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U.S. Navy Expels 64 Sailors Using Designer Drug ‘Spice’

Sixty-four U.S. Navy men, including 49 assigned aboard the aircraft carrier that buried al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at sea, have been expelled for using, possessing or selling the designer drug called "spice" that mimics the effects of marijuana.

Occupy Melbourne: Riot Police Drag Protesters off City Square

Chaos broke out Friday at Melbourne City Square after police charged at Occupy Melbourne camp, tearing down tents and shacks outside the Town Hall. Protesters have spread up to the intersection of Swanson and Collins Sts, arms locked together in a human chain, refusing to move even as riot police stood just a metre away from them.

The Queen Meets with Gillard Friday; Chatter Continues on Curtsying or not (VIDEO)

The Queen will meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard at Government House for an informal discussion Friday, and it is going to be a private meeting. The media has been passing on jokes that curtsying could not possibly be on the agenda, but the people in general have yet to get over the fact that Ms. Gillard preferred to shake the monarch's hand. "I felt most comfortable with bowing my head and the Queen extended her hand and so, of course, I shook her hand," Ms. Gillard said.

Australian Stock Market Report - Midday 10/21/2011

The Australian sharemarket is up a touch, with the All Ordinaries index (XAO) up 0.5 pct or 20.3 pts to 4227.1 with most sectors edging higher at lunch. This is the third time this week that the market is improving, however is still down around 1 pct over the past five days. Investors are hesitating to over commit themselves to shares ahead of the European Union's Summit this weekend.

Global Markets Overview - 10/21/2011

U.S. StocksU.S. stocks pared an afternoon advance late in a session whose choppy trading was dominated by European sovereign-debt worries. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 23 points, or 0.2%, at 11524, while the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index added 3 points, or 0.3%, to 1213.

Australian Stock Market Report -Morning - 10/21/2011

MORNING REPORT (7am AEDT)US initial jobless claims fell by 6,000 to 403,000 in the past week. The 4-week moving average of claims held at a 6-month low. The Conference Board Leading Index rose by 0.2pct in September.

Libyans Celebrate With News of Gaddafi’s Capture

News of the capture of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has led to rejoicing in Libya which has gone through several months of armed conflict as the country apparently ended the 42-year strongman rule of Gaddafi.

Crises in Streets and Negotiating Tables: What is wrong with Greece?

On the second day of the general strike that has paralyzed most parts of Greece especially its capital city, protesters clashed with anti-riot police as the mass actions participated in by the private and public sectors closed down government offices, shops, schools and airports became quite unmanageable.

Queen Elizabeth II Arrives in Canberra, No Hint of Her Majesty's Slowing Down (PHOTOS)

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip arrived in Canberra Wednesday after a 22-hour flight, and got themselves busy right away, responding to crowds of cheering children and beginning their 11-day stay in Australia. While it has been discussed and predicted by commentators that this will be the last time the Queen would take on a long journey to step in Australia, the Buckingham Palace aides have rejected that idea.

More Aussies Taking Public Transport, Biking to Work

More Australians are taking public transportation to move around and biking to reach their destinations. The shift toward more environment-friendly and healthier transport options is one of the findings of the State of Australian Cities 2011 report released on Thursday.

Property Sector Warns of Hurdles to Achieving Sustainable Canberra

The ACT Planning Strategy, which aims to make Canberra a more sustainable city into the future, will not be achieved unless the government reviews and recasts other policies that will directly work against achieving this outcome, the Property Council of Australia has warned.

RBA: Australian Banks Can Withstand Stress Tests

As European banks struggle to commit as to how much their book values should be stated against the backdrop of deep sovereign bonds restructuring, Australian banks have remained strong and viable, according to a top officer of the Reserve Bank.

PM Gillard to Remain Hands Off on Qantas Labor Row

Acknowledging that federal intervention may do more harm instead of resolving the issue at hand, Prime Minister Julia Gillard reiterated her calls on concerned parties to resume dialogues and find reasonable ways of ending the ongoing Qantas Airways labor squabble.

Australian Stock Market Report - Midday 10/20/2011

The volatility continues on the local share market, with the market trading lower for the second session this week. European share markets rose overnight on hopes leaders will come up with a plan this weekend to deal with the region's debt crisis.

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