Sydney, Jan 30 : Unusual patterns of eye contact could help detect developing autism symptoms in babies just six months old, reveals a study.La Trobe University psychologist Kristelle Hudry, a key researcher in the study, says the results of the study are linked with emerging autism.

Hudry and her UK colleagues studied six to 10-month-old babies who were at risk of developing autism because they had a sibling with the condition, the journal Current Biology reported.

Melbourne, Jan 8 : McDonald’s will now be using a new DNA spray to trace thieves and robbers who target the franchise’s restaurants.

The spray, called SelectaDNA, which remains on the suspect’s skin for two weeks and on clothes for up to six months, has been introduced in some of the chain’s busiest stores in New South Wales in Australia.

If the ‘forensic marking’ spray proves successful in apprehending criminals, McDonald’s will introduce the system across all its 780 Australian outlets.

Sydney, Jan 5 - Captain Michael Clarke posted the highest Test score at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) while Mike Hussey struck the third century of the innings to take Australia to a massive 583 for four in the first innings, in reply to India's 191, at lunch on the third day of the second cricket Test here Thursday.

Clarke was batting on 293 and Hussey on 111, and their 258-run unbroken stand for the fifth wicket stretched Australia's first innings lead by 392 runs after a dominating first session's play.

The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons has said that the number of corrective cosmetic surgeries for those getting surgeries overseas have risen by 38 per cent during the previous year.

The corrective cosmetic surgeries are cosmetic revisions required by patients getting plastic surgery overseas when they return to Australia. Members of the society said in the survey that they are noticing more incidents of wrong surgeries in overseas markets.

The breast resizing accounted for 68 per cent of all revision surgeries ahead of facial surgery at 15 per cent and tummy tucks at 8 per cent. About 62 per cent of surgeons said in the survey that they have seen cases of permanent disfiguring that could not be corrected.

South Korean electronics giant, Samsung has received an approval from the Austrian courts to start selling its new Galaxy tablets in the country after Apple’s appeal to block the sales of the company was not upheld.

Chief Justice Robert French in Australia said that Apple failed to persuade and thus it did not allow a hearing to the company. He reinstated an appeal court judgment and thus lifted a ban on the sale of Galaxy 10.1 tablets in the Australian market.

The state-run ONGC is considering a possible tie up with international players in the field of domestic deep-water hydrocarbons exploration.

A total of 19 oil and gas acreages are available that includes its East Coast ultra-deepwater gas discovery and will be offered through domestic licensing rounds. ONGC has asked 13 firms, which are mainly from the US and Australia proposing a possible partnership.

According to a study, men aged 75 and over in Australia are unnecessarily being tested for prostate cancer.

The new study by the Cancer Council found that the testing men aged 75 and over is not in line with the global recommendations and guidelines. The study says that about a fifth of the men do not need to be tested.

Aviation major, Qantas, which had grounded all of its planes due to staff unrest, has resumed operations after a tribunal in Australia ordered ending of the industrial action against the company.

The company announced that it has received permission from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to resume flights. The move comes after Australia’s national industrial tribunal; Fair Work Australia announced a ruling following its hearing of the evidences from the union, management and the government.

Sydney, Oct 30 : Though following strict diets mostly brings down weight, over 80 percent of obese dieters fail to maintain their reduced weight. The reason? Hormonal changes.

Worldwide, there are more than 1.5 billion overweight adults, including 400 million who are obese.

Joseph Proietto, professor at the University of Melbourne, said: "Our study has provided clues as to why obese people who have lost weight often relapse. The relapse has a strong physiological basis and is not simply the result of the voluntary resumption of old habits," he said.

Durban (S. Africa), Oct. 29 : Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has said he had nothing to do with the axing of opener Simon Katich from the national contracted players list, and added that Katich''s latest outburst were not good for the team''s morale, and therefore, he wouldn''t be rushing to bring him back into the national squad.

Apple has appeared to won a battle in the out all war against rival, Samsung as a federal court in Australia temporarily banned the sale of the South Korean giant’s latest computer tablet in Australia.

The American giant accuses Samsung of copying its phone smartphone and iPad tablet computer to create its Galaxy series of smartphones and tablets. Samsung's Galaxy devices are seen as among the biggest challengers to Apple's mobile products.

The federal government in Australia has put forward a new regulation that will ensure that online games and mobile phone apps will remain legal during the review of the National Classification Scheme is undertaken by the authorities.

Brendan O'Connor, the federal minister for home affairs and justice explained that the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Mobile and Online Computer Games) Bill consider the advancements in technology in the sector.

Melbourne, Oct 3 : Former Australian cricketer Shane Warne has confirmed that he got down on one knee to propose to girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley.

Warne took to Twitter to thank well-wishers amid reports suggesting he had asked the model-turned-actress to marry him at the exclusive Old Course Hotel in St Andrews, in front of a VIP crowd of diners.

He disputed earlier reports suggesting he proposed before a crowd.

Sydney, Sep. 28 : Experienced Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has been left out of the national T20 squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa, while Victorian batsman David Hussey loses his spot in the one-day lineup.

Young fast bowlers Patrick Cummins and James Pattinson have won selection in both squads, while rising all-rounder Mitchell Marsh claimed a berth in the T20 lineup, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Melbourne, Sept 26 : Pop star Britney Spears has landed in hot water for promoting gun violence in her latest video clip for song `Criminal'.

The latest video was partly filmed in East London and during the Bonnie and Clyde-themed shoot, Spears was photographed running out of a convenience store in Hackney waving a fake pistol.

Local politicians have now criticised the singer for glamourising gun violence and demanded an apology.

Canberra, Sept 26 : An Australian technologist has claimed that Facebook can track the web pages you visit, even when you are logged out of the social networking giant.

According to Wollongong-based Nik Cubrilovic, when the user is logged out of Facebook, rather than deleting its tracking cookies, the site merely modifies them, maintaining account information and other unique tokens that can be used to identify its users.

Melbourne, Sept 24 : Australian scientists have discovered what they believe is a gene that switches on when people consume high amounts of high-fat food.

Blocking this gene could reduce diabetes' damaging effects on the body, their report said.

In people who follow a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise, the gene usually lays dormant allowing the pancreas to function normally and produce enough insulin.

Sydney, Sep 22: Australian skipper Michael Clarke is backing left-arm
fast bowler Mitchell Johnson's selection for the South Africa tour
saying that he remains an integral part of the Test side despite his
dreadful form in recent months.

Johnson collected just six
wickets at an average of 52 in Sri Lanka, and was outperformed by Ryan
Harris, Trent Copeland and Shane Watson.

Also in Johnson's favour is his excellent record against South Africa, whom he terrorized in 2009.

"He

Melbourne, Sept 21 : Hollywood hunk Ashton Kutcher’s first episode of the ninth season of ‘Two and a Half Men’ has broken television ratings records.

The premiere with Kutcher was successful in pulling a massive 28 million viewers in the US and a record 2.29 million people for Channel 9 last night, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Melbourne, Sept 21 : Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she won’t be watching the ABC’s political satire ‘At Home With Julia’, which shows her draped in an Australian flag after having sex on her office floor.

Ms Gillard said she watched the first episode of the program, though not on the night it was broadcast.

“I’m not intending to watch tonight’s episode. I’ve got more to do,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ms Gillard as telling ABC Radio today.