AUSTRALIA

Lights being turned off in homes, businesses and public buildings in Fiji and New Zealand at 8:30 PM local time marked the commencement of Earth Hour 2011, with widespread endorsement of the message that the world and its environment need commitments for action going “beyond the hour”.

At the end of the second practice session before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, it was the surprise duo of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, both McLaren drivers, who led the way with the fastest times at the Albert Park.

Despite supply woes from earthquake-torn Jana, Apple iPad 2 global sales attract buyers. Start slideshow to see photos of tech-junkies grabbing the tablet across 25 countries:

At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

Australian defense minister Stephen Smith has apologized to his Afghan counterpart after footage of racial abuse involving Australian troops in Afghanistan were aired by television channels.

BHP Billiton Ltd., one of the world's largest mining companies, said it would invest about $10 billion in Australia to expand its iron ore coal mining operations.

A new study claims that religion may be on the way out in some parts of Europe, largely because it isn't as useful to adherents as it once was.

Apple said on Tuesday the new version of its game-changing tablet, the iPad 2, will go on sale in as many as 25 countries this Friday, putting an end to speculation over the device's international launch and rumors about possible supply constraints.

With so much hype surrounding the upcoming Royal Wedding, it is no surprise that Lifetime is bringing the romance to life on the small screen.

With the Royal Wedding fast approaching, there is much speculation on where Prince William and his bride-to-be will enjoy a romantic honeymoon.

Formula One team McLaren-Mercedes principal Martin Whitmarsh is hoping that his team will be at least a second faster than their competitors in Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix after adding new parts.

Though the human tragedy caused by the Japan disaster is incalculable, its economic impact may be less harsh than previously thought. An analyst said on Monday there will be some near-term impact but it will not be sufficient to dent the region’s strong growth prospects this year.

While 285,000 students left the country for education in 2010 alone, there was also a 25 per cent year-on-year increase in the numbers returning home.

There are divergent views about the impact of the Japanese triple tragedy on the global economy. While some say the impact will be limited mainly to bottlenecks in the global manufacturing supply chain, others have said the Japanese disaster will have longer-term effects a wider cross section of global economy.

What's your true level of risk today? No idea. But the least your fund manager, advisor or favorite financial columnist can do today is remember the lesson of 2007, and highlight the range of risks and possible fall-out which might lie ahead. Take inflation, for instance. Though small, the risk of currency devaluation and hyper-inflation in the developed West is still materially underpriced by gold bullion

Report that a containment system at the bottom of Unit 2 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi has been breached saw uranium companies' shares to tank on the bourses.

As the Tsunami warnings being issued the preparation for Tsunami has become equally important. Here are few methods and sources to go about it.

A tsunami warning has been issued by NOAA's National Weather Service to the following countries with the estimated time of arrival at forecast points.

Officials at the Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska extended the Tsunami warning to the entire west coast of America and Canada.

While residents in Beijing have reported to have felt the tremors of the massive earthquake that hit Japan Pacific coast, top Chinese seismology expert is confident that the Chinese mainland is not in the danger zone.

One Australian dollar can get you about 1.37 New Zealand dollars right now. That’s an extreme low level for the New Zealand dollar, according to data compared by Westpac Global Strategy Group.