Latest Australia government News

Australia's plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematic

Nov. 14, 2024 23:37 PM EST

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — How do you remove children from the harms of social media? Politically the answer appears simple in Australia, but practically the solution could be far more difficult. The Australian government’s plan to ban children from social media platforms...

Australia will require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users

Nov. 14, 2024 02:21 AM EST

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harms to users such as bullying, predatory behavior and algorithms pushing destructive content, the government said Thursday. “The Digital Duty of Care will place the onus on...

Indonesia and Australia hold joint military drills after signing a new defense agreement

Nov. 13, 2024 03:06 AM EST

SITUBONDO, Indonesia (AP) — The Indonesian and Australian militaries began joint combat drills off Indonesia’s main island of Java on Wednesday with about 2,000 troops training in air, maritime, amphibious and land operations. They'll participate in a live-fire exercise near...

Mali detains top executive and 2 others from an Australian gold mining company over dispute

Nov. 11, 2024 02:57 AM EST

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

Nov. 08, 2024 09:29 AM EST

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

Nov. 07, 2024 06:32 AM EST

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

Nov. 06, 2024 01:46 AM EST

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

Nov. 06, 2024 01:07 AM EST

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

Nov. 01, 2024 04:27 AM EDT

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

Oct. 31, 2024 03:09 AM EDT

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...