Esther Tanquintic-Misa

Australian retailer David Jones Ltd has agreed to be bought by South Africa's Woolworths Holdings Ltd. for A$2.15 billion ($2 billion), ditching a way higher offer lodged earlier by rival Myer Holdings Ltd at A$3.4-billion ($3.09-billion).

Exactly a month after it went missing, Malaysia Airlines MH370 still has yet to be found. The combined forces of 26 nations still have yet to find definite pieces of evidence leading to its possible wreckage site. All that remains conclusive is the millions of dollars thrown into the search and retrieval operations.

Victims of convicted paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale are set to sue the Ballarat Catholic diocese in Australia.

The Ebola virus outbreak now enveloping West Africa could take months before it gets totally eradicated, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Financially strapped Tokyo Electric Power Co, operator of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, has been slapped a US$1 billion lawsuit by the 79 US sailors who were the first respondents to the crisis three years ago. The sailors claimed the operator lied about the high level of radiation in the area as they carried out their humanitarian mission.

Locals in far north Queensland from Port Douglas to Cape Grenville are being advised to prepare for the worst as tropical Cyclone Ita continues to pack in strength and could be far worse than Yasi of 2011.

Already upgraded into a category three system, Weather Bureau forecasters on Tuesday forecast Tropical Cyclone Ita would even strengthen further into a category four.

Millions of tonnes of iron ore shipped from Port Hedland stand to face delays after two more applications for permission to strike were received by the Fair Work Commission on Monday.

New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters has recently denounced the intention of Prime Minister John Key to sell more of the Kiwi country to foreign ownership.

An Australian father has been afforded the legal right to have his kids vaccinated, winning a case against his ex-wife who has a fear for immunizations and thus prevented their children from having them.

Global British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto on Monday said it will give up 19 per cent stake in the highly controversial Pebble copper-gold project in Alaska. It would donate them instead to two state charities.

Boeing has debuted over the weekend to the global aviation industry Air New Zealand's first ever 787-9 Dreamliner. And it's painted black all over with the official New Zealand Fern Mark the only colour contrasting it in white emblazoned across the rear of the plane.

Humility and simplicity are Pope Francis' leadership mantras ever since accepting the post as supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. These should no longer come as a surprise on the set April 27 canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII.

Mohammad Musa has yet to perhaps take his first unguided step or perhaps even say his first word, but he already has a crime charged against his very young name. At only nine months old, Mohammad has been booked for attempted murder in Pakistan. He has appeared in court for the first time on Thursday, April 3, seated on his grandfather's lap sucking on a milk bottle.

James Packer's Asian gaming joint-venture Melco Crown wants to build a casino in Tokyo in time for the 2020 Olympics, according to The Australian.

An Australian mum has been ordered by the police to pay a fine of $650 as she was caught over speeding at 127km/h along with an unrestrained child passenger at the back of her car.

Australians who want to fly directly to London have now an option with the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner that kicked off from Royal Brunei Airlines.

A new survey released by the Pew Research Center has revealed that 69 per cent of Americans believe that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol to one's overall health, while 63 per cent believe alcohol was more harmful to society than marijuana.

Russia has implemented a ban against beef imported from Australia which will take effect from next week. Russia claimed the ban was instituted because of growth hormones. Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce belied the allegations.

Experiencing at least 50 aftershocks per hour since Tuesday's big earthquake rumbler, Chileans from the port city of Iquique have started to flock uphill.

An 11-month-old baby girl from Mandurama in New South Wales, Australia, has died after falling off a trampoline. Police authorities, however, eye her death as suspicious.

The Malaysia Airlines MH370, now a month still missing into oblivion somewhere, will be the focus of a global ministers meeting in Hawaii. The assembly was primarily called to bolster cooperation for humanitarian assistance efforts.

The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) on Wednesday said the radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown is unlikely to boost cancer cases in the region, despite also saying children most exposed to radiation could run a greater risk of contracting thyroid cancer.

By end of this decade or year 2020, Australia would have become the world's top gas exporter, according to the International Gas Union (IGU). Moreover, the body assured the country that the U.S. shale gas exports will likely affect liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Asia.

Authorities have raised a tsunami alert for Hawaii and told residents to brace for a possible onslaught. The warning came off following the magnitude 8.2 earthquake that struck off Chile on Tuesday night. At least five have died.

A research released by Creighton University has revealed that introducing an anti-theft kill switch feature in smartphones could eliminate phone thefts and help American consumers save $2.6B annually.

Aaron Thomas, a former contestant on MasterChef Australia, has been slapped with a lawsuit by the very own company he founded. Mining firm Oakmont Resources alleged the former CEO embezzled $7.57 million from company money to fund his lavish lifestyle.

It was every inch a breach of public trust. A Catholic Archbishop based in Atlanta is now being hurled with stones after parishioners claimed he used church funds and donations to build a mansion worth a whopping $2.2 million.

Noting changes in currency exchange rates, Apple on Monday disclosed App Store prices in Australia and four other countries stand to rise.