News

Sydney Airport finished 2013 strongly with December recording a record high number of passengers passing through to help it achieve its busiest ever year.

South Australia's five-day heatwave is drawing to a close with cooler temperatures forecast for the weekend.

Indonesia has warned Australia over a series of breaches of its territorial waters and demanded the government stop turning boats back.

The Australian Federal Police have helped crack a crime ring which streamed live internet videos of child sex abuse from the Philippines.

Australian entertainer Rolf Harris has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of indecent assault dating back to the 1960s.

Nowhere has been spared from the start of Victoria's record-breaking heatwave, with some residents enduring 46C.

Australian entertainer Rolf Harris is expected to appear in a London court on Tuesday ahead of his April trial for multiple sexual offences.

Two British boys have been saved from a rip at a southern NSW beach, but their father drowned while attempting the rescue.

Police in Australia are investigating a series of incidents involving men with very little clothing terrorising members of the public.

After former German premier league player Thomas Hitzlsperger announced he was gay, Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou has said he hopes Australian footballers would feel comfortable disclosing their sexuality if they wanted to.

A desperate Canberra resident has launched an online campaign to help find his 1.8 metre-long missing python.

Following an online furore where Aldi were accused of racism, the supermarket chain has apologised and removed the “Australia Est 1788” T-shirt range from stores.

A report by Britain's tourism body aimed at promoting cross-cultural understandings suggests Australians are direct and sarcastic but responsive to humour.

A game of hide and seek went wrong when emergency services were called to rescue a naked man who had become stuck in a washing machine.

For the first, and probably the last time Prime Minister Tony Abbott joined the commentary box at the Ashes test in Sydney.

As pot shops open in the US state of Colorado, the HEMP Party has sparked new calls for Australia to legalise the recreational use of marijuana.

The whole world watched as Sydney put on a spectacular New Year fireworks show to celebrate the start of 2014. But not all went to plan with two boats sinking on the Harbour.

A 29-year-old English backpacker has been knocked unconscious after being headbutted and punched in Coffs Harbour.

Australian capital cities are preparing for their New Year's Eve celebrations with a promise for bigger and better fireworks.

Australian Greenpeace campaigner Colin Russell is expected to return home in a few days after Russia granted him an exit visa.

Quitting smoking and losing weight are once again the top of the new year's resolutions list.

A british immigration judge says boat race protester Trenton Oldfield has made an "enduring positive contribution to society" in the UK.

Dawn Fraser says she is disappointed the "Stillnox Six" members did not cop two-year bans but believes the Australian swimming team is finally back on track.

It's been a big year for Aussies in London - Rolf Harris was charged, a future King was born and Julian Assange marked one year in the Ecuadorean embassy.

Authorities in Australia have launched a special operation to clamp down on illegal oyster sales this Christmas.

Discovering a potential cure for AIDS, and a cure for flat beer; the closing of iconic Australian venues in London; and a story about someone falling over, were among the most popular Australian Times articles of 2013.

Summer has made its presence known in Australia's southeast, ushering in scorching temperatures and prompting fire bans across the region.

A British tourist has been found not guilty of two charges of sexual intercourse without consent with a woman on Bondi Beach.

Convicted murderer Bradley Murdoch claims prosecutors at his trial for the murder of Peter Falconio groomed Joanna Lees to make her less unlikeable.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd denies his plans to tour and debate global affairs mean he's angling for a tilt at the United Nations' top job.

Australian retirees are the world's most generous when it comes to leaving an inheritance, with the average bequeathing $500,000 (£273,000) to their heirs.

Hundreds paid their respects to South African hero Nelson Mandela at a service in Sydney.

Gay marriage advocates are putting on a brave face, describing a high court ruling to quash ACT same sex marriage laws a "temporary defeat".

The father of Jill Meagher is facing financial ruin and serious health problems while he struggles to cope with his daughter's violent death.

A new poll reveals almost half those questioned agree with Governor General Quentin Bryce that Australia should become a republic.

Considered among the most ground-breaking studies in the last 12 months, Danish surgeons have discovered solutions to combat the problem of farting on planes.

Boat race protester Trenton Oldfield has won his battle to stay in the UK, which is just as well as he says his family couldn't live in "racist" Australia.

Well the answer might lie in watching the Aussie dollar! Recent interest rate cuts designed to depreciate the dollar are under threat with fears of over- stimulating the housing market.

The Australian who disrupted the 2012 boat race between Cambridge and Oxford is appealing a government decision to kick him out of the United Kingdom.

Australian leaders have echoed those around the world paying tribute to Nelson Mandela.

Prince Charles has visited the Royal Academy of Arts 'Australia' exhibition currently showing in London.

Tony Abbott believes Nelson Mandela was one of the truly great figures of the last century.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has given Indonesia assurances Australia will not spy on Jakarta anymore as she tries to repair the damage to bilateral ties.

New figures indicate there are more prisoners doing time in Australian jails than ever before.

An Australian DJ linked to the death of a British nurse following a prank call has resolved her dispute with her employer and resigned.

A campaign to get megastar Justin Bieber to meet an injured Melbourne teen has succeeded, with the pop idol performing a secret concert.

The Government has defended raids by ASIO ahead on an international hearing on an oil and gas treaty with East Timor.

With demand for consular services rising and government budgets under pressure, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is encouraging people who get into trouble overseas to be more self-reliant.

Swino the wild pig who infamously stole beer from tourists and died in October could get a commemorative plaque at a WA rest stop.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has defended the work of intelligence agencies as leaked documents trigger a debate over privacy.