Tony Abbott

16 Stories

Ousted Aussie Leader Blames 'Treachery'

Malcolm Turnbull has been officially sworn in as prime minister

(Newser) - Australia has a new prime minister, but only due to backstabbing and "treachery," according to the man who's been thrown from the top job . In a final statement that boasted "a fair amount of anger," per the Telegraph , outgoing PM Tony Abbott attacked "a...

Why Australians Are Putting Onions Outside

So long, Prime Minister Tony Abbott

(Newser) - This is no trick about keeping veggies fresher: Australians are putting their onions outside—and snapping photos of them—to pay tribute to their prime minister, who will soon be prime minister no longer. Tony Abbott, who ousted Liberal Party leader Malcolm Turnbull in 2009, has now been ousted by...

Aussie Autofill Error Leaks World Leaders' Private Info

Passport numbers for Obama, Putin, Merkel emailed to soccer group

(Newser) - You'd think if you had charge of the passport numbers of the planet's elite leaders you'd be pretty careful. But a hapless employee of Australian's immigration agency relied a little too much on autofill—and mistakenly sent an email with the passport numbers, visa info, and...

Australia Busts 2 Men in 'Imminent' Terror Plot

Counterterror raid turns up ISIS flag, weapons, video threat

(Newser) - Two men were charged today with planning to launch an imminent terrorist attack in Australia, after police seized a homemade ISIS flag, machete, and hunting knife in a counterterror raid. The men, ages 24 and 25, would have carried out the attack yesterday if they hadn't been arrested in...

'Heightened Level' of Terror Chatter Heard in Australia

Country's terror alert hovers on 'high' after last week's siege in Sydney

(Newser) - Although the gunman who killed two hostages , then himself, at a Sydney chocolate cafe last week hasn't been officially tied to any terrorist groups, terrorist-like chatter in Australia has ramped up since last week's siege, the BBC reports. PM Tony Abbott today said that info he has received...

Aussie PM Threatens to 'Shirtfront' Putin

Russian embassy mocks Abbott's Aussie Rules talk

(Newser) - If Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott walks it like he talks it, next month's G20 summit in Brisbane could be a more feisty affair than usual: Vladimir Putin will be in attendance, and Abbott says he plans to "shirtfront" the Russian leader over the downing of Malaysia Airlines...

Australia Foils Gruesome ISIS Beheading Plot

In largest raids in country's history, 15 are detained

(Newser) - Fifteen people have been detained in Australia, and police there say that in so doing, they have thwarted a plot to carry out a random beheading in Sydney. More than a dozen properties across Sydney were raided today by a force of 800 federal and state police officers, making it...

'Barbaric': Terrorist's Boy Poses With Severed Head

Photo from Syria outrages world leaders

(Newser) - "Horrendous," "barbaric," and "depraved" are just a few of the words being used to describe an image posted on Twitter and in the Australian of an Aussie terrorist's young son appearing to tightly and cheerfully grasp the head of a decapitated Syrian soldier. "...

Jet Search Enters Daunting New Phase

Private firms will search massively expanded area

(Newser) - After failing to find any wreckage in the area where pings had been located, the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is entering a daunting and time-consuming new phase, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says. After 52 days of searching, Abbott says officials are "baffled and disappointed" that nothing...

Australia 'Very Confident' Pings Are From Jet

But no major breakthrough yet, search chief says

(Newser) - Searchers are closing in on the final resting place of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, according to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. He told reporters in China today that authorities are "very confident" pings detected in the Indian Ocean are from the plane's black boxes and the position has...

Jet Searchers Finding ... Fishing Gear, Jellyfish

Nonetheless, 'if this mystery is solvable, we will solve it,' says Australian PM

(Newser) - The last week has seen a cascade of "possible objects" in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, but the debris keeps failing to live up to expectations. Four orange objects pulled from the Indian Ocean this weekend—Flight Lt. Russell Adams called them the "most promising...

Australia: We've Spotted Floating Debris

Remains of Malaysian Airlines jet may have been found

(Newser) - This time, it's not a satellite image: An Australian civilian search aircraft has spotted debris that could be from the missing Malaysian Airlines jet, reports Australia's News Network . "Yesterday one of our civilian search aircraft got visuals on a number of objects in a fairly small area...

Australia Strikes Down Gay Marriage, After 5 Days

Top court annuls dozens of marriages

(Newser) - Australia's highest court has struck down the country's first law allowing same-sex marriages less than a week after the first weddings took place. The court sided with the federal government, which argued that Australian Capital Territory's law was invalid and having different marriage laws in different states...

Dozens of Asylum Seekers Drown off Indonesia

And many more still missing after boat headed to Australia sinks

(Newser) - At least 31 people have drowned after a boat carrying asylum seekers from Indonesia to Australia capsized on Friday, and dozens more are still missing, the ABC reports. The asylum seekers were from Lebanon, Pakistan, and Iraq, and were headed to Australia's Christmas Island when the boat was hit...

Protester Gatecrashes Aussie PM's Victory Party

He fashioned an entry wristband out of a Starburst wrapper

(Newser) - Tony Abbott was voted in as the new prime minister of Australia yesterday, but his big moment was upstaged by a protester who gatecrashed his party and jumped up on stage with the new PM and his family as they posed for photos, Sky News reports. The uninvited guest was...

Rhodes Scholar Wins Australia Election

Conservative Tony Abbott ousts Labor Party's Kevin Rudd as prime minister

(Newser) - Australia's conservative opposition swept to power today, ending six years of Labor Party rule and winning over a disenchanted public by promising to end a hated tax on carbon emissions, boost a flagging economy, and bring about political stability after years of Labor infighting. "I know that Labor...

16 Stories
Most Read on Newser