Wildfire destroys 3 homes in southeastern Australia and a man is injured by a falling tree

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Three homes were destroyed by a forest fire and a man was injured by a falling tree in the Bega Valley region of southeastern Australia, prompting a government leader to warn on Wednesday that a “horror” wildfire season was approaching. Scores of...

Former US military pilot's lawyer tells Sydney court that extradition hearing should be delayed

SYDNEY (AP) — A lawyer for a former U.S. military pilot accused of illegally training Chinese aviators told a Sydney court on Wednesday that an extradition hearing scheduled for next month should be postponed due to delays in government agencies handing over crucial material. ...

Chinese ambassador says Australian lawmakers who visit Taiwan are being utilized by separatists

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — China’s ambassador to Australia on Thursday criticized Australian politicians who visit Taiwan, saying they are being utilized by separatists on the self-governing island. Ambassador Xiao Qian was commenting in Sydney after an Australian parliamentary...

Sri Lankan cricketer found not guilty of rape charges in Australian court case

SYDNEY (AP) — Sri Lankan cricket international Danushka Gunathilaka has been found not guilty of raping a woman he met on a dating site during the south Asian team's tour of Australia last November. Judge Sarah Huggett acquitted the 32-year-old player as he sat at Sydney’s...

Australian wildfire danger causes fire ban in Sydney and closes schools

SYDNEY (AP) — Sydney experienced its first total fire ban in almost three years on Tuesday and several schools along the New South Wales state coast to the south were closed because of a heightened wildfire danger, caused by unusually hot and dry conditions across southeast Australia. ...

Spain wins its first Women's World Cup title, beating England 1-0 in the final in Sydney

FIFA head Infantino says Women's World Cup breaks even but plays down calls for equal prize money

SYDNEY (AP) — FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Friday that the Women’s World Cup has “broken even” after generating more than $570 million in revenue but dismissed suggestions for equal prize money with the men's World Cup. The current World Cup prize pools sit at $110...

A nation of new Matildas fans salutes Australia's run to the Women's World Cup semifinals

SYDNEY (AP) — Sam Kerr looked up at the Stadium Australia crowd for the last time at this Women's World Cup, and it just compounded the gnawing disappointment that she and her Matildas had fallen one game before the final. In what has been an immense shift in the Australian...

Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston found not guilty of concealing his father's child sex crimes

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston was ruled not guilty Thursday of an Australian charge of concealing his father’s child sex crimes. Houston, 69, was the Sydney-based church’s senior global pastor when police charged him two years ago with...

A passenger is charged in Australia with threatening to blow up an airliner

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A 45-year-old man was charged Tuesday with threatening to blow up a plane during a flight from Australia to Malaysia that returned to Sydney. Police arrested Canberra resident Muhammad Arif and took him from the Airbus A330 on Monday, almost three hours...