Sydney  - Attorney-General Rob Hulls, the highest law officer in the Australian state of Victoria, was refused communion at a Christmas Eve Catholic mass at his church because his government legalized abortion, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

A minister assisting a priest in a children's mass at St Monica's Church in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, placed his hand over the communion cup when Hulls approached the altar with his children in his arms, the Herald Sun newspaper reported.

Sydney  - An Australian man was arrested and charged Tuesday with murdering three members of the same family in their Brisbane home nearly six years ago, news reports said.

Max Sica, 38, who found the bodies of Neelma, 24, Kunal, 18, and Sidhi Singh, 12, in the spa bath of the family home in April 2003, had publicly declared himself the prime suspect throughout the investigation.

Sica was an ex-boyfriend of Neelma Singh and a former neighbour of the family, whose parents, Shirley and Vijay Singh, were away on business in Fiji at the time of the killings, ABC radio reported.

Sica's lawyer, Kerry Smith Douglas, told reporters outside the Brisbane Magistrates' Court on Tuesday that her client was innocent and victim of trumped up charges.

Sydney  - Authorities are reconsidering a decision not to hunt a great white shark believed to have killed a man at a beach near Perth following a second attack on Tuesday, according to a news report.

A shark attacked a 5-metre dinghy off the same beach and a married couple who radioed for help were rescued by another boat before it sank, ABC Radio said.

It quoted Tony Cappelluti, a spokesman for the local fisheries department, as saying it was not known if it was the same shark that attacked and killed local bank manager Brian Guest, 51, off the same beach at the weekend.

Sydney, Dec 28 : To avoid embarrassment of losing consecutive series against South Africa and England, a section of Australian media has favoured recall of spin legend Shane Warne.

The Sun-Herald, for the people, would like to present the case for Shane Warne returning to the Australian Test team.

It's a serious attempt to remind Warne that his word is his bond. Warne vowed to ride back on his white horse if Australia's spin-bowling stocks went up the chute after his retirement, the Sydney Morning Herald said.

Sydney, Dec 28 : Australian main attack bowler Brett Lee, who lacked penetration and was not able to pick wickets at the MCG, will have to perform in the second innings to convince selectors that he has the ability to lead the pace battery for Ashes 2009.

Less than a week after skipper Ricky Ponting publicly aired his concern by refusing to confirm Lee as a starter for the Boxing Day Test, Lee again found himself wicketless and indebted to Australia's younger bowlers for bailing him out.