Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has praised the international efforts by Australia Defence Force personnel during his visit to the Middle East, including talks with troops in Camp Bird in Iraq. (Reuters: Alex Ellinghausen)

PM Turnbull visits Australian troops in Iraq, Afghanistan ahead of Obama meeting

MALCOLM Turnbull visited troops in Afghanistan and Iraq ahead of his first White House meeting SYDNEY – Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced on Monday a small increase in the Australian troop commitment... Read more »
Firefighters battle bushfire in Australia

Firefighters contain deadly Australian bushfire that killed 2, burnt 1,75,000 acres

Firefighters have contained an out-of-control bushfire in WA’s South West as police work to identify human remains which were found inside homes at fire-ravaged Yarloop. An emergency warning remains in place in... Read more »
This handout photo from firefighters shows the Waroona fire burning near Yarloop

Raging bushfires destroy entire Australian town, threaten others

A bushfire emergency warning issued for the southern Perth suburb of Forrestdale in the City of Armadale has been downgraded, with one property believed damaged in the blaze. About 95 houses in... Read more »

Hoverboard fire burned down Melbourne house

A family has had a lucky escape after a hoverboard caught fire and nearly burnt their home in Melbourne’s north-west to the ground. A hoverboard bought as a Christmas present has spelled... Read more »

With 348 deaths, NSW recorded worst road toll in 3 years

Speed is still the biggest killer on the state’s roads as NSW recorded its worst road toll in three years. By Han Nguyen (SMH) There were 348 deaths on the roads in... Read more »

‘Undocumented’ Irish population growing in Australia

Around 400 Irish citizens were “returned or removed” from Australia for violating the conditions of their visa in the 12 months By Ciara Kenny (Irish Times) The number of Irish citizens on... Read more »
Fireworks lit up the sky in Sydney

New Year 2016: Australia and New Zealand lit up with stunning fireworks

Australians have ushered in the new year, with hundreds of thousands of people gathering for fireworks displays around the country. Australia and New Zealand were one of the first countries to welcome... Read more »

Hainan becomes Sydney’s sixth new airline for 2015

Hainan Airlines has returned to Sydney for the first time since 2012 with the inaugural direct seasonal service from Xi’an touching down at Sydney Airport on Thursday morning. Hainan launched flights to Sydney in January... Read more »
A specially choreographed Welcome to Country will be projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s pylons tonight as the bridge turns into a giant Aboriginal flag.

Australia’s 2016 New Year Fest to celebrate its Aboriginal connection and culture

The connection between Indigenous people and the land will be celebrated as part of this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations in Sydney. Red fireworks will cascade from the Harbour Bridge pylons while... Read more »

New Year 2016: Your guide to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane celebrations

Australians are preparing to ring in the New Year this evening, with fireworks, family-friendly extravaganza and major celebrations planned for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. While some eager beavers have already set up... Read more »

Australia and New Zealand dollar forecasts for 2016

Risks include the weather, the global scene, low export prices and deteriorating structural metrics, but there are reasons for cautious optimism too By Precious Silva (IBTimes) Analysts remain mixed on how the... Read more »
Firefighters at the crash scene on the corner of Barkly and Gordon streets. Photo Source:News Corp Australia

Man dies, woman injured, as Footscray explosion triggers crash with five cars

Police say an oxyacetylene cylinder may have exploded, causing nearby buildings’ windows to blow out and scattering debris in Footscray. One man has died after an explosion in the truck he was... Read more »
Jamie Briggs announces his resignation as a Turnbull Government minister in Adelaide. Source: News Corp Australia

Jamie Briggs, South Australian Liberal resigns as minister over Hong Kong incident

Australian Federal minister steps down suddenly after public servant complained about his behavior, as PM also announces Mal Brough to stand aside “pending the completion of inquiries by the police”. The Turnbull... Read more »

Australian PM Turnbull celebrates Christmas with homeless and lonely

Malcolm Turnbull gets festive love and belts out seasonal carols as he celebrates the holiday with the homeless and the lonely Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been welcomed like a rock... Read more »

‘What is worse than not granting visa to family at last stage of Hassan Asif’s life’: Pakistani Australian Federation

Melbourne (Report by Sarwat Hassan, 23 Dec 2015): Thousands of people are struggling to understand why the Australian Immigration has denied the visa for a family of a Pakistani student suffering from... Read more »
Tumbalong Park reopens in time for Christmas

Tumbalong Park reopens in time for Christmas

SYDNEY – The transformation of Darling Harbour has reached a new milestone after the opening of Tumbalong Park reopens to the public, just in time for Christmas and the summer holidays. The... Read more »
In the neighbourhood: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull joins the meeting of defence and foreign ministers from Australia and Indonesia. Photo: Ben Rushton

Australia, Indonesia boost anti-terror cooperation

Australia and Indonesia have agreed to boost intelligence-sharing in the fight against terrorism, days after police arrested several men allegedly linked to a planned suicide bombing in Jakarta. SYDNEY – Australia and... Read more »
Australia is the second best place in the world to live

Australia is the second best place in the world to live

Life is good in Australia as the country has been ranked as the second-best country in the world for its quality of life by a UN report which assessed economic, education and life-expectancy data.... Read more »

Airport officer suspended for singling out Julie Bishop for random security check

An Australian security officer at Melbourne airport has been sacked after the country’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was reportedly singled out for a security screening. While the Foreign Minister’s office maintains ‘no... Read more »

Australia Women stress the role of women for cessation of war

Sydney (Press Release): On 16 December 2015 the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) hosted the “Sydney IWPG Network Peace Forum’ to urge the ‘Implementation of an International Convention on the Cessation of... Read more »
South China Sea

Australia sent surveillance plane over South China Sea

A radio recording of a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) surveillance plane conducting a freedom-of-navigation flight over the South China Sea has emerged for the first time. The audio has been published... Read more »
French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius (C), President-designate of COP21 and Christiana Figueres (L), Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, hold hands as they react during the final plenary session at the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) at Le Bourget, near Paris, France, December 12, 2015. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

What will the Paris climate deal mean for Australia?

Australia’s target of a 26 to 28 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2030 remains unchanged, but the Paris climate deal will put pressure on the Government... Read more »
Ai Weiwei poses in his Letgo room – made of thousands of donated building bricks – at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Artist Ai Weiwei unveils much-awaited Lego Project in Melbourne

The centrepiece of new Warhol-Weiwei show features quotes and portraits of Australians including Rosie Batty, Peter Greste, Gary Foley and Julian Assange SYDNEY (Australia) – For the first time, new works by Ai... Read more »

Australia ranked third last in global climate change index

Australia has come third last in an annual assessment of 58 nations’ climate policies, with only Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan ranking worse. The assessment by Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe was... Read more »