Latest Australia government News
Australia approves extradition of former US Marine over alleged training of Chinese military pilots
NEWCASTLE, Australia (AP) — Former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan will be extradited from Australia to the United States over allegations that he illegally trained Chinese aviators. Australia’s Attorney General Mark Dreyfus approved the extradition on Monday, ending the...
Australia announces $118 million deal to enhance policing in Solomon Islands
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia announced on Friday it will pay for more police in Solomon Islands and create a police training center in the South Pacific island nation’s capital Honiara, where Chinese law enforcement instructors are already based under a bilateral security pact with...
Beshear says food company to create 925 jobs in Kentucky, adding to the state's economic momentum
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A food company has chosen Kentucky for a facility that will employ more than 900 people, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday, saying the project ranks as the fifth-largest jobs project since he took office. Kitchen Food Co., an Australia-founded premium...
7 foreign tourists hospitalized in Fiji were not poisoned by alcohol or illicit drugs, officials say
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Seven foreign tourists who were hospitalized in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar were not poisoned by alcohol or illicit drugs, officials said Wednesday following a toxicology report. The cause of the tourists' illness over the weekend...
14 dead and hundreds injured in magnitude 7.3 quake in Vanuatu. Some people are trapped in rubble
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck off Vanuatu killed at least 14 people, injured hundreds more and caused widespread damage across the South Pacific island nation, officials said early Wednesday. Frantic rescue efforts got underway after the...
Australian state proposes ban on protests at places of worship to fight rising antisemitism
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian state government on Tuesday proposed new restrictions on protesters in response to rising antisemitism, including a ban on demonstrations outside places of worship. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan proposed the new laws after arsonists...
7 foreign tourists hospitalized in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Seven foreign tourists were hospitalized in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar, Fijian authorities said on Monday. The cause of their illness was not known and officials said it was too soon to know if tainted alcohol was involved. ...
Papua New Guinea gains a team in Australian rugby league in diplomatic push aimed at curbing China
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Papua New Guinea will gain its own team in Australia’s rugby league in a soft diplomacy deal announced Thursday linked to limiting Chinese influence in the South Pacific. The Australian government will spend 600 million Australian dollars ($380...
Australia plans to tax digital platforms that don't pay for news
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian government said Thursday it will tax large digital platforms and search engines unless they agree to share revenue with Australian news media organizations. The tax would apply from Jan. 1 to tech companies that earn more than 250 million...
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand immigration official has overturned a ban on the U.S. conservative political commentator Candace Owens entering the country, citing “the importance of free speech," a spokesperson for the official said Thursday. Owens is scheduled to...
