The wife of Australian businessman Matthew Joyce says the 10-year jail sentence and $25 million fine handed down by a Dubai court is effectively a life term.

The British soldier butchered on the streets of London by two suspected Islamists was a 25-year-old father who had fought the Taliban in Afghanistan.The Ministry of Defence named the victim of the bloody attack near a military barracks in Woolwich as Lee Rigby, a machine-gunner with 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.Two more people - a 29-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman - have been arrested in connection with the murder.One of the attackers has been named as 28-year-old UK-born Michael Adebolajo and local reports said both he and his accomplice were known to security services.

Veteran ABC Grandstand commentator David Morrow has been reinstated after his suspension for making a racist joke on air earlier this month.

An 80-year-old Japanese climber who has had four heart surgeries has become the oldest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

The number of Australians who are obese has reached "staggering" numbers according to a key government report.

One of the men who brutally attacked and killed a soldier outside a London military base has been identified as a 28-year-old from the city's south-east.British media named him as UK-born Michael Adebolajo and said police had raided a home in Lincolnshire and a property in London.Local reports also said both suspects were known to security services.

A Senate Committee inquiry has cast serious doubt on the standard of Australia's air safety regulators, warning of systemic failures.

Hazel Hawke, the ex-wife of former prime minister Bob Hawke, died today at the age of 83 after complications of dementia.

About 2,500 jobs are under threat following the failure of one of Swan Services, one of Australia's biggest cleaning companies.

The Australian dollar and share market both had heavy losses today, but nothing compared to Japan's 7 per cent slump.

A dance school in Sydney's inner-west has made the decision to close down after its founder was charged with multiple child sexual assault offences.

Ford's decision to close its Australian plants is sending shockwaves through the manufacturing industry, with fears the initial 1,200 job losses could lead to more retrenchments in the car parts supply industry.

A dance school in Sydney's inner-west has made the decision to close down after its founder was charged with multiple child sexual assault offences.

The internet has a new list of readily-available chemicals that can be used for terrorism - not in an extremists' instruction manual but rather an Australian Government publication.

Chief Minister Adam Giles has defended the Northern Territory's drinking culture as a "core social value".

Melissa Ann Waters, 35, has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a baby boy when she crashed her car into his bedroom in suburban Perth.

A senior ranger is not sure how a freshwater crocodile has ended up in an outback river system at Birdsville in Queensland's far south-west.

Former federal parliamentary speaker Peter Slipper has faced the ACT Magistrates court for the first time over dishonesty charges.

Sergio Garcia shook off a feud with Tiger Woods to shoot an opening-round 72 at the PGA Championship at Wentworth.

UEFA has approved plans to impose 10-game European suspensions on players and officials found guilty of racism.

Australian Marc Leishman is four shots back in a tight field after one round at the US PGA Invitational in Texas.

Stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryan have been picked in the All-NBA first team for the seventh and 11th respective times.

Cadel Evans admits Vincenzo Nibali 'more than deserves' a maiden Giro d'Italia crown after dominating the 18th stage.

Veteran ABC Grandstand commentator David Morrow has been reinstated after making a racist joke on air earlier this month.

Collingwood has recalled defender Martin Clarke for Friday night's match with Sydney at the MCG.

Mark Webber has joined the expanding debate over the current state of Formula One and called for a major re-think over the future of the sport.

Socceroos coach Holger Osieck says Harry Kewell could still return to international action.

Robert Lui says the love North Queensland showed him during some dark times last year made it easy to sign a new deal with the Cowboys.

Colby Faingaa has been named to replace the injured George Smith in the Brumbies' starting XV to face the Blues.

Basketball Australia (BA) and the NBL have agreed to split, with the 2013/14 season to be run by the newly-formed National Basketball Competition (NBC).

LeBron James scored the game-winning points as the Heat held off the Pacers 103-102 in a thrilling Eastern Conference finals opener.

Hawthorn's Lance Franklin says he was verbally attacked by the woman who accused him of inappropriate behaviour in a Melbourne bar.

Lucas Neill and Josh Kennedy return to Holger Osieck's Socceroos squad ahead of June's World Cup Asian qualifiers.

The Bulls are investigating a series of batsman Chris Lynn's tweets regarding a woman who alleged Bronco Ben Te'o assaulted her.

Essendon chief Ian Robson has resigned from his role at Windy Hill amid ASADA's doping investigation.

Essendon chief executive Ian Robson is reportedly set to resign from his post at the Bombers.

Souths forward Ben Te'o is "innocent until proven guilty" and remains in Mal Meninga's sights for Queensland duties.

Australian batsman David Warner is sorry for the language he used in a Twitter rant, but not for defending himself.