site.news_by_theme Australia
Whaling ban applauded despite fears of Japan sidestep
Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday hailed a landmark court decision that Japan must halt an annual Antarctic whale hunt, despite fears it may try to sidestep the order.
01 April 2014
Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck flies south to Australia
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck restaurant will close its doors in Britain and relocate to Australia for six months in 2015.
31 March 2014
Australia, New Zealand lift travel sanctions on Fiji
Australia and New Zealand lifted all travel restrictions on senior Fijian officials Monday ahead of the South Pacific nation's return to democratic elections in September.
31 March 2014
Prodigal son returns as Murdoch sets succession plan
Rupert Murdoch's prodigal son is back, with key roles in the family's media entertainment empire in what appears to be a succession plan for the 83-year-old tycoon.
27 March 2014
Australia set to return ancient statues to India
Australia is preparing to return two centuries-old statues to India, following allegations they were stolen from ancient sites and sold as part of an audacious art fraud.
27 March 2014
Australian 'Great Escape' survivor still has vivid memories
Australian Paul Royle, one of only two men alive from World War II's daring "Great Escape", says he still has vivid memories of the audacious prison breakout on its 70th anniversary.
27 March 2014
Australia to sell biggest health insurer
The conservative government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Wednesday said it would press ahead with the sale of Australia's largest health insurer Medibank Private via an initial public offering.
26 March 2014
Undersea volcanoes, huge seas complicate MH370 search
Searchers racing to find flight MH370's "black box" face daunting hurdles ranging from undersea volcanoes to mountainous seas as they operate in one of Earth's most remote locations.
26 March 2014
Children call Australian immigration detention 'hell'
Children held in immigration detention in Australia have described conditions as "hell" with a human rights inquiry Monday detailing many banging their heads, biting themselves and wetting their beds.
25 March 2014
Sea turned red after Australian shark attack, says rescuer
A man who dived into the sea to rescue a woman from a shark attack said Monday "reality hit" when he saw the water turn red, as he was honoured for his bravery.
24 March 2014
Two objects spotted possibly related to MH370: Australia
Two objects possibly related to the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been sighted, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Thursday in a potential breakthrough.
20 March 2014
Australian police dig for 'multiple' baby graves at rural home
Police in Australia began digging up a rural property on Tuesday searching for what reports said were "multiple babies" in secret graves.
18 March 2014
Australian surfer injured as dolphin slams into him
A surfer in Australia was airlifted to hospital Monday after a dolphin slammed into him as he was riding a wave at a remote beach.
17 March 2014
Australia to buy surveillance drones to patrol borders
Australia announced plans Thursday for a fleet of giant high-tech unmanned drones to help patrol the nation's borders, monitoring energy infrastructure and attempts to enter the country illegally.
14 March 2014
Australia hatches first IVF shark
Australia has successfully hatched its first shark born via artificial insemination with hopes that the development can ultimately be used to help breed threatened species.
13 March 2014
Australia's first banknote going under hammer
The only known specimen of the first official banknote issued in Australia, uncovered in Scotland, is expected to fetch at least Aus$250,000 (US$224,000) at an auction in Sydney this month.
12 March 2014
Volcanoes helped species survive ice ages: study
The steam and heat from volcanoes allowed species of plants and animals to survive past ice ages, a study showed Tuesday, offering help for scientists dealing with climate change.
12 March 2014
Apple moved billions offshore to avoid Australia tax: report
US tech giant Apple was Thursday accused of shifting nearly Aus$9 billion (US$8.1 billion) in untaxed profits from its Australian operations to Ireland over the past decade.
06 March 2014
Time running out for Great Barrier Reef: scientists
Time is running out for Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef, with climate change set to wreck irreversible damage by 2030 unless immediate action is taken.
06 March 2014
Red Cross hails Pacific disaster aid breakthrough
The Red Cross said Tuesday that an agreement with Pacific island nations designed to stop bureaucracy hampering disaster relief would save lives in emergencies.
04 March 2014