Melbourne, September 22 : An Australian company has invented “shower suits” that can be worn while they wash.

Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), the research and marketing body which represents Australian woolgrowers, has revealed that the garment does not require soaking, dry cleaning or even soap.

"The idea is that you hang it up and then ... you give it a spray, and leave it overnight, and it''s dry the next morning,'''' news. com. au quoted Stephen Feighan, the company’s corporate affairs spokesman, as saying.

He has revealed that it was a Japanese researcher working for AWI who invented the suit by combining three technologies.

He says that the minimal use of lining allows the suit to dry quickly.

Sydney - The worst dust storm in 40 years was Monday dusting the snow with an orange powder in the alpine region of Australia's south-east corner and bringing what locals call mud rain.

Winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour are lifting soil from the arid interior of New South Wales and dumping it nearer the coast. When combined with rain, it can fall with the consistency of watery mud.

The ochre dust has swept across Mount Kosciusko, flat Australia's highest mountain, giving what resident Darren Nielsen told national broadcaster ABC was an "extremely bizarre" aspect.

Canberra, September 22 : Researchers at the CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems in Canberra have determined that biofuels made from the stubble left over from harvesting wheat grains could replace around one fifth of the volume of petrol used in Australia.

According to a report in ABC News, Dr Michael Dunlop of CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems said that based on 2001 figures, the 10 main grain crops of Australia produce about 65 million tonnes of stubble.

He said that much of this needs to be left in the ground to protect soil, retain soil carbon and reduce evaporation.

This would leave just under fifteen million tonnes of remaining stubble to be distributed in a way that is economically viable to collect.

Melbourne, September 22 : A leading researcher at the Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne says that she is working on a technique that can restore hearing to the totally deaf in 50 years.

Researcher Bryony Coleman has revealed that she is carrying out the world’s first research into the potential of stem cells to regrow the nerves that connect the ear to the brain.

She says that the technique may help improve the quality of hearing in people with cochlear implants, and even restore hearing to those who are totally deaf, if her research turns out to be successful.

"Fifty years down the track this might be one of many techniques — we might not even need a cochlear implant," theage. com. au quoted her as saying.

London, September 22: Scientists have discovered an ancient reef in Australia’s outback, which could unlock the secrets of the world’s climate change history.

According to a report in www. news. com. au, located in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, the 650-million-year-old reef existed during a period of tropical climate between two major ice age events.

Sydney - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's year-long honeymoon with Australian voters ended messily Monday with an opinion poll showing a warm embrace of new opposition Liberal Party leader Malcolm Turnbull.

The numbers reflect disquiet in the electorate over Rudd's frequent travels abroad and his desire to play the global statesman.

Satisfaction with Rudd fell to 50 per cent, its lowest level since he ousted veteran conservative John Howard in a Labor landslide in November. Dissatisfaction with the