Adelaide, November 22 : In a new study, scientists have determined that DNA recovered from fossilised bones of the moa, a giant extinct bird, has revealed a new geological history of New Zealand.

A team of scientists led by the University of Adelaide has reconstructed a history of marine barriers, mountain building and glacial cycles in New Zealand over millions of years, using the first complete genetic history of the moa.

After almost being totally submerged around 25 million years ago, the current South and North Islands were separated by a large sea until around 1.5 million years ago, according to the researchers.

Adelaide, Nov 18 : Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney is set to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

The prize is a US Library of Congress honour, named for US composer brothers George and Ira Gershwin, many of whose original works are part of the Library’s huge collection.

It has been previously been bestowed on the likes of Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder.

Adelaide, November 13 : Nicole Kidman recently walked the red carpet with her husband Keith Urban wearing a dress that seemingly made her appear bustier than usual.

The fuchsia embroidered L''Wren Scott dress the actress donned at the Country Music Awards has received varied takes in the fashion world.

America''s InStyle magazine appreciated the ‘Australia’ star, choosing her for fashion pick of the day prize, reports Adelaide Now.

Adelaide, Oct 27 : South Australia have signed Pakistani all rounder Shahid Afridi as the replacement for Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis for the Twenty20 Big Bash this summer.

Southern Redbacks said that Afridi has been signed, as Mendis would be unavailable due to Sri Lanka''s planned tri-series with India and Bangladesh in January.

Adelaide, Oct 24 - Each day millions of commuters across the world wait for a bus or a train, wondering when it will arrive. Now a group of students at Carnegie Mellon University's Adelaide campus that includes Indians has found a way to tell you exactly when your bus or train will be at your stop.

The Sandora Prototype 1.0 is a tracking system which sends live timetable information and a Google Map showing the location of the vehicle, direct to mobile phones by SMS. Commuters can obtain the information either before their trip or while waiting at a stop.

The closure of the Bridgestone tyre factory in Papanui, Christchurch has brought bad news for at least 275 employers of the firm who have lost job in the tough hours of hard economic conditions.

The firm has decided to close both its utilities in Christchurch and Adelaide, South Australia due to slump in demand and ever declining margins.

The firm said, in its explanation, that international scenario has made the tyre production non-viable and the firm failed to meet with global competitiveness despite its continued efforts.

Adelaide, October 21: In a new study, University of Adelaide researchers have determined that genetic information from an extinct species of bison preserved in permafrost for thousands of years could help improve modern agricultural livestock and breeding programs.

Researchers from the University’s Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) worked with an international team of genomics researchers to analyse the genetic mutations of an ancient bison, many modern cattle breeds and members of the larger ruminant family tree, including deer, antelopes, and giraffes.

Their findings open the way for identifying important mutations in the ancestors of domestic animals, according to ACAD Director Professor Alan Cooper.

Adelaide (Australia), Oct. 12 : Former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has said that US President Barack Obama should be "man enough" to refuse this year''s Nobel Peace Prize.

Writing today for AdelaideNow, Downer said the decision to award the prize to Obama "was a political decision of gross stupidity".

Obama "has not had anything like enough time for his policies to bear fruit," he further wrote.

Adelaide, Sep 28 : Australian Democrat David Winderlich has warned that the River Murray, which is a major source of drinking water for South Australians, will become too saline to drink in a year and as a result millions of residents would have to drink bottled water.

Winderlich urged the Kevin Rudd Government to look for immediate plans to provide bottled water to South Australian towns.

Adelaide (Australia), Aug. 28 : A jealous Indian Australian wife has been charged with killing her husband by setting his penis on fire.

She is expected to answer her murder charge in October.

Rajini Narayan appeared briefly in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today, charged with the murder of her husband.

The mother of three allegedly set fire to her husband Satish Narayan’s genitals in December last year. Narayan suffered major burns in the blaze and died several weeks later.

The fire also gutted the family''s suburban Unley home leaving a damage bill of a million dollars, news. com reports.

Adelaide, August 23 : Juggling their work, families, and endless lists of jobs leaves Australian women with lack of time for themselves, according to a study.

About 90 per cent of the 4000 women questioned during a recent survey said that they got less than two hours of "me time" per week.

