Australia news stories on Newser

For a Better Life, Move to...

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:07:34 CDT

Want a "better life"? Head to Australia. That country ranks highest on the annual Better Life Index, a well-being survey that measures everything from income to air pollution in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 34 member countries plus Russia and Brazil. The OECD doesn't explicitly offer up a...

'Psychopathic' Doctor Accused of Killing Patients

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:17:26 CDT

An allegedly psychopathic doctor who tried to kill his own patients may finally lose his job in Australia after four years of complaints, the Courier & Mail reports. The doctor, whose name hasn't been released, killed at least two elderly patients by unplugging them in a hospital and had to...

Is Australia Sick of Vegemite?

Matt Cantor — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:31:29 CDT

Say it ain't so: Australians seem to be tiring of a national culinary icon. Vegemite, a spread made from yeast extract, has been beloved since 1923. But lately, owner Kraft has had trouble getting young people hooked on the stuff, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company has tried mixing...

KFC Ordered to Pay $8.3M to Poisoned Girl

Matt Cantor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:28:25 CDT

A judge has ordered KFC to pay an Australian family $8.3 million after their daughter was poisoned and suffered brain damage after eating at the fast-food chain. Her lawyer says Monika Samaan contracted salmonella in 2005 after eating a Twister chicken wrap and fell into a six-month coma; she...

Cher Sells Key to Adelaide, Aussies Stunned

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:29:10 CDT

Cher must be getting a little hard up because she sold the symbolic "key" to the city of Adelaide on eBay—and Aussies are flabbergasted. "I am exceptionally disappointed," huffed current Adelaide Mayor Stephen Yarwood . "It's more a reflection on Cher than the city of Adelaide. It must be very...

Guys Break Into Sea World, Steal Penguin

Kevin Spak — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:49:05 CDT

Usually, we mock criminals when they brag about their crimes on Facebook . But if your crime was breaking into a Sea World, swimming with the dolphins, and making off with a 7-year-old fairy penguin, we understand the urge to share. Three Queensland, Australia men, aged 18, 20, and 21, have...

Men at Work's Greg Ham Devastated by 2010 Ruling

Rob Quinn — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:28:00 CDT

Greg Ham, saxophone and flute player for beloved Aussie rock band Men at Work, was found dead at his Melbourne home yesterday after dropping out of sight a week ago. He was discovered by concerned friends who went to check on the 58-year-old musician, who had been working as a...

Australia Pulling Afghan Troops a Year Early

Polly Davis Doig — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:19:11 CDT

Australian PM Julia Gillard today announced that she will pull home her nation's troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2013, reports Australia's ABC News . "This is a war with a purpose, this is a war with an end," Gillard said, citing improved security conditions. "We have a strategy, a...

First Wave of US Marines Arrives in Australia

Kevin Spak — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:15:07 CDT

A group of 180 US Marines arrived last night in Darwin, Australia, in the first wave of what will eventually be a 2,500-strong US presence on the island continent. Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith officially welcomed the Marines in a ceremony today, the New York Times reports. "One thing...