The family of missing Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe says they feel they're getting closer to finding their son. Police have confirmed a pair of shoes found during the search are the same brand he was wearing when he disappeared almost eight years ago. Three human bones have also been found in bushland on the Sunshine Coast, but the search for the boy's remains has been suspended because of bad weather. 

 

Former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks' memoir has been shortlisted for the Queensland Premier's Literary Award. If he wins, he'll receive $15,000, but he might not get to keep the money. The Commonwealth DPP has begun court action to seize any money Hicks earns from the book. 

 

Prosecutors in New York have asked a judge to dismiss sexual assault charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The former head of the International Monetary Fund was arrested in May, accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. The judge is expected to make a ruling later today. 

 

The United Nations estimates more than 2,200 people have died since the Syrian government crackdown on protesters began in March. The UN's Human Rights Council is holding a special meeting to discuss the violence in Syria.