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Australia's boom lures new wave of European immigrants
About 100 men in their 20s and 30s, filled a conference room at a Dublin hotel last week to hear a migration agent describe the personal fortunes waiting to be made a world away in the booming mining towns of the Australian outback.
With unemployment running at close to 15 percent in Ireland, and local wages a fraction of those now on offer in Australia, it appeared to be an easy sell.
“I want...
Thousands without power after Christchurch hit by earthquakes
Tens of thousands of people were spending a freezing night without power after Christchurch was shaken by a series of violent earthquakes.
With temperatures plummeting under a clear winter sky, the Orion lines company warned more than 20,000 householders they would not be reconnected until at least Tuesday.
Residents were also being told to boil drinking water.
Christchurch Hospital said two of the...
Christchurch escapes serious damage from tremor
An extensive check has shown that earthquake-hit Christchurch escaped any serious damage from a 5.5-magnitude aftershock on Monday.
The jolt occurred at 9.09am and was centred 20km southwest of Christchurch at a depth of 15km.
Two more aftershocks have been recorded: a 3.8-magnitude tremor at 11.41am and one measuring 4.7 at 5.04pm on Monday. Both were 20km west of Christchurch at a depth of 10km.
The...
Libyan Almahde Ahmad Atagore jailed for string of Melbourne sex assaults
The student was jailed after attacking seven women and girls, the youngest aged just 12.
A Libyan student who sexually assaulted seven girls and women in Melbourne has been jailed for more than five years.
Almahde Ahmad Atagore, 28, had been in Australia only a month and was having trouble adapting to the Australian culture when he committed the attacks, a court heard.
Atagore, who is a Muslim, was...
Australia bans some live cattle exports to Indonesia
Australia has suspended exports of live cattle to a number of killing facilities in Indonesia following exposure of brutal practices in some of the country’s abattoirs.
Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said the decision was based on footage collected by Animals Australia that showed cattle being mistreated before slaughter.
“I have decided to halt the trade of live animals to the facilities...
4 Waterspouts strike Avoca Beach, Australia
The huge Avoca Beach waterspout was filmed from the air passing dramatically near built-up areas.
Four colossal waterspouts swirled around off the coast of Sydney today amid dramatic thunderstorms.
The gigantic twisters – created when tornadoes form above the sea – occurred near Avoca Beach, which lies just to the north of Australia’s capital.
The amazing natural phenomena caused a huge stir...
Lottery winner in court on Aussie's murder
Greg McNicol (left) and Freddie Young (right)
The millionaire US lottery winner accused of shooting dead Australian property developer Greg McNicol warned “watch your mouth” before firing the fatal bullet, a Detroit court has heard.
The evidence was part of chilling testimony presented at a hearing for 62-year-old Freddie Young on Thursday.
Young was part of a syndicate in Michigan that...
Australia Warns: Dementia is an emerging epidemic
Almost a million Australians will have dementia by 2050 unless there are significant medical breakthroughs, a conference in Brisbane has been told.
Dementia, along with diabetes, is an emerging epidemic in Australia, the federal Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, told the 14th annual conference of Alzheimer’s Australia.
About 270,000 Australians currently live with dementia...
Australia condemned over deal to ship refugees to Malaysia
Detainees at an immigration detention centre in Sydney stage a rooftop protest about their living conditions.
Australia’s latest initiative to deter asylum-seekers by sending them to Malaysia was roundly condemned yesterday, with critics noting that Kuala Lumpur has refused to sign the United Nations Refugee Convention and has a record of mistreating refugees.
Under pressure to act tough on “boat...
Australia to crack down on refugees after riots
East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta(L) addresses a joint press conference with Australia’s immigration minister Chris Bowen(R) after their meeting at the presidential palace in Dili.
Australia moved to toughen its refugee stance on Tuesday, launching a stricter character test so those convicted of crimes, including rioting, while in immigration detention could be shipped home.
Immigration Minister...
China laughs off Australian human rights concerns
China has laughed off Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s concerns about Beijing’s human rights issues, and questioned Australia’s own human rights performance, secret US diplomatic cables obtained by Wikileaks has suggested.
Gillard highlighted the annual Australia-China human rights dialogue as the centrepiece of her government’s efforts to enhance respect for human...
Wombat diagnosed with depression from 'lack of hugs'
Primadonna: Tonka dropped a fifth of his body weight because he was depressed that he wasn't getting enough cuddles. Now Donna Kilpatrick, 16 and Jayden Doevendans, 16, have cheered him up.
Handlers at an animal sanctuary in north-east Australia were mystified when their star attraction was brought low by a mystery illness.
Tonka the wombat shed 20 percent of his body weight after Cyclone Yasi...
Made in Australia tag is frayed and falling off
While most pundits – and some senior politicians – stare in wonder at the size of the mining industry’s windfall profits, they are missing a great tragedy happening under their noses.
The mining boom has pushed the Australian dollar to historic highs and this, in turn, has pushed manufacturing to the brink.
The damage being done by the high dollar to the rest of the economy is actually...
Australian woman abused in UAE, jailed for 8 months for complaining to police
Nightmare ordeal: Alicia Gali is warning other women to be cautious overseas.
A Queensland woman spent eight months in a United Arab Emirates jail for adultery after complaining to police about being drugged and raped by co-workers.
Alicia Gali, 29, yesterday detailed her harrowing ordeal after filing a Queensland lawsuit against the five-star international resort where the attack allegedly took place...
Tsunami warning extended to New Zealand
Civil Defence has issued a marine tsunami warning for New Zealand after a magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck Japan early tonight, NZ time, but says it does not expect it to pose a threat for people on land.
A wave of up to 1 metre may reach the coasts of the central and northern North Island from about 6.30am tomorrow, but the first arrival was expected to coincide with a low tide.
The Pacific Tsunami...