AUSTRALIA

Nine months after last hearing from the Mars rover Spirit, NASA is stepping up efforts to regain communications with the rover before spring ends in Mars' southern hemisphere in mid-March.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan laid out plans to revive the economy in 2011 in his New Year remarks. While his proposals may boost some sectors of the economy, they miss the point.

The huge floods sweeping across northeast Australia could have a significantly negative impact on the global steel industry.

Moon takes a bite out of the Sun, as the colloquial saying goes, during the start of the year 2011. This year's first partial solar eclipse will be seen on Tuesday, in view from much of Europe, North Africa and central Asia.

Australia's relief over the years of drought being finally broken by rain in December was short-lived as its states now brace for flooding which the government has described as biblical.

The devastating floods in Queensland Australia has driven up the prices of certain commodities, including coal, wheat and sugar. With warnings that the flood may not recede for weeks, the longer-term impact on commodity prices becomes a great concern.

Queensland in Australia, submerged in severe floods, became the first news of natural disaster in the New Year with 200,000 people and 22 towns affected. On Sunday, one woman drowned while crossing a causeway, while the Queensland Bureau of Meteorology has warned that another strong thunderstorm in the night.

Hope, despair, promises and more promises. World leaders have spelled out their intent, or say an 'action plan' for the coming year. Note them all, some merely possible, some probably intricate others perhaps a bunch of lies.

New Year celebrations have begun all round the World. Thousands of revelers in New Zealand welcomed 2011 with a bright display of fireworks illuminating the skies. Australians and tourists who flocked at the Sydney's harbor bridge were treated to the biggest fireworks since the millennium celebrations. A clear, warm day in Sydney cheered up the occasion.

The stars of motoring show 'Top Gear', one of the BBC's biggest selling programme brands around the world, have landed in a religious row for dressing up in burkas on the Boxing Day special.

England inflicted upon Australia one of their heaviest defeats with a margin of an innings and 157 runs to retain the Ashes on the fourth day of the fourth test at Melbourne.

Researchers have found that the paintings have maintained their vivid colors even though they have never been repainted due to the replacement of the original paint with a bio-film of living, pigmented micro-organisms.

Motorola is expected to launch the new Android 3.0 based Tablet at Consumer Electronics Show in early January and will probably be the first Tablet to run on Verizon's LTE (4G) network.

Ricky Ponting, the Australian cricket team captain, has admitted that he regrets his argument with umpire Aleem Dar on day two of the Melbourne Ashes test, over a post-review not-out call against Kevin Pietersen.

England came within sights of a victory in the fourth Ashes test at Melbourne after they reduced Australia to 169/6 at the end of the third day's play with the hosts requiring another 246 runs to avoid defeat.

On the second day of the fourth Ashes test at Melbourne, England took control with a brilliant century from Jonathan Trott which gave the visitors a 346 lead with five wickets remaining at the end of the day's play.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting has been fined 40 percent of his match fee for his prolonged argument with umpire Aleem Dar during day two of the fourth Ashes test against England at Melbourne.

NORAD Tracks Santa, the annual Christmas tradition, is gaining popularity like never before. But did you know that the U.S. military department NORAD has been keeping a close eye on Santa's flight since 1955 and the idea was born in 1897?

England skipper Andrew Strauss said Ian Bell wouldn't be pushed up the batting order despite the widespread calls while Australian skipper Ricky Ponting came through a net session despite a broken finger and looks set to play in the Fourth Ashes test at Melbourne.

Academic salaries in South Africa have grown by 51% - the highest among seven Commonwealth countries surveyed - since 2006-07.

Google Inc. has started its 2010 Christmas with new holiday doodle, which has 17 interactive images of holiday destinations and cuisines from around the world.