Latest Australia government News
Mali detains top executive and 2 others from an Australian gold mining company over dispute
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — The military junta in Mali has arrested the top executive and two other employees of Australia’s gold mining company Resolute Mining while they were visiting the country for talks over an unspecified dispute, the company said Monday. The three –...
Leader of the free world has never been a role Trump has embraced. The world has gotten the message
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. presidents usually at least pay lip service to being leaders of the free world, at the helm of a mighty democracy and military that allies worldwide can rally around and reasonably depend on for support in return. Not so under President-elect Donald Trump, a...
Australia plans a social media ban for children under 16
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian government announced on Thursday what it described as world-leading legislation that would institute an age limit of 16 years for children to start using social media, and hold platforms responsible for ensuring compliance. “Social media...
Australian High Court overturns law that forced scores of migrants to wear tracking bracelets
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s highest court ruled Wednesday that migrants can’t be forced by law to wear electronic tracking bracelets or to comply with curfews. The ruling is a blow to the government, whose lawyers have unsuccessfully argued that laws imposing...
The Latest: Trump wins North Carolina and GOP reclaims Senate majority
Republican Donald Trump won North Carolina, capturing one of the seven heavily contested battlegrounds while votes in six other swing states are still being counted. Republicans reclaimed control of the Senate, picking up seats in West Virginia and Ohio. Top House races are focused in New York and...
Australian judge rules senator broke race law by telling rival legislator to return to Pakistan
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian judge ruled Friday that anti-immigration party leader Sen. Pauline Hanson breached a racial anti-discrimination law by crudely telling Pakistan-born Sen. Mehreen Faruqi to return to her homeland. Faruqi sued Hanson in Federal Court over a...
A New Zealand city waves goodbye to its 'disturbing' giant hand sculpture that many came to love
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Perched on two fingers on the roof of an art gallery in Wellington, New Zealand, the giant sculpture of a hand has loomed over the city for five years. Named Quasi, the 16-foot — almost 5 meters — creation of Australia-based sculptor Ronnie van...
UN envoy warns Myanmar is in crisis, with conflict escalating and criminal networks 'out of control'
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. special envoy for Myanmar warned that the Southeast Asian nation is in crisis, with conflict escalating, criminal networks “out of control” and human suffering at unprecedented levels. Julie Bishop told the U.N. General Assembly’s human rights...
Australian prime minister defends himself from an accusation that he asked for free flight upgrades
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said he had always “acted in a transparent and appropriate way” after a new book claimed that he had repeatedly requested free upgrades for personal flights on Qantas Airways. Albanese, who was...
Australia's leader rejects Beijing's claims that his country is rife with 'racism and hate crimes'
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected accusations from Beijing that his country is “plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes” after an Australian diplomat led a group of Western nations in renewing concerns about human rights violations in...
