Asian Correspondent Australia News

Nuclear power: No consensus in Asia or the West

By Graham Land Thu, May 24, 2012 9:02AM UTC

The Fukushima disaster put nuclear power under the microscope throughout the world. But in the aftermath of the worst nuclear incident in 25 years, countries acted differently. Some stopped to reconsider their nuclear programs, while others pushed on with vigor. A few nations reacted sharply against nuclear, especially Japan, where

Japan: An unhappy country or just asking for too much?

By Anna Watanabe Wed, May 23, 2012 10:08PM UTC

The results of the OECD Better Life Index have revealed that Australia is the “happiest” industrialized country in the world – even trumping the likes of Norway and Sweden – while Japan ranks 16th. But is Japan really that bad a place to live, or are Japanese people just complaining

Australian lawmaker claims his enemies framed him

By AP News Mon, May 21, 2012 3:27PM UTC

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian lawmaker has claimed in Parliament that his enemies had framed him to make it appear that he had misused a union credit card to pay prostitutes and cover personal expenses. Craig Thomson was suspended from the ruling Labor Party last month over allegations first

Shipping accident a near miss for Great Barrier Reef

By Asian Correspondent Mon, May 21, 2012 3:15PM UTC

A 26,070 tonne bulk sugar carrier came close to clipping Shark Reef northeast of Cooktown yesterday – a popular destination for tourists visiting Queensland’s famed Great Barrier Reef. The Hong Kong ship ID Integrity had a broken-down engine and thanks to the efforts of crews and tug boats it was

Australian speaker’s accuser lodges new complaints

By AP News Thu, May 17, 2012 6:31PM UTC

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A gay political staffer who is suing the Australian Parliament’s speaker for sexual harassment lodged formal complaints of discrimination Thursday against the foreign minister and a senior opposition senator. Speaker Peter Slipper has stood aside over his former media adviser James Ashby’s suit lodged in the