SOCIETY

Philippine authorities said Wednesday the official death toll over Typhoon Washi (Local name: Sendong) which struck the Southern Philippines over the weekend has gone up to more than 1,000.

Fire rescuers found a young woman reportedly tied to a bedpost in a suspicious house fire in Cannington, Perth. Police told ABC News the blaze started inside the house where the woman was found just before noon (local time) on Wednesday.

A New Zealand man was arrested by Interpol officers after he was identified as the man who is wanted on multiple counts of theft and money laundering after allegedly fleeing to China.

Indonesian rescuers recovered 40 bloated and decomposing bodies in waters off eastern Java on Wednesday. The rescuers also saw other floating bodies that likely belong to the 200 missing passengers of a migrant boat that overturned on Saturday while sailing to Australia's Christmas Island.

Popular talk show host Piers Morgan flatly rejected on Tuesday accusations that he was involved in phone hacking incidents while serving as editor of the UK-based Daily Mirror more than a decade ago.

Seven months after the Commerce Commission slashed mobile termination rates by 50 per cent, mobile users were beginning to feel the ease in their wallets with the average cost of calls within networks and between networks narrowing between August and October this year.

Smokers who quit successfully find their lives more satisfying than it was when they were still stuck in the unhealthy habit, according to a study.

Lieutenant Commander John Alan Jones, a naval officer found guilty by a military court martial of spanking a young female sailor, is appealing his conviction.

A survey showed that 20 per cent or 1 in 5 of young Australians favor a cancellation of the annual Christmas celebration. The young people cited the yearend holiday season as the reason behind their increased depression, loneliness and family tension.

Rescuers looking for survivors of a Russian oil rig that capsized and sank on Sunday amid a storm are losing hope that they could still find anyone else alive after over 24 hours in the icy waters of the Okhotsk Sea in Russia's far eastern coast, 200km off Russia's Sakhalin island.

A 27-year-old disabled woman died at home weighing only 12kg, prompting the police to arrest her parents for murder by neglect, as they may have deliberately left her uncared for at their home.

Colleagues, cousins and uncles are the worst at buying gifts, according to a survey conducted by Unicef-New Zealand. One thousand respondents were asked to find out who gives the worst gifts at Christmas.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has reportedly snatched up Twitter shares on Monday amounting to $300 million.

Three separate shark sightings were reported on Monday at four beaches in Western Australia, after which the beaches were evacuated to protect the swimmers. Brighton, Trigg, Scarborough and Watermans beaches were closed to the public after the Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) chopper spotted two 2.5m sharks and a third 3.5m shark at about 10am Monday, said reports.

Thousands of swarming bees almost disrupted the holiday shopping activities at a shopping centre in Auckland if a caretaker had not stepped in to save the day.

A Sri Lankan living in Queensland set a new world record by becoming the first man to hang by his hair for 23 minutes and 24 seconds.

Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI released Monday preliminary information demonstrating a decrease in the number of violent crimes in the United States. The data covers the first six months of 2011.

More kids aged 6 to 13 are receiving money as Christmas gifts instead of boxed presents. Market research firm Roy Morgan, in a report released on Tuesday, said 66 per cent of young Aussies get cash as Christmas present, up from 62 per cent in 2007.

Despite her last-minute effort, billionaire Gina Rinehart lost her bid to keep secret the family's legal battle over its $10-billion wealth.

Philippine authorities have begun mass burials for the hundreds of flash flood victims killed by a tropical storm that struck days before the island nation celebrates Christmas festivities, media reports said.

At least four people died, while 14 were rescued and 49 were missing on Sunday after an oil rig capsized and sank in the icy waters of the Okhotsk Sea in Russia's far east.

Whether you want to give a gift in someone's name for the holidays or simply make an end-of-the-year tax deduction for a worthy charity, we've got 10 worthwhile local and global options for you.

A street-luge rider from Brisbane has been killed in an accident while riding with a group of lugers at Mount Coot-tha on Saturday morning. Sue Wickenden, 50, failed to maneuver a turn and struck a steel barrier, which caused her death.

To end a conversation, say "whatever." The annoying word of "whatever" has been deemed the most irritating since the other year.

Suicide specialists claimed that suicides can be prevented. They resulted from despair and mental problems that are treatable. However, the number of people killing themselves still increase.

Google has created another awesome application to get your mood turned on for Christmas and this fun Google app is sure to surprise you this holiday season.

Another devastating typhoon pummeled Philippines last Saturday, Dec. 17. The Red Cross reported that Washi, the name of the storm, killed a minimum of 652 Filipinos. Hundreds of people are still missing.

With everyone buzzing about Pew Research Center's findings which show that only 51% of all adults in the United States are married, people are wondering why this is happening. New study might offer an answer as researchers found that the fear of divorce is the reason why couples aren't tying the knot.

A drilling rig with 67 people fell into the icy Sea of Okhotsk off Russia's far eastern island of Sakhalin on Sunday while it was being towed amid rough waters. The accident killed four people and 50 were lost at sea.