Esther Tanquintic-Misa

Despite being listed offhand as a 'future reliable energy' in an issues paper released no less than by the federal government, Australia will not consider using nuclear power. Not now nor even in the future.

"It was an instinctive reaction." Grzegorz Paczek, security worker at the Katowice-Pyrzowice airport in Poland, said when a video of his heroic act of saving a baby from hitting the strong, cold concrete pavement went viral.

True to his advocacy of simplicity and humility, Pope Francis celebrated his 77th birthday, and his first since becoming the spiritual leader of the 1.2-billion strong Roman Catholic Church, without glitz and pomp.

Not only does eating junk food leads to unwanted obesity, it also affects one's memory, according to researchers from the University of NSW.

Google Inc. has been slapped with a legal motion by Canada's Competition Bureau, alleging the former that it has abused its dominant search position.

The withdrawal of Australian combat troops from Afghanistan has finally been completed on Sunday. For the families of the Australian soldiers, it was indeed a reason to celebrate their being home this Christmas 2013.

China has released to the world the first pictures captured by its first lunar rover Jade Rabbit from the moon.

Elsewhere around the world, Dec 18 might just mean another regular, ordinary day. But for the telecom sector, most especially China's telecom sector, it could mean a historic day. Reports are rife that China Mobile may announce on Wednesday its long anticipated deal with Apple Inc. (AAPL).

The cities of Dalian and Tianjin located in northern China have joined the list of jurisdictions where car sales and ownership are imposed on its local constituents, in a bid to help curb the nation's growing "airpocalypse" problem.

The newly named 'Person of the Year 2013' by Time Magazine is turning 77 years old on Tuesday. And boy, was he happy to receive on Saturday, three days early, a candle-topped birthday cake from the children at the Vatican.

Canadian researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered a new greenhouse gas substance called perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA). Although not as prevalent as carbon dioxide, it is however 7,000 times more destructive to the Earth's atmosphere than CO2.

Garry Halpin, 52, an expat from New Zealand, has been nabbed by the authorities in Phuket, Thailand over allegations of peddling crystal meth drugs to tourists and locals.

China's changing coal consumption is threatening the existence of Australian coal mines. As China rallies to war to work for cleaner air, the most visible casualties of this war would be the Australian coal mines which are at risk of getting stranded, if not all together abandoned.

Japan has dislodged the U.S. to become the world's top app spender as consumers clicked more and more on their smartphones for just about anything to feed their requirements, from train schedules to games to fancy emoticons.

Virgin Australia's foreign shareholders Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways and Air New Zealand will increase their stakes in Australia's second-biggest carrier. This after only a measly 25.3 per cent of retail shareholders showed interest in Virgin's $350 million capital raising efforts.

Boeing has outwon competitor Airbus when it secured a $6.5 billion order placement from Air Canada for 61 narrow-body aircraft.

Growth in New Zealand's manufacturing sector continued to expand for the 14th consecutive month in November.

China's most expensive priced carbon market is set to launch on Dec 16 in the southern province of Guangdong.

The parliament of New Zealand on Wednesday has modernized its royal succession law, thus finally allowing a Queen to become the country's head of state.

New Zealand's population has now officially reached 4.5 million.

The efforts of Pope Francis to reinvent and re-energise the Catholic faith has not gone unnoticed. The charming and charismatic, down-to-earth pontiff, current leader of a 1.2 billion-strong secular religion, has been named by Time Magazine as its Person of the Year 2013. NSA whistleblower and fugitive Edward Snowden landed on second place.

Canada's government-owned postal agency on Wednesday announced the looming closure of its door-to-door home delivery over the next five years. But the country's senior citizens and disabled aren't happy about it.

Uruguay has become the first among all nations of the world to legalise the production and sale of the marijuana cannabis drug.

Two of China's most influential news outlets tried to make satire pieces of the polluted haze that enveloped the country over the weekend. However, the people didn't find it funny at all. Moreover, other Chinese media didn't think second thoughts to air out their opinions on the issue.

Fisher-Price's latest baby bouncy seat is too high-tech for comfort. The company had designed it in such a way that it is equipped with a slot that can hold an iPad presumably to keep newborns entertained. Child advocacy groups want it totally recalled from the baby because not only it hampers interaction between parent and child, it will also stun baby's physical growth development such as walking and running because the seat forces them glued on to the screen.

Air New Zealand has announced it is on target to experience a 20 per cent jump in profits in the six months ending December 31.

Russia vowed on Tuesday to beef up its military presence in the Arctic North Pole after Canada applied to expand its territorial sovereignty into the region.

A Chinese man jumped to his death inside a mall in China after getting into an intense argument with his girlfriend who just won't give up shopping even after already on their toes for five hours straight.

In what seemed like a rare show of humility, China has flatly admitted the subject matter of climate change was not something it prepared for as it zealously worked to rise to become one of the leading economic powers of the world today.