Australia has started evacuating almost 3,000 citizens caught up in the rapidly spiralling conflict between Israel and Iran, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Thursday.

Sydney, Australia - Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil company is leading a takeover bid for Australian energy group Santos, valuing it at US$18.7 billion, Santos said Monday. Santos's board said it plans to unanimously recommend the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's offer to shareholders if it can agree on the takeover...

Australia qualified for next year's World Cup in North America while Oman ended Palestine's hopes of a first appearance at the finals with a last-gasp draw on Tuesday.

Qatar Airways unveiled a bid to take a 25 percent stake in troubled airline Virgin Australia on Tuesday, a deal that could shake up Australia's Qantas-dominated market. Under the plan, Qatar would take a minority stake in Virgin for an undisclosed sum. The firms said it would spell more direct...

Sydney, Australia - Protesters scaled Australia's national parliament on Thursday, unfurling banners reading "Palestine will be free", and accusing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of complicity in the Gaza war.The small protest follows recent divisions within the Labor government, which suspended a Muslim senator who crossed the floor to vote in favour...

The deal is aimed at expanding public and social infrastructure.

US-based World Central Kitchen -- founded by Spanish-American celebrity chef Jose Andres -- said a "targeted attack" by Israeli forces on Monday had killed seven aid workers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later admitted that his military had "unintentionally" killed the group -- who had helped feed communities affected by...

Israel said it was targeting a "Hamas gunman" when it killed in Gaza seven aid workers whose deaths caused an international outcry, with its military admitting violations of its own rules of engagement. The drone team who killed them made an "operational misjudgement of the situation", an internal Israeli military...

Jerusalem, Undefined - Israel's military said Wednesday it had obtained information that indicated a Hizbollah explosive charge caused the blast that wounded UN peacekeepers in Lebanon last week.The UN peacekeeping force said three military observers and a translator were wounded in Saturday's blast in south Lebanon, where Israel and Hizbollah fighters...

World Central Kitchen -- one of two NGOs spearheading efforts to deliver aid by boat -- said a "targeted Israeli strike" on Monday killed Australian, British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian staff. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged a "swift, impartial investigation" into the airstrike and said Israel needed to...

Australia, Canada and Sweden, which were among those states, announced earlier this month they were resuming aid. Ten percent of the Finnish funding will be allocated to risk management, the minister said.

Adelaide, Australia--Britain and Australia declared the need for an "immediate cessation of fighting" in Gaza, as diplomatic pressure built on Israel Friday to ditch a planned ground assault on the southern city of Rafah.After a meeting of Australian and UK foreign and defence ministers in Adelaide, the allies issued a statement...

The Afghanistan Cricket Board urged the Australian government "not to impose its policies on cricket boards" and "focus on supporting the development of cricket". But under the Taliban government's brand of Islamic rule, women are effectively barred from the game, as part of a raft of restrictions on women in...

Dubai, UAE -- Nearly 50 percent of the Multinational Corporations (MNCs) that opened businesses in Dubai during 2023 are based in Asia and Australia, according to the Dubai International Chamber, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers.The Chamber said in a statement that growing number...

Southeast Asia is home to about 40 percent of the world's Muslim population, and ASEAN heavyweights Indonesia and Malaysia are staunch supporters of the Palestinian cause. But other influential ASEAN nations such as Singapore have closer ties with Israel -- and are less eager to stoke controversy.

Meta said on Friday it would scrap the Facebook News tab in Australia and would not renew deals with news publishers worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The social media giant said its decision to pull the plug on the news deal was based on people not going to Facebook...

Meta had previously announced it would not renew content deals with news publishers in the United States, Britain, France and Germany. The social media giant had been pushed into paying for news by governments hoping to level the media playing field and support struggling news firms.

Its sales jumped 6% to US$27.2bn in half-year results.

The leaders of Australia, Canada and New Zealand on Thursday warned Israel against a potentially "catastrophic" ground offensive in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, amplifying a growing chorus of international concern. Urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "not to go down this path", the trio of Commonwealth nations issued a...

Doha, Qatar - The president of Saudi Arabian football said Roberto Mancini's disappearing act before the end of the penalty shootout in the team's Asian Cup exit was "completely unacceptable".The Italian did not stick around to see South Korea's Hwang Hee-chan eliminate his Saudi side in the last 16 in Doha...

Australia and Canada have suspended their funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, after Israel accused several employees of involvement in Hamas's October 7 attack. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was "deeply concerned" by the allegations against the agency, UNRWA.

Long alarmed by falling fertility, the government has relaxed its decades-long one-child policy in recent years to allow three children per family, while rolling out subsidies and calling on women to become homemakers. But the incentives and exhortations are doing little to change what demographers describe as an economic crisis...

The 24 teams spanning Australia to Palestine will battle for regional glory over the next four weeks, culminating in the final at the 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium on February 10.

Indian refiners bought 1.45 million barrels per day of Russian oil last month, their lowest amount since last January and down nearly 16 percent from November, according to global energy trade intelligence platform Kpler.

Sydney, Australia-- Australian police said Wednesday they were scouring beaches after mysterious packages believed to contain more than 120 kilograms (260 pounds) of cocaine washed up over the Christmas period.A first batch of 39 barnacle-encrusted, one-kilogram bricks of suspected cocaine was discovered on Friday near Magenta Beach, north of Sydney, police said.Since...

