Malaysia has banned the import of race horses from Australia following an outbreak of a deadly virus. The Veterinary Services Department said Thursday the ban is a precautionary measure until Australian authorities give clearance to horses for export. Twelve horses have died in Australia since mid-June after being infected with the deadly Hendra virus. The […]
Australian Foreign Minister Faces August Heart Surgery
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 6:05 am (UTC-5)
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd will undergo surgery next month to replace a weakened heart valve. Mr. Rudd made the announcement Wednesday in Brisbane, shortly before departing on a diplomatic mission to Indonesia and Africa. The foreign minister told reporters he will undergo the procedure around August 1 in either Brisbane or Sydney. Mr. Rudd […]
Riots Break Out Again at Australian Immigration Detention Center
Posted July 20th, 2011 at 2:40 am (UTC-5)
Australian police were called to an immigration detention center on remote Christmas Island early Wednesday to put down a violent protest by detainees. About 50 detainees lit fires and threatened police with makeshift weapons. Some detainees climbed onto the roof of the center, located more than 2,000 kilometers from the Australian mainland. A spokesman for […]
Burma Refugee Admits War Crimes Past
Posted July 18th, 2011 at 12:40 pm (UTC-5)
Australia’s government says police will investigate claims by a Burmese refugee living in the country that he murdered dozens of political dissidents in Burma. Htoo Htoo Han told Australian media that he executed 24 people and had an indirect involvement in about 100 other murders before coming to Australia as a refugee in 1996. He […]
Australia’s Gillard Says Mine Sale Vindicates Carbon Tax Plan
Posted July 12th, 2011 at 4:00 am (UTC-5)
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says a multi-billion dollar offer for a coal mining company proves her proposed carbon emissions tax will not harm the vital industry. Opposition lawmakers and coal industry leaders have denounced Ms. Gillard’s plan to impose a $24-a-ton tax on the nation’s top 500 polluters, arguing that it will force coal […]
Australia Unveils Plan for Carbon Tax
Posted July 10th, 2011 at 12:35 am (UTC-5)
Australia unveiled plans Sunday to force its 500 worst polluters to pay $25 for every metric ton of carbon dioxide they emit. The government said the highly unpopular carbon tax will take effect on July 1 of 2012 and will continue until the country shifts to an emissions trading mechanism, with prices set by the […]
Australia to Extend Tiger Airways Flight Ban
Posted July 6th, 2011 at 10:05 pm (UTC-5)
Australian authorities are seeking to extend a temporary flight ban imposed on the Singapore-based budget carrier Tiger Airways amid safety concerns. Australia’s air safety regulator barred the airline from operating domestic flights July 2 for a week, citing “serious and imminent” safety risks. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority announced Wednesday that it will seek a […]
Australia Lifts Ban on Live Cattle Shipments to Indonesia
Posted July 6th, 2011 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
Australia has lifted a nearly month-old ban on live cattle exports to Indonesia which was imposed over concerns about the treatment of the animals. Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig announced the end of the ban Wednesday, expressing confidence that Indonesian slaughterhouses will meet Australian standards for humane practices. Ludwig says Australian beef exporters will now be […]
Australian Police Find Bones of Woman Last Seen in 2003
Posted July 6th, 2011 at 3:55 am (UTC-5)
Police in Australia have discovered the skeletal remains of an elderly woman who appears to have been dead in her house for as long as eight years. Acting police superintendent Zoran Dzevlan said Wednesday the home was searched after police received a call from the woman’s sister-in-law. He said the women had not spoken to […]
Australian Parliament Gets World’s Toughest Anti-Tobacco Bill
Posted July 6th, 2011 at 1:20 am (UTC-5)
Australia’s government has formally introduced to parliament what it says are the world’s toughest laws on cigarette packaging. Health Minister Nicola Roxon introduced the legislation Wednesday, saying the government will not be deterred by the threat of legal action from major tobacco companies. She said the laws are designed to remove “the last vestige of […]
