The Australian government is defending its treatment of Afghan asylum seekers held on the Pacific island of Nauru.

A refugee at Australia’s controversial Woomera detention centre has been injured in a rooftop protest.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has been returned for a third term in office.

Over 12.5 million Australians have gone to the polls in a General Election that could give Prime Minister John Howard a third term in office.

Australia’s government said today it will fly about 230 asylum seekers to a remote island in Papua New Guinea later this week, where they will stay while their applications for refugee status are processed.

An Indonesian boat, carrying 130 asylum seekers has run aground on a reef off the coast of northern Australia.

An Australian federal court has overruled the Government’s decision to refuse entry to 433 Afghan refugees who were rescued from their sinking ship by a Norwegian vessel last week.

The captain of the Norwegian cargo ship, who was forbidden from landing in Australia with the 400 refugees he rescued, says he was “surprised and disappointed” by Australia’s handling of the crisis.

The Australian Government hopes to work closely with Jakarta to stem the tide of illegal migrants passing through Indonesia on their way to Australia, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today.

A court decision on the fate of a boatload of refugees refused entry to Australia by Prime Minister John Howard will be made by the end of the week, a judge said today.

The Australian Government appears to have rejected an offer by UN officials on East Timor to accept the hundreds of refugees who are stranded on a ship that rescued them .

East Timor is willing to temporarily accept about 460 immigrants stranded on a cargo ship off Australia.

The United Nations says its facilities in East Timor could easily cope with the 460 immigrants stranded on a cargo ship off Australia.

Ireland's ambassador to Canberra has expressed concern to the Australian Government over its refusal to allow a container ship packed with refugees to dock.

Australia’s stubborn refusal to accept a Norwegian cargo ship that rescued 438 Afghan refugees from a sinking ferry endangers the time-honoured practice of saving people at sea, the shipping industry has warned.

The Australian Government has ignored intense international pressure to allow a Norwegian cargo ship carrying hundreds of refugees to dock on Christmas Island.