Antwerp, Belgium - As European capitals prepare to implement long-awaited sanctions on Russia's diamond exports, Belgian traders are bracing for new scrutiny of their industry.In Antwerp's renowned diamond district -- which handles an estimated 86 percent of the world's rough diamonds -- polishing "labs" are turning to blockchain technology to prove...

Ahmedabad, India -- Opener Travis Head hit a sparkling 137 to power Australia to a record-extending sixth World Cup title with a convincing six-wicket win over India in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Chasing a tricky 241 for victory in the final, Australia slipped to 47-3 before the left-handed Head hit his second century...

New Delhi, India - Army chiefs and senior officers from 30 countries including the United States met in India on Tuesday to discuss threats facing the Asia-Pacific region, in the face of concern at an increasingly assertive China.US Army chief Randy George said the region was "critically important", speaking to reporters alongside...

Paris, France -- Scientists said on Tuesday they have found the "missing ingredient" for pink diamonds, some of the world's most expensive stones due their rarity and beauty, and the discovery could help find more.More than 90 percent of all the pink diamonds ever found were discovered at the recently closed...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE ranks among the top world leaders in solar energy use, according to a recent report published by the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy.With three of the planet’s largest solar sites, the UAE is the 6th highest per capita consumer of solar energy...

Washington, US - The REPO (Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs) task force, set up to search and freeze Russia-related assets, estimates the overall value of sovereign Russian assets, blocked by the West, at $280 billion.“The total value of assets <…> is estimated at around $280 billion, the majority of which is held in the European Union,” the US Department of the Treasury said...

It was an eight-centimetre (three-inch) roundworm, called Ophidascaris robertsi, which researchers said was a common parasite in kangaroos and carpet pythons -- but not humans. "This is the first-ever human case of Ophidascaris to be described in the world," said infectious disease expert Sanjaya Senanayake.

The airline's annual profit climbs up to US$1.1 billion.

Dubai, UAE - In a significant policy shift, the Australian government has announced its decision to reinstate the term "Occupied Palestinian Territories." The move comes alongside a renewed commitment to opposing "illegal" Israeli settlements and expressing concerns about obstacles to peace in the region.Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong outlined...

Dubai, UAE - Dubai International Chamber attracted 56 businesses to the emirate during H1 2023, including six multinational corporations and 50 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), local media reports said.It also supported the expansion of 15 local and national companies into global markets, either by increasing their exports or helping...

"The UAE believes in the importance of joint action, integration of efforts, and promotion of economic development for countries facing development challenges and affected by irregular migration, according to a framework of joint planning with various international partners," adds Al Hashimy.

Paris, France - The world's wealthiest nations must urgently prepare for the impact of an imminent "AI revolution" that will change jobs, create new ones and make others disappear, the OECD said Tuesday.The rapid development of artificial intelligence -- with tools that can generate essays, create images and even pass medical...

PwC Australia has been mired in controversy since January this year, when it emerged that staff had leaked information from a confidential government tax briefing in an attempt to drum up new business. PwC will drastically restructure its Australian arm in an attempt to move on from the scandal, recently...

Exhibitions are also scheduled to take place on Saturday in the north and center of the Gaza Strip, where people are normally forbidden to approach and photograph military sites.

The Pacific bloc represents 12 of 55 votes in the United Nations' Asia-Pacific region, which also includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Pacific affairs expert Stewart Firth said "influence comes at a cheap price" in the small, developing economies that make up the Pacific.

Dubai, UAE -- The United Arab Emirates will see the second biggest migration of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in 2023 with a net inflow of 4,500 HNWIs, next only to Australia that is expected to receive 5,200 millionaires, according to the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2023.The inflow of millionaires to...

By swallowing up Newcrest, the US mining giant will cement its position as the world's biggest gold producer, with operations extending across North and South America, Africa, Australia and Papua New Guinea. The takeover, expected to be completed by the end of 2023, has an implied value of Aus$28.8 billion,...

Vienna, Austria - Austria said on Wednesday it will ban TikTok on federal employees' work phones, joining a growing list of Western nations cracking down on the Chinese-owned social media platform due to security concerns.The decision followed advice from Austria's intelligence services and several ministry experts.Similar measures have recently been taken...

Australia launched its biggest defense overhaul in decades, vowing to turn a military that is "no longer fit for purpose" into a fighting force that could deter China or any would-be foe. Defense Minister Richard Marles unveiled a strategic review that called for using missiles, submarines and cyber tools to...

Parts of Australia, Indonesia and East Timor were plunged into daytime darkness, delighting curious onlookers. On Australia's northwest tip, the eclipse was total.

New Delhi, India--Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in India on Monday for talks expected to focus on deepening trade and technology ties as well as shared concern about China.India and Japan along with the United States and Australia make up the Quad alliance, which positions itself as a bulwark against...

The firm's revenue rose 14 percent to nearly US$2.4 billion.

In a statement, HESC said the project has entered its commercial demonstration phase with money from Japan's Green Innovation Fund, which will be used to design and build facilities to liquefy and ship hydrogen from Australia's Victoria to Japan. The project aims to produce and liquefy hydrogen from a type...

If the deal is sealed, it would be gold sector's largest acquisition.

The company’s growth was driven by Asia Pacific, the Americas and Australia region, the Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.