Australia / Antarctica News Headlines

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Cochlear Ltd, the world's biggest maker of hearing implants, pledged on Tuesday to relaunch its top-selling implant after pulling it from the market due to a manufacturing defect, but disappointed investors by failing to give a time frame. The company's shares fell as much as 8 percent as it remained …

A New Zealand volcano has erupted unexpectedly after lying dormant for more than a century, spewing an ash plume that disrupted flights and closed highways, officials said Tuesday.

Influential Australian art critic, historian and writer Robert Hughes has died aged 74 in New York after a long illness, his family said Tuesday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Argentina are two matches away from fulfilling their skipper's dream of Olympic gold and from holding all three major international hockey titles, after fighting their way to the top of their group with a goalless draw against Australia. In their semifinal on Wednesday, Argentina will meet Britain, who …

World champions Argentina advanced to the semi-finals of the Olympic Games women's hockey tournament at the expense of Australia following a 0-0 draw between them on Monday.

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand volcano dormant for more than a century has spewed boulders and spread an ash cloud over the center of the country, disrupting air traffic but causing no other damage or injuries. Mount Tongariro, one of three volcanic peaks in the central North Island, roared into life late on Monday …

LONDON (Reuters) - Belarusian Nadzeya Ostapchuk's long wait for Olympic gold ended on Monday as she finally turned the tables on New Zealand's Valerie Adams to win the shot put competition. Reigning Olympic champion Adams had come out on top in their last nine encounters but Beijing bronze medalist Ostapchuk launched a …

Belarus' Nadezhda Ostapchuk won the women's Olympic shot put title here on Monday with a throw of 21.36m to end the almost two-year unbeaten run of defending champion Valerie Adams of New Zealand.

LONDON (Reuters) - Belarusian Nadzeya Ostapchuk finally turned the tables on New Zealand's Valerie Adams to win gold in the Olympic women's shot put competition on Monday. Reigning Olympic champion Adams had come out on top in their last nine encounters but Beijing bronze medalist Ostapchuk produced launched a third-round …

WEYMOUTH, England (Reuters) - Australia captured its first gold sailing medal of the London 2012 Games on Monday and eyed a second when Tom Slingsby achieved his Olympic dream after 12 years of preparation to win the men's Laser race. His challenger 22-year-old student Pavlos Kontides, who won Cyprus's first Olympic medal …

LONDON (Reuters) - New Zealand booked a place in the Olympic women's hockey semi-finals for the first time on Monday after a goalless draw with Germany knocked the 2004 champions out of the London Games. Britain also made it through to the final four thanks to China's 1-0 loss to Japan, and will be joined by pool leaders …

DORNEY, England (Reuters) - New Zealand's outspoken kayaker Ben Fouhy apologized on Monday for the foul-mouthed tirade he launched at the country's sporting system and said he had got caught up in the moment minutes after crashing out of the London Games. Known almost as much for a knack of finding himself in a fight as …

Sailor Tom Slingsby won just Australia's second gold medal of the Olympics on Monday and hoped his success would inspire his country's flagging campaign.

New Zealand's women's hockey team held Germany to a 0-0 draw Monday to knock out the former champions and reach their first Olympic semi-final after 32 years of trying.

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's air safety regulator says Qantas Airways Ltd. has suspended a pilot for attempting to fly while under the influence of alcohol.

LONDON (Reuters) - Australia's young team kept alive their slim chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the men's Olympic volleyball tournament on Monday with an upset victory over Pool A powerhouses Poland. Serbia's hopes of reaching the knockout phase all but ended in Pool B after a comprehensive loss against Russia. …

DORNEY, England (Reuters) - New Zealand's outspoken kayaker Ben Fouhy ended his career with one final explosion on Monday, a foul-mouthed rant aimed at his country and its canoeing system after he crashed out of the London 2012 Games. Known almost as much for his ability to pick a fight as his kayaking prowess, Fouhy castigated …

LONDON (Reuters) - Australia stunned Greece 13-8 in their final group stage match of the men's water polo tournament at the London Olympics on Monday to book a place in the quarter-finals. Australia had been languishing in fifth after a solitary victory over Kazakhstan, but the win saw them shoulder Greece out of the fourth …

Australian scientists involved in the successful landing of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory and Curiosity rover on the Red Planet hailed the touchdown as "textbook" on Monday.

LONDON (Reuters) - New Zealand's women booked their first ever ticket to the Olympic hockey semi-finals on Monday, knocking out Athens champions Germany with a goalless draw. In the other pool, Britain can progress to the last four with a draw in their final preliminary match against favorites the Netherlands (1800 GMT). …

LONDON - World champion Sally Pearson of Australia set the early standard in the women's 100-metre hurdles at the London Games on Monday, clocking the fastest first-round time in the event in Olympic history.

LONDON (Reuters) - Australian swimming officials have ordered an independent review into the team's poor showing at the London Olympics. One of the sport's traditional powers, the Australians won a total of 10 medals in the pool but only one gold, in the women's 4x100 meters freestyle relay. For a country surrounded by …

WEYMOUTH, England (Reuters) - Four-time world champion sailor Tom Slingsby led the medal race for gold in the Laser sailing on Monday to fulfill an Olympic dream after 12 years of preparation. The 27-year-old Australian was 14 points ahead of his Cypriot challenger Pavlos Kontides as the two prepared to go head to head …