Last French troops exit Afghanistan

FRANCE has flown its last combat troops out of Afghanistan, two years before allied countries in the 100,000-strong NATO mission led by the United States are due to recall their fighting forces. Around 200 soldiers of the 25th Belfort infantry...

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NSW healthcare system 'working well'

RATES of premature death from cancer, heart disease and stroke have fallen across NSW, but further improvements could be made in the state's health care system, a report says. Results from the third annual Healthcare in Focus 2012 report, which...

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Ex-cop sentenced for journalist's murder

A MOSCOW judge has sentenced a former police officer to 11 years jail and fined him 3 million rubles ($A95,400) for his part in the 2006 murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, who prosecutors claimed helped track...

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Queen gets art trove as jubilee gift

WHAT do you get the woman who has everything? Britain's Royal Academy of Arts has presented the Queen with works by some of the country's leading artists to mark the monarch's 60 years on the throne. The 97 works on paper include a royal portrait...

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Vic budget hit by $1.2bn revenue shortfall

THE Victorian budget is reportedly facing a $1.2 billion shortfall in revenue. Updated budget figures to be released on Friday show state coffers were slugged by a major drop in stamp duty and GST, Fairfax Media reports. The figures show stamp...

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Festive spend could be best in three years

AUSTRALIAN retailers are dreaming of a bright Christmas with economists predicting the best festive season spending in three years. Deloitte Access Economics has made the forecast on the back of improved consumer confidence, interest rate cuts,...

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Australia's 'most Googled' words revealed

IF you've spent some of the year wondering what permeate is or why it's no longer in some milk, you're not alone. Because "what is permeate?" was one of Australia's most googled questions in 2012. Lara Bingle was the year's most searched-for...

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Phone complaints down but amounts up

CONSUMERS are making fewer complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) about phone charges, but the amounts disputed have skyrocketed, with one customer copping a $147,908 bill. The TIO's quarterly publication said consumers...

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Man strips at Austrian art exhibition

AN Austrian museum says a man took the concept of life imitating art to an extreme when he suddenly stripped at an exhibition of pictures and sculptures portraying nude men through the ages. Vienna's Leopold Museum says that after taking his...

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HTC unveils new rival to iPhone 5

TAIWAN'S HTC on Tuesday unveiled a new smartphone boasting a higher resolution display than Apple's iPhone 5 just days before its rival's latest handset goes on sale on the island. The HTC Butterfly features a 5-inch screen with a pixel density...

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Most trampolines fail safety tests

ALMOST all the trampolines looked at by consumer group Choice have failed basic safety tests. Choice tested 12 brands for safety risks, as well as ease of assembly and jumping performance. Only one, the Springbok Trampoline RI, passed all the...

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Huawei to open R&D centre in Finland

CHINESE telecom firm Huawei has announced plans to invest 70 million euros ($A86.7 million) to open up a research and development centre for smartphone and tablet software in Finland, home to rival Nokia. "The Finnish R&D centre will be a...

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Aussie firms among least optimistic

AUSTRALIAN small businesses are currently among the least optimistic in the Asia-Pacific region, a survey shows. Research by accounting firm CPA Australia found 60 per cent of Australian companies expect to grow their business in 2013, just...

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Small business hopeful for 2013: MYOB

SMALL business confidence may have reached a turning point after some difficult times in the past couple of years. An examination by software provider MYOB of its business monitor series from October 2010 to July 2012 points to a stabilisation...

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Surge in household energy disconnections

THERE has been a massive rise in the number of Victorians who have had their electricity or gas disconnected because they have failed to pay their energy bills. The Essential Services Commission (ESC) reported that in 2011-12 almost 24,000 electricity...

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Tibetan, 16, who set herself on fire dies

A 16-YEAR-OLD Tibetan girl has died after setting herself on fire, Chinese state media say, in an area that has become a flashpoint for protests against Beijing's rule. The school pupil self-immolated on Monday in the village of Dageri in China's...

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North Stradbroke Island fire contained

A GRASS and scrub fire that caused the evacuation of some residents on North Stradbroke Island has been downgraded. A Queensland Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said while the fire is not yet under control it has been contained.He says residents...

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What not to eat at Christmas

BRUSSELS sprouts may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they definitely should not be on some plates at Christmas. The controversial vegetable is a traditional festive staple in countries including the UK. But it can be a dangerous accompaniment...

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Poorer people miss out on weight surgery

OBESE Australians most in need of stomach-reduction surgery are missing out, new research shows. A survey of almost 50,000 obese Australians found those living in socially disadvantaged areas on low incomes were less likely to have bariatric surgery...

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New laws cause rise in child abuse reports

STRICTER child protection laws have led to a surge in Aboriginal child abuse notifications in the Northern Territory, research shows. Notification rates for the maltreatment of Aboriginal children increased on average by about 21 per cent a...

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