Camels were first introduced to Australia during the 19th century and used as transport for exploration and to assist construction of rail and telegraph lines.

Tens of thousands were released in the 1930s when vehicle transport became more common and the wild population had soared to an estimated half a million by 2004.

"Over 100,000 feral camels have been removed from the Australian landscape through the project and the current rate of feral camel removal is around 75,000 per year, which is reducing the overall population and lowering their density around priority environmental sites," said Jan Ferguson, who is managing the project.

The Australian feral camel is capable of covering 70km in a day. In 2009, the damage and control costs of feral camels was estimated at over A$10 million ($10.45 million) a year.

Some landowners have raised concerns over the cull, in which the animals have been shot. They said the camels were suffering unnecessarily and bemoaned the waste of the meat, much of which is left to rot.

Ferguson said that the project did not intend to eradicate feral camels completely from outback Australia.

"Our aim is to commence managing their population to acceptable levels – and we are on track to achieve this goal," she added.

Source: agencies

President Obama and his re-election team marked the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks and events related to the killing of four Americans abroad that day with a slate of official and somber events. But they also took to Twitter for some campaign business on both days.

"The election is in eight weeks. Sign up to volunteer," reads the first tweet, on Wednesday, the 11th anniversary of the deadly attacks, from @BarackObama.

The tweet went out at 7:07 a.m. President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama then appeared on the White House South Lawn and bowed their heads at 8:46 a.m. --  the exact time the first hijacked plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The event was followed by the president and first lady laying a wreath at the Pentagon, where the third plane struck.

The Obama campaign declined to comment Saturday for this story.

The second tweet, about a sale of Obama apparel, was posted Friday, about 30 minutes before Obama arrived at Andrews Air Force Base to welcome home the bodies of the four Americans – including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens -- killed at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

"You would expect nothing less from a president whose priorities have been misplaced ever since he came to office," Paul Lindsay, communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Saturday.

The second tweet read: "Winter is coming, but these sweatshirts are perfect for fall."

Do people no longer have the right to a private life once they become famous? Fans and detractors alike apparently have a limitless appetite for dirt on any kind of celebrity from movie stars to "real" housewives to presidents. But that doesn't mean the incessant buzz of paparazzi hovering over their every move, like flies on a wounded animal, is ethical.

On Friday, the French magazine Closer released topless pictures of Kate Middleton and both the royal family and 10 Downing Street (the office of the prime minister) are accusing the media of "having crossed a red line." Moreover, they have pointed out, the incident is doubly painful because of the late Princess Diana's tortured relationship with the press, which ended in her death in a high-speed car crash while being chased by photographers. "The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales," reads the official statement out of St. James Palace, "and all the more upsetting to The Duke and Duchess for being so." The statement also called the publication of the photos "grotesque" and "unjustifiable."


The images were taken while Prince William and Kate were sunbathing on vacation in France at a chateau owned by Lord Linley, the Queen's nephew.

When Lady Diana Spencer became engaged to Prince Charles in 1981, she was a shy 20-year-old kindergarten teacher. Immediately thrust into the spotlight, she later said that dealing with the press was the greatest challenge of being a part of the royal family. "The most daunting aspect was the media attention, because my husband and I, we were told when we got engaged that the media would go quietly, and it didn't," she told BBC reporter Martin Bashir in 1995, "and then when we were married they said it would go quietly and it didn't; and then it started to focus very much on me, and I seemed to be on the front of a newspaper every single day, which is an isolating experience, and the higher the media put you, place you, is the bigger the drop." In the same interview, she suggests that the constant scrutiny, especially after she suffered from a bout of post-natal depression and was labeled "unstable," battered her self-esteem. Her confidence low, she admits she resorted to self-harm (which she calls "hurting my arms and legs") and bulimia as an escape.

The Independent UK reports the Royal Highnesses reacted to the publication of the revealing Kate photos with "anger and disbelief" and were "hugely saddened." Still, they proceeded with their duties on an official tour of Southeast Asia. In stark contrast to the photo fracas, Middleton donned a modest pearl grey dress and veil when she attended a public ceremony at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and comported herself with mind boggling poise given the controversy. According to Sky News, the future Queen of England chatted with her husband and warmly greeted the gathered crowds. 

An armada of US and British naval power is massing in the Persian Gulf in the belief that Israel is considering a pre-emptive strike against Iran’s covert nuclear weapons programme.

