arin. Julia Gillard said she wanted to refocus Australia away from Europe’s “old countries” towards its near neighbors – particularly China and India. The plan is detailed in a 312-page paper, Australia in the Asian Century. With Asia on track to become home to most of the world’s middle class in the next 20 years, this was a moment in history to grasp, said Julia Gil…
Australia announces that it will create the world’s largest network of marine parks ahead of the Rio+20 Earth Summit. The reserves will cover 3.1 million sq km of ocean, including the Coral Sea. Restrictions will be placed on fishing and oil and gas exploration in the protected zone covering more than a third of Australia’s waters. Environment Minister Tony Burke, who made the announc…
…White) The wines will hit stores later this month and will be available at Liquor Woolworths, Dan Murphy and BWS liquor stores throughout Australia. AC/DC singer Bon Scott died on February 19, 1980 in London, England after he choked on his own vomit while sleeping in a friend’s car following a night of drinking. A number of rock bands have launched their own wine labels or wine c…
Rescuers are searching for dozens of people believed to be missing after a boat sank near Christmas Island, off north-western Australia. Ships have so far picked 110 survivors from the sea, but officials believe about 200 people were on the boat. Three bodies have been recovered. The ship, believed to be carrying asylum-seekers, capsized on Thursday. Australian patrol vessels, merchant ships and…
…We have seen companies cutting off tags saying “made in China” and putting on a <<made in Australia>> tag.” The UK Government announced its ban on importing cat and dog pelts from China in 2001 after it emerged that a fur collar, obtained from a leading store in the West End, contained dog fur. A total ban on the trade in dog and cat fur came into force across Europe in December 2008….
Australia has launched one of the world’s fastest telescopes tasked with surveying outer space and probing the origins of stars and galaxies. The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) in Western Australia’s outback has 36 antennas with a diametre of 12 m (40 ft) each. The A$152 million ($155 million) telescope is expected to capture radio images, starting from Friday. A…
Seychelles: British bridegroom killed by a shark. A surfer has been killed today in a horrifying shark attack near a crowded beach in Western Australia. Eyewitnesses said the shark – believed to be a great white – came up beneath him, grabbed the young man (aged in his early 20s) and pulled him below the surface. The surfer, who has yet to be named, was riding on a bodyboard –…
…of smoking. Leading global tobacco manufacturers, including British American Tobacco and Philip Morris, had challenged the law. The new packaging rules are scheduled to be implemented from 1 December 2012. “At least a majority of the court is of the opinion that the Act is not contrary to (Australia’s constitution),” the court said in a brief statement. The full judgement is exp…
status. There will be major industrial return for all members. The next project engineering phase is worth about 90 million Euros. Phase 1 of the project, due to start in 2015/16, was valued at around 360 million Euros. The cost of the last phase was always uncertain and depended on knowing exactly where the SKA would be built and the final design it would take; but a sum of 1.2 billion Euros was…
antas airline has a 65% share of the domestic Australian market, but has been making heavy losses on its international flights. Qantas restructuring is expected to mean the loss of 1,000 jobs from its 35,000-strong workforce. The disruption to Qantas flights has also affected a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in Perth, with reports that members from 17 delegations have been stranded in…
…Award this year. He also performed in the live Grammys telecast in February. Glen Campbell’s hits include Wichita Lineman, Galveston a year later, and he starred in the John Wayne western True Grit in 1969. In announcing he was suffering from Alzheimer’s, Glen Campbell said he often forgets the words to his most memorable songs. His spokesman said Glen Campbell was “very disappointed that he…
…urant where she was attending an awards ceremony to mark Australia Day. About 50 police escorted PM Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott from Canberra’s Lobby restaurant after it was surrounded by some 200 supporters of the city’s Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Julia Gillard stumbled after losing a shoe in the scuffle, but was caught by her personal security guard and managed to get into a waiting…
The celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was not so happy when he was questioned about his own diet in Australia this week. Jamie Oliver, 36, bristled when asked by a female reporter if he had gained a few pounds recently and called her a “b****”. When he was questioned on whether he had filled out a bit, Jamie Oliver replied: “I don’t know. I am very healthy. “Are you from a tabloid? Thank you for…
French Yoann Galeran has managed to escape a saltwater crocodile that latched on to his head as he swam in Australia’s Northern Territory. Yoann Galeran, 29, said he was “very lucky” to have survived the attack. He was swimming from shore in the remote town of Nhulunbuy to retrieve a dinghy when the crocodile – estimated to be 8ft in length – attacked him on Sunday….
