Kevin Rudd

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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...

Aussie PM Defeated in Duel to the Political Death

Rudd defeats Gillard 57-45, takes back power again

(Newser) - The long struggle between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd for leadership of Australia's Labor Party—and subsequently Australia—is finally over, with Rudd defeating Gillard to take the reins once again. Rudd won a party caucus vote 57 to 45, after Gillard—who ousted Rudd as prime minister in...

Aussie PM Survives Party Revolt

Plus: She apologizes for decades of forced adoptions

(Newser) - Australian PM Julia Gillard dodged a bullet today, avoiding an ouster when potential challenger and predecessor Kevin Rudd opted not to run against her. A Labor minister called for a leadership ballot for the struggling party ahead of elections in September. Viral rants aside , Gillard has faced popularity issues since...

Aussie PM Survives Leadership Challenge

Gillard fends off Rudd bid to regain power

(Newser) - Julia Gillard has fought off a challenge from the man she ousted in 2010 and will remain as leader of the Labor Party and prime minister of Australia. She beat Kevin Rudd 71 votes to 31 in a leadership ballot, ending months of political strife that saw Rudd resign as...

Australia's Foreign Minister Resigns

Kevin Rudd in leadership rift with Prime Minister Julia Gillard

(Newser) - Australia's foreign minister resigned today in a bitter rift with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who may poll party lawmakers next week on who should lead the country. Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced his resignation during a news conference in Washington, where he was visiting on official business, and he...

Vegemite Nearly Causes Diplomatic Incident

Customs officials try to confiscate Aussie Kevin Rudd's jar

(Newser) - Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd had to put his diplomatic powers to use this weekend … when US Customs officials tried to confiscate his Vegemite. What’s Vegemite, you ask? The Telegraph calls the popular Australian breakfast spread, made from yeast extract, a “mystery brown paste” and a cousin...

International Leaders Pledge $1B to Back Libyan Rebels

Gadhafi regime close to exit: officials

(Newser) - Countries that stepped into the Libyan conflict are promising $1 billion in support for the rebel cause. The pledge from nations including Italy, France, Turkey, and Australia is backed in large part by Libyan assets, notes the New York Times , but some legal considerations still stand between the money and...

Australia to US: You, Not Assange, to Blame for Leaks

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd puts the blame on the leakers

(Newser) - As Julian Assange spent the night in a British jail , his home country finally came to his defense. The WikiLeaks founder may have published classified documents, but he got them from somewhere. "Mr. Assange is not himself responsible for the unauthorized release of 250,000 documents from the US...

Australia Gets First Female PM
 Australia Gets 
 First Female PM 
RUDD GETS THE BOOT

Australia Gets First Female PM

Gillard takes charge after party dumps Rudd

(Newser) - Julia Gillard has become Australia's first prime minister after a revolt within the ruling Labor Party ousted Kevin Rudd. Rudd—who led the party to a landslide victory less than 3 years ago—got the heave-ho from lawmakers worried that his growing unpopularity would cause Labor to lose power in...

Williams' Digs at Aussies Spark Global Beefing

PM rips Alabama after 'English rednecks' jab; governor fires back

(Newser) - Robin Williams’ characterization of Australians as “English rednecks” has set up a domino effect of beefing, with Alabama’s governor the latest to get his licks in. The American comedian made the remark yesterday on Letterman, prompting Australian PM Kevin Rudd to say “Robin Williams should go and...

Aussies Under Permanent Terror Alert

Major threat comes from homegrown jihadists, warns Rudd

(Newser) - Australia is now under a permanently high threat of terrorist attack, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced yesterday. Rudd announced new counter terrorism measures including tougher visa checks and airport face scans on people from 10 countries considered to be high-risk, the BBC reports. The biggest danger, he warned, is from...

I Saw China Wreck the Copenhagen Talks
I Saw China Wreck the Copenhagen Talks
Obama's Innocent

I Saw China Wreck the Copenhagen Talks

The West's getting the blame, but Beijing's the real villain here

(Newser) - Barack Obama is getting the blame for the limp Copenhagen deal, but Mark Lynas knows it was China that really scuttled it—because he watched it happen. Sitting in on the closed-door meetings, the Guardian writer “saw Obama fighting desperately to salvage a deal, and the Chinese delegate saying...

Aussies 'Sorry' for Abused Children

Children forced to migrate to Australia neglected, beaten

(Newser) - The Australian government has apologized—again—this time for abusing thousands of children forced to migrate to the nation. Some 500,000 "forgotten Australians" were abused or neglected in orphanages and children's work homes from 1930 to 1970. "We are sorry," Australian Prime Minister Devin Rudd told...

Aussies Stop 'Asylum Boat'
 Aussies Stop 'Asylum Boat' 

Aussies Stop 'Asylum Boat'

60 suspected asylum-seekers to be sent to Christmas Island detention center

(Newser) - The Australian navy stopped a vessel carrying 58 suspected asylum-seekers off the country's northwest coast today, the BBC reports. It was the fourth such boat stopped in the area in under a week. The passengers will be sent to a detention center on Christmas Island, 1,600 miles west of...

Aussies Sorry for 10K Kids Shipped for 'Slave Labor'

British children were abused, kept hungry in program lasting until 1960s

(Newser) - The Australian prime minister will apologize to generations of British migrants shipped to Australia as children and subjected to abuse, hunger, and slave labor. Between the 1920s and 1960s the UK sent about 10,000 children to provide Australia with "good white stock," but when they arrived they...

Australia Grieves for Sam the Koala

Rescued animal was symbol of strength after devastating wildfires

(Newser) - The koala bear that became a symbol of hope after Australia's devastating wildfires earlier this year died before surgery today, the Melbourne Herald-Sun reports. Sam was saved by a firefighter who found her moving through the scorched landscape on badly burnt paws, and her image was broadcast around the world....

Aussie Aerial Shoot Could Cull 1M Camels

(Newser) - Australian officials are debating how to cull more than 1 million camels currently munching across the outback and irritating Aboriginals, the Independent reports. Some experts support an aerial shoot to save the desert ecosystem, but say it must be thorough; killing 80,000 would only match their birth rate. Estimated...

Britney, Ellen Alive but Hacked
 Britney, Ellen Alive but Hacked 
GOSSIP ROUNDUP

Britney, Ellen Alive but Hacked

Also: Is Megan Fox dating co-star?

(Newser) - Never fear: Britney Spears is alive. A post from her Twitter account claiming she had died is false, the AP reports, a result of the hacking of her Twitpic account.  Ellen DeGeneres’ account with Twitpic—a program not owned by Twitter—was also hacked. Elsewhere:
  • Rumors continue to fly
...

Aussie PM Refuses to Quit in Car Dealer Scandal

(Newser) - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is refusing to resign in the first major crisis of his 19 months in office, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Dubbed "Utegate"—after a popular SUV—the scandal centers on whether Rudd gave special treatment to a friend's car dealership. Critics say Rudd...

Aussies Mourn Fire Victims
 Aussies Mourn Fire Victims 

Aussies Mourn Fire Victims

Fires bared worst of nature, best of humanity, says prime minister

(Newser) - As bells tolled, mourners throughout Australia prayed at services today for the 209 people killed in wildfires and those still missing, CNN reports. “House is gone, friends are gone. This is total destruction,” said one resident. Rescue teams continue to search through the devastation as firefighters still battled...

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