Australia / Antarctica News Headlines

A federal jury has convicted a New Zealand fishing company of dumping oil waste into U.S. waters outside American Samoa, and falsifying records.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia called on the world to match its tough new anti-tobacco marketing laws that will ban logos on cigarette packs, after its highest court on Wednesday dismissed a challenge from global manufacturers. The decision means that from December 1, cigarettes and tobacco products must be sold in plain …

If you’re in Australia in December and you feel like smoking a cigarette, you won’t find your favorite brands in their usual packages. Instead, you’ll be confronted with graphic photos of rotted teeth, blinded eyeballs and hospitalized children.

If anyone thought the shenanigans surrounding Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom couldn’t get any more absurd, think again. The New Zealand Herald reports that the New Zealand police justified utilizing its elite counterterrorism unit during the raid on Dotcom’s mansion in part by claiming that Dotcom might use his stomach as …

Aug 16 (Reuters) - Centre Ma'a Nonu replaces the injuredConrad Smith in New Zealand's team to play Australia in theopening Rugby Championship test in Sydney on Saturday, the NewZealand Rugby Union said on Thursday. Nonu will partner Sonny Bill Williams in the centres,outside scrumhalf Aaron Smith and fit-again flyhalf Dan …

Today in celebrity gossip: Robert Pattinson continues to avoid talking about Kristen Stewart, the good old Oasis brothers feud is still raging, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are not, repeat not, dating.

The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre on Wednesday slammed the Australian High Court for refusing to extradite to Hungary a man accused of the 1944 murder of a Jewish teenager.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - An alleged Nazi war criminal living in Australia won on Wednesday a long battle against the government's attempts to extradite him to Hungary to stand trial for the murder of a Jewish teenager. Charles Zentai, now 90, was accused by Hungarian authorities of beating to death a Jewish teenager, Peter …

Megaupload boss Kim Dotcom has announced plans to launch a new online music venture this year as he prepares to fight a US attempt to extradite him from New Zealand to face online piracy charges.

LONDON (Reuters) - Argentina's much ignored national rugby team finally get their wish this weekend after the best part of a decade of lobbying, pleading and negotiating to join the sport's elite in regular competition. The Pumas join the southern hemisphere's expanded Tri-Nations with South Africa, Australia and New Zealand …

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Argentina's much ignored nationalrugby team finally get their wish this weekend after the bestpart of a decade of lobbying, pleading and negotiating to jointhe sport's elite in regular competition. The Pumas join the southern hemisphere's expandedTri-Nations with South Africa, Australia and New …

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Factbox on the 2012 Rugby Championshipcompetition, starting on Saturday. - - - - * The original Tri-Nations competition started in 1996, ayear after the sport turned professional, with the threeoriginal SANZAR partners South Africa, New Zealand and Australiaand was expanded this year to include Argentina …

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia's highest court has refused to free an Afghan carpet seller expected to be extradited to Australia on charges of people smuggling.

Australia's Olympic athletes were welcomed home by a big crowd at Sydney airport on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard defending their achievements despite a poor medal haul.

Legislation to allow the transfer of boatpeople seeking asylum to Pacific states cleared Australia's lower house Wednesday, with politicians saying it will effectively deter people-smugglers.

New Zealand said it was considering making cyber-bullying a criminal offence, amid concerns that existing laws offer inadequate protection from online harassment.

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's highest court upheld the world's toughest law on cigarette promotion on Wednesday despite protests from tobacco companies that argued the value of their trademarks will be destroyed under new rules that will strip all logos from cigarette packs.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Statement of Matthew L. Myers President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080918/CFTFKLOGO )Delivering a tremendous victory for health, Australia's highest court has rejected a challenge by the tobacco industry and upheld the world's …

Aug 15 (Reuters) - New Zealand named the following squad onWednesday for Twenty20 matches in India and the T20 World Cup inSri Lanka in September and October. Squad: Ross Taylor (c), Doug Bracewell, James Franklin, MartinGuptill, Roneel Hira, Rob Nicol, Brendon McCullum, NathanMcCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Jacob Oram, …

The source of an enormous floating mass of pumice spotted this week in the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of New Zealand has been discovered: NASA satellite images and other sleuthing science have pinpointed an erupting undersea volcano called the Havre Seamount as the culprit.

Australia's parliament Tuesday neared agreement to transfer boatpeople seeking asylum to Pacific states, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard saying they could be processed offshore within a month.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's highest court will rule on the world's toughest anti-cigarette marketing laws on Wednesday in what has become a major test case for global tobacco companies in their fight against restrictions on the sale of their products. Australia's laws will force tobacco companies to remove all branding …

SYDNEY (Reuters) - When Masaaki Koyama opened his sushi shop in Geeveston, a small town in southern Tasmania that survives mainly on lumber and apple growing, he had to step outside to offer samples to locals to encourage them to try his hand-made sushi rolls. Now, three years later, his name is so well known on Australia's …