Akram Azimi has been named the Young Australian of the Year for his outstanding mentoring work with indigenous communities.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen expects the opposition to support his bid to excise the Australian continent from the migration zone and deter asylum seekers from trying to reach the mainland by boat.

The head of the United Nations’ refugee agency will visit Australia later this month.

The federal government has warned Opposition Leader Tony Abbott people smugglers are watching to see whether he “blinks” by failing to support legal changes to resurrect offshore processing.

The first asylum seeker boat to arrive in Australian waters since the government’s Malaysian refugee swap deal was struck down by the High Court has been intercepted near Christmas Island.

Julia Gillard is failing to lead the government toward functional and decent policy in line with supposed ALP traditional values because she’s so focused on a race to the bottom with her old morning breakfast sparring buddy, Mr Abbott.

Julia Gillard has vowed to lead Labor to the next federal election, dismissing mounting speculation over her political future following the collapse of the Malaysia asylum swap policy.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has confirmed the future of offshore processing of asylum seekers is in doubt after the High Court’s decision to scuttle the Malaysian people swap deal.

The federal government’s asylum seeker policy is in disarray after the High Court scuttled Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Malaysian people-swap deal and left all offshore processing in doubt.

Australia and Papua New Guinea say they are proceeding with plans to reopen the Manus Island detention centre, but it has failed to silence the critics.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says assurances Malaysia would improve its treatment of asylum seekers was a crucial factor behind the government’s controversial people-swap deal, legal documents show.

The next boat load of asylum seekers to arrive in Australian waters will be sent to Malaysia, after the signing of a swap deal between the two countries in Kuala Lumpur.