AUSTRALIA

Brisk walking regularly not only burn off calories, but will also lessen the diabetes risk provided you walk more, say Australian researchers. The researchers say 10,000 steps daily 5 days a week would be three times more protective in insulin sensitivity than 3,000 steps a day.

Australia's third-largest city started cleaning up stinking mud and debris on Friday after some of the country's worst floods on record, but in a sign of the task ahead, it could take six months to pump flood waters out of Queensland's coal mines.

Tata Steel, the world's seventh-largest steel maker, said on Friday that it would hold on to its shares in Australian miner Riversdale, calling it a strategic stake.

Coal freight lines could start reopening as early as Thursday in Australia's flooded Queensland coalfields as waters recede, rail officials said, prompting predictions of a faster-than-expected start to a recovery in exports.

China is a money-sucking black hole that wastes resources and chokes the natural flow of the market-driven global economy.

China dumped plans to import several million tonnes of expensive corn and South Korea unveiled cuts in import tariffs on some products, underscoring the dilemma over how to tackle rising food prices.

Floods left parts of Australia's third-biggest city on Thursday looking like a war zone in need of years of reconstruction, the state premier said, while fresh threats loomed with a cyclone forecast offshore.

Heavy monsoons and resultant floods have affected nearly 1-million people in the north central and eastern provinces of the island nation and have killed at least two dozen people. It is believed that more than 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

While environmentalists fear destruction of marine life and the Great Barrier Reef due to floods, here’s a fact sheet about traveling in Queensland, weather condition, information on operational airports and affected areas to avoid while in Brisbane

The “worst” flood ever in the city of Brisbane in Australian state of Queensland could take a total toll on tourism by incurring the industry a loss of about $100 million, as the Brisbane River peaked at about 4.46m on Thursday.

Queensland premier Anna Bligh on Thursday said the reconstruction of Queensland following the devastation of raging flood waters meant a huge task of post war proportions.

Amid reports of looting in Brisbane and Ipswitch due to heavy floods, Police Minister Neil Roberts and Commissioner Bob Atkinson have announced Operation Safeguard to deploy 100 policemen from Brisbane and another 100-member squad drawn from interstate police services on Thursday.

After Chinese President Hu Jintao and Barack Obama show the world smiles and handshakes next week, the wait will begin for the next of the feuds that have regularly sapped trust between the two powers.

Flood water in Australia's third-biggest city peaked below feared catastrophic levels on Thursday but Brisbane and other devastated regions faced years of rebuilding as a fresh flood threat loomed with a cyclonic storm building off the coast.

Worries about China's military buildup and aggressive diplomacy are bolstering its neighbors' desire to see Washington stay committed to the region while pushing them to hedge their bets against waning U.S. influence.

After Chinese President Hu Jintao and Barack Obama show the world smiles and handshakes next week, the wait will begin for the next of the feuds that have regularly sapped trust between the two powers.

CNHTC Jinan Truck Co Ltd , a Chinese maker of heavy-duty vehicles, said on Thursday that a subsidiary was involved in a bank fraud that could threaten repayment of 500 million yuan ($75 million) worth of deposits.

Massive floods shut down the centre of Australia's third-largest city, sent thousands fleeing from their homes and sparked panic buying of food on Wednesday as rescuers searched for 43 people missing in floodwaters.

Lost without Lost? Couldn't get enough of Avatar? Big budget, time-travel, mystery adventure series Terra Nova is coming to U.S. television in May, from the writers behind hit shows Star Trek and 24.

Debutant Chris Woakes kept his cool to steer England to a one wicket victory against Australia in the last ball of the day while chasing 158 in the first T20 match of the series at the Adelaide Oval.

Nasdaq-listed software services company Cognizant Technology Solutions has announced plans to expand its delivery centre in Phoenix, US by hiring another 500 employees to have more than a 1,000-seater facility.