Kidman, Urban donate to bushfire appeal

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have donated A$500,000 (£228,278) to Australia's bushfire fund.

The couple spoke as part of a live televised appeal aimed at raising money for the Red Cross, reports the BBC.

Kidman said that they were grieving "for the people who have been struck so devastatingly by this disaster", while Urban said that it had been "gut-wrenching" to watch the disaster take hold.

The celebrity couple are among more than 150 politicians, musicians, actors and sports stars who took part in Australia Unites.

Other big names asking for donations included Orlando Bloom, Anthony La Paglia, KD Lang and Rachel Griffiths.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced there will be national day of mourning and a memorial service to remember the victims of the bushfires. More than 180 people have died and hundreds more have been injured by the blazes.