Sydney - Catholic youngsters from 170 countries, gathering in Sydney to meet the pope and get to know each other, were urged Tuesday to not only hold fast to their faith but also help holding back the tide of secularism.

"Don't spend your life sitting on the fence, keeping your options open, because only commitments bring fulfillment," Cardinal George Pell, leader of Australia's 5 million Catholics, told a congregation of up to 150,000 on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour for the opening mass of the week-long World Youth Day celebrations.

"Happiness comes from meeting our obligations, doing our duty, especially in small matters and regularly, so we can rise to meet the harder challenges," Pell, the archbishop of Sydney, said in his homily.

Sydney, July 15: The National Australia Bank (NAB) plans to more than halve its local technology workforce and outsource jobs to India in the next five years, as part of its massive technology tran

Sydney - A Sydney court Tuesday declared unconstitutional harsh police powers brought in for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Australia and a gathering of young Catholics, much to the joy of an a

Sydney - Australians Tuesday claimed Olive Riley, who died earlier this week at the age of 108, was the world's oldest blogger. 

Sydney, July 14 : An Australian woman renowned as the world''s oldest blogger died at the age of 108, after posting her final message.

Sydney - Despite Pope Benedict XVI putting global warming on the agenda for his visit to Sydney for an international youth gathering, the leader of Australia's 5 million Catholics came out Monday as a climate change sceptic.

Speaking to reporters Sunday during his 23-hour flight from Rome, the pontiff said, "We have to give impulse to rediscovering our responsibility and to finding an ethical way to change our way of life."

"I have no intention of entering into technical or political questions, but the church has to give fundamental impulses in order to help politics tackle these challenges," said the Holy Father, who, after his arrival, was resting in Sydney before beginning his official duties Thursday.