Sydney - An Australian tourist lost in the Outback scrawled HELP in the dirt next to his dying body, police in the far-west town of Broome said Wednesday.

Sydney  - A computer malfunction could explain why a Qantas passenger jet en route from Singapore and Perth plunged in altitude and injured 46 passengers, investigators said Wednesday.

Passengers aboard Flight QF72 said the Airbus A330 dipped 8,000 feet (2,440 metres) in about 10 seconds on Tuesday before making an emergency landing at Learmonth military base, 1,260 kilometres north of Perth.

Sydney - The Commonwealth Bank of Australia said Wednesday it would buy BankWest and St Andrew's Australia from troubled British-based parent HBOS plc for 2.1 billion Australian dollars (1.47 billion US dollars).

Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ralph Norris said the purchase from HBOS offered rare value.

"The strength of our current capital and funding position combined with the strategic value of this transaction makes this an attractive opportunity for the group and its shareholders," Norris said.

Sydney - Australian stocks tumbled 5.5 per cent Wednesday in the wake of a 5-per-cent fall on Wall Street and in tandem with Japan and other Asian markets.

The ASX 200 dropped 230 points, or 4.9 per cent, to 4,388. All the gains that followed from the central bank's cut of 1 per cent from interest rates were wiped out as investors dumped stocks.

Sydney- It would take a month to find out why a Qantas flight dropped altitude dramatically, injuring at least 36 passengers before it made an emergency landing, investigators said Wednesday.

The Airbus A330 from Singapore to Perth, with 303 passengers and 10 crew, put out a mayday call Tuesday before making an emergency landing at Learmonth military base, 1,260 kilometres north of Perth.

Sydney - Australian stocks tumbled 3.5 per cent on the opening bell Wedn