Thursday's news

06 Dec 2012

Death of the Murdoch matriarch, small graces from three of the big four banks, Typhoon Bopha kills more than 280, Russian survivors suspected of cannibalism, The Australian War Memorial's multimillion-dollar restoration project and rescue dogs learning to drive.

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch dies

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch has died at her home Cruden Farm. After capturing the attention of Australia as a 17-year-old marrying 42-year-old Melbourne Herald Managing Editor Sir Keith Murdoch, Dame Elisabeth spent the following 85 years raising money for and donating to charities and arts organisations. “I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to be a useful person,” the philanthropist told ABC’s 7.30 Report three years ago.
Read ABC News coverage and watch the 7.30 Report story here.

WBC, CBA, NAB announce 20-point cuts

After the Reserve Bank’s 25-basis-point cut to the cash rate yesterday, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank have announced that they are cutting their interest rates by 20 basis points. ANZ will announce its decision on 14 December.
Read more.   

Cannibalism suspected

Two men who survived for three months in the forest of Russia’s Far East have denied any wrongdoing, with Russian authorities investigating the possibility that they survived by eating at least one of their two companions. The survivors claim that the two missing men are probably still alive, but fragments of a human corpse found near where the pair was rescued cast doubt on their statement. 
Read the full story here.

Typhoon Bopha: 283+ dead

The year’s strongest typhoon has killed at least 283 people in southern Philippines, with rescuers searching for hundreds more missing. The island of Mindanao bore the worst, with landslides and floods on top of the battering wind and rain.
Full story, photos here.

War Memorial diorama restoration

A complex project has begun at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, to restore war-scene dioramas as part of a $27 million upgrade of the Memorial’s WWI galleries.
Read more.

Rescue dogs learn to drive

Monty the Giant Schnauzer is learning to drive in an effort to spread awareness of the wonders of rescue dogs.
Watch Monty learn to drive.