Sydney- Two boats carrying more than 70 asylum-seekers were intercepted by Royal Australian Navy patrol boats Wednesday off Australia's north coast. The seizures bring to 10 the number of boats to arrive this year. Only seven boats arrived last year and Australian officials are worried that many more will come bringing mostly Afghan and Middle Eastern illegal immigrants.

Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said the latest batch would be sent to the immigration detention centre on Australia's Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island for health and security checks.

Melbourne, April 29 : Drinking out of water bottles made from PET plastic may pose a human health risk, reveals a new study.

According to lead researcher Martin Wagner, Goethe University, Frankfurt, a questionable finger could be raised on the safety of the PET plastic water bottles.

The study found that estrogenic compounds trickle into the water in bottles made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

And some yet-to-be-identified chemicals in these plastics seemed to have the potential to meddle with estrogen and other reproductive hormones.

Sydney  - Australia on Wednesday answered a call from the US White House and pledged to increase its military personnel in Afghanistan from 1,100 to 1,550.

However, it may be disappointing for US President Barack Obama, who phoned Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last week, that most of those newly deployed will be there to help build bridges, guard installations or train the Afghan National Army rather than fight the Taliban militants.

Sydney - Australians suspected of having swine flu could be forcibly detained under a new quarantine measure decreed by the government.

"It would also increase the powers of the chief health officer, who would have the ability to detain an infected person if they are putting others at risk," New South Wales Health Minister John Della Bosca said in a statement Wednesday explaining the new powers.

Vienna - One Austrian woman was "likely" infected with swine flu and four others are suspected of having the same illness, Austrian Health Minister Alois Stoeger said Tuesday. All of the five had recently been to Mexico, the centre of the outbreak, the minister said at a press conference.

The most likely case is that of a 28-year-old woman in Vienna, who returned last week from a trip to Guatemala and Mexico, Vienna's chief health official Karin Spacek said.

Melbourne, Apr 28 : Advertising campaigns designed to tackle problems such as alcohol among youngsters fail to work, says a prominent communications expert.

Noel Turnbull, adjunct professor in the School of Applied Communications at RMIT University, who is now a director of DrinkWise Australia, said that young people "think they''re immortal".

"They simply don''t believe the risks are as great as other people say," News. com. au quoted him as saying.