Australian scientists have identified the headless remains of the notorious 19th century criminal Ned Kelly, putting to rest a 130-year-old mystery surrounding his whereabouts. Analysts at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine used a DNA sample from one of Kelly’s descendants to identify his remains from among dozens of skeletons buried in a mass grave. […]
Body of Legendary Australian Outlaw Positively Identified
Australian High Court Scuttles Refugee Swap Deal with Malaysia
Australia’s High Court has blocked the government’s plan to transfer hundreds of asylum seekers to Malaysia. In a 6-1 majority decision announced Wednesday, the court agreed with a pair of asylum seekers who argued the deal is illegal because Kuala Lumpur has not signed international treaties on the treatment of refugees, and that is not […]
Australian High Court Scuttles Refugee Swap Deal with Malaysia
Australia’s High Court has blocked the government’s plan to transfer hundreds of asylum seekers to Malaysia. In a 5-2 decision announced Wednesday, the court agreed with a pair of asylum seekers who argued the deal is illegal because Kuala Lumpur has not signed international treaties on the treatment of refugees, and that is not legally […]
Australia Drops Last Charges in Afghan Civilian Deaths
Australian officials have dropped all charges against the last of three commandos who were referred for courts martial in the deaths of five children in Afghanistan. Defense Minister Stephen Smith said Tuesday he will seek a report from the chief of military prosecutions on why the charges were brought and why they failed. Australian soldiers […]
Australia Treasurer: Carbon Tax Will Pass
Australia’s Treasurer predicts carbon-tax legislation will pass parliament, despite being mired by controversy. In an interview with Sky News Sunday, Wayne Swan said the bill will go to parliament where it will be debated and passed quickly even though there is a minority government. Last month, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced plans to charge 500 […]
Report: Australian Aborigines Still Struggling in Key Areas
A new report shows life for Australia’s indigenous people has worsened in several key areas over the last decade. The annual survey by the government’s Productivity Commission found conditions had declined in such areas as child abuse and prison rates The report says for every 1,000 Aboriginal children, 37 were abused last year, a sharp […]
Corruption Scandal Threatens Survival of Australian Government
Mounting allegations against a legislator from Australia’s ruling party are threatening to bring down Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s government, which enjoys only a one-seat majority in parliament. Police say they are investigating whether parliament member Craig Thomson used a trade union credit card to pay for prostitutes while he was national secretary of the Health […]
Australian House Fire Kills 11 Pacific Islanders, Including Chidren
Australian authorities say 11 people, including several children, died in a house fire near the eastern city of Brisbane early Wednesday. Police say a total of 14 Pacific Islanders were in the house when the fire broke out after midnight in the town of Logan. Three men managed to escape, with one suffering facial burns […]
Opposition, Rights Activists Oppose Malaysia Refugee Deal
Australia’s opposition Greens party and a human rights group are criticizing the government’s decision to reopen a detention center for asylum seekers on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s government signed a memorandum of understanding with PNG Friday to open the Manus Island center for the processing of illegal immigrants seeking […]
3 Killed in Australia Helicopter Crash
A three-man news team from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was killed Thursday night, when their helicopter crashed in a remote Outback area. Veteran reporter Paul Lockyer, his cameraman John Bean and pilot Gary Ticehurst died when their aircraft went down near Lake Eyre in South Australia state. It took police hours to reach the crash […]