Reissa Su

Adelaide has become the hottest city in the world with a temperature of 46 degrees Celsius caused by Australia's record-breaking heat wave. According to a report by the Climate Council, heat waves in the country will be hotter, longer and more frequent. The council points to climate change as the main factor behind the rising temperatures in Australia.

New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra continues to monitor the condition of a six-month-old baby girl who shouted in pain and fell ill after eating a dessert topped with cream possibly contaminated with E.coli bacteria. The baby's mother, Marissa Beesley, said she became ill after eating pudding with cream while visiting some relatives in Kaitaia. Aside from her and the baby, Ms Beesley's eldest and 5-year-old daughter Ashley also got sick after eating the dessert.

Dozens of passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship caught a stomach bug on its last trip. The cruise ship arrived in Tauranga on Jan. 15 and marked the end of a voyage that began in Australia. Workers are frantically santising the ship before the next group of passengers comes aboard. The ship is scheduled to leave from Auckland on Jan. 15. However, check-in time has been delayed for the thorough cleaning and decontamination.

Australian women who have political aspirations are discouraged to enter the world of politics because of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard's negative media image. According to a survey by the University of Adelaide and YWCA, 8 out of 10 women over the age of 31 were less likely to pursue a career in politics while 57 per cent of women between 18 and 21 years old were turned off by the media's treatment of Ms. Gillard.

Western Australia hospitals spend more than $240 million annually on overweight or obese patients. The Department of Health report revealed that public hospitals in the region struggle with the rising costs of healthcare, especially on patients with type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure and hypertension.

Authorities have warned Australians of extreme fire weather in the coming days as the heat wave continues to scorch some parts of the country. The record-breaking temperatures prompt fears of bigger wildfires worse than 2009's Black Saturday which claimed the lives of 173 people. Acting State Premier Peter Ryan remarked that the next four days will be crucial since the heat wave could trigger fires like those of Black Saturday.

Food safety in New Zealand is once again under international scrutiny after dairy giant Fonterra announced a recall of 8,700 bottles of fresh cream. Fonterra began a voluntary recall after quality tests revealed the possible contamination of E.Coli bacterium.

Apple Inc has announced its back to school deals in New Zealand and Australia with free gift cards for education customers who will be buying a new iPhone, iPad or a new Mac. The free gift cards can be used in Apple's digital content stores like the App Store, iBookstore, iTunes Store and the Mac App Store.

Australia's heat wave has arrived in Victoria, as towns recorded soaring temperatures of over 40 °C. Commuters are facing delays due to the heat-related speed restrictions. Metro has advised customers of the delays caused by a track fault. Trains will run at a speed of 70 km/h instead of 80-100 km/h because of scorching heat.

Apple Inc's iPhones may be behind Google's Android in terms of mobile phone market share, but an Actix report has shown that the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 are the most used phones in Europe and North America in 2013.

A Hindu group in India caught the attention of health experts when it claimed cow urine can be used to treat diabetes, tuberculosis and cancer. This alternative form of medicine is promoted by the members of the sect Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The urine that can reportedly treat several diseases must not come from just any ordinary cow. It must come from a virgin female cow and strictly collected before dawn.

Air New Zealand, one of the world's safest airlines, was hailed the Airline of the Year by AirlineRatings.com. The popular travel international site has chosen Air New Zealand for its strong financial performance, customer service, operational safety and in-flight innovations. The travel site praised New Zealand's carrier for its commitment to its fleet and environmental awareness. Air New Zealand earned the distinction of being the best premium economy class.

New Zealand has experienced one of its hottest years on record in 2013 with Christchurch declared the driest city of the year. Based on data from the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), 2013 was the third hottest year since records began with an average temperature of 0.8 degrees Celsius more than the average figure from 1971 to 2000.

Apple Inc. has launched a new ad featuring the iPad Air during the NFL playoff game between the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers on Jan.12. The ad showcased creativity, a feature that Apple has always wanted its products to be known for.

