Australians headed to the polls today in an election that is expected to see opposition leader Tony Abbott guide his Liberal Party-led coalition to victory.

Award-winning American cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight have died in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia, their employer National Geographic said today.

AN ultra-light plane crashed into a Ferris wheel at a rural festival in eastern Australia on Saturday, trapping two children on the ride and two adults in the aircraft for hours. There were no serious injuries.

An ultra-light plane crashed into a Ferris wheel at a rural festival in eastern Australia today, trapping four people in the tangled wreckage for hours. There were no serious injuries.

A giant inland sea fed by the heavy rains that have swamped eastern Australia spread through Victoria state today, threatening rural communities.

CLIMATE change has likely intensified the monsoon rains that have triggered record floods in Australia’s Queensland state, scientists said yesterday, with several months of heavy rain and storms still to come.

Flooded communities across eastern Australia could be under water for more than a week, with the clean-up bill expected to hit billions of dollars, officials said today.

The entire population of 300 people was flown out of a town in eastern Australia by military helicopter today as river levels continued to rise after days of pouring rain.

TORRENTIAL rains across eastern Australia have left towns flooded while the state of Tasmania has been hit by an unusual flurry of summer snow.

A MAN ejected from a pub in Australia broke into a zoo and climbed onto the back of a crocodile named Fatso, which bit him on the leg but then let him go.

A man ejected from a pub in Australia broke into a zoo and climbed onto the back of a crocodile named Fatso, which bit him on the leg but then let him go.

A pall of red dust blown in from the Outback clogged the skies over Sydney today, diverting international flights, disrupting public transport and prompting a spike in emergency calls from people suffering breathing difficulties.

Violent storms have torn across Australia’s east coast, sweeping one man to his death, blowing roofs off houses and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of buildings.

Australians were voting today in elections that pit a four-term prime minister selling his economic management record against a new-age challenger who rates global warming as his number one priority.

Police in Australia arrested an Indian doctor in connection with the foiled terror attacks in London and Glasgow as he tried to leave the country and were interviewing a second doctor in the case, officials said today.

The only empty seat at Steve Irwin’s personal stadium at Zoo Australia tomorrow will be the one set aside for the late and hugely popular Crocodile Hunter, who will be bid farewell at a public memorial service to be broadcast around the world.

An 18-year-old man was bitten today as hundreds of sharks continued a massive feeding frenzy off eastern Australia.

A massive feeding frenzy involving more than 100 sharks resulted in the closure of several tourist beaches in eastern Australia today, a lifeguard official said.

A 13-month-old cattle dog named Lassie helped rescue its elderly master after he fell from a horse in eastern Australia.

Up to three sharks may have been involved in the fatal mauling of a 21-year-old woman off an island in eastern Australia, police said today.

A woman died today after she was attacked by a shark off eastern Australia, a rescue helicopter spokeswoman said.

Two British tourists and one from Ireland were among five skydivers killed when a plane crashed into a lake in eastern Australia shortly after take-off, police said today.

A young Irishman was one of five people killed after an aeroplane crashed in Australia, the Foreign Affairs Department confirmed today.

SWIRLING clouds of fine, brown dust engulf the small truck as Chris Groves hauls the feed bin into a dry-as-a-bone paddock and 200 crying, pregnant ewes race to the grain spilling onto the parched earth.

Wild storms lashed eastern Australia overnight, tearing roofs off houses, toppling trees and flooding roads, emergency services said today. At least one person was feared swept away by the surging waters.

A high-speed train derailed in eastern Australia, injuring more than 120 passengers as its carriages slammed into trees and ploughed through fields alongside the tracks.

A man accused of murdering a British backpacker who fell to her death from a bridge in eastern Australia, was due in court today for a hearing to establish if prosecutors have enough evidence to put him on trial.

A man armed with a bayonet hijacked a light plane and forced its pilot to make a 90-minute flight across eastern Australia, prompting authorities to swing into anti-terror mode, officials said today.

American adventurer Steve Fossett and his New Zealand co-pilot smashed a 12-year-old gliding speed world record today.

A dust cloud swept across eastern Australia today, dumping fine red powder on towns throughout the region.

WILDFIRES broke out in forestland around Sydney as high temperatures and gusting winds fanned more than 100 blazes in eastern Australia, officials said yesterday.

Wildfires broke out in forestland around Sydney as high temperatures and gusting winds fanned more than 100 blazes in eastern Australia, officials said today.

A court hearing an appeal by a man serving a life sentence for starting a fire that killed 15 young backpackers, including one Irish girl, in eastern Australia was today told that his confession was not made under duress.

A judge in eastern Australia today cleared two men of attempting to blackmail Oscar-winning film star Russell Crowe.

An Irish backpacker has been involved in an attempted attack in the Australian city of Perth.

Lightning strikes and the return of hot, dry winds have whipped up the bush fires in Eastern Australia.

Four people have died after a light aircraft they were travelling in crashed into an industrial neighbourhood in eastern Australia today.

A strong earthquake struck eastern Australia on Saturday, toppling chimneys and causing temporary power cuts.

A nine-year-old boy has been killed after he was chased and savaged by dingoes at a popular tourist spot in eastern Australia.

Helicopters have rescued people trapped by floods and dropped supplies to towns cut off by rising rivers as storms lashed parts of eastern Australia.