A rebel sniper shot and wounded two US Marines patrolling an industrial zone in the besieged city of Fallujah today and an ensuing gun battle left at least one of the insurgents dead.

A white South African rugby star has been sacked from the World Cup training squad after allegedly refusing to share a room with a black team-mate, it was reported today.

Qantas Airways's annual results will bear the brunt of high fuel prices and the global slowdown.