Australia

05 September 2023; MEMO: A cross-party delegation of Australian lawmakers will head to the US later this month to urge Washington to abandon its demand for the extradition of WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, Anadolu Agency reports.

The delegation includes Barnaby Joyce, Tony Zappia and independent lawmaker, Monique Ryan.

Ryan told the broadcaster, ABC, they feel “really, really strongly about the importance of securing Mr. Assange’s freedom.”

SYDNEY, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Australia said a strip-search of women at Qatar's main airport in 2020 played a part in its decision this year to stop Qatar Airways from selling more flights to Australia, denying it was acting due to pressure from rival Qantas Airways.

The claim brings a new element to a controversy surrounding the Australian Labor government's relationship with Qantas (QAN.AX) which had lobbied against a Qatar Airways request to increase its flights.

SYDNEY, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Australia said a strip-search of women at Qatar's main airport in 2020 played a part in its decision this year to stop Qatar Airways from selling more flights to Australia, denying it was acting due to pressure from rival Qantas Airways.

The claim brings a new element to a controversy surrounding the Australian Labor government's relationship with Qantas (QAN.AX) which had lobbied against a Qatar Airways request to increase its flights.

SYDNEY, Sept 5 (NNN-AAP) – Sato Kilman was elected as Vanuatu’s new prime minister yesterday, after winning 27 votes to 23, in a parliamentary ballot, local media reported.

According to Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation, it will be the fifth time for Kilman, 65, also leader of the People’s Progressive Party, to serve as Vanuatu’s PM. Kilman most recently took office from Jun, 2015 to Feb, 2016.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Eight U.S. Marines remained in a hospital in the Australian north coast city of Darwin on Monday after they were injured in a fiery crash of a tiltrotor aircraft that killed three of their colleagues on an island.

All 20 survivors were flown from Melville Island 80 kilometers (50 miles) south to Darwin within hours of the Marine V-22 Osprey crashing at 9:30 a.m. Sunday during a multinational training exercise, Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A United States Marine Corps aircraft with 23 Marines aboard crashed on a north Australian island Sunday, killing at least three and critically injuring at least five during a multinational training exercise, officials said.

Three had been confirmed dead on Melville Island and five were flown in serious condition 80 kilometers (50 miles) to the mainland city of Darwin for hospital treatment after the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft crashed around 9:30 a.m., a statement from the Marines said.

SYDNEY, Aug 18 (NNN-AAP) – Australian Federal Police (AFP), confirmed today that, three men have been charged in Western Australia, for their involvement in the importation and possession of about 560 kg of cocaine.

On Aug 11, police officers executed a search warrant at a Kalbarri property, about 570 km north-west of Perth, where they located about 560 kg of cocaine wrapped in plastic.

The drug haul had an estimated value of about 224 million Australian dollars (about 144 million U.S. dollars) and could be equivalent to 2.8 million individual street deals.

CANBERRA, Aug 14 (NNN-AAP) – Thousands of New Zealanders have applied for Australian citizenship, in the first weeks since a new direct pathway was opened.

According to government data released yesterday, more than 15,000 New Zealanders living in Australia, have applied to become citizens since major changes to the process took effect in July.

Under the changes, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in Apr, New Zealanders meeting some eligibility requirements can become citizens without first becoming permanent residents in Australia.

11 August 2023; MEMO: Aboriginal Australian Senator, Lidia Thorpe, has urged the Australian government to acknowledge the sovereignty of the State of Palestine and the territories that have been illegally occupied by Israel since 1967.

She additionally requested that the Australian government encourage Israel to put an end to its illegal occupation and colonisation of Palestinian land.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The United States played its best game of this Women’s World Cup and it wasn’t good enough to stop the two-time reigning champions from being eliminated in the round of 16.

The Americans’ bid to win an unprecedented third consecutive title ended Sunday on penalty kicks. Megan Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelly O’Hara missed with kicks from the penalty spot before Lina Hurtig converted to clinch the shootout 5-4 as Sweden knocked the United States out of the World Cup after a scoreless draw in regulation and extra time.