New figures from the New South Wales Government show that average Sydney rental prices are increasing by more than 10 per cent a year.

KIEV (AFP) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has asked Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to take over responsibility for solving the gas dispute with Russia, his spokesman Victor Baloga said Saturday.

The Fire Service says a fire at the Nyrstar zinc smelter in Hobart yesterday morning only caused minimal damage.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has not ruled out changing the law to force banks to make it easier for disgruntled home loan borrowers to shift their accounts.

BERLIN (AFP) - Airbus' A380 super jumbo, the world's largest passenger aircraft, has encountered problems with its inflatable escape slides, the Internet site of the Germany weekly Stern reported Saturday.

The Queensland Building Services Authority is warning people to do their homework before hiring a builder.

A protest against the Church of Scientology organized by the Internet -based group "Anonymous" held in Orlando, Florida drew 100 people on Saturday.

A 33-year-old Somalian woman was arrested after she stabbed two pilots in an attempt to hijack a New Zealand passenger plane. The 19-seater on Eagle Airways Flight NZ2279 , was travelling from Blenheim to Christchurch when the incident occurred. Eagle

The final report into the disaster blamed pilot error for the crash, which killed several Australian journalists following a visit by their foreign minister as well as Indonesian nationals. The investigation determined that Komar was responsible, having brought the plane

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A 150-billion-dollar economic stimulus plan approved by the US Congress will give a shot in the arm to a lagging US economy, possibly mitigating the current downturn, analysts say.

TOKYO (AFP) - The head of the IMF on Saturday renewed his call for countries to consider fiscal measures to boost demand in the face of slowing economic growth caused by the US subprime loan crisis.

TOKYO (AFP) - The Japanese government is planning to nominate Bank of Japan deputy governor Toshiro Muto as the next head of the central bank, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily said Saturday.

BRASILIA (AFP) - Brazil's industrial output grew six percent last year, its biggest expansion since 2004, the state statistical agency said Friday.

The forestry union has condemned plans for a possible blockade to halt construction of the Gunns pulp mill at Bell Bay.

POLICE are treating as murder the death of a woman whose body was found buried in a backyard in Melbourne's west today.

PARIS (AFP) - World stockmarkets lost 5.2 trillion dollars (3.

There is more industrial trouble brewing in Tasmanian schools.

TOKYO (AFP) - European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet said Saturday the bank did not rule out either raising or lowering interest rates, while saying that the eurozone's economic fundamentals were sound.

A CANDIDATE vying to become Queensland Police Union president has apologised for letters sent to union members' homes which identified some on the envelopes as covert police.