Australia
Senior PNG priest challenges Aust position on refugees, climate
The general secretary of the Papua New Guinea Catholic Bishops Conference is taking Australia to task over its offshore detention centres and its attitude to climate change. Audio
Fiji and Australian PMs play down recent barbs
Fiji's prime minister Frank Bainimarama and his Australian counterpart have talked up their countries' relationship at a bilateral meeting in Canberra.
Pressure for ban on 'milk' and 'meat' names for plant foods
Australian politicians want the names 'milk' and 'meat' to be banned for use for plant products.
Back pain should be managed like the common cold
Monash University professor Rachelle Buchbinder has spent decades trying to stop doctors from making bad backs worse. She explains why most people should be treating their back pain like the common… Audio
China exporting surveillance state technology
China has raised the ire of countries throughout the world for building an all-seeing surveillance state, but some nations are now looking to follow in its footsteps by using the same technology. Dr… Audio
Climate change to be top of agenda for Fiji PM in Canberra
Climate change is expected to be at the top of the agenda when Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama meets his Australian counterpart in Canberra this week.
Queensland's historic bushfires keep burning
In Australia, fire crews are battling dozens of fires putting lives and homes at risk across Queensland. The Queensland State Operations Centre at the Emergency Services Complex is coordinating… Audio
Fears over future Australian climate
Meteorologists are warning of 'apocalyptic' conditions for parts of Australia, with higher temperatures and more extreme weather events. Audio
Australian government plans to drug test beneficiaries
Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst looks at plans to trial the drug testing of welfare recipients, starting with those on the Newstart and Youth Allowance. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says… Audio
Ashes returning to Australia
Australia has retained the Ashes after beating England by 185 runs in the fourth test in Manchester to take a 2-1 lead in the series with just one test remaining.
Qld fires: 'Never seen this before in recorded history'
Firefighters are battling 57 fires across Queensland and more than 20 homes have been lost, including an historic lodge.
Five feared dead as helicopter vanishes in NSW
Five people - four men and a woman - are missing feared dead in New South Wales after a private helicopter vanished off the radar in bad weather.
Sport: Wallabies rest big guns against Manu Samoa
Australia have rested most of their front-line players from Saturday's final Rugby World Cup warmup match against Samoa in Sydney.
Why breast milk deserves inclusion in the GDP
Should breast milk be included in our gross domestic product? Dairy contributes 3.5 per cent or $7.8 billion to New Zealand's GDP - but what value do we - or should we - put on the hours and litres of… Audio
Learner pilot lands plane with unconscious instructor
A trainee pilot in Australia thought his instructor was messing with him when he collapsed during their maiden lesson, forcing the novice flyer to land the Cessna 152 solo.
Max Sylvester called air… Video, Audio
Dateline Pacific for 2 September 2019
Pacific travellers to and from Auckland are being warned to vaccinate against measles at least two weeks ahead of time to prevent the viral illness spreading to the region; The executive director of… Audio
Phillip Duncan: 'Polar blast threat not unusual'
Weatherwatch analyst Phillip Duncan says people shouldn't read too much into reports of a rare stratospheric warming over Antarctica causing havoc with New Zealand weather over the coming days. Audio
Attacks on West Papuan protestors condemned by rights group
An Australia-based human rights group has condemned the fatal shooting of West Papuan protesters by Indonesian security forces this week.
Trans-Tasman blindside by ScoMo?
Australia correspondent Karen Middleton looks at Scott Morrison's announcement Australia and New Zealand were proposing a voluntary set of reporting protocols to get social media companies to report… Audio
Prisoner escapes NSW hospital, guard fires shot
A prisoner is on the loose after escaping from custody at Port Macquarie Base Hospital on the New South Wales Mid North Coast.
