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British mothers twice as likely to die in childbirth as Polish women
Texas shooting: FBI had monitored gunman Elton Simpson since 2006
Obama tells Letterman: we must let young people of colour know that their lives matter – video
Microwave oven to blame for mystery signal that left astronomers stumped
UBS expects forex-rigging settlement with US as profits surge
How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world
Indonesia to stop sending domestic workers to Middle East – reports
Afghanistan, domestic violence and divorce: one woman's harrowing story
'Face it Britain – you've got a weird electoral system'
Lenin's lover? Picture of woman described as his true love uncovered
Struggle Street reality TV series promo lands SBS in hot water – video
China says Philippines breaking code of conduct by building in South China Sea
Garcia Marquez's signed masterpiece stolen from Colombian book fair
Nauru cancelled visa of Digicel's general manager before blocking Facebook
Reserve Bank of Australia cuts rates to historic new low of 2%
A funny thing happened on the way to the refugee camp …
Papua New Guinea earthquake sparks tsunami warning, but only minor damage reported
Bikke the chipmunk nibbles pistachios, oblivious to internet fame – video
Australian CEOs call on political leaders to support marriage equality
Bollywood star Salman Khan faces possible jail time over hit-and-run case

British mothers twice as likely to die in childbirth as Polish women

Posted: 05 May 2015 01:15 AM PDT

Britain, where women are twice as likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth as those in Poland, Austria or Belarus, comes 24th in Save the Children's annual list

Texas shooting: FBI had monitored gunman Elton Simpson since 2006

Posted: 05 May 2015 01:13 AM PDT

Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi were roommates, while Simpson had court record resulting from lengthy surveillance centred on his ambitions of violent jihad

Federal agents had for years monitored Elton Simpson, one of the two gunmen who were shot dead after opening fire with assault rifles at a heavily guarded Texas exhibit of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

Government sources said the gunmen were roommates Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi of Phoenix. Court documents show Simpson had been under surveillance since 2006 and convicted in 2011 of lying to FBI agents over his desire to join violent jihad in Somalia.

Obama tells Letterman: we must let young people of colour know that their lives matter – video

Posted: 05 May 2015 12:30 AM PDT

The US president, Barack Obama, has spoken about the Baltimore riots on the Late Show with David Letterman, saying the government must address pockets of poverty 'all across this country'. Obama said it was important to 'send a message to young people of colour' that the government will invest in them before the 'crisis' happens, acknowledging that police are 'put in a really tough spot' Continue reading...

Microwave oven to blame for mystery signal that left astronomers stumped

Posted: 05 May 2015 12:21 AM PDT

Australian scientists first detected interference in 1998, which they assumed was from lightning strikes, but earlier this year they finally found the real culprit

The mystery behind radio signals that have baffled scientists at Australia's most famous radio telescope for 17 years has finally been solved.

The signals' source? A microwave oven in the kitchen at the Parkes observatory used by staff members to heat up their lunch.

UBS expects forex-rigging settlement with US as profits surge

Posted: 05 May 2015 12:07 AM PDT

Swiss bank unveils forecast-beating first-quarter net profit of £1.4bn as deal looms with US Department of Justice

How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world

Posted: 05 May 2015 12:04 AM PDT

In the 1960s, Dutch cities were increasingly in thrall to motorists, with the car seen as the transport of the future. It took the intolerable toll of child traffic deaths – and fierce activism – to turn Amsterdam into the cycling nirvana of today

Indonesia to stop sending domestic workers to Middle East – reports

Posted: 04 May 2015 11:19 PM PDT

Jakarta angry over the recent execution of two Indonesian women found guilty of murder in Saudi Arabia

Afghanistan, domestic violence and divorce: one woman's harrowing story

Posted: 04 May 2015 11:00 PM PDT

Almost a year and a half after her husband disfigured her for life in a frenzied knife attack, Setara is still awaiting a legal separation. Her plight is all too familiar in Afghanistan, where divorce rights are heavily weighted towards men

'Face it Britain – you've got a weird electoral system'

Posted: 04 May 2015 11:00 PM PDT

With the UK election so important for Europe, three London correspondents for big European newspapers pick out the defining feature of the campaign so far

