JULIA GILLARD

Huawei, China's largest equipment manufacturer, has just lost a shot at billions of dollars worth of infrastructure sales to Australia. In light of China's reputation for cyber-espionage, the Australian government has decided to block Huawei from bidding on Australia's roughly AUS$36 billion National Broadband Network project. The decision was reported on March 26.

Australia has blocked China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd HWT.UL from tendering for contracts in the country's $38 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) due to cyber security concerns, Huawei said on Monday.

General Motors Co. will invest more than $1 billion into its Australian subsidy Holden Ltd. for manufacturing and next-generation development with the support of a hotly debated 275 million AUD, $285 million, subsidy from the Australian government.

The new law, which has been the source of fierce battles between industry and government officials for two years, will affect around 30 companies, including international mining giants BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata.

Despite being under house arrest in England, Wikileaks announced they had found a way for Assange to run, Wikileaks announced via its Twitter page Saturday.

One of the worst affected areas was the New South Wales town of Wagga Wagga, where 8,000 people were ordered to abandon their homes amid warnings flood waters were expected to breach an 11-meter levee, Reuters reported.

Gillard told reporters that she was grateful for the ''overwhelming endorsement'' from her colleagues.

Former Prime Minister Rudd, who was ousted by Gillard in June 2010, said Australians had lost trust in her leadership of the Labor party, which was headed for disaster at the next elections due in late 2013.

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd resigned on Wednesday after a row with fellow party member Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

The danger that I see is Europe progressively becoming so introspective and so preoccupied with its internal problems.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's media adviser resigned following the incident in which her bodyguard had to drag her to safety through an angry crowd of aboriginal activists in Canberra.

About fifty police officers escorted the two politicians to safety.

They are apparently on a hunger strike as well.

Australia's ruling Labor Party Sunday endorsed plans to open up uranium sales to India, clearing the way for talks on a bilateral nuclear agreement and resolving an issue that has caused diplomatic tensions between the two nations.

Some states in Australia permit civil unions, while gay marriage is banned in the country as a whole.

Australia's foreign minister on Wednesday backed the formation of a security pact with India and the United States, a tie-up that could fuel China's worries of being fenced in by wary neighbors.

Australia's plan to impose a new tax on major coal and iron ore miners moved a step closer Monday after key independent MPs said they would back the legislation in return for stronger oversight of coal seam gas projects and a higher threshold where the tax kicks in.

The US is seeking to boost its influence in Southeast Asia, putting it at direct loggerheads with an ascendant China.

Given the increasing presence of women in high levels of politics around the world, I am wondering what the “standard protocol” for such greetings should be?

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he was deeply concerned about the continued euro zone crisis, blaming it on a lack of political will, and that market turmoil would continue until Europe has a concrete plan to deal with its debt woes.

President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Wednesday unveiled plans for a deepening of the U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific, starting with thousands of U.S. Marines operating out of a de facto military base in the Australian port of Darwin.