Australia

Man loses legs to flesh-eating bug in Australia

Terry Pareja, from the Philippines, was visiting relatives when he became ill a month ago, according to his daughter, Jeffmarey Pareja.

The family believes Mr Pareja's bug was caused by a spider bite, but doctors have said this link is not supported by evidence.

"It's eating him alive, literally," Ms Pareja told the BBC.

"He needs to stay in hospital for about 12 to 18 months."

She said Mr Pareja, 65, had been diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis.

 

What is necrotising fasciitis?

What the changing food habits of Australians tell us

Global market research company Mintel monitors the way new food and drink products perform in the market while surveying consumers to understand their eating habits.

Justin Nell from the company's Australia and New Zealand arm is in Adelaide to speak at the Food South Australia Summit and says these are the biggest trends playing out in 2017.

PNG Garamuts go down to Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast batted first and smashed their way to finish at 8/208.

The run chase for the Garamuts fell short after they were all bowled out for 148 inside 40 overs.

Daure William Aiga top scored for the Garmuts with 40 runs to his name.

The Garamuts are currently playing their second match against Sunshine Coast.

The two sides will meet again on Thursday, before the Garamuts take on the South Queensland U18 side on April 9 and North Queensland U18 on April 11.

All matches are 50 over matches.

How coffee naps can help you power through the day

Both make you feel alert and can enhance your performance, whether that's driving, working or studying.

But some people are convinced that drinking a coffee before a nap gives you an extra zap of energy when you wake up.

How could that be? Is there any evidence to back the power of these so-called coffee naps?

Or are we better off getting a good night's sleep?

Feeling sleepy?

Cyclone Debbie: Australia surveys devastation

Debbie has now blown out over the Tasman Sea after bringing a deluge of rain down the eastern coast from its impact point in Queensland.

Flood alerts remain, crops have been submerged and the bill may run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

A third body was found in Queensland on Saturday afternoon.

Seventy-seven-year-old Nelson Raebel died in the floodwaters in Logan, south of Brisbane.

Several people remain missing.

NSW flooding: Lismore ordered to evacuate, Murwillumbah residents stuck on roofs

Flood records have broken in the town and there are a significant number of people needing flood rescue in the area.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has managed to get rescue planes in the air, but winds of between 50 and 90 kilometres per hour may be hindering the attempts.

The SES has made 220 rescues and is facing 100 outstanding rescues in the region and has warned people to cooperate and stay out of floodwaters, which are at "unprecedented" levels across the north coast.

Root ready for Ashes challenge

The Yorkshire batsman, who took over as captain after Alastair Cook's resignation last month, was dropped for the final Test during the miserable 5-0 whitewash defeat in 2013/14.

He admitted the series Down Under felt as if he had walked straight into a "conservatory door", after the string of defeats which led to Kevin Pietersen being sacked and Andy Flower resigning as coach.

Cyclone Debbie forces backpackers in Australia to evacuate

The storm, which forecasters expect to cause serious damage to parts of the east coast of Australia, is set to make landfall on Tuesday morning local time.

The Whitsunday Islands, Townsville and Ayr are all expected to be affected by destructive weather, which includes extremely strong wind, torrential rain and flooding.

Police officers and emergency service volunteers have been going to homes, hostels and hotels, telling people in affected areas to evacuate.

Brisbane kids honoured for fighting off murderous stepfather who shot mother

Their mother, Rachael Moore, had been shot in the arm by her ex-husband Daryl Fields.

"I hid the gun ... and ran back in and he was on top of my mother strangling her," Cameron said.

"So then I went up and hit him across the head."

Everyone helped.

"My brother Jayden got him off my mum. My younger sister Kaylea took mum out and hid her in the yard and the youngest boy Zane — he went and took my little baby sister Samantha and hid her under the bed."

What happened on Adele's Aussie tour

During the performance in Melbourne she said: "Just before we go to the next song… excuse me sir? Could you stop telling people to sit down?"

But it's just the latest Adele-ism from her Australian tour to get people talking.

In her time down under she's had run-ins with bugs, announced a secret social media account and revealed her unusual approach to getting on stage.

She loves a proposal