Australia’s ruling Labor party is reeling from a devastating loss in a state election in Queensland, increasing the pressure of Julia Gillard, the prime minister. The extent of the loss – which left Labor with just seven seats, down from 51 – surprised Ms Gillard, who pledged to listen to the message from the state’s electorate. The outgoing premier, Anna Bligh, who was the first woman... 

The fire destroyed the two-storey house Seven children have died in a fire at a house near the Australian city of Brisbane. At least seven children are among 11 people presumed dead in one of Australia’s worst urban fire disasters. The inferno, which destroyed a two-storey house near the city of Brisbane, began around midnight. The house was reportedly home to two families from Tonga and Samoa. Three... 

Research Reveals Genetic Link to Human Intelligence A recent study mainly conducted in the University of Manchester has revealed the first direct biological evidence for a genetic contribution to people’s thinking skills. University of Manchester scientists in collaboration with colleagues in Edinburgh and Australia, by testing people’s DNA for genetic variations, found out the existence... 

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... 

The devastating Queensland floods that have claimed at least nine lives in the past 24 hours and left 59 missing have hit the state’s capital Brisbane, where thousands of residents have been warned to evacuate their homes. There were fears that the extent of the flooding could exceed the levels of the 1974 flood, which killed 14 people and inundated more than 6,700 homes. The emergency escalated... 

Disaster: Properties across central Queensland are inundated by floodwaters. The Fitzroy River was at 8.8 metres - and expected to rise to nine metres Woman, 41, drowns trying to drive across flooded road as natural disaster in Australia reaches ‘biblical proportions’. Australia’s disastrous floods have claimed their first fatality. A 41-year-old woman died after she tried to cross... 

Widespread cloud and persistent rainfall has kept temperatures down right across Queensland. Longreach, in the Central West, received persistent rain from Tuesday evening, dropping the temperatures by about four degrees. The temperature then barely moved yesterday, reaching a maximum of 11 degrees; 12 degrees below the long-term average and the coldest July day in 44 years of records. Isisford, further... 

Controversial: Sir Bob Geldof made the comments during a speech at a breakfast in Brisbane held to encourage businesses to pledge to provide 50,000 jobs to Aborigines Sir Bob Geldof has angered thousands of Australians by giving an impassioned ‘speech of shame’ outlining the country’s treatment of its indigenous people. Anti-poverty campaigner Geldof called Australia ‘economically... 

A scene from Muslim Massacre: The game involves wiping out all Arabs, including Osama Bin Laden. A computer game designed by a Brisbane man has caused Muslim anger around the world because it invites players to wipe out the followers of Islam. Queensland police have launched an investigation into the game Muslim Massacre, which can be downloaded for free online. Players take control of an American... 

Protesters are even calling the Australian flag a “Symbol of Racism” Thousands of migrants and green communists in Sydney and Newcastle have rallied against racism after a week of violence on and near Sydney’s beaches. About 2,000 people have marched through the streets of Sydney’s central business district calling for racial harmony and understanding. The march has been organised...