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Asylum-boat survivors ‘watched others drown’
A total of 54 people — mostly males and believed to be Afghan — were plucked from the water after their rickety wooden boat broke up and sank early Wednesday as they tried to make their way to Australia. Hopes were fading Friday for around 100 more still missing. The…
World’s richest woman to ‘jealous’ poor: ‘Drink less, work more’
The world’s richest woman, Australian mining tycoon Gina Rinehart, urged those “jealous” of the wealthy to “spend less time drinking” in a piece the government described as “insulting” on Thursday. Rinehart, whose family iron ore prospecting fortune of Aus$29.2 billion (US$30.1 billion) also makes her Australia’s wealthiest person, hit out…
Diplomatic cables reveal Australia expects U.S. to charge Julian Assange
Declassified diplomatic cables from Australia’s embassy in Washington D.C., obtained through freedom of information requests filed by The Sydney Morning Herald, reveal that Australian officials have already begun laying the groundwork for the U.S. to pursue charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The cables show that diplomats in Assange’s home…
Australia winemakers celebrate best vintage in two decades
After years of heatwaves, bush fires and heavy rain, Australia’s wine industry is about to benefit from the best growing conditions for grapes in two decades, experts say. James Halliday, one of the country’s top wine writers, says the weather has been “nigh-on perfect” in South Australia, Victoria and Western…
Tobacco firms lose Australia plain packet case
Global tobacco firms lost a “watershed” court challenge to Australia’s plain packaging laws for cigarettes on Wednesday in a closely-watched case health advocates said would have a worldwide impact. The High Court of Australia ruled the measures, stipulating that tobacco products should be sold in drab, uniform packaging with graphic health warnings…
Dead humpback whale found in Sydney ocean pool
A dead humpback whale washed up in a Sydney ocean pool Wednesday, surprising morning swimmers and causing a major headache for authorities who must now remove it. The 11.6 metre (38 foot) young adult humpback, which appeared to have been dead for several days, washed up at Newport beach’s ocean…
Sea rise threatens ‘paradise’ Down Under
When Elaine Pearce left Sydney for the seaside peace of Old Bar 12 years ago she was assured her new house was a solid investment, with a century’s worth of frontage to guard against erosion. But three neighbours have already lost their homes to the rising ocean and there are…
Cool reception for Australia’s climate tax: poll
Australia’s new carbon tax received a cool reception in a poll Monday, showing Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s mechanism to tackle climate change is unpopular and her government on track to lose office. Only 33 percent support the measure introduced Sunday, according to the Nielsen survey published in the Sydney Morning Herald, with 62 percent of the…
Australians find huge mega-wombat graveyard
Australian scientists Thursday unveiled the biggest-ever graveyard of an ancient rhino-sized mega-wombat called diprotodon, with the site potentially holding valuable clues on the species’ extinction. The remote fossil deposit in outback Queensland state is thought to contain up to 50 diprotodon skeletons including a huge specimen named Kenny, whose jawbone…
Asylum-seeker boat carrying 200 capsizes off Australia
A Sri Lankan refugee boat with 200 people believed to be on board capsized off Australia’s remote Christmas Island Thursday, with police saying scores could have died. The accident, which unfolded mid-afternoon in Indonesian waters, could become one of the worst refugee boat disasters off Australia since the SIEV X…
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