Freed Australian denies North Korean spy charges
The Australian student released last week after being detained inNorth Korea said on Tuesday Pyongyang’s accusation that he was a spy was “pretty obviously” false, but that
Oceania
Gunmen massacre 18, including children, in Papua New Guinea attack
SYDNEY, July 10 (Reuters) – Gunmen have massacred as many as 18 people including women and children in a remote village in Papua New Guinea,
Australian student released from North Korea says he’s ‘very good’
An Australian student who was detained in North Korea was freed and safely left the country on Thursday, after Swedish officials helped broker his release. Alek
Australian counter-terror police say they foiled Sydney attack plot
SYDNEY, July 2 (Reuters) – Australian counter-terror police said they arrested three men in raids across Sydney on Tuesday, foiling a plot inspired by militant
Euthanasia law takes effect in Australia’s Victoria state
Voluntary euthanasia became legal in the Australian state of Victoria on Wednesday, with the government saying it had extensive safeguards to prevent the process being
Two dead after light planes collide mid-air in New Zealand
Two light aircraft collided mid-air on their final approach at a regional aerodrome in New Zealand on Sunday killing both pilots, police said. Four parachutists
Australian police raids on national broadcaster, News Corp prompt outcry
SYDNEY, June 5 (Reuters) – Police raided the offices of Australia’s national broadcaster on Wednesday over allegations it had published classified material, the second raid
#KuToo no more! Japanese women take stand against high heels
TOKYO, June 4 (Reuters) – A social media campaign against dress codes and expectations that women wear high heels at work has gone viral in Japan,
Japan court says forced sterilisations unconstitutional, but refuses compensation
The forced sterilisation of two women decades ago as teenagers was unconstitutional, a Japanese court said on Tuesday, but rejected their demands for compensation, in
Two killed, 15 schoolgirls injured in Japan stabbing
By Chang-Ran Kim and Kaori Kaneko TOKYO, May 28 (Reuters) – A schoolgirl and an adult man were killed and 15 other young girls injured
Australia PM struggles to meet tax relief election pledge, cenbank urges stimulus
By Colin Packham SYDNEY, May 21 (Reuters) – Australia’s re-elected coalition said on Tuesday it would struggle to deliver tax breaks for tens of millions
‘Quiet Australians’ are the latest to upset election forecasters
The group responsible for Australia‘s top opinion poll and an industry body for market research will review their methods to uncover how pollsters came to wrongly
Emperor Naruhito ascends throne in Japan with “sense of solemnity”
By Elaine Lies and Kiyoshi Takenaka TOKYO, May 1 (Reuters) – Japanese Emperor Naruhito formally took up his post on Wednesday a day after the
Departing Japanese Emperor Akihito thanks the people, prays for peace
By Linda Sieg and Kiyoshi Takenaka TOKYO, April 30 (Reuters) – Japanese Emperor Akihito, in his final remarks as his three-decade reign drew to a
Emperor Akihito prays ahead of Japan’s first abdication in two centuries
By Linda Sieg TOKYO, April 30 (Reuters) – Japan’s Emperor Akihito prayed to a Shinto sun goddess on Tuesday, starting a day of ceremonies to
Three men survive freezing waters after helicopter crashes off New Zealand
Three men miraculously survived after their helicopter crashed into the freezing sub-Antarctic waters off New Zealand’s southern tip by swimming to shore at night and
Sri Lanka blasts were revenge for New Zealand
Devastating Easter bombings in Sri Lanka were retaliation for attacks on mosques in New Zealand, a Sri Lankan official said on Tuesday, as Islamic State
Schools evacuated, subway services halted as quake hits Taiwan
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan’s coastal city of Hualien on Thursday, shaking buildings and temporarily halting subway services in the capital Taipei, but there
Pet deer kills man in Australia in rare attack
A pet deer killed a man and badly injured his wife in Australia, police said on Wednesday, the first known attack in years though it
Australia PM seeks new law to penalize animal rights activists
Australia’s government proposed on Wednesday to criminalise some actions of animal rights protesters after activists blocked traffic in Melbourne and stormed farms and abattoirs this