Sydney  - People wondering why it's taken 13 years to pin the murder of Sydney model Caroline Byrne on Gordon Wood might reflect that it took jurors no less than six days to agree she didn't jump from a cliff but was thrown to her death by her handsome boyfriend.

A death that has perplexed Australians since it was splashed across front pages in 1995 was never going to be easy to explain.

No suicide note, but neither was there an obvious motive for taking the life of the 24-year-old. No witnesses on that cold and moonless June night, but no alibi for Wood either.

Sydney - Australians were daring to hope Thursday that the 13-year-old Aboriginal boy Brandon Walters could win an Oscar for his critically acclaimed performance in local film director Baz Luhrmann's epic Australia.

Papers in the United States have tipped an Academy Award nomination for Brandon's portrayal of the orphaned Nullah in Luhrmann's World War II melodrama.

Spotted by talent scouts in a public swimming pool in Broome, Western Australia, Brandon beat out 1,000 other hopefuls for a role that is likely to drag him into the limelight at home and abroad.

Sydney - Australia's Sex Party picked an appropriate venue for its launch Thursday: a Melbourne sex-toy emporium where vendors promised something for absolutely everyone.

"I think there are enough free-minded individuals for us to win seats," party leader Fiona Patten said. "There's a new conservatism creeping up in Australia. We're becoming a nanny state where politicians can't talk about sex without giggling or saying something negative."

The former fashion designer said the party would campaign against censorship and lobby for gays to marry and adopt children.

An immediate target is draft legislation that would force internet service providers to block access to pornographic websites.

According to new research from the University of Sydney, Nicotinamide (VitB3), a vitamin found in meats, nuts grains and cereals may be more effective than sunscreen in preventing skin cancer. The water soluble vitamin B3 works to protect the immune system and prevent damage from both UVA and UVB radiation and can be taken in tablet form or added to sunscreen.

Sydney - Australia's east coast received its biggest downpours in decades Thursday, confounding efforts to clean up after weekend storms that tore off roofs, downed trees and left thousands of homes without power.

Brisbane, the Queensland state capital, was again in the eye of the storm, with rainfall of up to 250 millimetres prompting thousands of householders to call emergency services for help.

Crews were out in boats, paddling along flooded highways and taking stranded motorists aboard.

One woman drowned after her car was swept off a highway. A bridge in Ipswich, near Brisbane, was washed away.

Sydney - Australia's east coast received its biggest downpours in decades Thursday, confounding efforts to clean up after weekend storms that tore off roofs, downed trees and left thousands of homes without power.

Brisbane, the Queensland state capital, was again in the eye of the storm, with rainfall of up to 250 millimetres prompting thousands of householders to call emergency services for help.

Crews were out in boats, paddling along flooded highways and taking stranded motorists aboard.