The State Duma Committee for Constitutional Law has rejected a suggestion to change the existing white, blue and red flag of the Russian Federation to the black, yellow and white tricolor used in the Russian Empire of the late 19th century. The bill was rejected on Wednesday almost without discussion, TASS reported. The original motion was drafted in July last year by MP Mikhail Degtyaryov of the... 

Widespread cloud and persistent rainfall has kept temperatures down right across Queensland. Longreach, in the Central West, received persistent rain from Tuesday evening, dropping the temperatures by about four degrees. The temperature then barely moved yesterday, reaching a maximum of 11 degrees; 12 degrees below the long-term average and the coldest July day in 44 years of records. Isisford, further...