The terrible pictures coming from Australia have moved us all. Such devastation is something we in this country find difficult to imagine. The loss of life has been horrendous. For all our national rivalries in sport, we love Australians. We love them because they are people like us. We share a common history and language. It may not be a palatable thing to say, but if this were happening in, say ...

From bans on video games to drinks advertising, Australia has become the world’s number one nanny state.

There's love that declares itself quietly, love that speaks poetically, love that is longing, yearning, desperate, heartbroken. But this, here, is love soaring, triumphant, shouted to the rooftops; it's love that won't be denied. Does she love you? You better...

Those who join me in the modern heresy of global warming scepticism should love this piece from Australia. On the principle that those who are holding out against what sometimes seems to be a conspiracy to deny the developing world any chance of enjoying the economic growth which has provided the West with unprecedented mass prosperity, I am compelled to share this with you. Enjoy.

As has already recently been noted here by Michael Jennings, Australia is just now doing rather badly at cricket. The first day of the recently concluded Melbourne game was, for Australia, particularly calamitous. Australia all out 98, England 157 for no wicket. That, trust me, was very bad indeed for Australia. Bear in mind that this was not just any old bad day; this was Boxing Day at the MCG, a...

I see that Australia is considering a US request to re-settle inmates from the Guantanamo Bay military prison camp, but is unlikely to take any detainees,  Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said today. Gillard said Australia had been approached along with Britain to accept inmates to help US President-elect Barack Obama meet a promise to close the camp in a US enclave on Cuba. But Australia...

We move on from the West Indies match. (The rules of the game are explained here.) This time Alex gets choice of country and first choice of player. He's gone for Australia and made the predictable initial selection. All I...

Even in an irrigation district, conditions in Australia can be dry Australia is re-thinking its subsidy to drought hit farmers. This has a wider relevance, both in terms of how one adapts agricultural policy to climate change and how a subsidy can grow almost unnoticed. Australia has pursued a policy of eliminating agricultural subsidies, other than in investment in knowledge and R and D which mos...

Despite a recession dramatically affecting some of the biggest and most robust economies in the world, Australia to have managed an economic improvement. In the fourth quarter, not only did the GDP creep up 0.4 percent while others stalled or fell, but stocks rose and the value of the Australian dollar increased to 82.40 U.S. cents, the highest it's been in several months, thanks to gene...

Congratulations to Julia Gillard, new leader of the Australian Labor Party and Australia’s first woman Prime Minister. Welsh pride can also take a boost as Gillard was born in Barry Island, near Cardiff, where she lived until moving to Australia the ripe old age of four. When it comes to furnishing the world with Prime