Mohali, Oct. 25 : ‘Oceanic Consultants Australia’ or the OCA group has today made a distinct recognition in the international market. Not many may know but it once started as an absolutely ‘nobody’ of the industry.

OCA group, which provides consultancy for education in Australia, won three business awards this year in Australia.

The group was originally set up as a homegrown Indian organization. Despite having started from scratch it has emerged as the market leader over the years in its segment.

Melbourne, Oct 25: Electronic toys such as a lifelike dog and a walking, growling dinosaur are among top choices on the Christmas wish list for Aussie kids this year, according to a new survey.

The survey, conducted for battery company Duracell, polled 200 girls and boys between the ages of five and 10.

It found that the top choice was the lifelike Furreal Friends Biscuit, My Lovin'' Pup, which can obey six different voice commands, move its ears, blink, bark and wag its tail.

Bakugan Battle Brawlers landed the second spot while the Ultra Dinosaur, which comes to life at the touch of a button, acme third.

Gadget expert and blog editor Nick Broughall said kids’ taste in toys was changing.

Sydney - The Australian Rugby League players will wear black armbands at Sunday's World Cup match against New Zealand as a mark of respect for the uncle of Johnathan Thurston, who died after being assaulted in a Brisbane park on Saturday.

Rugby league player Thurston's uncle, 38-year-old Richard Saunders, was one of three persons attacked at Ewing Park in Brisbane's southern suburb of Woodridge on Saturday, reports Australian Associated Press news agency.

Sydney - Over 140 Australian reserve soldiers will be deployed to the Solomon Islands to help maintain peace and stability, a Defence Department statement said Saturday.

"During the four-month deployment, the soldiers will carry out street patrols alongside the Australian Federal Police and in support of the RAMSI (Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands) participating police forces within Solomon Islands," Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said.

Sydney, Oct 24 : The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have reportedly passed the obligation of charging Dr Mohamed Haneef with terrorism on to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP).

In a submission to the Clarke inquiry into the case, the AFP said that while the decision to charge Dr Haneef ultimately rested with it, the CDPP’s legal advice was “a fundamental factor” in the decision-making process to charge Dr Haneef.

Melbourne, Oct 24 : It''s not just the youngsters who are hooked on to the Internet for their daily dose of erotica, as an Australian researcher has found that older adults are a step ahead when it comes to cybersex.

Sociologist Sue Malta, at Swinburne University''s Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, claims that her study provides evidence that older adults have a voracious appetite for the Internet and sex.

For her study, Malta conducted in-depth interviews with 45 older Australians and five older Americans about their romantic Internet relationships. The participants were aged from 60 to 92 years, and included those involved in online relationships as well as a smaller group that had first met face to face.