Australia

Crime gang crackdown follows Sydney airport killing

Crime gang crackdown follows Sydney airport killingSydney - Australian police promised more arrests Wednesday as a squad dedicated to breaking up motorcycle gangs rolled through major cities picking up suspects in a show of force.

The crackdown follows Sunday's outrage when a Hells Angels member was bludgeoned to death in front of horrified passengers at Sydney airport.

Fears of outright war between rival gangs were stoked by a double murder in Canberra on Tuesday. But police warned against immediately linking the killings to gang rivalry.

Beekeeper killing: your honey or your life

Beekeeper killing: your honey or your life Sydney - An Australian beekeeper found shot dead at his isolated property where he lived alone was killed for his honey, a Brisbane court was told Wednesday.

Donald Alcock, 34, was found guilty of murdering 41-year-old Tony Knight by shooting him in the back while he slept.

"If Tony was home I was going to have to maim him or hurt him bad if I was going to knock off the honey," Alcock told police. "I was only out to hurt him, I wasn't out to kill him."

Joy turns to sorrow as refloated whales beach again

Joy turns to sorrow as refloated whales beach again Sydney  - Six of the 10 survivors from a pod of 80 whales that beached themselves near Margaret River on Australia's west coast earlier this week came ashore again Wednesday.

The long-finned pilot whales were spotted just 6 kilometres up the coast from Flinders Bay, where they were shepherded out to sea by a volunteer army of nature lovers less than 24 hours earlier.

The survivors had been loaded onto trucks at Hamelin Bay, where they initially came ashore Monday, and taken the 20 kilometres to Flinders Bay for release in deeper waters.

Taiwan woman steps closer to Australia's dream job

Taiwan woman steps closer to Australia's dream job Sydney  - Taiwan's Clare Wang was Wednesday destined to join 10 others in the running for the highly paid dream job of caretaker on a paradise island in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

When voting for the wildcard entry closed, the Taipei-based interpreter had garnered 151,637 votes - almost three times the tally of her nearest rival.

The 10 other contestants picked by Tourism Australia to audition for the six-month stint on Hamilton Island will be announced April 2. Wang is almost certain to make up a shortlist of 11 from which the final selection will be made.

Former Iranian president wants troops out of Afghanistan

Former Iranian president wants troops out of Afghanistan Sydney - Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami has urged Australia and other western nations to withdraw from Afghanistan, news reports said Wednesday.

"We see that some troops are coming all the way from the other side of the world to establish peace and security there," Khatami told students at the Australian National University in Canberra. "We tell them, leave them alone, they would not cry any more."

Khatami, speaking through an interpreter, is on an visit to Australia sponsored by Melbourne's La Trobe University.

Muslim student teacher alleges discrimination against Christian college

Muslim student teacher alleges discrimination against Christian collegeMelbourne, Mar. 24 : A Muslim student teacher has alleged discrimination against a Christian school in Wyndham, after it refused her a position due to her religion.

Mother-of-two Rachida Dahlal, 35, said her one-year diploma course in secondary education at Victoria University required on-the-job training, and that the college was on a list of schools provided by the university offering trainee positions, news. com. au reports.

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