Latest Australia News
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Echo sale packed with Crown confidence
James Packer's exit from Echo Entertainment is a signal the Crown boss no longer sees the rival casino company as a threat to his plan for a luxury Sydney gambling resort. Echo shares plunged 11.9 per cent to a record low of $3.03 on Friday after Crown confirmed it had sold its 10 per cent stake. Crown dumped the 82.6 million shares on Thursday night at $3.20 a share, a discount to ...
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Man who stalked AFL player jailed
A man who stalked AFL player Alex Rance and organised a "gay orgy" at Rance's family home because he could not cope with being rejected has been jailed for one year. Scott Thomas, 35, befriended the Richmond defender in 2011 after creating a fake profile on Facebook using photos of a UK-based male sports model, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Friday. Thomas pleaded ...
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Force keen to fend off Super wooden spoon
Western Force coach Michael Foley says his team's best chance to avoid the Super Rugby wooden spoon is simply not to dwell on it. The Force have made important strides this year under Foley, beating the Reds in Queensland and the Crusaders in Perth, while also pushing a host of other teams right to the edge. But their inability to convert good territory into points has seen them slip to ...
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Bombers Hird at AFL club for long haul
Essendon coach James Hird won't be leaving the AFL club any time soon if it's up to him. Thursday's resignation of chief executive Ian Robson over their supplements saga prompted suggestions that football department bosses such as Hird deserve an even greater share of the blame. But the Essendon favourite son has no intention of following Robson out the door. "I'm the ...
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Stocks to watch at close on Friday
Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange at close on Friday: AAC - AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY LTD - down two cents at $1.08 Australia's largest beef cattle producer has blamed the suspension of live exports to Indonesia for a $46.5 million March quarter loss. CWN - CROWN LTD - down 23 cents at ...
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Assaults up break-ins down in NT
Quarterly crime statistics for the three months to the end of March 2013 were released by the NT government on Friday.The number of offences against people - which includes homicides, assaults, cases of neglect, robberies and other crimes - was up 6.3 per cent, compared to the prior corresponding period.Acts intended to cause people injury were up 8.4 per cent.But property crime dropped ...
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Budget focus in next parliament fortnight
While the government's aim will be to pass key budget measures such as axeing the baby bonus, encouraging the early take-up of private health insurance and paying for school and disability reform, the coalition will scrutinise spending and taxes in Senate estimates hearings.Debate on the budget bills will kick off on Monday afternoon, prior to question time.Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is ...
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Scouts Australia open to gay members
OPENLY gay youths have always been welcome to join Scouts Australia, the organisation says, after its American counterpart overturned a decades-old ban. At its annual meeting in Texas on Thursday, the 103-year-old Boy Scouts of America voted to end a ban barring openly homosexual members, but maintained a prohibition on gay adult leaders. Scouts Australia says its door has always been open to ...
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Australian shares dive to one-month low Japan uncertainty hits
Fri May 24, 2013 2:47am EDT (Adds details, comments) SYDNEY May 24 (Reuters) - Australian shares reversed early gains to fall 1.6 percent as faltering banks and market volatility hit investor sentiment on Friday, sending the benchmark index tumbling further from one-month lows touched a day earlier. Japan's Nikkei share average turned positive in a volatile session on Friday afternoon after ...
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Father jailed over porn depicting babies
A SYDNEY father has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison after downloading more than 300 videos of child pornography depicting some as young as six months old. German authorities tipped off Australian Federal Police to the activities of the Sydney man after he downloaded a file which included the terms "paedo" and "rape" from a file sharing site. Following a ...
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Australian shares slide for second day
Australia Australian shares are set to record their worst weekly performance in a year, with a second straight days of heavy falls.After very brief early gains, the market has been in a downward drift all day, leaving the broad All Ordinaries index down 1.8 per cent at 4,951 by 3:23pm (AEST).The ASX 200 was off 94 points to 4,969, follow yesterday's 2 per cent drop.In total, around $60 ...
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Australian shares reverse gains as volatility hits investor mood
Fri May 24, 2013 2:20am EDT (Updates to close) SYDNEY May 24 (Reuters) - Australian shares reversed early gains to lose 1.6 percent as faltering banks and market volatility hit investor sentiment on Friday, sending the benchmark index tumbling further from one-month lows touched a day earlier. Japan's Nikkei share average turned positive in a volatile session on Friday afternoon after the ...
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Civoniceva likes Scott-Shillington combo
Queensland great Petero Civoniceva says he'd hit NSW's power pack with a Matt Scott-Dave Shillington front-row combination in next month's opening State of Origin match in Sydney. Settling on a replacement for the 33-game Origin prop who retired last year on the back of Queensland's seventh successive series win is an issue for selectors before they reveal their 17-man squad ...