 Battleships, aircraft carriers, minesweepers and submarines from 25 nations are converging on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in an unprecedented show of force as Israel and Iran move towards the brink of war.

Western leaders are convinced that Iran will retaliate to any attack by attempting to mine or blockade the shipping lane through which passes around 18 million barrels of oil every day, approximately 35 per cent of the world’s petroleum traded by sea.

A blockade would have a catastrophic effect on the fragile economies of Britain, Europe the United States and Japan, all of which rely heavily on oil and gas supplies from the Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most congested international waterways. It is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and is bordered by the Iranian coast to the north and the United Arab Emirates to the south.

In preparation for any pre-emptive or retaliatory action by Iran, warships from more than 25 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will today begin an annual 12-day exercise.

The war games are the largest ever undertaken in the region.

They will practise tactics in how to breach an Iranian blockade of the strait and the force will also undertake counter-mining drills.

The multi-national naval force in the Gulf includes three US Nimitz class carrier groups, each of which has more aircraft than the entire complement of the Iranian air force.

The carriers are supported by at least 12 battleships, including ballistic missile cruisers, frigates, destroyers and assault ships carrying thousand of US Marines and special forces.

The British component consists of four British minesweepers and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Cardigan Bay, a logistics vessel. HMS Diamond, a brand-new £1billion Type 45 destroyer, one of the most powerful ships in the British fleet, will also be operating in the region.

In addition, commanders will also simulate destroying Iranian combat jets, ships and coastal missile batteries.

Amanda Bynes has been making headlines recently for her dangerous driving habits, and now her erratic behavior has people worried that something might be seriously wrong with the actress.

According to TMZ, one of Byne's neighbors has spotted her "having long conversations with inanimate objects," while other witnesses at her gym have seen her talking to herself and "laughing hysterically for no reason" while working out.

The concern over Bynes' mental health follows several car incidents she's been involved in over the past few months. She has been charged with two hit-and-runs as well as a misdemeanor DUI, and her license has been suspended, though that doesn't seem to have stopped her from driving or allegedly smoking a suspicious substance in her car.

According to E! Online, Bynes' next court date is set for Sept. 21 for her misdemeanor DUI charge, and she'll appear in court again on Sept. 27 for her hit-and-run charges.

You may think that the Lingerie Football League is all about exploitation and silliness, and well ... yes it is. Let's not fool ourselves. But these ladies do love themselves some football, and if you think they don't take it seriously when they're in the arena, I give you this wallop laid by one Nikki Johnson of the Regina Rage.

I'm not sure what the formation is here, but it's a standard quarterback option, and Ms. Johnson would not be denied. Veering around the left side in the direction of the end zone, Johnson took out defender Davine Burton of the Toronto Triumph to score with a hit that Cam Newton would be proud of -- if Cam Newton ran over scantily-clad women on an indoor football field. And we're not suggesting that he would.

Ms. Johnson is quite the passer in her league -- through five games in the 2012 season, she's completed 41 of 73 passes for 384 yards, 12 touchdowns and one interception. Her hero is Peyton Manning (at least that's what her Facebook page said when she played for the Las Vegas Sin), but we doubt that Peyton could put a crusher on Darrelle Revis like Johnson did on Burton.

And for that, Ms. Johnson, we salute you.

Amy Adams has received some of the best reviews of her career for playing Peggy Dodd in "The Master." Or is she playing Mary Sue Dodd?

Over the last few months, Adams' character in "The Master" -- Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film, which was partially inspired by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard -- has often been referred to as Mary Sue. In April, the New York Times noted that both Hubbard and Philip Seymour Hoffman's character in the film, Lancaster Dodd, had wives named Mary Sue. After Anderson screened "The Master" for Tom Cruise in May (something the director later confirmed), HuffPost Entertainment wrote a post calling Adams by that name as well. Early reviews of "The Master" in The Hollywood Reporter and Movie City News also referred to Adams' character as Mary Sue, as did Reuters coverage of a press conference for the film held at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.

However with "The Master" out on Friday, numerous critics are calling Adams' character by the name Peggy -- even A.O. Scott in the New York Times.

Meanwhile, both Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia list Adams' character as Mary Sue and Peggy. (IMDb has her listed as just Peggy, as do production notes for "The Master.")

