Two Austrailan survivors of a fatal plane crash in Burma hoped to be home by the end of the week. Anna Bartsch and her partner Stuart Benson are among five Australians who escaped, they say they didn't realize the plane was in trouble until it was on the ground.

 

A new video has emerged of an Australian man held hostage by militants in the southern Philippines for more than a year. In the video posted on YouTube, Warren Rodwell says he's been held in isolation and doesn't think he'll ever be freed.

 

South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela has been discharged from hospital, the 94-year-old has spent almost 3 weeks in hospital being treated for a lung infection and gallstones. Mr.Mandela will receive high care at his home in Johannesburg until he fully recovers.

 

The creator of the popular 1960s TV show, the Thunderbirds, has died aged 83. Gerry Anderson and his puppets fired the imaginations of millions of young viewers in the 16s and 17s. Anderson had suffered from Alzheimer disease since 2010, and his son says the disease had worsened in recent months.