Sydney  - A late surge on Wall Street helped Australian stocks to a 4-per-cent gain on Monday.

Sydney, Dec 8 : An Australian astronomer has claimed to have solved the mystery of the Bethlehem star, that suggests Jesus Christ was born on June 17, not December 25, which if proven true might change the date when Christmas is celebrated in the world.

According to biblical mythology, the Bethlehem star was the guiding star that led the three wise men, or magi, to the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Now, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph, Dave Reneke, News editor of Sky and Space magazine and also an astronomer, has said that complex charting software has allowed astronomers to map the night sky as it would have appeared more than 2000 years ago and has revealed a spectacular astronomical event at the time of the birth of Christ.

Sydney  - Millions of Australians were given cash from the government's piggy bank Monday and ordered to go on an anti-recession spending spree.

"Go out and spend the money," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said as he waved goodbye to half the 21-billion-Australian-dollar (13-billion-US-dollar) budget surplus built up over the previous six years. "By spending their payments, families and pensioners will help create Australian jobs and strengthen the Australian economy."

Even 50,000 Australians living abroad will find that Canberra has deposited money in their bank accounts.

Sydney, Dec. 7: The South African cricket team can fancy its chances of beating the Australians for the first time on their home soil for four very solid reasons.

Sydney, Dec. 7 : Out of favour Australian left-arm swing bowler Nathan Bracken is trying to force his way back into the Australian Test squad as a spinner.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Bracken, who was ranked the world''s No. 1 one-day bowler, has secretly been working on his spinners in the nets and is hoping to unleash them soon in a game.

"I''ve been practising them a fair bit. I''ve been bowling them at training but the hardest thing has been trying to get the chance to bowl them in a game," he told the Sun Herald.

During the last Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania, where Bracken took a match total of eight wickets, he asked Blues skipper Dominic Thornely for the chance to bowl spin in the second innings.

Sydney, Dec. 7 : Former Australian captain and opener Bobby Simpson expects current opener Simon Katch to maintain technical poise and adapt a simple approach while dealing with the South African pace trio of Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel during the upcoming Test series.

"I''m very pleased and proud of what he''s been able to do. He''s a lad who''s approached the job in the simplest possible way, which is the way I like it. He''s sorted out the technical things we''ve talked about and he''s now doing them exactly as we planned about two years ago. I''ve got great pleasure from that, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Simpson, as saying.