Why is there such confusion about the name of Adams' character? It could trace back to a script review of "The Master" posted by The Playlist in 2010. The site noted that Lancaster's wife was called Mary Sue in the original Anderson screenplay, though how much of that script wound up being used in the version of "The Master" in theaters now is unclear.

HuffPost Entertainment reached out to The Weinstein Company to confirm the name of Adams' character. Per the studio, it is Peggy Dodd.

Divorce is hard no matter how it transpires. But just like leaving one job and starting another, the downtime between ending a marriage and seeking a new person is the perfect time to regroup, refresh and reevaluate. It is a rare and wonderful occurrence when we have the opportunity to objectively look at ourselves and decipher where we are, who we are and what we want going forward.

Besides looking at your career, living situation, goals, dreams and desires, one thing that should be looked at that can have a profound impact on all of the elements of your new life is your personal style.

As you reenter the dating scene, your style is going to brand you and make a very strong impression. How you show up for a date will not only telegraph visual clues about who you are, but may even impact how the date goes and influence whether or not there is a second one.

Let me relay the cautionary tale of Brenda. Vivacious, gorgeous and smart, Brenda both married and divorced young. One afternoon post-divorce, we enjoyed lunch at her apartment. Over dessert, she shared that she was off shortly to a blind coffee date. I was thrilled for her until she disappeared into the other room and appeared in what was intended to be her date outfit. Brenda had replaced her cute cotton sundress with a pair of ill-fitting jeans, a faded t-shirt and scuffed boots. It also looked as if she had removed much of her make-up. I think my stare said it all. She looked down and said, "I don't want it to look like I am trying too hard." She wore this ensemble on her date. Needless to say, even though she was interested, there was never a second date. Perhaps there was nothing in common. But perhaps her date was turned off by the bizarre, disheveled ensemble she chose to wear for her unveiling and his first impression. I can not help but wonder if he was the guy for her and her style choice was the reason she didn't land a second date.

We are a visual society, and the first impression others have of you at a job interview, party or first date is purely visual. If you are thinking, "But I want people to like me for me, not for the way I dress," you are greatly limiting yourself. Why not be the big brain who is also attractive and well put together? A date's first impression is always going to be visual.

Before I divulge what you should wear on your first post-divorce date, I am going to ask you to do a little style check. Ask yourself if the clothes on your body reflect who you are today -- not a year ago, but right now. Do the words that you would use to describe the clothes in your closet also accurately describe your personality? Is what you choose to wear really flattering, or is it something that worked a long time ago and you have not bothered to change the formula? Are you dressing yourself or merely covering your body? What once suited you perfectly before and during your marriage might not work for you now.

As you start to think specifically about what to wear on your first post-divorce date, the very first rule is to never wear an outfit that you wore at any point with your ex. Now is the time for creating new memories without that person. It is of the utmost importance that your first impression on a date is as an open, sexy, confident person -- someone your date would like to get to know. I suggest buying something new to celebrate this new beginning. Unlike Brenda, you need to put out a romantic vibe, so use a romantic color.

Your individual romantic color, or personal version of red, is your sexy color. The warm passionate glow from this hue gives the perfect welcoming impression on a first date with the person whom you might possibly spend the rest of your life with. Here is the way to discover yours, regardless of your skin tone:

The fury over an anti-Islam film that targeted American diplomatic missions has spread to a number of other Western facilities in the Muslim world, raising the specter Saturday of a widening protest.

Attacks on German and British embassies in Sudan, the ransacking of an American school in Tunisia, a fire at a U.S.-based fast-food restaurant in Lebanon and attacks against multi-national peacekeepers in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula were among the latest targets in protests that turned violent.

The unrest reached Australia, where hundreds of demonstrators clashed Saturday with police outside the U.S. Consulate in Sydney.

Top Western diplomats warned leaders in countries where the unrest has been most pronounced to ensure the protection of its missions and its people.

"I am following the unfolding events with grave concern and call on national authorities in all countries concerned to swiftly ensure the security of diplomatic mission and protect diplomatic staff," Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign affairs chief, said in a statement.

"It is vitally important leaders across the affected regions should call immediately for peace and restraint."

Capital cities and other cities in North Africa and the Middle East where protests against an anti-Islam film have broken out. Capital cities and other cities in North Africa and the Middle East where protests against an anti-Islam film have broken out.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took it one step further, warning that the United States would take action to protect its diplomatic facilities if the countries in question did not stop the violence and seek justice for the attacks.

