Australia News

Watch a time lapse of the deadly tornado that had 270 km/ph winds,stayed on the ground for 40 minutes and traveled 32 klms.

The home office of the UK is to tour 10 countries to compare different drug policies in order to establish whether decriminalization or other drug law reforms is the way to go for the UK.The UK will study all the 10 countries before making any new reform decisions.After Portugal reported a success of decriminalization after 10 years of trial, most countries in Latin America changed, or are in midst of changing there drug laws for personal use. Also some European countries recently changed there drug laws including Italy and Czekoslavakia and Belgium. The tour will start with decriminalized Portugal,Spain and Italy to the heroin injection rooms of Denmark and Switzerland, to the zero tolerance nations of Sweden and Japan.UK drug laws like Australia's are sought of in between, neither decriminalized -(exception SA-marijuana), nor zero tolerance.There are now wide extremes between nations on drug laws.At one end there is either, total zero tolerance, long jail sentences and the death penalty in almost all Islamic, Asian and Communist countries(exception-India-marijuana legalized for religous use).The other extreme is the more rational and civilized nations who have either drug decriminalization,Gov injection rooms, small fines,community work and police offers of counselling or detox treatment, in almost all Latin American and EU countries.The USA with the exception of 2 US states has outlawed drug use, though there has been recent calls for more reform by US reformers,who are mostly high ranking police officers and politicians.

The arrival of the drone was an unwelcome sight to most, with its cold military intent of spying and killing.Now its got worse, the US has now invented another drone the X-47 B that can take of from any aircraft carrier giving the US a global reach with its 10 aircraft carriers.

Ricky Martin was spotted hanging out with his twins in a park in Sydney, Australia this past Sunday.

The moon moves in orbit between the earth and the sun and blocks the sun from view in a solar eclipse.

Today, Microsoft has made the long-awaited announcement that Windows Azure is coming to Australia ! Of course it's been possible for Aussies to deploy and use applications in Windows Azure for some time, but this has always required deploying to overseas data centres.

FAST food will not attract a "fat tax" and the government will instead rely on education in Australia's battle against obesity.

Chinese state sponsored cyberattacks have recomenced against US companies, says the New York Times.Unit 61398 of the Chinese army is said to be the source of the cyberattacks on US companies and federal gov agencies.A Us cyber defence company originally made the claims.

AN ALLEGED victim of child molestation told her friends "bad things'' were happening to her while she was a student living at a state-run hostel, a Perth court has heard.

Where there are million of animals, there are millions of tons of waste. In a clever solution to a major waste disposal problem, Australian researchers have found a way to convert 1.4 million tons of Chinese pig excrement into fertilizer and a source of alternative energy.

Judith Shamian said she's been given a dream opportunity to influence to health of people and nursing, after being elected president of the International Council of Nurses.

The friendship between Australia and Japan before WWII can be found in the work of Broome-based Japanese photographer, Yasukichi Murakami.

Remains found in South Australia's mid north identified, no bail for a 13 year old accused of throwing a molotov cocktail onto the Southern Expressway, and a second shift for Spring Gully.

Holden admits its short term prospects are grim, and it blames falling sales of the Adelaide-made Commodore and Cruze for its 150 million dollar loss Last hurrah? Holden workers, Premier Jay Weatherill and managing director Mike Devereux celebrate as Holden unveils its VF SS Commodore sports sedan at Adelaide's Elizabeth plant earlier this year.

US leaders such as Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter have admitted the 40 year US war on drugs in the Americas was a failure.Thousands have been needlessly killed and imprisoned in a military type approach by the US gov to stop drugs. Calls are now growing in the US for decriminalization and law reform after a string of countries in Latin America and Europe decriminalized "illicit" drugs for personal use.One US state Washington has decriminalized marijuana possesion making it legal to grow up to 5 plants for personal use.

Australia's east coast haven New South Wales, which is seeking to recruit a `chief funster' to promote tourism to Sydney and elsewhere, took the dubious honor for the biggest hauls of steroids and hallucinogens in 2011-2012 in the country, authorities said today.

Australia seized a record 23 tonnes of illicit drugs in 2011-2012 with arrests at a 10-year high, data show, as officials warned the country had become a key target for traffickers.

The band announced on Facebook and Twitter that they will be touring Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth in May and June.

The Kelpie of Few Accomplishments was resplendent in his bandana and plodded dutifully along for the entire inner lake loop.

The West Australian © London stand up comedians Gordon Southern, left and Jimmy McGhie with Perth International Comedy Festival director Jo Marsh.