News Australia

THE appearance of the deadly Hendra virus in a dog is unprecedented, Queensland authorities say. A dog from a property already under quarantine near Beaudesert in south-east Queensland yesterday tested positive to Hendra. Queensland chief vet Dr Rick Symons said it was the first time outside of a laboratory that an animal other than a [...]

Biosecurity experts from NSW and Queensland will hold a crisis meeting today to discuss the first case of Hendra in a dog. The male kelpie, a family pet, lives on a property at Mount Alford in Queensland’s southeast where three horses have died of the virus. Premier Anna Bligh’s described the development as very worrying. [...]

A German hacker group has called for online users to circulate altered versions of the 1500-page manifesto by Norwegian terrorist suspect Anders Behring Breivik, until the original document is drowned out by copies. ‘Ensure that Anders becomes a joke, so nobody takes him seriously any more,’ declared the hacker group Anonymous on Tuesday. In the [...]

THE Australian dollar has reached an 11-week high, benefiting from weakness in the US dollar and growing uncertainty surrounding America’s debt crisis. At noon (AEST), the Australian dollar was trading at 108.83 US cents, its highest value since May 11, and up from 108.13 US cents on Monday afternoon. The domestic currency reached 110.11 US [...]

The telco industry is resisting two out of three major reforms designed to reduce confusion, bill shock and poor customer service, the communications regulator says. Telcos claim that the proposed changes are either too complicated, costly or will confuse customers. Consumer groups argue that the industry’s response is "insulting", "laughable" and won’t appease the regulator’s [...]

The world’s first drug to prolong the lives of people with advanced melanoma has been approved for use in Australia. The breakthrough drug Yervoy received the green light from the Therapeutics Good Association on Friday amid hopes it could add two years to the life of people with the deadliest form of skin cancer but [...]

Now we know the starting price on carbon – $23 – a clearer picture is starting to form as to its impact on the property industry. Will it have a negative impact? That all depends on who you talk to. The Housing Industry Association – a body that represents builders and the makers and suppliers [...]

TWO of the nation’s biggest insurers expect to introduce full flood cover by early next year, substantially boosting the number of households that will have automatic protect from a full range of natural disasters. Coming after a backlash directed at the industry following last summer’s devastating floods across Queensland, Insurance Australia Group and Suncorp are [...]

House prices are predicted to fall over the next 12 months, as the outlook for residential real estate weakens, but falls will be smallest in New South Wales, a survey shows. The National Australia Bank residential property index, which predicts houses prices, rents and real-estate market conditions over the coming year, said national home prices [...]

STRUGGLING retail and banking sectors dragged the sharemarket into the red yesterday amid persistent concerns about debt problems in the US. A forecast dip in sales for retailer David Jones and fears of a downgrade in the US’s credit rating added to the market’s woes. Yesterday the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index was down 24.1 points, [...]