Pacific
Perth toddler drowns in Bali
UPDATE: Police say there were guests at a Bali villa when an 18-month-old Perth girl fell into an unfenced pool on the property and drowned.
‘He’s a very dangerous man’
WOMEN are being warned not to meet a fugitive — considered “dangerous” by police — who has been using dating sites to meet potential lovers.
Is this the most honest job ad ever?
THERE is internet, no phone coverage, no breaks and definitely no whingeing! Duane Trafford has posted a blunt assessment of what he needs from his new staff.
Court wades into Timor Sea row
AUSTRALIA has been dealt a blow in its feud over access to oilfields in the Timor Sea after an international court ruled to take up East Timor’s case.
Large Chinese strike force probes Japan
JAPAN has reacted with alarm after China surged 40 fighters and bombers past its islands during a drill designed to test their ability to enforce a controversial ‘air defence zone’.
US fighter jet ‘plunges into sea’
A US Marine Corps Harrier jump-jet has dived into the sea shortly after taking off from a base on the island of Okinawa, south of Japan.
Tourism boom: visitor numbers soar
THERE’S nothing like Australia — just ask the near eight million overseas visitors who travelled Down Under in the last 12 months.
Student called teacher ‘big boy’
DETAILS of a disturbingly close relationship between a 13-year-old student and her 41-year-old teacher have been revealed.
Girl, six, confronts violent robber
SEE the dramatic moment a six-year-old girl takes on an axe wielding robber who broke into her father’s store.
‘No, I didn’t snort fake cocaine’
NEW Zealand’s Health Minister has been forced to deny he pretended to snort lines of cocaine at a primary school fundraiser. Yes, that’s a real sentence.
What can a tyrant teach us about Trump?
RODRIGO Duterte promised a ‘bloodbath’ if elected president of the Philippines. He’s been true to his word. That raises questions about the other big-mouthed bullyboy of politics.
NZ quake’s victims: ‘16 muesli bars’
SOME downed shampoo bottles and muesli bars appear to have come out worst in New Zealand’s earthquake and Kiwis are seeing the funny side.
NZ rocked by 7.1-magnitude quake
THE east coast of New Zealand was hit by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake before dawn, generating a small tsunami, but there was no significant damage.
NZ coast shakes: ‘Biggest quake we’ve ever had’
THE east coast of New Zealand was hit by a pre-dawn earthquake today, which rocked towns, scared locals and created a small tsunami.
‘We want our rights under the law’
IN a landmark case at The Hague, East Timor’s former president Xanana Gusmao said his nation will continue to fight Australia until it has full rights over its seas.
Castaways scrawl SOS in sand
A COUPLE in their fifties were rescued after a week stranded on a remote Micronesian island when aircraft crews spotted their desperate message.
Message in the sand saves boaters
TWO boaters have been rescued from an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean after crews spotted the letters “SOS” in the sand.
New Zealanders don’t like us that much
THOSE from New Zealand are seen as Australia’s neighbours and friends. But it turns out they don’t like us that much.
‘Australians, you’re being d***s’
OUR Kiwi cousins have stuck the knife in, saying it’s time for New Zealand to tell its close neighbour a few home truths.
Australia agrees to Manus closure
THE federal government has agreed to the closure of the Manus Island asylum seeker detention centre because the boat smuggling has stopped.
‘Australia has lost its moral compass’
A SENIOR Kiwi politician has blasted Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers on Nauru, saying it is time for New Zealand to step in.
Refugee drowns on Manus Island
A PAKISTANI refugee has drowned on Manus Island, as a new report finds refugees on Nauru are assaulted on a daily basis.
Fatal exorcism of Janet Moses
THERE was a darkness inside Janet Moses. Her family thought she was possessed by a demon, but an exorcism killed her.
The bomb that shocked the US Navy
SHATTERED battleships, blasted aircraft carriers — it was an outcome that terrified the US Navy. Now footage of the Bikini Atoll atomic test aftermath has been released.
Police manhunt after Qantas bomb scare
AN AIRPORT in New Zealand has been evacuated after a threatening note was found on a Qantas plane from Australia.
