AUSTRALIA

Some blame oil. Others blame a loss of pleasure in the roads. Researchers call it “peak travel.” Whatever the reason, one thing's clear: Americans are not driving their cars as far away from home as they used to.

In 1969, a musician known only as Rodriguez released the critically acclaimed album, "Cold Fact." The Detroit-born artist then vanished with hardly a ripple. The new film "Searching for Sugar Man" is an attempt to uncover what happened to the talented singer/songwriter.

If every American were legally required to show up at the ballot box, perhaps political candidates could pursue their campaigns differently.

Snow White and the Huntsman picked up two Teen Choice awards on Sunday when Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart took home their surfboards for Choice Summer Male and Female Stars. Little did everyone know, but a couple days later the movie would be the talk of the town for a different reason - a scandalous affair between married director Rupert Sanders and Twilight star Kristen Stewart.

The USA men's basketball team will wrap up its exhibition schedule on Tuesday afternoon against Spain, with a 4:30 p.m. ET tipoff in Barcelona.

Carly Rae Jepsen, the 26-year old Canadian singer of Call Me Maybe fame, released a new music video today fresh off her success at Sunday's Teen Choice Awards and a potential sex tape scandal.

Two Canadian sisters die mysteriously in their rented island bungalow, believed poisoned. Less than a week later, an Australian woman is stabbed to death in Phuket. Their deaths are the latest in a tumult of violence to shake tourism in postcard-perfect Thailand.

A national election is expected to take place in Zimbabwe next year. Without sanctions to condemn, Mugabe would be hard-pressed to find something else to blame.

A spike in whooping cough cases among 10-year-olds and adolescents who are 13 and 14 was a concern, perhaps an indicator that the pertussis vaccine may be wearing off earlier than anticipated, Washington Health Secretary Mary Selecky said.

Meet Michelle Jenneke, the 19-year-old Australian hurdler who is lighting up the internet with her recent pre-race ritual that was caught on tape.

The owner of the bar and restaurant chain Bikinis has purchased a ghost town from Craigslist and aims to rename it and rebrand it into a hip and popular tourist destination.

The Nexus 7 was unveiled at Google's annual developer's conference in June and has quickly sold out in most U.S stores, with continued delays on pre-order shipments.

A Finding Nemo 2 promo photo has been released that shows the famous fish sliced up and stuffed inside sushi rolls.

The aptly named Lauryn Mark will be representing Australia at the upcoming 2012 London Olympics as the American-born Mark tries to go for gold in skeet shooting.

After being aired on Animal Planet in May, the two-hour long Mermaids: The Body Found enticed viewers once again Sunday night on the Discovery Channel. The documentary-style science fiction program has managed to garner a lot of attention and has convinced viewers to consider whether mermaids had ever existed.

Western Australia’s reputation as the world’s deadliest place for shark attacks has made it a tough sell for prospective tourists, and local authorities have asked the federal government to consider lifting the ban on fishing of great whites to help alleviate the problem.

According to the data, the richest 13 towns in Australia are all in Western Australia, an area which has experienced a huge boom in mining owing mostly to China's demand for natural resources.

Sadly, another surfer has been killed off the coast of Australia, but humans need to recognize they are putting themselves at risk.

China's slowing economy could drag down some of its Asian neighbors, but other countries would be less affected, according to a report released Friday by Capital Economics.

Is it safe to travel to Myanmar? Is it ethical to travel to Antarctica? Where can I go in the Middle East where I won't be shot dead on the street? Let's dispel some common fears and misconceptions.

Reported incidents of discrimination by Apple Store employees against people of Iranian descent are increasing, raising the likelihood that what appeared to be a few cases of prejudice may turn into a legal and diplomatic scandal. Further, the company's virtual non-response to the reports exposes it to being played by Tehran, which has already become involved.