Australia / Antarctica News Headlines

When Jay Ryan decided to take on the role of Vincent Keller, aka The Beast, in The CW's new drama "Beauty and The Beast," he got some rather blunt advice from his chums in New Zealand.

Australian actress Claire Holt knew her career choice would take her to Hollywood, but the small town of Covington, Ga., was a different story.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's love of online shopping has helped Australia Post deliver a 17 percent jump in annual profit, buoyed by a technology once thought to spell the death knell for post offices. Online sales have been a bright spot in an otherwise lacklustre Australian retail environment, with a local bank estimating …

Oct 11 (Reuters) - Veteran lock Nathan Sharpe has delayed his retirement for a second time and made himself available for Australia's northern hemisphere tour next month, the team said on Thursday. It has been a remarkable 12 months for the 34-year-old Sharpe, who had slipped to being a fringe player at last year's World …

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Indicted Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom is planning to launch a replacement of his shuttered website and a new online music service by year's end. It's a move that's bound to provoke U.S. prosecutors and entertainment executives.

Oct 11 (Reuters) - Leg-spinning all-rounder Todd Astle is a surprise call-up to New Zealand's test squad for their November tour of Sri Lanka, while former captain Daniel Vettori has not been considered as he battles an Achilles' injury. The 26-year-old Astle is the only new face in the New Zealand squads named for the …

The ice goes on seemingly forever in a white pancake-flat landscape, stretching farther than ever before. And yet in this confounding region of the world, that spreading ice may be a cockeyed signal of man-made climate change, scientists say.

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Uncapped all-rounder Rory Kleinveldt has been called up to the South Africa squad for the three-test series in Australia, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on Wednesday. The 29-year-old Kleinveldt has played two Twenty20 internationals but has yet to make a test appearance for South Africa. …

Australia granted Mike Tyson a visa Wednesday, one week after New Zealand barred the former heavyweight boxing champion from entering that country due to his 1992 rape conviction.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been granted a visa to enter Australia for a series of motivational talks next month, organisers said on Wednesday. "We are thrilled and are very grateful to the Australian government for granting Mike Tyson a visa and allowing him to visit Australia for …

SYDNEY, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been granted a visa to enter Australia for a series of motivational talks next month, organisers said on Wednesday. "We are thrilled and are very grateful to the Australian government for granting Mike Tyson a visa and allowing him to visit Australia …

WALKAWAY, Australia (Reuters) - Australia switched on its first utility-scale solar farm on Wednesday, bringing the country a small step closer to achieving ambitious renewable energy use targets that traditional coal and gas power producers are now fighting to soften. The Greenough River Solar project, just outside the …

WELLINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert will be forced to rejig his defence for their Oceania World Cup qualifier against Tahiti after captain Ryan Nelsen and Winston Reid remained in Britain to have treatment for injuries. The All Whites face Oceania champions Tahiti in Papeete on Friday (0600 GMT …

(Reuters) - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will make his Hopman Cup debut in Perth at the end of the year in what organisers boast will be the strongest ever field assembled for the mixed international tournament. The Frenchman, who reached the Australian Open final in 2008, will join world number two Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams …

Oct 9 (Infostrada Sports) - Classification from Tour of Beijing after Stage 1 on Tuesday 1. Elia Viviani(Italy/ Liquigas) 2:37:39" 2. Andrew Fenn(Britain/ Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) +4" 3. Matthieu Ladagnous(France/ FDJ) 4. Edvald Boasson Hagen(Norway/ Team Sky) +6" 5. Kenny van Hummel(Netherlands/ Vacansoleil) +10" 6. …

Oct 9 (Infostrada Sports) - Results from Tour of Beijing (Beijing - Beijing, 117 km) on Tuesday 1. Elia Viviani(Italy/ Liquigas) 2:37:49" 2. Andrew Fenn(Britain/ Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) ST 3. Edvald Boasson Hagen(Norway/ Team Sky) 4. Kenny van Hummel(Netherlands/ Vacansoleil) 5. Greg Henderson(New Zealand/ Lotto) 6. …

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Deezer, the Paris-based music streaming service, has secured $130 million in what is being called the largest-ever funding round for a startup in France. The fundraising - led by Access Industries, the Len Blavatnik-owned U.S. company that bought Warner Music Group last year - should help drive …

Oct 9 (Reuters) - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will make his Hopman Cup debut in Perth at the end of the year in what organisers boast will be the strongest ever field assembled for the mixed international tournament. The Frenchman, who reached the Australian Open final in 2008, will join world number two Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams …

SYDNEY/LONDON (Reuters) - Australia's top central banker Glenn Stevens has not been approached by British Treasury officials about applying for the Bank of England's (BOE) governor role, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said on Monday. London's Sunday Times newspaper reported Stevens was among the contenders …

(Reuters) - Australian Jason Day flirted with golfing perfection over the first nine holes before coming down to earth with a resounding bump after the turn in the Las Vegas Open final round on Sunday. In pursuit of an unlikely victory in the opening event of the PGA Tour's Fall Series, Day knew he needed to shoot an unthinkable …

Oct 7 (Reuters) - Australian Jason Day flirted with golfing perfection over the first nine holes before coming down to earth with a resounding bump after the turn in the Las Vegas Open final round on Sunday. In pursuit of an unlikely victory in the opening event of the PGA Tour's Fall Series, Day knew he needed to shoot …

New Zealand's capital Wellington will rename itself "The Middle of Middle-earth" when it hosts the world premiere of The Hobbit movie trilogy next month.

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key brushed off suggestions by opposition party to print money to lower the country's strong currency because it would create inflation and increase business costs. "The latest idea of the Green (Party) to print money that is a pretty whacky idea," Key told Television …