Australia

What does National Geographic consider the best island in the world? Tahiti? Capri, Italy? Lord Howe Island, Australia? Nope. According to its recent book, "The 10 Best of Everything," it's actually Nantucket, which takes the coveted spot in the ten best islands category.  Nantucket? No disrespect to the Massachusetts hotspot, but it seems a bit of an odd choice on a list that doesn't even include Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, or the Bahamas. Travel writer Leslie Thomas came up with the list for National Geographic and had the following to say about...

SYDNEY - Australia is the world's happiest nation based on criteria including income, jobs, housing, and health, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said. Australia led Norway and the United States, the Paris-based group's Better Life Index showed, when each of 11 categories surveyed in 36 nations is given equal weight. Life expectancy at birth in Australia is almost 82 years, two years higher than the OECD average, the survey showed. More than 72 percent of people aged 15 to 64 in Australia have a paid job, above the OECD average of 66 percent.

With his carefully tended hair, tight trousers and perfect harmonies, Robin Gibb, along with his brothers Maurice and Barry, defined the disco era. As part of the Bee Gees — short for the Brothers Gibb — they created dance floor classics like "Stayin Alive," ''Jive Talkin'," and "Night Fever" that can still get crowds onto a dance floor. The catchy songs, with their falsetto vocals and relentless beat, are familiar pop culture mainstays. There are more than 6,000 cover versions of the Bee Gees hits, and they are still heard on dance floors and at wedding receptions, birthday...

Australia denied Wednesday that it had agreed to treat young Indonesian people smugglers more leniently in return for Indonesia reducing the prison sentence of a high-profile Australian drug trafficker. But Foreign Minister Bob Carr conceded that Indonesians saw a link between the treatment of Australian Schapelle Corby and young Indonesians held in Australian prisons. Corby, 34, learned in a Bali prison on Tuesday that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had granted a five-year reduction of a 20-year sentence for her 2005 conviction for smuggling marijuana onto the...

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's army has started shooting 6,000 kangaroos to thin their population on an army training ground near the capital, an official said yesterday, outraging conservationists who have vowed to protest. The killings are intended to protect endangered plants and insects that share the grassy habitat with the kangaroos. A much smaller slaughter of 400 kangaroos on another Defense Department site in Canberra last year was disrupted by protesters. Civilian marksmen contracted by the department began shooting the kangaroos on Tuesday night at Defense's Majura Training Area,...

The best time to explore the outback is mid -April to mid -October, when temperatures are cooler, but the trip runs year-round. Pilots may not be able to take passengers when there is a lot of mail, especially around the holidays . Channel Mail Run from Port Augusta to Birdsville West Wing Aviation 011-61-07-4743-2144 westwing@westwing.com.au www.westwing.com.au $477 per person, round trip, not including food or...

I am a proud budget traveler, a deal hunter whose enjoyment of a vacation rises and falls in inverse proportion to the amount I spend on it. In other words, the more I spend, the less I enjoy. When it comes to vacationing, I'm not just fiscally conservative; I'm fiscally militant, adept at sleuthing down cut-rate transportation, assembling cheap grocery store meals, and locating campsites where sleep can be had for a few dollars a night. But when the chance arose this year to go to Australia, my penny-pinching was put to the ultimate test.

Winger James O'Connor landed a 72nd-minute penalty and Australia rallied to beat South Africa 11-9 in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals Sunday, ending the aging Springboks' bid to defend their title. The Wallabies, on track to become the first team to win the tournament three times, will face New Zealand, a 33-10 winner over Argentina, in the semifinals. Wales and France won their quarterfinals Saturday. In Auckland, Scrumhalf Piri Weepu booted over his first six shots at goal to help New Zealand take an 18-10 lead over Argentina after an hour.

THE PLEDGE: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano says Washington will not pressure its allies to avoid certain telecommunication companies over cybersecurity concerns. THE SPARK: She was speaking amid controversy over Australia banning Chinese giant Huawei from working on a national broadband network. CHINESE FEARS: Beijing's relations with Western governments have been strained by complaints about hacking traced to China and aimed at oil, technology and other companies.

Swimming Australia said Friday that Queensland state will host the Pan Pacific championships in August 2014 at a venue to be determined. The Pan Pacific titles are held every four years over four days in a 50-meter pool and feature about 300 swimmers from the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, New Zealand and Australia. The 11th edition of the titles were held in Irvine, California, in 2010. Australia last hosted the PanPacs in 1999 in Sydney as a test event for the 2000 Olympics.