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Hawke pays tribute to outstanding Hazel
Former prime minister Bob Hawke has spoken of his enduring affection for ex-wife Hazel and says she made an outstanding first lady. Mrs Hawke died on Thursday aged 83 after a 12-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. Her family says she passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones. "I remember Hazel with deep affection and gratitude," Mr Hawke said in a statement on ...
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AACo blames export ban for loss
Australia's largest beef cattle producer has blamed the suspension of live exports to Indonesia for a $46.5 million March quarter loss. Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) managing director David Farley says farmers are struggling, almost two years after footage of overseas abattoir workers torturing cattle sparked public outrage and a temporary ban on live shipments. The latest loss ...
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Take a punt on Merritt says Hazem
The 26-year-old trained lightly this week, completing running exercises from Wednesday away from the main group in a bid to prove his recovery was on track. But Daley is not willing to take injured players into camp, preferring to have his full squad about to train from day one. That re-opens the door for South Sydney's Nathan Merritt, forgotten Newcastle winger Akuila Uate and Manly ...
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Dugan at home with us say Dragons
Josh Dugan's former Canberra teammate Bronson Harrison says the fullback has fitted in seamlessly at St George Illawarra. Dugan starred on his Dragons debut against Parramatta last week after two months out of the NRL after being sacked by the Raiders for repeated discipline breaches. Harrison and Dugan spent four seasons in Canberra before the former Kiwi back-rower joined the Dragons ...
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Woman attacked where her body was found
Police now believe a pregnant woman who was murdered as she walked to work south of Brisbane was attacked where her body was found. "At this time our investigation suggests the initial assault occurred in Leichhardt Street," Regional Crime Co-ordinator Detective Superintendent David Hutchinson told AAP. Joan Ryther, 27, was attacked on her way to work in Logan about 8.30pm (AEST) at ...
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Gillard resists call for car tariff rise
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is resisting pressure from unions and Labor MPs to raise tariffs or significantly boost industry assistance after Ford's decision to stop making cars in Australia. Ford says about 1200 workers will lose their jobs at its two plants in Victoria by October 2016. The company's profits have been squeezed by the high Australian dollar, making exports more ...
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Drugs weapons found in shooting raid
POLICE investigating three shootings in Kwinana have uncovered weapons, fireworks, ammunition, drugs and cash during a raid on a Baldivis ...
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The transformation of Hazel Hawke
She had the mixed blessing of being married to Bob Hawke, Labor's most successful prime minister and, for many of their years together, a hard drinker and womaniser who was rarely at home.She survived to become, during nearly nine years at the Lodge, perhaps the best loved of all prime minister's wives.This came from her charm, grace and intelligence. It also came from admiration for ...
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Craft beer becoming choice tipple
CRAFT beer has graduated from backyard brew to claim 2.5-3 per cent of the total beer market, according to the Craft Beer Industry Association after CUB-owned Matilda Bays Alpha Pale Ale was last night named as our top brew for ...
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Google Glass gets Aussie test run
GOOGLE'S breakthrough internet-connected spectacles, Google Glass, have finally arrived in Australia, with one workplace health and safety firm testing the glasses in cities around the ...
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Australia economy strong despite end to Ford production PM
SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard moved to allay fears about the economy on Friday saying it had strong fundamentals, after US carmaker Ford announced an end to production in the country.Ford said Thursday it will stop making vehicles at its unprofitable Australian plants in 2016, prompting concern for the manufacturing industry which is struggling due to the high Australian ...
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Bag limits introduced due to dwindling crab stocks in South Australias Gulf St Vincent
COMMERCIAL and recreational crab fishers will face tougher bag limits because of declining stocks in the Gult St Vincent. The State Government has announced commercial boaties will have their quota cut to 196 tonnes - a 20 per cent drop - from July next year. Recreational limits will be halved. The daily individual bag limit will drop from 40 to 20 and a daily boat limit will fall from 120 to ...
Brisbane Digest
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Cost of driving is becoming punitive in Brisbane
Is driving in Brisbane becoming punitively expensive? With the recent toll increases, on top of those made in 2006 and 2008, as well as last year, and the recent mis-management surrounding the privatisation of major roads in Sydney, it seems that using major roads in Brisbane is going to become even more expensive.
Brisbane, like many cities across Australia, is facing a mounting budget deficit in the wake of the near-crippling financial crisis and ensuing recession, as the state capital, it must also oversee Queensland’s plunge in revenues, which has created a budget deficit of over $2.3 billion for the state. Read more
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