Hollywood star sells NZ to tourists
HE’S Hollywood’s highest earner and to New Zealand’s delight, he’s fronting a new campaign promoting the country to the rest of the world.
Couple finds human head on beach
A NEW Zealand tourist has told how he stumbled across a human head on a Fiji beach — which is the latest apparent twist in a gory Russian murder case.
The bizarre crime spree across NZ
WE thought the avocado shortage in Australia was bad — it’s even worse in New Zealand. People are going to great lengths to get the fruit.
Police dogs getting protection they deserve
SERVE and protect. Police dogs in New Zealand are being kitted out with stab-proof harnesses.
Bishop calls for calm over PNG protests
JULIE Bishop has offered help to the PNG government to prevent further unrest, after a court banned student protests in the wake of yesterday’s shooting.
Homosexuality now legal in Nauru
NAURU has overhauled its criminal code to legalise homosexuality and suicide, and criminalise marital rape and slavery.
Why tattoo artist inks children
ARTIST Benjamin Lloyd is making waves for giving kids incredible ink sleeves — but not for the reasons you’d think.
Fears of a ‘Mount Doom’ eruption
TOURISTS have been warned to stay away from the volcano made famous in The Lord Of The Rings movies, with authorities warning it could erupt any moment.
Scientist not impressed with CSIRO
A TOP scientist has said he is dismayed by CSIRO cuts to climate change research and urged the research organisation to reconsider.
NZ hit by 5.2-magnitude quake
A 5.2-MAGNITUDE earthquake has shaken New Zealand’s North Island, with tremors felt in Masterton and Wellington.
Monster kept daughter as a slave
RONALD van der Plaat kept his daughter as a sex slave for 23 years. This week, her horror story got even worse as he walked free.
New Zealand’s shameful statistic
WE THINK of our neighbours across the ditch as peaceful people but statistics show New Zealand’s darker side.
’All Blacks poisoned at World Cup’
A FORMER police commander who worked for Nelson Mandela claims a betting syndicate was behind the poisoning of the All Blacks during the 1995 World Cup.
Dutton ‘a coward’ over refugees
GREENS Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has slammed Immigration Minister Peter Dutton after he accused refugee advocates of driving asylum seekers to self-harm.
Powerful earthquake hits Vanuatu
THE island nation of Vanuatu is bracing for tsunami waves after being struck by a powerful earthquake this morning.
Men jailed over asylum seeker’s murder
TWO men found guilty of murdering Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati during a riot at the Manus Island detention centre have been sentenced to 10 years’ jail.
Cops accidentally get shoppers high
POLICE in New Zealand have apologised after accidentally getting a supermarket of shoppers high off marijuana smoke.
Motorcyclist’s incredible near miss
CCTV footage has captured the frightening moment a motorcyclist comes off his bike and slides into the path of a speeding van.
Aussie pilot’s partner devastated
THE Australian pilot killed in a plane crash in Papua New Guinea has been remembered by his partner as a “remarkable man”, and a “brilliant pilot”.
Store’s anger over ‘Cool Yoghurt Guy’
OWNERS of an art supply store in Auckland are so sick of someone sticking yoghurt lids to their windows they’ve been forced to leave a blunt message for the offender.
‘This isn’t the set of Castaway’
THREE mariners stranded on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean managed to save their lives with a clever call for help.
Fiji bracing for another cyclone
FIJI is about to be hit by another tropical cyclone, just weeks after Cyclone Winston left 44 people dead and crippled infrastructure.
Clark, Rudd to face off for top UN job
JUST days after cold water was poured on Kevin Rudd’s chances of landing the UN’s top job, former New Zealand PM Helen Clark has entered the race.
IS’s ‘big brother’ based in paradise
THE islands around the southern Philippines are home to beautiful white sand beaches, turquoise waters and a terror group you may not know about.
Lovers’ ‘cannibal attack’ tale unravels
A FORMER reality TV star and his girlfriend said they were attacked, raped and left for dead. But our investigation tells another story.
New Zealand decides on its flag
THE results are in. More than 2 million Kiwis voted in a ballot to keep the British Union Jack on their flag or replace it with a silver fern.
