Renowned cricket writer Peter Roebuck was found dead at his hotel in Cape Town, where he was covering Australia’s Test series with the Proteas.

Australia moved to toughen its refugee stance on Tuesday, so those convicted of crimes while in immigration detention could be shipped home.

After a deadly earthquake left homes creaking and wiped out buildings and jobs, thousands of residents have turned their back on Christchurch.

New Zealand warned relatives to brace for the worst on Friday as toiling rescuers failed to find any more survivors after a devastating earthquake.

Five-time Olympic freestyle champion Ian Thorpe announced his return to swimming for the 2012 London games on Wednesday.

Rescuers on Wednesday reached scenes of stunning devastation after a killer tsunami obliterated Samoan island villages, killing at least 148 people.

Southeastern Australia faced chaos on Friday, as a heatwave fanned fires that destroyed homes, claimed lives and strained services.