The New Zealand dollar is on its way to surpassing the Australian dollar for the first time in forty years, according to HSBC Bank Australia.. New Zealand's economic boom could drive the currency to new heights. HSBC considers the rebuilding of earthquake-damaged Christchurch as one of the driving forces

New Zealand's Conservative Party leader Colin Craig has admitted to smacking his children despite the observance of the Smacking Law. Mr Craig believes that the legislation is "stupid" and wants to propose a repeal of the anti-smacking law.

As the record-breaking heat wave continues to scorch Western Australia, health authorities have warned possible cases of sicknesses and deaths among young and elderly Australians. The extreme heat alerted doctors, nurses and paramedics to prepare for any kind of emergency.

The brutal heat wave in Australia shows no sign of letting up as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology predicts temperatures to soar over 40 degrees Celsius starting Jan. 14. According to the weather bureau, Melbourne and most of Victoria will experience extreme heat conditions.

A dolphin was killed in a northern Sydney beach because of shark netting. The dolphin's death was proof that shark culling should not be allowed in Australia's beaches, according to an animal protection organisation. Fisheries officials have removed the animal and sent it to Taronga Zoo for further examination. The unnamed spokesman said dolphin deaths in nets were "not common at all."

A major new study in Australia suggests IVF babies are twice likely to suffer from serious birth complications than babies conceived naturally. Scientists analysed 17 years of data and arrived at the conclusion that traditional IVF or the direct injection of sperm into a woman's egg cells has a high risk of complications.

Massive earthquakes are most likely to strike off the east coast of New Zealand. Researchers, led by an Australian professor from Melbourne, have published a study with a global map indicating where giant earthquakes might strike next.

An army of super mutant rats has infested British homes in the countryside after weeks of rain due to a storm. The rodents, reported to be immune to poison, have been spotted in drainpipes and cracks in masonry. Some were suspected to be building nests in lofts.

Animals are collapsing and falling down from the sky as Australia continues to sizzle in record-breaking temperatures. After news of 100,000 bats falling from the sky, reports of kangaroos “fainting” because of exhaustion and scorching heat have circulated in the country.

Apple Inc makes another move to get closer to Chinese consumers with the opening of its official store on Tmall, a popular online marketplace owned by Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba. Tmall was launched in 2008 with 70,000 merchants and brands on board which included Gap Inc and Nike Inc.

Air New Zealand has been named the second safest airline in the world by a top airline travel Web site. Airlineratings.com recognised Qantas as the safest airline to fly out of 448 airlines from around the world. Qantas was chosen as the safest since the airline has no incident of fatality.

A research institute in Wellington, New Zealand wins international praise after cancer immunotherapy was recently named the world's biggest scientific breakthrough in 2013. Science, a top medical journal selected cancer immunotherapy and acknowledged the efforts of Wellington's Malaghan Institute for focusing on the treatment for 20 years.

A woman in Canada who fell off a horse and hit her head has woken up with a Scottish accent. The Canadian mum to 2 children is currently writing a book describing how her foreign accent from a freak accident changed her life completely. Sharon Campbell-Rayment, the 50-year-old mum who manages a horse-riding school in Ontario, has never been to Scotland since she fell from her horse in 2008.

The heat wave in Queensland, Australia caused 100,000 bats to fall from the sky to their deaths. The RSPCA reported seeing thousands of bats in 25 separate colonies were found dead on the ground in southern Queensland including Boonah, Gatton, Laidley, Mt. Ommaney, Palmwoods and Redbank.

Apple Inc continues to enjoy an increasing market share in the United States based on comScore's latest survey. The analytics firm reported that Apple has a 41.2 per cent market share as the leading Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) manufacturer in the U.S. from Sept. to Nov. 2013. The figure is a 0.5 per cent increase from its previous market share in the August quarter of 2013.