"Reasonable people and responsible leaders in these countries need to do everything they can to restore security and hold accountable those behind these violent acts," she said Friday. "And we will ... keep taking steps to protect our personnel around the world."

From Morocco to Malaysia, thousands of Muslims have taken to the streets in recent days -- with sometimes deadly results -- over the release of a 14-minute trailer, privately produced in the United States, that mocks the Prophet Mohammed as a womanizer, child molester and ruthless killer.

Despite the firm condemnation by U.S. government officials, some in the Muslim world -- especially those raised in regimes in which the government must authorize any film production -- cannot accept that a movie like "Innocence of Muslims" can be produced without being sanctioned by Washington, said Council of Foreign Relations scholar Ed Husain.

"They're projecting ... their experience, their understanding (that) somehow the U.S. government is responsible for the actions of a right-wing fellow," said Husain, a senior fellow at the New York think thank.

The demonstrations, notably, haven't all been violent and the protesters represent only a fraction of their respective nations' populations: A few thousands, for example, clashed with security forces outside the U.S. embassy in Cairo, in a city of more than 18 million people.

But protests that have turned violent have led to a number of deaths -- including those of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans killed in an attack Tuesday in Benghazi, Libya.

Libyan authorities said they were cooperating with a U.S. investigation into the Benghazi attack.

"Things are moving very, very well," Muhammad Alkari, spokesman for the prime minister's office, told CNN.

The FBI was expected to arrive in the country Saturday.

 An interstate bank robbery suspect nicknamed the Bucket List Bandit because he allegedly told a Utah bank teller he had only four months to live has been captured in Oklahoma, an FBI agent said Friday.

Michael Eugene Brewster, 54, was arrested Thursday night after a traffic stop in Roland, Okla., said Jason Crouse, the acting head of the FBI office in Erie, Pa. Crouse's office is investigating a robbery in the northwestern Pennsylvania city earlier this week. He wouldn't provide details of the arrest because the FBI planned a national announcement later in the day.

Erie FBI agents got a warrant for Brewster's arrest earlier Thursday for robbing the Huntingdon National Bank branch in Erie, about 120 miles north of Pittsburgh, on Monday.

A confidential informant called to give agents Brewster's name and birth date after recognizing his picture in media accounts of the robberies that began June 21 in Arvada, Colo., a Denver suburb, according to the warrant. The warrant doesn't say how the person knew that information.

A teller at the Erie bank picked Brewster's photo out of a lineup and authorities then reviewed surveillance video and found an "obvious likeness" to Brewster during nine prior robberies in Flagstaff, Ariz.; Pocatello, Idaho; Roy, Utah; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Bloomington, Ill.; Columbia and O'Fallon, Mo., and the Colorado heist. Photos from the various robberies show a man with grayish, thinning hair, generally combed or brushed backward, wearing glasses and what appears to be the same blue polo shirt with a front pocket.

Authorities have released few details of the robberies, beyond those that appear to link the heists and relate to his nickname, which derived from the July 6 robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank in Roy, Utah.

That's where the suspect allegedly told the teller, "I have four months to live," after passing her a note demanding money, Rebecca Wu of the FBI's St. Louis office told the AP after the Missouri robberies in late August.

Roy Police Sgt. Danny Hammon said police don't know the specific wording of the note because the suspect took it back. Investigators haven't said whether they've confirmed if Brewster is even terminally ill.

Online federal court records don't list an attorney for Brewster, who was expected to make an initial appearance before a federal magistrate in Oklahoma City on Friday. He was being held in the city jail in Roland in the meantime, according to Assistant Police Chief David Goode.

Crouse, the FBI agent, didn't say how authorities tracked Brewster to Oklahoma.

The warrant doesn't identify his hometown, but indicates he's wanted for borrowing a black Chevy Captiva from a woman in Pensacola, Fla. on June 11 and not returning it. The vehicle was similar to one described by witnesses at several of the robberies authorities think Brewster committed, but Crouse said the vehicle didn't figure in to how authorities tracked down Brewster.

No one has been hurt in any of the robberies and officials aren't saying how much money he's gotten away with except for the $4,080 taken from the Erie bank, which was disclosed in the FBI arrest warrant.