Indonesia aids Australian flash flooding with $1 million

The Government of Indonesia will be sending $1 million to help the relief efforts in Australia's Lockyer Valley flash flooding which has, according to the latest report, killed 18 people, the country's state-run Antara news agency reported on Monday.

"I have written to the National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB) to send $1 million in funds to Queensland," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono said.

Laksono said the order was received directly from Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, adding that Australia has previously shown constant support in Indonesian disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes.

Crocodile Dundee actor Hogan sues Australian government

Crocodile Dundee actor Paul Hogan on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Australian Government over a failed tax investigation, the Daily Telegraph Australia reported.

Hogan is seeking a potential $80 million lawsuit against the government, including the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) which conducted a five-year criminal investigation on Hogan's tax affairs.

The actor said that the investigation ruined his reputation around the world and added that he could be declared bankrupt because of an ongoing punitive tax-office claim.

Hogan claimed that, after the tax issues allegations against him were made public, he began losing job opportunities. He is now pursuing damage claims for lost earnings, because the Australian Taxation Office's (ATO) tax assessment could provoke bankruptcy.

Qantas and Solena partner to build biofuel plant

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- Australia's Qantas Airways, along with U.S.'s bioenergy company Solena Group, will be constructing a $300 million plant focused on commercial jet biofuel, Biofuels Digest reported.

The partnership - which is expected to finalize during the next two weeks - will be able to produce aviation biofuels from waste, such as food scraps, packaging and tree cuttings.

The plant could create up to 1,200 jobs, and it would become the second commercial waste biofuel plant in the world.

According to reports, Solena has been negotiating with other airlines to boost the use of biofuels in aviation.

Solena had previously partnered with British Airways to construct a 16 million gallon aviation biofuels demonstration plant in East London worth $309 million. The London project would utilize up to 500,000 tons of waste as feedstock for the project, the media outlet reported.