Australia News

Australia issues 'catastrophic' alerts as fires rage

AFP - Sunday, November 22

SYDNEY (AFP) - - Australia has issued "catastrophic" alerts after record-breaking temperatures and wild lightning storms sparked more than 100 fires across the country, officials said Saturday. More »

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Second Bangladeshi twin wakes, blows raspberry
AFP - Sunday, November 22
MELBOURNE (AFP) - - The weaker of two Bangladeshi twins separated from her conjoined sister in landmark surgery in Australia woke fully from a coma Saturday -- and blew her guardian a raspberry.
Aussie pilot who landed in shark waters hailed a hero
AFP - Friday, November 20
SYDNEY (AFP) - - An Australian pin-up pilot forced to bring an emergency medical flight down in shark-infested waters was Friday hailed a hero for the daring landing from which all aboard escaped unharmed.
Australia 'disappointed' at Japan whaling mission
AFP - Friday, November 20
SYDNEY (AFP) - - Australia said it was "deeply disappointed" after a fleet of Japanese whaling ships set out to kill hundreds of the giant ocean mammals on their annual hunt.
Icebergs moving towards New Zealand
AFP - Friday, November 20
WELLINGTON (AFP) - - A cluster of Antarctic icebergs were heading towards New Zealand after being spotted around 400 kilometres (250 miles) south of the country, scientists said Friday.
Australia apologises to abused migrant children
AFP - Tuesday, November 17
CANBERRA (AFP) - - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Monday made an emotional apology to half-a-million "Forgotten Australians" who faced sexual abuse, violence and forced labour in childcare homes over a period of decades.
China 'pressured' Australia to refuse Uighurs
AFP - Monday, November 16
SYDNEY (AFP) - - China may have pressured Australia to refuse to take six Uighur men released from Guantanamo Bay and sent to the Pacific island nation of Palau, President Johnson Toribiong said.
Australia urges region to back Asia-Pacific Community
AFP - Sunday, November 15
SINGAPORE (AFP) - - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd pressed Asia-Pacific nations Saturday to back his proposal for a more powerful regional group that will embrace political, security and economic issues by 2020.
Alleged war criminal to fight extradition from Australia
AFP - Saturday, November 14
SYDNEY (AFP) - - Relatives of an 88-year-old alleged war criminal on Friday vowed to fight his extradition to Hungary after it was approved by Australian officials.
Australian officials to test 'Ned Kelly' skull
AFP - Friday, November 13
SYDNEY (AFP) - - Australian officials said they would carry out tests to check whether a skull handed in by a farmer belonged to the country's most infamous outlaw, bushranger Ned Kelly.
Australian bid to 'regrow' breasts after cancer surgery
AFP - Thursday, November 12
MELBOURNE (AFP) - - Australian scientists said they were to trial a revolutionary treatment which would allow women to regrow their breasts after cancer surgery.
Australia in for 'long haul', says country's PM
AFP - Thursday, November 12
KABUL (AFP) - - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave assurances his troops were in Afghanistan for the long haul as he met the top US and NATO commander during a surprise visit.
Australian PM visits Afghanistan en route for India
AFP - Thursday, November 12
NEW DELHI (AFP) - - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited Afghanistan en route for India on Wednesday, his office said, as countries paid tribute to their war dead on Armistice Day.
Britain's last WWI veteran shuns Remembrance Day
AFP - Thursday, November 12
SYDNEY (AFP) - - Britain's last surviving World War I veteran shunned Remembrance Day commemorations Wednesday because he was against the glorification of war, his family was reported as saying.
Australian dam project shelved to save fish, turtles
AFP - Thursday, November 12
SYDNEY (AFP) - - Australia on Wednesday rejected plans to build a massive new dam, despite pleas it is needed to provide water to residents, because of its feared impact on endangered fish and turtles.
Report shows 'tragic' health for Aborigines
AFP - Thursday, November 12
SYDNEY (AFP) - - Aborigines can still expect to die up to 11.5 years earlier than other Australians and are twice as likely to die as infants, figures showed, despite government pledges to tackle their health problems.
Australian territory becomes first to legalise gay unions
AFP - Wednesday, November 11
SYDNEY (AFP) - - An Australian territory became the first to legalise civil partnership ceremonies for same-sex couples, in a move supporters hoped would spark national momentum.
NZealand does not want SLankan asylum seekers: govt
AFP - Wednesday, November 11
WELLINGTON (AFP) - - New Zealand does not want to offer a new home to a group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers involved in a stand-off with Australian authorities, the government said.
Australian students 'pro-rape' Facebook scandal
AFP - Tuesday, November 10
SYDNEY (AFP) - - Members of an elite Australian college linked to Sydney University provoked outrage Tuesday after it was revealed they had set up a "pro-rape" group on social networking site Facebook.
iPhone fear as 'Rick Astley' worm spreads in Australia
AFP - Tuesday, November 10
SYDNEY (AFP) - - An Australian student sparked fears of a new era of computer viruses on Tuesday after creating a worm which infects Apple's iconic iPhone with pictures of 1980s pop star Rick Astley.