Tag: Australia

Robot gives rare glimpse under Antarctic sea ice

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — An underwater robot has captured a rare glimpse beneath the Antarctic sea ice, revealing a colourful world filled with coconut-shaped sponges, dandelion-like worms, pink algae and spidery starfish. The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) took footage on a camera attached to a Remotely Operated Vehicle sent down by scientists through a small hole drilled in the ice as they recorded the acidity, oxygen, salinity and temperature of the seawater. “When you think […]

6.5-magnitude earthquake rattles northern Australia

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake rattled northern Australia and parts of Indonesia Wednesday with residents in Darwin reporting widespread shaking, but there were no immediate reports of damage. The tremor struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia, US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued. “TV nearly rattled off the cabinet, two storey house was swaying around,” said Rosie McCurrach on broadcaster ABC’s Darwin Facebook page. Another poster said: “Mitchell Center […]

Oscar hopeful Kidman ‘relates to story of adopted child’

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australian star Nicole Kidman says her experience as the mother of adopted children meant she closely related to her character in the movie “Lion”, tipped as an Oscar favorite. Garth Davis’s film about a young man from India adopted by an Australian family who searches for his long-lost blood relatives using Google Earth, has already received a Golden Globe nod for best drama motion picture. It also won nominations in the supporting actor […]

Sydney New Year fireworks to be live streamed on Facebook

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Sydney’s famous New Year’s Eve fireworks, which traditionally kick off the world’s major celebrations, are set to be streamed live on Facebook for the first time, officials said Monday. The visual extravaganza in Australia’s biggest city is already watched by more than a million people at Sydney Harbor and a further one billion via a television audience. Organizers hope the live stream will be viewed by more than 10 million Facebook […]

Australia promises to spend nearly $1 bln in bid to keep Great Barrier Reef off “in danger” list

CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) –Australia will spend nearly A$1.3 billion ($965.25 million) over the next five years to improve the well being of the Great Barrier Reef in an attempt to stop UNESCO from classifying the World Heritage Site as “in danger”. In the first progress report to UNESCO – requested by United Nation’s when it stopped short of placing the Great Barrier Reef on an “in danger” list last May – Australia said it will […]

Scientists record biggest ever coral die-off on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

TOWNSVILLE, Australia (Reuters) — Warm seas around Australia’s Great Barrier Reef have killed two-thirds of a 700-km (435 miles) stretch of coral in the past nine months, the worst die-off ever recorded on the World Heritage site, scientists who surveyed the reef said on Tuesday (November 29). Scientists surveyed sites on the Northern Great Barrier Reef in March and April and again at the same sites in October and November and found on average a […]

Poor diet sees scurvy reappear in Australia

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Scurvy, a disease historically associated with old-world sailors on long voyages, is making a surprise comeback in Australia with health officials Tuesday revealing a spate of cases. Caused by vitamin C deficiency, it used to be a common, and often fatal, curse among seafarers who went months without fresh fruit and vegetables. Now considered rare, it is reappearing due to poor dietary habits, said Jenny Gunton, who heads the Centre for […]

Two French tourists die at Great Barrier Reef

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Two French tourists died Wednesday while snorkelling at a popular tourist spot on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, authorities said. The man and woman, reportedly in their 60s, were spotted floating in the water at Michaelmas Cay, a reef-ringed sand island near Cairns, by staff working for dive company Passions of Paradise, chief executive Scotty Garden said. “The Passions of Paradise lookout on the beach noticed a man floating in […]

Australia seeks to allay fears Trump could nix refugee deal

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sought to allay concerns Monday that a deal to send refugees from remote Pacific camps to the United States could be scuppered by President-elect Donald Trump. Canberra on Sunday announced a “one-off” arrangement that would see an unspecified number of the 1,600 boatpeople held in offshore processing centres on Nauru and in Papua New Guinea settled in the US. But with the political novice, who campaigned […]

Aussie police find baby koala in woman’s bag

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australian police uncovered a baby koala hidden in the bag of a woman they stopped in the street. The 50-year-old, who was being spoken to on unrelated matters on Sunday evening, stunned Brisbane officers when she revealed she had the creature in her canvas satchell. “Not quite believing their ears, the officers cautiously unzipped the bag and found this gorgeous boy,” Queensland police said. “The koala — believed to be about […]

MH370 plunged rapidly, not ready for landing: new report

  SYDNEY, Australia | AFP | — Flight MH370 was likely out of control when it plunged into the ocean with its wing flaps not prepared for landing, a new report said Wednesday, casting doubt on theories a pilot was still in charge. Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 carrying 239 passengers and crew. The report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the plane’s […]

Australia, Indonesia mull joint South China Sea patrols

    SYDNEY, Australia | AFP | — Australia is considering joint patrols with Indonesia in the disputed South China Sea, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Tuesday, in a move set to irk Beijing. The possibility was raised by Jakarta during meetings between Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne and Indonesian officials including Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu last week. “We have agreed to explore options to increase maritime cooperation and of course that would include […]