Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
Rob Taylor

Creator

Rob Taylor

Australia battles hundreds of wildfires in searing heatwave

Australian fire crews have been battling hundreds of wildfires and powerful, hot outback winds forcing hundreds to be evacuated out of their homes.

Sydney radio station 2DayFM presenters Michael Christian

Australia’s prank DJs respond to nurse’s suicide

"I’ve wanted to just reach out to them and just give them a big hug and say sorry," said 2DayFM’s Mel Greig about the call to Nurse Jacintha Saldanha.

US Air Force soldiers carry the flag-draped transfer case containing the remains of Air Force Maj. Walter D. Gray

More US soldiers killed by Afghan nationals

Three US Marines have been shot dead by an Afghan worker on a military base in southern Afghanistan, in a deadly 24 hours for Nato-led forces.

Kevin Rudd ‘massacred’ in Oz leadership challenge

Australia’s Gillard desperate to tighten grip on power

Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard has boosted her chances of surviving a full term after an opposition lawmaker defected to become speaker.

Australia unveils carbon-reduction scheme

Australia unveiled plans on Sunday to slap a carbon tax of A$23 a tonne on its 500 worst polluters from 2012.

Afghan Taliban declare start to spring offensive

Afghan Taliban declare start to spring offensive

The Taliban declared the start of a spring offensive across Afghanistan on Saturday, warning they would target foreign troops.

New Zealand falls silent in quake memorial as toll rises

New Zealand will fall silent on Tuesday to mark the moment an earthquake killed at least 154 people and shattered the city of Christchurch a week ago.

Giant cyclone hits Australian tourist coast

Giant cyclone hits Australian tourist coast

One of the most powerful cyclones on record slammed into Australia’s coast, uprooting trees and tearing roofs off buildings.

Australia braces as Cyclone Yasi hits

Australia braces as Cyclone Yasi hits

One of the most powerful cyclones on record began pounding Australia’s north-east coast on Wednesday.

Giant cyclone closes in on Australia

Giant cyclone closes in on Australia

Police turned desperate people away from shelters in Australia on Wednesday as one of the most powerful cyclones in the country’s history bore down.

Australians flee ahead of ‘catastrophic’ cyclone

Thousands of people fled their homes and crammed into shelters on Wednesday as a powerful cyclone barrelled toward a string of popular tourist cities.

Australia markets bet on new conservative govt

Australian financial markets bet on Monday that inconclusive weekend elections would deliver a change of government.

Explosives experts in bloody dance with bombmakers

Jacob Evans had no hint of the mine that ripped into his legs. Neither did his dog, nor the US patrol that had already walked over the buried charge.

Australia pushes China on Rio Tinto detentions

Australia summoned China’s ambassador on Monday for a second time to press for details of the detention of Rio Tinto’s top iron ore salesperson.

Australia’s Labour prepares voters for record deficit

Australia’s Labour government has begun softening voters for a painful budget with the biggest fiscal deficit on record.

World Bank says food crisis, silent famine to continue

There is no end in sight to global food shortages and multiple crises from climate change and energy and water scarcity will soon intensify.

Like oil, speculators and water an uneasy mix

On the grey clay of an ancient lake bed on the edge of Australia’s outback, Guy Kingwill is at the frontier of a global rush to commercialise water.

Major pro-Beijing rally at Australia torch relay

In the biggest pro-Beijing rally of the protest-marred Olympic torch relay, more than 10 000 Chinese Australians rallied in Canberra on Thursday, bringing a sea of red Chinese…

Unprecedented Aussie crackdown for Olympic torch

Police began an unprecedented security crackdown in Australia’s national capital, Canberra, on Wednesday to protect the Olympic flame from protests during the latest leg of the…

Sci-fi ‘titan’ Clarke buried in Sri Lanka

Visionary science fiction writer Arthur C Clarke was buried on Saturday in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, where the nation paused for an international ”titan” it had adopted as…