islands Police have arrested one of the country's most wanted men, Stanley Gitoa, in East Guadalcanal.

Philippines President Benigno Aquino says a fishing ban would give Scarborough Shoal time to recover from marine degradation. [AFP]

Philippines imposes fishing ban in disputed waters

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 18:54:00 +1000

The Philippines has put in place its own fishing ban in the Scarborough Shoal, as the territorial stand-off with China continues.

Indonesian Papua, Irian Jaya. Papuan activists are angry about Indonesia's growing ties with Vanuatu. [Google Maps]

Activist warning on Vanuatu - Indonesia ties

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 16:45:00 +1000

A Papuan independence activist has warned that Vanuatu's growing ties with Indonesia could undermine its relationship with traditional donors, Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Ma won a comfortable re-election victory on January 14 and is due to be inaugurated for his second term on Sunday. [Reuters]

Taiwan's President fined for polling day campaigning

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 17:25:00 +1000

Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou has been fined $US17,000 by electoral authorities for urging his Facebook followers on polling day to vote for him.

East Timor Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao has officially unveiled a gas pipeline for the Greater Sunrise Project. [AFP]

Natural gas pipeline unveiled in East Timor

Last Updated: Wed, 16 May 2012 20:33:00 +1000

The East Timorese government has unveiled a European built pipeline, it says can be used to send natural gas from the disputed Greater Sunrise Field, off the north west coast of Australia, to East Timor.