Melbourne, Feb 12 : A US airline has started a controversy after it decorated one of its planes with a picture of Sports Illustrated cover girl Bar Refaeli in a sexy swimsuit.

The Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, which was unveiled for the first time at La Guardia aiport in New York, has its whole length decorated with a picture of Refaeli lying seductively in a revealing white bikini.

The plane will be flying between New York and Las Vegas and it will bear the sexy image on its fuselage for a limited time, reports News. com. au.

Melbourne, Feb. 12 : A group of former Australia cricketers have been told that their six-figure contract fees are not under threat despite the rebel Indian Cricket League postponing next month''s tournament.

Former Australia players Michael Kasprowicz, Jimmy Maher, Ian Harvey, Stuart Law, Jason Gillespie and Damien Martyn were told by e-mail this week that the ICL''s March tournament would not take place.

ICL board member Dean Jones said the world''s financial crisis and the fact that the India cricket team''s tour of New Zealand had been lengthened, would have clashed with the ICL. Jones said the tournament would be played later in the year.

Melbourne, Feb 12 : Popstar Chris Brown reportedly threatened to kill Rihanna and choked her until she was unconscious.

The incident occurred when the `Umbrella' hitmaker had a heated argument with Brown over a text message from other woman, after which he pulled his hired Lambourghini on the side of the street.

Already annoyed over the argument, Rihanna threw the car keys out of the car, and Brown got out of the car to look for it, unable to find the keys he returned to the car and put his hands around Rihanna''s neck and shouted, "I''m going to kill you."

Brisbane (Australia), Feb. 12: Indian-born surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel a. k. a. "Dr. Death" lied to the families of patients he operated upon, claimed a nurse.

Bundaberg Base Hospital intensive care unit nurse Karen Stumer told a Brisbane Magistrates Court here today that Patel often lied about the success of his operations, even as his patients'' health was deteriorating.

Melbourne, Feb. 12 : Police in the Australian state of Victoria have launched a manhunt for a "serial arsonist" after clearing the two men they had arrested earlier of any wrongdoing in connection with bush fires ravaging the region.

Officers confirmed to the Daily Telegraph that a serial arsonist was being investigated in connection with the Gippsland blaze that has so far claimed 21 lives.

According to the paper, over 150 detectives are working on separate investigations related to the fires across the state. The official death toll remains at 181, but it is expected to rise.

Sydney  - Unemployment in Australia rose to 4.8 per cent in January from 4.5 per cent in December, official figures released Thursday showed.

Economists had predicted as many as 17,000 jobs would be lost, but 1,200 jobs were created with a steep fall in full-time employment was outweighed by a rise in part-time employment.

The unemployment rate rose despite the increase in jobs because the number of people looking for work - what economists call the participation rate - went up.