Lenin's lover? Picture of woman described as his true love uncovered

Posted: 04 May 2015 11:00 PM PDT

Russian revolutionary known as 'primeval force of the black Earth' by contemporaries was close associate of Lenin and his wife, and played important role while in exile

Struggle Street reality TV series promo lands SBS in hot water – video

Posted: 04 May 2015 10:27 PM PDT

A promotional video for a new TV series on families living in the western Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt has been pulled by SBS after local leaders complained it was derogatory and not representative of their area. Produced by KEO Films Australia, the show debuts on SBS on Wednesday evening. SBS said the show did not seek to be representative of Mount Druitt as a suburb Continue reading...

China says Philippines breaking code of conduct by building in South China Sea

Posted: 04 May 2015 10:22 PM PDT

China's foreign ministry urged the Philippines to stop its "malicious hyping and provocation", but Manilla says code had already been violated by China's actions

China has accused the Philippines of violating a 13-year-old informal code of conduct in the South China Sea by building on disputed islets, a move that comes after repeated criticism of China's construction work.

China and the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed an agreement in 2002 to refrain from occupying and building new structures on uninhabited reefs and shoals in the sea.

Garcia Marquez's signed masterpiece stolen from Colombian book fair

Posted: 04 May 2015 10:21 PM PDT

First edition copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude taken from locked, guarded display case

Nauru cancelled visa of Digicel's general manager before blocking Facebook

Posted: 04 May 2015 10:16 PM PDT

Lorna Roge reportedly replaced by telco provider after a dispute with Nauruan government over payment

Reserve Bank of Australia cuts rates to historic new low of 2%

Posted: 04 May 2015 10:00 PM PDT

RBA says falling commodity prices and weak business investment meant the second cut this year was necessary to encourage a pickup in household demand

The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates for the second time this year to a new record low of 2% as the Australian economy continues to face headwinds from a slowing global economy.

The bank decided at its monthly meeting on Tuesday to reduce its cash rate by 25 basis points from 2.25% – already the lowest ever seen – to 2%.

A funny thing happened on the way to the refugee camp …

Posted: 04 May 2015 10:00 PM PDT

A very tough gig – making Syrian children displaced by war laugh – is an inspiring challenge for a comedy troupe bringing humour to people living hard lives

Papua New Guinea earthquake sparks tsunami warning, but only minor damage reported

Posted: 04 May 2015 09:58 PM PDT

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast triggered a tsunami alert in the Pacific after striking the New Britain region

A powerful earthquake rattled the South Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, generating a small tsunami near the epicenter, bringing down power lines and cracking walls, but causing no widespread damage.

A tsunami estimated at under one meter (three feet) was seen in the harbor of Rabaul, a town near the epicenter of the 7.5-magnitude quake, said Chris McKee, assistant director of the Geophysical Observatory in the capital, Port Moresby.

Bikke the chipmunk nibbles pistachios, oblivious to internet fame – video

Posted: 04 May 2015 09:56 PM PDT

A chipmunk called Bikke nibbles pistachios at a home in eastern Japan, oblivious to the adoration such everyday activities attract from fans around the world. Videos and vines of the one-year-old chipmunk shared by her owner have won-over a growing audience, with her Vine account in particular racking up over 56m loops Continue reading...

Australian CEOs call on political leaders to support marriage equality

Posted: 04 May 2015 09:54 PM PDT

Business leaders, including Qantas chief Alan Joyce, say tolerance and diversity are all part of Australia's 'public brand' and supporting marriage equality is the 'last piece of the puzzle'

Bollywood star Salman Khan faces possible jail time over hit-and-run case

Posted: 04 May 2015 09:29 PM PDT

Actor accused of driving over sleeping homeless men, killing one of them, after a night of drinking rum and cocktails in Mumbai 12 years ago

Bollywood star Salman Khan, known for his bulging biceps and off-camera temper tantrums, faces jail this week if convicted of drunkenly driving over sleeping homeless men 12 years ago, killing one of them.

Khan, star of blockbusters Bodyguard and Dabangg (Fearless), is accused of losing control of his SUV after a night of drinking rum and cocktails at an upmarket bar in India's entertainment capital Mumbai in 2002 and fleeing the scene.