Australian officials wanted to get rid of some commemorative mugs that misspelled President Barack Obama's name. And boy, did they ever. A Parliament House official told senators on Monday that 198 mugs were smashed and buried under wet concrete at a loading dock behind the building. Sen. John Faulkner called it a "mafia-style execution" for the mugs, which had an extra "r" printed in Obama's first name. The government made 200 of the mugs to commemorate the president's planned visit to Australia in 2010, which was later canceled.

Fifth-seeded Bernard Tomic of Australia and seventh-seeded Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan won Tuesday to reach the second round of the Open de Nice. Tomic beat Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 6-2, 6-3, breaking serve twice in each set. He next plays Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, who eased past big-serving Sam Querrey 6-2, 7-5. Istomin advanced with a 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-1 victory over Alejandro Falla of Colombia. That sets up a match with Russia's Nikolay Davydenko, who defeated Matthew Ebden of Australia 6-3, 6-3. Xavier Malisse of Belgium beat Lu Yen-Hsun of Taiwan...

UGG Australia has surprisingly (but not surprisingly) entered the bridal category with the "I Do" capsule collection featuring two pairs of sheepskin-lined boots and flip-flops. Iridescent sequins, enormous Swarovski crystal fasteners, and glittery baby blue soles for that extra "something blue" on your special day are all featured in the mix with price points maxing at $225. Ideally, the footwear is meant to provide "luxury bridal comfort as brides and their bridal parties pamper themselves before and after the wedding" -- not necessary during but not much surprises us...

Australia will contribute $100 million annually for three years beginning in 2015 toward the $4 billion a year cost of running the Afghan National Security Forces after they take responsibility for their country's security. Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defense Minister Stephen Smith said in a statement Wednesday they will take this commitment to the NATO and U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force summit in Chicago on Sunday and Monday. This follows Australia's commitment to the Afghan National Army Trust Fund of $200 million over five years...

General Electric is acquiring two mining equipment manufacturers to capitalize on growth in places like Australia and China. GE will spend $698.2 million for Industrea Ltd., a a mining products and services provider in Queensland, Australia. The transaction is subject to regulatory and shareholder approval and is expected to close later this year. GE also signed a binding letter of intent to acquire Fairchild International, a Glen Lyn, Va., underground mining equipment manufacturer.

It will be hard to miss Christopher Plummer this year. The Academy Award winner's stage performance in "The Tempest" will be shown in hundreds of movie theaters on June 14, even as plans are in the works to have his "Barrymore" join it at the multiplex. "The Tempest," with Plummer as Prospero and direction by Des McAnuff, was pre-recorded live over two days in the summer of 2010 at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. His "Barrymore" — a two-person play exploring the life of actor John Barrymore — will be shown at cinemas in Canada beginning in May...

SYDNEY - Australia is the world's happiest nation based on criteria including income, jobs, housing, and health, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said. Australia led Norway and the United States, the Paris-based group's Better Life Index showed, when each of 11 categories surveyed in 36 nations is given equal weight. Life expectancy at birth in Australia is almost 82 years, two years higher than the OECD average, the survey showed. More than 72 percent of people aged 15 to 64 in Australia have a paid job, above the OECD average of 66 percent.

Roger Federer has arrived in Australia to join the Swiss team ahead of its Davis Cup World Group playoff starting Friday. The 16-time Grand Slam winner arrived later than his Switzerland teammates after his grueling five-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals on Sunday. Federer has just two days to adjust to the grass courts at Royal Sydney Golf Club before his first match of the tie against Australia. Federer is expected to play two singles matches. He might also partner with Stanislas Wawrinka for doubles on Saturday.

Swimming Australia said Friday that Queensland state will host the Pan Pacific championships in August 2014 at a venue to be determined. The Pan Pacific titles are held every four years over four days in a 50-meter pool and feature about 300 swimmers from the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, New Zealand and Australia. The 11th edition of the titles were held in Irvine, California, in 2010. Australia last hosted the PanPacs in 1999 in Sydney as a test event for the 2000 Olympics.

National Australia Bank, one of the country's largest lenders, reported a 15.5 percent drop in first-half net profits on Thursday, hurt by the poor performance of its U.K. operations. Net profit for the six months to March 31 was 2.1 billion Australian dollars ($2.1 billion), down from AU$2.4 billion in the same period a year ago, the Melbourne-based bank said in a statement. Cash earnings were AU$2.8 billion, up 6 percent from AU$2.7 billion in the previous corresponding period.