Topic: Australia

All Content

Federal Reserve uncertainties drive down Asian markets

Transcripts from the Federal Reserve's January meeting were made public Wednesday. These documents showed growing doubts about the longevity of the U.S. central bank's bond buying program, which has kept interest rates at record lows.
Backchannels What we know about the death of a Mossad agent named 'Prisoner X' – and what we don't

Israel has released some details on the death in prison of Australian-Israeli Mossad agent Ben Zygier in a secret prison in 2010. But many questions remain unanswered.
Chapter & Verse Russian meteorite: Not the first strange event in the skies of Siberia

Science writer Surendra Verma looks back at the 'Tunguska event,' a mysterious occurrence in Siberia in 1908 which, like the 2013 meteorite, caused injuries and damage when the sky exploded.
Opinion How President Obama can forge a nuclear deal with Iran

Ahead of crucial 'P5+1' talks on Iran's nuclear program in Kazakhstan Feb. 26, President Obama needs to show willingness to meet Iranian concessions with some of his own. But Congress is in no mood to ease sanctions. Obama, however, can go around Congress.
Focus US 'pivot to Asia': Is John Kerry retooling it?

A focus of American resources on Asia was a major priority when Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary of State. But it is unclear if John Kerry will follow her approach exactly, many regional analysts say.
Focus How US military plans to carry out Obama's 'pivot to Asia'

A US policy shift toward Asia means a greater role for the Navy. Even pre-'pivot to Asia,' it already stationed half its ships in the region, and it is developing a new 'afloat forward staging base' in the Pacific.
In Gear New 2014 Chevy SS debuts at Daytona

Chevy chooses famed Daytona speedway to unveil the 2014 Chevrolet SS. The sporty Chevy SS marks the first time in 17 years that the company is marketing a rear-wheel-drive sedan.
Russian asteroid highlights astronomers' challenge: predicting such space objects

Astronomers have cataloged about 95 percent of the space objects wider than half a mile – those that could destroy civilization. But they have found less than 1 percent of the objects 100 feet across or larger, a class that includes the asteroid that flitted past Earth on Friday.
Energy Voices What's China doing in Greenland?

China’s drive to develop Greenland’s rare earths may be driven more by its economic than geopolitical interests, Rogers writes.
Friday's near-miss asteroid could help track more dangerous ones

Asteroid 2012 DA14 will buzz within 17,200 miles of Earth – a record for a known object of that size. While it's no threat to hit, it might help scientists find and track others that are.
Israel struggles to maintain secrecy over Australian spy story

The mysterious death of an Australian prisoner in Israel highlights the fact that its military-run censorship system is finding it harder to keep information secret during the age of the Internet.
In Gear Better Place electric car startup pulls plug on US, Australia

An electric car company known as Better Place has ended its US and Australian operations, Read writes. What does that say about the future of electric cars?
Difference Maker He loves maps and Vietnam. That may put him in the eye of a storm.

Thang Dinh Tran's passion for all things Vietnamese has combined with his passion for old maps, placing him at the center of a territorial dispute between Vietnam and China.
Pacific earthquake hits Solomon Islands: Tsunami warning issued (+video)

Pacific earthquake, centered near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, prompted a tsunami warning for other South Pacific islands and a tsunami watch in Fuji and Australia.
Neanderthal species may have died out much earlier, according to study

If true, the study, casts doubt on the idea that modern humans and Neanderthals co-existed — and possibly even interbred — for millennia, because humans aren't believed to have settled in the region until 42,000 years ago.
Earth won't be destroyed by huge asteroid next week, say scientists

Measuring 150 feet wide, asteroid 2012 DA14 could do some serious damage were it to strike our planet. But instead it will zip past us harmlessly, if somewhat closely.
Beyonce's Super Bowl halftime show not to blame for Super Bowl blackout

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that the Super Bowl halftime show was not the cause of the power outage that darkened the Superdome for half an hour during Sunday's broadcast.
Richard III's remains identified, but was he really Shakespeare's villain? (+video)

Though Richard's final resting place has been subject of long debate among historians, scientists announced today the skeleton found in the English city of Leicester is that of the 15th-century king.
For Chinese studying in US, graduating into an uncertain future

More Chinese students are enrolled at American colleges than ever before, but US degrees that aren't from Harvard aren't widely valued at home, meaning connections are still what matter most.
Australia's prime minister surprises Aussies with election announcement

Australia's prime ministers tend to give a month's notice on elections, in an effort to have an advantage. Julia Gillard just gave the country eight months' notice.
Focus Why combat role for US women could reverberate worldwide

In many countries, women have historically served in combat when demographics demanded it. But the US move is based on equal opportunity for women – and could become a model for others.
Android app offers a super-secret burner phone number

The new Hushed app for Android lets Android owners create disposable, fake, fully functional phone numbers usable in 40 countries on five continents.
A state divided: Uranium mining in Virginia?

Vast uranium deposits in Virginia could make for extremely profitable mining. Opponents fiercely argue mining could lead to an environmental disaster, or water contamination. Lawmakers are expected to take the matter up in this session.
Australian Open: Djokovic trounces Murray, makes history

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, won his match against friend and rival, Britain's Andy Murray Sunday night, to take his third consecutive Australian Open title.
Australian Open: Azarenka does it again, but was Li crowd favorite?

For the second year in a row, Victoria Azarenka, from Belarus, won the Australian Open. The match, against China's Li Na, was emotional and tension-filled. Li fell to the court twice, but fought to the end.