Canberra (Australia), Apr. 11 : Defence strategists have ignored the advice of Australia''s most senior intelligence chiefs and rejected the view that China''s military expansion poses little threat to the nation''s long-term security.

The standoff between the intelligence doves and defence hawks has gone all the way to Kevin Rudd personally, reports The Australian.

But the hawks have won, and Australia will spend over 100 billion dollars over the next two decades to boost its naval and air war-fighting capacity.

Canberra, Mar. 9 : After suffering a humiliating defeat by India, Pakistan women cricket team managed to salvage some pride after it defeated Sri Lanka by 57 in the ongoing ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in Manuka Oval here.

Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan scored 161 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs.

Openers gave Pakistan a steady start with Nain Abidi and Bisma Maroof adding 47 runs for the first wicket.

Canberra, Mar. 4 : Tuesday's terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore may have far reaching consequences, as no other international cricket squad would want to visit Pakistan in the near future, Australian Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith has said.

Expressing concern over the deteriorating security scenario in Pakistan, Smith said the world cricket chiefs would have to think carefully before allowing future tours to Pakistan.

"The attack will send shock waves through the cricket community, will send shock waves through the International Cricket Council (ICC)," The News quoted Smith, as saying..

He termed the attack as `atrocious'.

Canberra (Australia), Feb. 28 : Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has called on Pakistan to make sure it doesn''t sponsor terrorism against India, to shut down Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist networks that operate in the country and make a better effort against the Taliban, besides improving security across the Pakistani-Afghan border.

Smith's statement has been widely welcomed.

According to an editorial in the Australian: " These are absolutely the right things for Smith to say and the right policies for Australia to pursue."

It further goes on to say that Kevin Rudd Government is now reprising the failed policies of the Howard Government towards Pakistan.

Canberra  - The free trade agreement that Australia and New Zealand will sign in Thailand this weekend with 10 South-East Asian countries is the biggest that Australia has negotiated so far, Trade Minister Simon Crean said Thursday.

"It's the most comprehensive that ASEAN has ever signed," Crean told reporters at Parliament House in Canberra before boarding a flight to Bangkok.

Canberra, Feb 19 : In a new research, an international team of astronomers has explained that a small galaxy colliding with our own almost two billion years ago has caused the Milky Way to vibrate, or `ring', that is still being felt.

"Astronomers have known for almost a decade that the Milky Way is ringing," researcher Professor Ken Freeman of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University, told ABC News.