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May 7, 2013 The Australian Broadcasting Co., which originally broke the story, reports Prisoner X sabotaged an Israeli mission to bring back the remains of captured Israeli soldiers thought to be buried in Lebanon.

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March 23, 2013 The city of Gladstone is the world's fourth largest coal-export hub. It's also a jumping off point to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. But coal mining could eventually kill the reef that Australians revere.

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March 22, 2013 There's some evidence that carbon dioxide we pump into the atmosphere has slowed the development of coral reefs. So researchers are adding antacid to the water in a tiny part of the Great Barrier Reef, to see whether the corals will grow faster if their water supply is less acidic.

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March 21, 2013 Normally, the buff-breasted rail is a shy little creature. But on this island out on the Great Barrier Reef, it's become the avian equivalent of a weed. And the island is dotted with other pesky and sometimes (to visitors) menacing birds.

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March 20, 2013 Tens of thousands of children are believed to have been taken from their parents, mostly unwed teenagers, from the late-1950s to the 1970s. An Australian Senate committee report issued last year urged the government to take action.

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March 20, 2013 Seaweed might not be as flashy as coral, but it plays an important role on the reef. They compete for space, and rising carbon dioxide levels could someday tip the balance of power.

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March 19, 2013 The tropical island set in turquoise water just off the Great Barrier Reef is the site of an experiment to see what will happen to coral reefs as the ocean absorbs ever more of the carbon dioxide and heat we've added to our planet's thin skin. The results weren't so pretty.

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February 28, 2013 The horse meat scandal might be playing out in Europe, but China is the biggest producer in the global market for horseflesh, a new infographic reveals.

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February 18, 2013 The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reports that the man identified as Ben Zygier "was arrested by his own spymasters after they believed he told Australia's domestic intelligence agency about every aspect of his work with the Israelis." Zygier apparently committed suicide in 2010 after 10 months in prison.

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February 14, 2013 How an Australian man ended up dead in an Israeli prison is now an international issue. There are reports that he may have been recruited to spy for Mossad and then done something to get himself in trouble with Israeli authorities. There are investigations under way in Australia and Israel.

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January 4, 2013 The "ghost gum" trees painted by Albert Namatjira became symbols of Australian identity and were soon to be put on the nation's historic register.

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December 6, 2012 Prime Minister Julia Gillard helped a radio show plug its "end of the world" special by solemnly saying that the Mayans were right. Oh, those wacky Aussies. See the video.

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October 9, 2012 When she rose to address the opposition leader this week, Australia's leader tore into him.

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September 5, 2012 Gina Rinehart inherited a mining company and built it into a multi-billion dollar fortune. She says Australia needs to cut labor costs and cut taxes because many "Africans want to work" and are willing to do so "for $2 a day."

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July 16, 2012 Five fatal encounters in less than a year — usually there is one a year off Australia — have raised alarms. Some wonder whether great whites should be culled.

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