Naturalsociety.com, By: Elizabeth Renter, 11/08/2013

Protesters with the Australian group BurgerOff are hearing a similar phrase from McDonald’s. The fast food giant is suing  protestors who object to the birth of a new McDonald’s restaurant near an elementary school. What’s more, Mickey D’s (slang for McDonald’s) is saying that the lawsuit is for the protesters’ own protection. It isn’t clear what this protection is against, unless McDonald’s thinks they can protect people from good health.

Nearly 100,000 people from Australia, mostly in the town of Tecoma, have signed a petition seeking to stop McDonald’s from building there. But McDonald’s doesn’t care what the people want. Members of the group BurgerOff, so committed to keeping Ronald and the Fry Guys out, recently flew around the world to deliver their petition to McDonald’s global headquarters near Chicago. Not only were they not given an audience with the company’s execs, but representatives refused to even touch the petition.

Weatherzone.com- 6/28/13, ABC

Tony de Brum, assistant minister to the Marshalls president, has told Radio Australia's he is nearly 70 years old and does not remember a season like the current one."The elders tell us that there have been droughts like this before, but I don't think anybody has ever seen it where it's it's so wet," he said.

"The problem here has been with the flooding from the swells that have come in from the south.So we have a situation with extremely dry drought up north, and extremely wet floods down south. Very weird weather."

Link: Weatherzone.com

Weatherzone, By: Press Release, 05/30/2013

Rain is about to spread across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales and it looks like season-breaking rain for many inland areas, according to weatherzone.com.au. "In the next few days much of SA, northern Victoria and southern and central NSW can expect widespread falls of 25-to-50 millimetres with potential for as much as 80mm in places. The wettest area should be northeastern Victoria and southwestern NSW where more than 100mm is possible," Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said.

This will turn out to be season-breaking rain for many farming areas, a boost for those hoping to sow their winter crops after a long dry spell. It had become a desperate situation for much of the region. Since last winter most of it has received less than half the average rainfall and some has fallen into drought.

For more on this story visit www.weatherzone.com

Weatherzone, By: Rob Sharpe, 05/20/2013

Sydney is about to record its driest autumn spell on record before an east coast low brings heavy falls near 100mm. In the past 29 days Sydney has only received 0.6mm of rain. By tomorrow morning the city will have recorded the driest 30 day autumn spell on record. The previous record holder was 1.2mm in March-April 1980. Sydney's records go back to 1859.

The beautiful, mostly sunny weather has been due to a dominance of high pressure over New South Wales. All that will end on Wednesday as a low pressure trough approaches from the west. On Wednesday skies will be cloudy with areas of light rain developing across the Sydney Basin, likely providing 5-10mm. However this is only a foretaste of the rain to come.

For more on this story visit www.weatherzone.com

Weatherzone, By: Melinda Howells, 05/14/2013

The Queensland Government has confirmed it will allow grazing in some national parks during droughts or other emergency situations. Legislation will be rushed through State Parliament next week to allow grazing in five national parks and eight reserves.

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney says graziers are struggling to cope with drought, and the flow-on effects of the 2011 ban on live exports to Indonesia. He says grazing would only be allowed for six months to a year.  Mr Seeney says the land was previously used for grazing and any environmentally sensitive areas will be fenced off.

For more on this story visit www.weatherzone.com