A routine morning off western Australia turned deadly when a great white shark killed a man near Rottnest Island, authorities said. Police said the 38-year-old was attacked shortly before 10am local time in waters off the island, near Perth. "Sadly, the man was unable to be revived," Western Australia police said. The state's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said the victim had been bitten by a 4m long great white. The death marks Western Australia's first fatal shark attack since March last year,…

From Sydney to the centre of the country, Australians came together to mourn a five-year-old girl whose alleged abduction and murder stunned the nation and set off riots in the Outback town of Alice Springs. The vigils were held a week after authorities found Kumanjayi Little Baby dead, ending a five-day search that drew hundreds of volunteers and police into the effort. The arrest of a man accused of abducting and murdering her then ignited violent unrest in Alice Springs, where a crowd of 400 Indigenous people gathered and…

An arrest in the killing of a five-year-old Indigenous girl has intensified scrutiny in Australia’s Northern Territory, where her death set off violent unrest in an outback town just days earlier. Northern Territory police said Jefferson Lewis, 47, had been charged with murdering Kumanjayi Little Baby, the name used for the victim in accordance with Indigenous custom. He also faces two additional charges that cannot be publicly identified for legal reasons, police said in a statement. "This is an horrific event and an…

Shock and fury swept through a remote Australian town after the arrest of a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old Indigenous girl triggered violent clashes between protesters and emergency services workers, police said today. Australia's Prime Minister, the Northern Territory's police commissioner and a spokesperson for the victim's family all urged calm after an angry crowd of about 400 Indigenous people gathered last night outside the hospital where the suspect had been taken after locals allegedly beat him…

Australia is moving to tighten the screws on the world’s biggest tech companies, unveiling draft laws that would tax Meta, Google and TikTok unless they voluntarily reach payment agreements with local news publishers. The proposal lands as traditional media organisations worldwide fight to stay afloat while audiences increasingly turn to social media for headlines, updates and breaking news. Canberra’s position is straightforward: if major digital platforms share articles that help draw users to their services, local…

A last-minute diplomatic tussle has grounded Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s planned trip to Eswatini, with Taipei accusing Beijing of leaning on other nations to deny overflight permissions—an action it condemned as a breach of international norms and a risk to aviation safety. Taiwan said Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar withdrew Lai’s flight clearances under “intense pressure” and economic coercion from China. Beijing rejected the coercion claim and instead lauded the three Indian Ocean countries, saying it held…

Australia has granted asylum to five players from Iran’s women’s national team after fears they would face persecution if forced to return home, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Sunday. “They are welcome to stay in Australia, and they are safe here, and should feel at home here,” Burke told reporters. He later posted on social media: “Last night I was able to tell five women from the Iranian Women’s Soccer team that they are welcome to stay in Australia, to be safe and have a home here.” The move follows a turbulent…

Australia orders porn sites to block minors as sweeping child-safety rules take effect Australia’s online regulator has ordered pornography websites to block people under 18 starting Monday, enforcing age verification under sweeping new restrictions aimed at shielding children from harmful content across the internet. Some adult sites in Australia had already barred non-members and halted new registrations in recent days ahead of the deadline, as platforms prepare to deploy age checks that go beyond simple self-declaration.…

China Responds to US Lawmakers’ Allegations of Illegal Mining in Nigeria The Chinese government has vehemently rejected allegations made by five US lawmakers claiming that it sponsored illegal mining activities in Nigeria and provided financial support to militias for protection. The embassy in Nigeria characterized the accusations as baseless and unfounded. In a statement, the Chinese embassy expressed dissatisfaction with what it termed as false claims, underscoring that Chinese nationals are required to adhere to…

Hundreds told to evacuate as out-of-control bushfire threatens Victoria’s Otways amid record heat MELBOURNE, Australia — Authorities ordered hundreds of people to evacuate rural communities in southeast Australia as an out-of-control bushfire threatened towns in Victoria’s Otways region during a punishing heatwave that pushed temperatures toward state records. Emergency warnings expanded to additional rural districts as fire conditions deteriorated. “Due to extreme weather today, the fire is predicted to rapidly expand and…