A powerful storm hitting Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) coast has killed at least three people so far and left thousands without power. The gusts of wind averaged 100km/h and some 30cm of rain fell in some areas, many times more than usual. The average yearly amount of precipitation in the region is 5.5cm. People on the ground have taken to social media to post some of the damage from the storms,... 

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop In early March, Iran’s deputy health minister, accompanied by 5 members of the country’s parliament, visited Australia to boost ties in medical and health research areas, and extended an invitation for Speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop to visit Iran. Over a month later, it is not Bronwyn but Julie Bishop, the Australian foreign minister, planning to visit... 

An Indonesian minister has threatened to release a “human tsunami” of 10,000 asylum seekers to Australia amid tensions with PM Tony Abbott’s government over Canberra’s objections to the impending execution of two Aussie drug smugglers. “If Canberra keeps doing things that displease Indonesia, Jakarta will surely let the illegal immigrants go to Australia,” Indonesia’s coordinating minister... 

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says his country needs to reconsider its immigration laws in reaction to the deadly siege in Sydney last December. He made the remarks on Sunday in the city as he released the first report conducted by officials from the federal government and the government of New South Wales into the incident. “Plainly, the system has let us down,” he said, adding, “This... 

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has signaled a tightening of border controls in a bid to confront terror threats looming over the island country. “We are a free and fair nation. But that doesn’t mean we should let bad people play us for mugs, and all too often they have. Well, that’s going to stop,” Abbott said in a statement released on Sunday. Australia has long provided... 

During an Australia Day speech, Michael Pezzullo, the head of the immigration department, told his department that Australia should not think of itself as a European (White) country and become a “gateway to the world”, or better said a second Babylon, the first one being the United States of course. “It is always going to be the case that we were, and therefore will always be, a settler nation”... 

The jobless rate in Australia reaches a 12-year high. Official figures show that the unemployment rate in Australia reached a 12-year high of 6.4 percent in the month of January. The Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday that the number of full-time employment had dropped by 28,100 last month. “The decrease in employment was driven by decreased full-time employment for both males (down... 

Australian players celebrate winning the AFC Asian Cup 2015 in Sydney’s Stadium Australia, January 31, 2015. Australian national soccer team wins the final match of the Asian cup 2015, clinching the continental title for the first time ever. In final minutes of the first extra time period, a decisive goal from Belgium-based James Troisi gave the Socceroos a 2-1 lead over South Korea in Stadium... 

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he is determined to challenge an upcoming leadership spill motion set for next week that could remove him from power. On Friday, the Australian leader asked Liberal lawmakers and senators in the parliament to vote against the motion to remove him and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop from office on February 10. According to Abbott the move was brought by two... 

Prominent criminal barrister Alex Lewenberg allegedly told a victim of a sex offender he should not have co-operated with police. Members of Australia’s Orthodox Jewish community who assist police investigating alleged child sexual abuse have been pressured to stay silent, secret tape recordings and emails obtained by Fairfax Media reveal. The details of the pressure being exerted on victims... 

A four-year-old Australian boy has received the world’s first treatment for managing type 1 diabetes after doctors fitted him with an artificial pancreas. The new device, which looks like an mp3 player, was attached to Xavier Hames’s body using several tubes inserted under his skin, Australian health officials said on Wednesday. The four-year-old became the first patient to use the new device... 

New Year’s fireworks erupt over Sydney’s iconic Harbor Bridge and Opera House during the traditional fireworks at midnight on January 1, 2015. People in Australia have celebrated the end of 2014 with dazzling fireworks display to greet the New Year. More than 1.5 million revelers gathered along the shores of Sydney’s famed harbor to watch the Australian city’s renowned firework display over... 

Treasurer Joe Hockey and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann announced the first stage of budget cuts in May. Australia is to scrap around 175 government agencies in what many say would exacerbate the country’s unemployment problems. The decision is expected for Monday as part of Prime Minister Tony Abbot’s mid-year economic outlook. Abbot’s administration has already abolished more than 76 agencies... 

A handcuffed Christmas Island detainee being led to a plane bound for Sydney and the Silverwater detention center. Australia has tightened its controversial immigration laws by introducing temporary visas for refugees, which do not grant settlement in the country. Australia’s lower house of parliament narrowly approved amendments to the Migration Act on Friday following a debate on the issue in the... 

China and Australia have sealed a major free trade agreement worth billions of dollars giving the Australian agricultural sector tariff free access to the massive Chinese market, while China will get greater access to investment projects in Australia. Ministers from China and Australia signed a Declaration of Intent on Monday, culminating over a decade of work towards the deal. The actual agreement...