Arlene Paredes

TV sitcom fans are pleasantly surprised that Mrs. Cruise herself, Katie Holmes, will be this year’s Slutty Pumpkin.

Three whales, believed to be Gray’s beaked whales, have become stuck on a beach near Tauranga in New Zealand, close to the ill-fated MV Rena, which has been wedged in for over three weeks now on Astrolabe Reef in Bay of Plenty.

Two women survived a massive train collision today (Friday) during peak hour. Paramedics and rescue personnel expressed joyful disbelief over what seems to be a miraculous high-impact smash, in which car parts are thrown over 100m away, and the women were trapped inside – but both alive.

San Carlo Gresini Honda rider Marco Simoncelli was laid to rest following a funeral service that was witnessed by tens of thousands of people who flocked in and around Santa Maria Assunta church in Simoncelli's hometown Coriano, close to Riccione in the province of Rimini, Italy.

A 27-year-old woman was safely rescued under tons of debris from a collapsed building 66 hours after an earthquake struck eastern Turkey and killed over 400 people on Sunday, ABC News reported.

Victoria officials are considering Shepparton as one of four locations across Victoria for a new mental health facility, which is aimed at providing Aussie youths with mental health care as well as vocational support.

The massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake in eastern Turkey has opened the lines of communication between the governments of Turkey and Israel for humanitarian reasons. Turkish officials say the death toll from Sunday's earthquake now stands at 523. The prime minister's center for crisis and emergency management further reported 1,650 people were injured and a total of 185 were rescued from the rubble so far.

Coriano, the hometown of Marco Simoncelli, will witness Thursday the final sendoff for the fallen motorcycle racer who rode full throttle until the end. Simoncelli's body was flown back in a casket to Italy on Tuesday, with his father Paolo and fellow racer and close friend Valentino Rossi on the same flight from Malaysia to Italy.

Three years ago, HealthDay News cited a study that reported 82 children in the U.S. alone have died from playing the risky choking game, while 93% of the victims' parents were clueless about the game, or that it was being played by their children at all. This month, a 15-year-old Gold Coast girl died from seeking euphoria through the fatal game.

Queen Elizabeth has arrived in Perth for the Commonwealth leaders' meeting on Friday. Premier Colin Barnett and his wife Lyn, as well as Defence Minister Stephen Smith, welcomed the monarch on tarmac, while a crowd of hundreds, including children, cheered for the Queen when she deplaned with Prince Phillip.

Queen Elizabeth arrived in Melbourne today as part of her 11-day Australia visit. This particular tour was primarily for the official opening of the city's new Royal Children's Hospital in Parkville.

The remains of MotoGP’s Marco Simoncelli has been flown back to Italy, with his casket accompanied by his father Paolo and fellow racer and friend Valentino Rossi on the same flight from Malaysia to Italy. Simoncelli's body arrived at Fiumicino airport on Tuesday morning, welcomed by fans, who gathered in airport facilities to offer their last respects. An emotional applause from the crowd has overwhelmed Marco’s father.

In the aftermath of the strongest earthquake to hit their country in over a decade, the government of Turkey has reportedly refused international assistance. The death toll from the quake is already at 279, according to the prime minister's office, while an estimated 1,300 people have been injured.

Forgotten and unclaimed money amounting to AU$636 million is waiting for its rightful owners to follow simple step-by-step procedures to claim their money, says the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Through the MoneySmart website, the Aussies are encouraged to determine if any of the state governments has their money, and if so, lodge a claim.

Freshly leaked oil from the ill-fated MV Rena has reached Mayor Island, a popular Bay of Plenty Marine reserve off Tauranga in New Zealand. A team of wildlife experts spent Monday night on the island to make sure that damage could be as minimal as possible.

In a development that would encourage people to believe in miracles, a 2-wk-old baby was rescued from the rubble in the aftermath of Sunday’s earthquake in Turkey. Baby Azra Karaduman was in the rubble for 48 hours since the earthquake. The baby’s mother, Seniha, was crutching the infant in her arms when rescuers found them.

In a miraculous turn of events, rescuers rejoiced in Turkey after safely pulling out a 2-weeks-old baby from the earthquake rubble in Ercis. Baby Azra Karaduman was wrapped in her mother's arms when she was found. Her mother and grandmother were also rescued in a 2-hr interval.

A Sydney man, who is suspected to have raped three male students in Indonesia, has been surrendered to Indonesian authorities last week. The Indonesian government has requested for his extradition since 2008, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Rats exposed to antidepressants just before and after birth manifest behaviors that mimic the symptoms of autism, according to a new study that was partially funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

At 60, Robin Williams will see for himself whether the third time's a charm. Williams married his longtime girlfriend Susan Schneider Saturday.

A third person has recently been killed by a shark off Australia's west coast, raising fears among swimmers, especially in Cottlesloe and Dunsborough beaches. The three fatal attacks happened within 2 months, alerting officials, who are now hunting the killer white sharks. While one can never tell when a shark would be around to attack, the general advice given by experts is to avoid the shark's feeding schedule, which is at dusk, dawn, and night time hours. It is best to stay on the beach...

"Sic for me was like a youngest brother," Valentino Rossi, nine-time Grand Prix World Champion, tweets in memory of Marco Simoncelli, who is fondly called Sic in their circle. Simoncelli, 24, lost control of his Honda motorcycle on the second lap and ran across the paths of Colin Edwards and Rossi on the track, causing him to fall off his bike and suffer massive head trauma, which quickly resulted in his death.

The Halloween fever is evident in U.S. cinemas as Paranormal 3 was welcomed by moviegoers with over $54 million ($80 million worldwide) in ticket sales, pushing Real Steel starring Hugh Jackman to the second slot in highest opening sales in October.

A dive team has confirmed Sunday that the submerged part of the stricken MV Rena was intact, reassuring salvage officials that oil recovery would go on without further hassle as long as weather stays fine off Tauranga in New Zealand. "The fact that divers found the starboard tank intact is excellent. We hope to start recovering oil from this tank soon," Maritime NZ salvage unit manager Bruce Anderson told New Zealand Herald.

At least 217 people have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Turkey, while monitors have recorded over a hundred aftershocks, one of which was at 6.0 magnitude, strong enough to create more damages.

A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey on Sunday, presumably killing hundreds of people in the city of Van. State-run TRT television said the quake collapsed 80 buildings and at least 85 people have been confirmed dead three hours after the quake struck.

Massive head trauma killed Italian rider Marco Simoncelli after his helmet came off in a fatal crash Sunday at the Malaysian MotoGP motorcycle race. He was 24.

A killer shark took the life of a Houston man who went diving off a popular Perth coast on Saturday. George "Thomas" Wainwright, 32, was the third fatal shark attack off Australia's west coast in two months, authorities said.

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.