Returning to the eye of the storm
A YEAR on from devastating Cyclone Pam, an Aussie teen who went missing in the storm, Zoe Marshall, is returning to Vanuatu.
‘Move it or f***ing lose it’
THIS angry driver took road rage and hatred for cyclists to a disturbing new level, unleashing no fewer than 13 F-bombs.
Three earthquakes rock New Zealand
NEW Zealand’s South Island has been rattled by three widely felt earthquakes and a series of aftershocks.
Island embroiled in another sex scandal
PITCAIRN Island has been trying to rebuild its reputation after the sex abuse scandals of 2004. Now a new scandal threatens the island once again.
Gunman arrested after NZ siege
A STAND-OFF with an armed gunman who allegedly shot four police officers at a remote New Zealand farmhouse has ended.
Wartime treasure seized in Solomons
A HAUL of 100 gold bars illegally pulled from a World War II Japanese ship destroyed off the Solomon Islands has been seized by local police.
Tiny island kept afloat by two letters
OUR tiny neighbouring nation of Tuvalu is ticking along thanks to millions in revenue from two tiny letters: .tv.
Bound, gagged woman leaps out of car
BOUND and gagged this terrified woman threw herself out of a speeding car to save herself. A dolphin tattoo is the only clue about who she is.
Aussie ‘healer’ gets out of Bali
AN ex-cop is back in Australia from Bali amid investigations over claims he treated sick kids without any medical training.
Radio flash traced to faraway galaxy
SCIENTISTS have for the first time traced the source of a ‘fast radio burst’ — a fleeting explosion of radio waves — to a galaxy six billion light years away.
The $368,000 job no one wants
IT OFFERS more than $368,000 a year, three months’ holiday and a picturesque location but no one wants this job. What’s the catch?
Auckland beats our cities in lifestyle poll
AUCKLAND has beaten Sydney and Wellington has outranked Melbourne in a global survey of the quality of life in big cities.
Fiji counts cost of killer cyclone
THE death toll keeps rising from Tropical Cyclone Winston, which smashed into the island archipelago of Fiji on Saturday, with 29 people now confirmed dead.
‘People were scared, they were screaming’
A MELBOURNE man has recalled the terrifying moment an earthquake destroyed a New Zealand city — and how he played a key role in the aftermath.
Sydneysider tells of Fiji hell
A HOLIDAY-MAKER has told of his family’s fear when they were forced to shelter in a makeshift bunker as Cyclone Winston passed over Fiji.
‘The scale of the destruction is massive’
FIJIANS are waking to a trail of destruction after cyclone Winston ripped through the country. One man has died and there are fears whole villages have been wiped out.
150,000 penguins die in iceberg crash
EAST Antarctica is “eerily silent” after an iceberg the size of Rome grounded near an Adelie penguin colony, leaving them trapped.
Christchurch copes with quake aftermath
AFTERSHOCKS have rattled Christchurch in the wake of a 5.7-magnitude quake that collapsed cliffs and buildings in the NZ city.
‘I just want to find out the truth’
MYSTERY over the deaths of this young couple gripped a country. Now a new book puts forward another theory on what really happened that night.
Teen in transit takes wrong flight
A TEENAGE student travelling with his brother from Hong Kong became disorientated in transit at an international airport and flew to the wrong city.
Flying penis slaps-down NZ MP
New Zealanders have a unique way with expressing themselves through protest: This time, it features an Economic Development Minister — and a flying dildo.
Japanese volcano rattles nuke plant
A VOLCANO has erupted just 50km from a Japanese nuclear reactor, sparking a thunderous storm of mud and ash to fall in its vicinity.
Police probe weird biting outbreak
A NUMBER of people have been injured during a series of vampire-like biting attacks in New Zealand.
Doubts raised over Kokoda attack
IT’S the holiday story from hell — a woman gang raped by a ‘cannibal’ tribe in PNG as her boyfriend was held captive. But is that what really happened?
Bali tightens security after terror note
BALI police have shared some details about a man who handed over a threatening note that claimed Islamic State militants were ready to bomb the island.
