Australia: British tourist knifed on desert highway

Australian police today charged a man with attempted murder after a knife attack on a British tourist and his American girlfriend on the same desert highway where British backpacker Peter Falconio was believed to have been shot by a mystery gunman last July.

The 23-year-old tourist was stabbed in the neck and his girlfriend slashed with a knife yesterday after they picked up a hitchhiker on the Stuart Highway 80 miles south of Alice Springs, a police spokeswoman said.