A 26-year-old Australian man has been seriously wounded in a shark attack while was swimming off Coral Bay beach, in the third such incident this month. According to Australian police, the man was swimming off Coral Bay beach when a 10ft (3 m) tiger shark bit his arm. The attack came one day after a surfer was seriously injured in a shark attack north of Sydney. Shark attacks in Australia average…
An American diver was killed today by a great white shark in the second fatal shark attack off the coast of Western Australia state in 12 days. The victim, who has yet to be named, is said to have died from “shocking” injuries after witnesses reported seeing a 10-foot great white shark. The American man was a 32-year-old U.S. citizen who diving alone off a 25 feet boat near Rottnest Island, which…
Two men from Wales have been charged after a fairy penguin was taken from Sea World theme park in Queensland, Australia. The pair, aged 20 and 21, and another man, allegedly broke in to the enclosure in a prank after a night out. It is claimed they swam with dolphins before taking seven-year-old Dirk back to their hotel room. Dirk has never lived in the wild. The men, who have been charged with s…
ieve the true number of victims is closer to 10,000 in Victoria alone. Abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests has been a major issue in Australia recent years. During a visit to Australia in July 2008, Pope Benedict XVI met some of the victims and made a public apology for the abuse. …
…day, was viewed live by millions. A partial eclipse was expected in other parts of the region, including New Zealand and eastern Indonesia. The next total solar eclipse will not take place until March 2015. Onlookers gathered at vantage points, in boats and on hot air balloons to witness the rare phenomenon. There had been fears that cloudy weather would obscure the eclipse but the clouds parted j…
High Court of Australia has decided to lift the ban on the sale of Samsung’s tablet, Galaxy Tab, in the country in time for the Christmas shopping season. Apple won a ban on Galaxy Tab, claiming Samsung had copied its iPhone and iPad. South Korean Samsung had been unable to sell products in Australia since July. Apple and Samsung are engaged in legal battles in more than 10 countries since…
Ajay Rochester, former host of Australia’s Biggest Loser, has revealed she has gained a staggering 105 lbs. Ajay Rochester, who hosted the weight-loss television show for four series between 2006 and 2009, said in a radio interview that she makes daily trips to fast food restaurants and admitted she is eating herself to death. She was pictured on Tuesday picking up two Subway sandwiches and…
Two masked men have paid a visit to a house in south-eastern Australia, hours after a teenage girl posted a photo on Facebook of a large sum of cash. The robbers, armed with a knife and a club, struck the home of the 17-year-old girl’s mother in the country town of Bundanoon on Thursday, police say. Her mother told the men her daughter no longer lived there. Two masked men have paid a visi…
…a deep puncture in his chest and a gash on the top of his leg. He had two large gouges from his mouth to his ear.” Last night, Zakkiah Galea was recovering at home from his wounds that required 13 stitches. Nicle Galea said: “He scared. He says he doesn’t want to be attacked by the <<tiger kangaroo>> again.” Other people in the remote neighbourhood have been at…
Almost 9,000 residents of Wagga Wagga town in New South Wales have been ordered to leave their homes as floods continue in southeast Australia. The Murrumbidgee river is predicted to peak at 10.9 m, sparking fears that the town’s levee may be breached. Police, the military and the emergency services were all helping with the evacuation, local media said. Days of heavy rain have caused flood…
Australian PM Julia Gillard has issued an apology to people affected by the country’s forced adoption policy between the 1950s and 1970s. Tens of thousands of babies of unmarried, mostly teenage mothers, were thought to have been taken by the state and given to childless married couples. Many women said they were coerced into signing away their children. Speaking in front of hundreds of the…
Nigeria: President Goodluck Jonathan declares state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and YobeNigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in three states after a spate of deadly attacks by Islamist militant groups. In a televised…
Somalia famine killed 260,000 people from 2010 to 2012A new report by the UN food agency and the US-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network has found that nearly 260,000 people died during the famine that hit Somalia from…
Cheetah scratches Botswana President Ian Khama on his faceBotswana President Ian Khama needed stitches on his face after being scratched by a cheetah, officials say. The animal was reportedly being fed in its enclosure at an…
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika hospitalized in Paris after suffering mini-strokeAlgerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has suffered a mini-stroke and has been flown to hospital in Paris, the state news agency said. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 76, had a…
Libya: Explosion at French embassy in TripoliA car bomb has exploded outside the French embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, wounding two guards and causing extensive damage. The blast completely destroyed the…
Blue diamond unearthed at Cullinan mine in South AfricaA rare blue diamond has been unearthed at Cullinan mine in South Africa. The 25.5-carat stone was recovered by Petra Diamonds at its Cullinan mine and is expected to bring…
Amanda Bynes apartment described as “filthy” with drugs all over her bed and floor
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Why We Need Comprehensive Immigration Reform and What Are The Alternatives
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US immigration bill passes Senate panel with 13-5
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