Australia hosts bush fire benefit

AUSTRALIA's biggest music stars have been joined by international groups for a day of music to raise funds for victims of recent natural disasters.
Thousands attended the Sound Relief concerts in Sydney and Melbourne, despite stormy and wet weather.
Coldplay opened the event in Sydney, with Kings of Leon and Australian stars Midnight Oil also set to perform. Recent weeks saw the worst fires in Australian history kill 210 people in the south, while floods hit the north.
A sold-out crowd of 80,000 fans attended the Melbourne gig, where acts on the bill include Jack Johnson, Gabriella Cilmi and Wolfmother, with Kylie Minogue as MC.
A number of retired Australasian bands, such as Icehouse, Hunters and Collectors and Split Enz have reformed, for the event. Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett left parliament behind to rock with his old band Midnight Oil.
"The music industry coming together to put its hands in its pockets and get itself out on the stage.. is a very, very special day for us," Garrett, 55, told a news conference.
"Naturally, I consulted with my colleagues because I've got responsibilities but I think everybody recognises that it was just a really extraordinary situation."
Midnight Oil shot to fame in the 1980s with politically-charged songs calling attention to the plight of Australia's aboriginal peoples but broke up in 2002 after frontman Garrett announced he was leaving to go into politics. - BBC