Conducted by Nescafe Cafe Menu, the survey showed that about 56 per cent women did not feel like they made the most of every moment.

Twenty four per cent said that they did not entertain because it was either too expensive or too much effort.

Adelaide, August 17 : Robot ‘prostitutes’ may feature as part of extreme future plans for tourists, a tourism conference has been told.

Ian Yeoman, from New Zealand''s University of Wellington, gave a sneak peak to what the world may hold in 2050, formed by factors like global warming, food, water and jet fuel supply problems and technological advances.

Adelaide, Aug 17 : Panda breeders have resorted to tactics like showing "panda porn" videos, and putting them through "sexercises", to encourage mating in the animals, and save them from becoming extinct.

Pandas have extremely low libidos, which have discouraged efforts to boost their numbers in China.

Panda experts have warned the species could be extinct in just two to three generations, as rapid economic development infringes their lifestyle.

Adelaide, August 17 : An old woman in Adelaide is considering taking legal action against the State Government for the pain and suffering she went through when she was stripped by five male police officers and put in a cell in the early 1970s.

The mother-of-five, named as ‘Mary’ in news stories, was a teenager at the time.

She decided on dragging the Government to court after she read about other women being stripped and put naked into padded cells by male police officers at stations, including Christies Beach and the City Watch House.

She said that reading the news stories deepened the pain she has felt since she was stripped by five officers, after she was arrested for being drunk and disorderly in Hindley St in 1972.

Adelaide, Aug 14 : Police officials in Adelaide have been forced to offer prisoners "modesty gowns" after reports emerged that male officers were stripping women naked and putting them in padded cells.

Assistant Police Commissioner Bronwyn Killmier said that the purchase of the reinforced calico gowns was not an admission that the practice, revealed in The Advertiser and on AdelaideNow, was inappropriate.

Adelaide, Aug 14 : Today''s youngsters are drifting away from the basics of etiquettes and chivalry, thanks to contemporary phenomena such as social networking and the adoration of badly behaving stars, say experts.

Public drunkenness, foul language, and excessive imprudence on social networking websites, such as Facebook, are some of the examples of this increasing bad behaviour.

Model agent Tanya Powell, who teaches manners and etiquette to 500 students a year, has said that the public indiscretions of sporting personalities were fuelling bad behaviour in young men.

"Boys want to be like their sporting heroes, and binge drinking is a huge problem - the boys think it makes them look macho," Adelaide Now quoted her as saying.

Adelaide, Jun 9 : A man, who wanted to scare his former girlfriend into locking her doors at night, is said to have bound her arms and legs together before raping her with a large sex toy.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then got a beer from the fridge and poured it on her body before apologizing and then driving her to work in Hindley Street, reports Adelaide Now.

The man pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, and one count of aggravated serious criminal trespass.

Adelaide (Australia), May 7 : South Australian wicketkeeping captain Graham Manou is working with his management to find a place in an English club or county cricket as a "shadow" player, reasoning that if Brad Haddin is injured, someone needs to be on hand to take his place.

The question of including a reserve wicketkeeper in the touring party will not be answered until the 16 is announced in around a fortnight''s time though Manou has been told by selectors to keep up his training in the event of being given a plane ticket.

Adelaide, Apr. 8 : Adelaide Police have said that they are not treating the death of former world champion cyclist Jobie Dajka as suspicious.

The body of the 2002 Commonwealth Games and world championships gold medallist was discovered at his Adelaide home late on Tuesday, Fox Sports reports.

The cause of Dajka''s death is not yet known but it doesn''t appear suspicious, South Australian Police say.

Dajka, who won the world Keirin title and shared the Commonwealth team sprint title, had admitted to alcoholism and depression following his omission from Australia''s 2004 Athens Olympic team for lying to a doping inquiry.

Adelaide, Australia  - Australian former cycling world champion Jobie Dajka has been found dead in his home in Adelaide, the TV channel Nine Network said Tuesday.

A cause of death was not given.

The 27-year-old, who won the keirin world championship in 2002 and a year later won the silver medal, had a troubled history since being thrown off the Australian Olympic team in 2004 for lying during an investigation into drug use.