Sydney, Apr. 10 : The head of Australia's Catholic Church, Cardinal George Pell said today that most AIDS-afflicted countries were ''awash with condoms''.

Cardinal Pell said he agreed with Pope Benedict XVI that condoms were aggravating the African AIDS epidemic by encouraging promiscuity.

"The idea that you can solve a great spiritual and health crisis like AIDS with a few mechanical contraptions like condoms is ridiculous," Cardinal Pell said.

Melbourne, Apr 10 : She might have dethroned Britney Spears to be the new teen idol, but Miley Cyrus says she’s uncomfortable with the tag.

The Hanna Montana star says she’s happy to be looked upon as a role model rather than an idol.

"If you look at me as a role model I agree with it, but if you look at me as an idol, I don''t," the Daily Telegraph quoted Cyrus as saying.

"An idol for me is someone you want to replicate, you want to be them and I don''t wish that on anyone, to lose what they have personally," she added.

Melbourne, Apr 10 : Wish to see your pet well secured in the car, and having car seats free of dog hair and slobber? Well, then Honda's new `Element' might be the your saviour.

Touted as the "ultimate dog car", Element has many canine-friendly features like cushioned bed, pet-restraint system and a ramp so that a dog doesn't have to jump into the back.

The Japanese carmaker unveiled the boxy-looking Dog Friendly Element at this week's New York motor show.

Melbourne, Apr 10 : Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has asked his teammates to start "putting their hands up" after the top five batsmen let the side down again, giving a 2-1 lead to South Africa in the five match series.

Needing to win their five-game one-day series against South Africa to claim the world No. 1 ODI ranking, Australia lost the third ODI by 25 runs.

Sydney - Hollywood heartthrob Hugh Jackman has apologized to fans for getting staff to post bulletins on the social-networking internet site Twitter on his behalf, news reports said Thursday.

The new medium is supposed to be a way for people to spontaneously communicate their everyday thoughts and actions, but increasingly is being used by celebrities like Jackman to fake the personal and the intimate.

The Australian actor was exposed as a fraud when a posting referred to the Sydney Opera House as the Opera Center.

Sydney, April 9 : A joint European-Australian study has determined that ancient stalagmites from a submerged Italian cave have revealed sea level rises caused by global warming more than 200,000 years ago.

According to a report by ABC News, the finding suggests the current melting of ice sheets may happen faster than expected.