Tuesday, February 12, 2008
London to slug gas-guzzlers $53 a day
Owners of gas-guzzling cars will have to pay 25 pounds ($53) a day to drive them in central London from October, mayor Ken Livingstone said.[MORE]
Zimbabwe's ruling party expels Mugabe challenger
Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF has expelled former finance minister Simba Makoni for deciding to challenge veteran President Robert Mugabe in presidential elections next month, a party official said.[MORE]
Russia warns of new arms race without space ban
Russia has proposed a treaty to ban the deployment of weapons in outer space, warning their development could lead to a new arms race and a repeat of the Cold War.[MORE]
Teen believed missing in Mackay flooding
In the midst of severe weather along the Queensland coast, police believe a missing 17-year-old man could have fallen into the flooded Marian Weir near Mackay in north Queensland.[MORE]
13 bodies found in Iraq mass grave
US forces have found the bodies of 13 men in a mass grave in Iraq's restive Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, police said, the latest such grisly find in recent months.[MORE]
Australian diggers land in Dili
More than 300 Australian soldiers and police arrived in East Timor on Tuesday to help keep the peace after rebels tried to assassinate the nation's leaders, said the head of international forces.[MORE]
UN defends Ramos-Horta response time
As the first additional Australian troops arrive in the capital Dili, the United Nations in East Timor has presented evidence to reject claims its officers left President Jose Ramos-Horta bleeding on the road after he was shot in an attempted assassination yesterday morning.[MORE]
Nutritionists ticked off over approval for pizza chain
The Heart Foundation has outraged nutritionists by awarding its tick of approval to a pizza chain.[MORE]
Goals, fix claims, and a bride - only in Ghana
Drama on and off the pitch defined an eventful 2008 African Nations Cup. [MORE]
Aussies unveil space-age swimsuits for Olympics
Australian world champions Grant Hackett and Leisel Jones unveiled the new space-age swimwear they will compete in at the Beijing Olympics later this year.[MORE]
Bhutto autobiography claims proof of assassins
Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto returned home knowing the names and mobile phone numbers of her possible assassins, she wrote in a book finished just days before her murder at a December election rally.[MORE]
Religion not the focus for promising Khawaja
New South Wales has selected 21-year-old Usman Khawaja in a 12 man squad to play Victoria later this week.[MORE]
Labor denies ad campaign designed to smear
The Labor Party has defended its tactics ahead of next month's Brisbane City Council election and says it is not mounting a smear campaign.[MORE]
Bligh meets with fluoride protesters
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh today met a small group of anti-fluoride campaigners, who protested outside Parliament this morning.[MORE]
Rights group attacks US over trials for 9/11 accused
Human rights groups and lawyers in the United States have criticised the decision to use special military commissions to try six men accused of organising the September 11 terrorist attacks. [MORE]
Queensland tourism hit by wild weather
Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle says recent wet weather has hit tourism operators from Airlie Beach to Coolangatta hard.[MORE]
Australian Brown takes charge on Tour of Mallorca
Australian Graeme Brown, riding for the Rabobank team, won the second stage of the Tour of Mallorca on Monday morning (Australian time).[MORE]
Carpenter backs Martin as Kimberley candidate
Western Australia Premier Alan Carpenter has publicly backed Carol Martin as Labor's candidate for the seat of Kimberley.[MORE]
FFA confirms SFS to hold final
The Central Coast Mariners will not be hosting the A-league grand final in Gosford after Football Federation Australia announced the game has been switched to the Sydney Football Stadium.[MORE]
No need for Gold Coast water restrictions: Clarke
Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke says residents have shown they can use water responsibly without restrictions.[MORE]
New Zealand thrash England by 10 wickets
A dominant batting performance by openers Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder powered New Zealand to a 10-wicket win over England in the second one-day cricket international at Hamilton on Tuesday.[MORE]
48 rebels killed in Sri Lanka battles
Sri Lankan troops backed by artillery fire have killed 48 Tamil Tiger fighters in a series of battles in the north of the island, the military said, as it pressed on with attacks on rebel strongholds.[MORE]
Boy accused of arson to receive counselling
A 10 year old boy who police say started a grass fire on Hobart's eastern shore yesterday will be counselled by police and firefighters.[MORE]
Teens avoid jail for 'brutal' attack
Three teenage boys have avoided jail over their role in an attack on a 17-year-old girl in Melbourne's west in 2006.[MORE]
Garuda secretary acquitted over activist murder
An Indonesian court has acquitted a former secretary at national airline Garuda of charges that she was an accessory to the 2004 poisoning murder of a prominent rights activist.[MORE]