‘Their interior is ringing like a bell’
STRONG magnetic fields have been discovered in the majority of stars — a breakthrough finding set to impact research into their evolution.
What happened to Kirsty Bentley?
KIRSTY Bentley walked out of her home on New Year’s Eve in 1998 never to be seen alive again. And what happened is still a mystery.
Category 3 cyclone cutting a devastating path
CYCLONE Ula has unleashed its fury with all the intensity you’d expect from a Category 3, and is now tracking south towards Fiji - a popular Aussie tourist destination.
Firies save ducklings from drain
WHILE civilians were unwrapping their Christmas presents, big-hearted fire fighters were busy saving ducklings.
Helicopter crashes near tourists
AN Australian tourist watched in horror as a helicopter crashed just metres from where he was dining with his family on a Fiji island.
MH370: Final deadline revealed
THE Federal Government have put a date on when the underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is expected to end.
Aussie who fell to her death named
AN AUSTRALIAN climber who fell to her death from a mountain in New Zealand has been named as Melbourne woman Nicola Anne Andrews.
‘Thank you for ruining Christmas’
A SICK man who posted a heartbreaking note on his car after finding his tyres slashed has had his hope in people — and the festive season — restored.
Belligerent Japan deploys whale fleet
JAPAN has declared it will send a whaling fleet to the Antarctic, defying international criticism and now Malcolm Turnbull is being called upon to take action.
Bad blood over new Taylor Swift video
TAYLOR Swift is known for writing songs about her critics. Are New Zealand’s conservationists next?
What the ... Kiwis are going home
WHAT is the country coming to? For the first time in 24 years, more New Zealanders are leaving Australia than arriving.
Girl, 3, killed by 7 year-old brother
A 3-year-old girl has died after being struck in the head with a golf club by her 7-year-old brother.
Two Australians killed in NZ chopper disaster
TWO young Australian tourists were among seven people killed when a helicopter crashed into a glacier during a joy flight in New Zealand.
Real-life castaway’s untold story
A MAN lost at sea for 438 days broke down and became so desperate that he began talking to his mate’s corpse.
Aussie prisoner sending New Zealand wild
HE’S a decorated former soldier who fought insurgents in Afghanistan. Now he’s being held in an Australian high security prison — and the Kiwis are furious.
Prince Charles’ unwanted visitor
A TRIP to a New Zealand ecosanctuary took a hilarious twist when an insect that packs quite a sting decided to land on Prince Charles’ lap.
Groundhog day for Aussie travellers
JUST when Aussies thought it was safe to go back to Bali, another volcano eruption has shut the airport and stranded thousands of travellers.
Girl on fire: ‘You’re ruining all the fun’
A DAD who allowed his 13-year-old daughter be strapped to a monster truck and driven through a wall of flames has been applauded.
Major 7.3 quake hits off Vanuatu
A POWERFUL 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean, but no tsunami threat was detected, seismologists said.
Tourist’s horror in haunted forest
A YOUNG tourist on the trip of a lifetime is now trapped in a living nightmare after a freak accident in Europe’s very own ‘Bermuda Triangle’.
Shattered dad kills son by mistake
WHEN Stephen Long opened fire in the bush, he thought he’d shot a deer. But when he went to inspect the carcass, he got the most tragic shock of his life.
Did groom betray his best man?
WHEN someone murdered Scott Guy on his own driveway, police made his brother-in-law suspect number one.
Lawnmower explodes in woman’s face
A TEACHER, who works with disabled children, has undergone her third operation and is in intensive care after a lawnmower exploded in her face.
‘This is the biggest deal in 20 years’
AUSTRALIA is among 12 countries that have reached a US-led deal that will create the world’s largest free-trade area in the Pacific.
10 missing as plane disappears
A RESCUE team has been sent to search for a missing passenger plane that was carrying 10 people in eastern Indonesia.
Why did the 250kg tiger attack?
She was mauled by the animal she loved, a 250kg Sumatran tiger named Oz. What went so horribly wrong for Samantha?
Schapelle denies pregnancy rumours
SCHAPELLE Corby has denied persistent rumours that she is pregnant during her monthly parole meeting with her parole officers in Bali.
