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.
Report: Bangladeshi mom doesn't want twins back
AP - Saturday, November 21
MELBOURNE, Australia - The mother of recently separated conjoined Bangladeshi twins does not want custody of the daughters she gave up for adoption and wants them to have new lives in Australia, newspapers reported Saturday.
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.
1 conjoined twin talking after separation surgery
AP - Thursday, November 19
MELBOURNE, Australia - A Bangladeshi toddler separated this week from her conjoined twin sister was talking and behaving normally Thursday after waking from a medically induced coma, the head of the surgery team said.
Australian PM voices 'concerns' over Scientology
AFP - Wednesday, November 18
SYDNEY (AFP) - - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd voiced "concerns" about the Church of Scientology Wednesday after a senator detailed explosive allegations including torture, imprisonment and coerced abortions.
Amnesty boss urges equality for poor Aborigines
AP - Wednesday, November 18
CANBERRA, Australia - Australia must abolish policies that discriminate against Aborigines in its quest to lift its indigenous population out of Third World poverty, the head of an international human rights group said Wednesday.
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.
CORRECTS Australia-Conjoined Twins story
AP - Tuesday, November 17
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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.
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.
Australia OKs extradition of accused Nazi criminal
AP - Friday, November 13
ADELAIDE, Australia - The Australian government has approved the extradition of an alleged Nazi collaborator accused by Hungary of a World War II killing.
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 men undress and soap up at a car wash
AP - Thursday, November 12
BRISBANE, Australia - It was just a routine car wash.
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.