AUSTRALIA

The FIFA Ethics Committee, on Thursday, banned Nigeria's Amos Adamu and Oceania's Reynald Temarii from voting in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids on December 2. The ballot will now go ahead with 22 voters deciding between the nine candidate nations.

A global study from Motorola says more people prefer paid TV content rather than free-to-air, despite the latter being more available.

Investec Plc, the specialist bank and wealth manager, posted a "strong" operational performance in the first half, with five of its six core businesses recording a substantial increase in earnings. Third party assets under management grew 4.9 percent to 77.8 billion pounds.

Federal officials urged states to take action on passing traffic safety laws on Tuesday, as a new study found the United States was lagging in reducing traffic fatalities compared with other high-income nations.

U.K. law firm Norton Rose has expanded its presence in Canada and South Africa by agreeing to merge with Ogilvy Renault and Deneys Reitz respectively.

The Bank of Korea raised a key policy rate by 25 basis points as the central bank's focus shifted from unchecked inflows of foreign funds to rising inflation.

Police authorities in North Carolina ended their search for missing Australian girl Zahra Baker, by confirming they have found her remains but assured that they will continue to investigate how she died.

Concerns over Europe's debt risks felled Australian and New Zealand dollars - Asia Pacific's major risky currencies - on Monday, while growing fears that China may raise rates further dampened the sentiment. Market is keen on any fresh developments from Europe, with many important EU officials, including Alex Weber of ECB, scheduled to speak on the first day of the Euro Finance Week held November 15-19 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Kangaroo Valley in New South Wales, Australia, is known for its scenic, natural beauty and clean environment. The Kangaroo Valley Tourist Association has taken necessary measures including ban on plastic bags, bottled water and the like, to cut carbon emission and promote greener tourism in the region.

The dust of G-20 has settled. World leaders sat around a large table set this time in South Korea, searched for that magic wand in their suit pockets, and then looked at each other's face with disappointment. They didn't get one to 'calm down' the emerging fears of a 'world war' on trade and currencies. They did not 'direct' China and/or US as some hoped.

Police authorities in North Carolina are apprehensive that Zahra Baker, a 10-year old physically challenged Australian girl who has been missing for over a month, could have become the victim of some foul play after finding new evidence while searching an area called Gunpowder Creek.

The next time you decide to light up a smoke, you may be greeted by an image of a cancer patient or even worse, a corpse, thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to put graphical warning labels on cigarette packs.

Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega touted the voice developing nations had in the G20 process and getting the Chinese delegation to change its mind. But he was hit with tough questions about the G20 process and whether it made any real difference to the world economy.

Leadxers' Declaration

Authorities in Australia, which is a staunch opponent of death penalty, are in a dilemma over whether they should deport Honeymoon Killer Gabe Watson, who completed serving his prison term in Australia on Wednesday, to Alabama, U.S., a pro-death penalty state that wants to try him again over his wife's death.

Mahindra Satyam, a leading global consulting and IT services provider, said on Thursday that it has received a contract from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) to implement SAP ERP.

The Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, championed infrastructure investments across both the emerging markets and developed nations as a key part of maintaining a global economic recovery.

One of the most interesting – and perhaps under-reported -- aspects of the G20 summit in Seoul is the four female political leaders in attendance. According to press reports, no prior G20 summit has had this many women heads of state.

Less than half of the Asian companies listed on the Wall Street Journal’s Asia 200 Index have a corporate social media presence, said a new study by Burson-Marsteller, a public relations and communications firm.

Americans die sooner than citizens of a dozen other developed nations and the usual suspects -- obesity, traffic accidents and a high murder rate -- are not to blame, researchers reported on Thursday.

Sending bar patrons home at earlier hours may lower the rate of late-night violence, hints a new study from Australia.