Radio Australia Australia (English International)

457 visa rorting: Workers accuse Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy Services of visa abuse

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 19:55:43 +1000

One of India's largest IT companies has been accused of misusing 457 visas to bring foreign workers into Australia. Tata Consultancy Services has IT contracts with some of the nation's largest companies, including Qantas, Woolworths, Telstra and AGL. Current and former employees of TCS say the company relies on foreign workers, even in areas where there are no skills shortages. 730 understands that most of the TCS staff working at Qantas are in Australia on 457 visas.

Asylum seeker families moved off Manus Island detention centre

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 19:10:10 +1000

Several asylum seeker families have been moved off Manus Island in what the ABC understands signals the end of family groups being detained there. A group of 70 people, including some single men, have been flown to Christmas Island. The ABC understands the Government has decided it is inappropriate to keep families on Manus Island. The single men being removed will be replaced by others under a new rotation policy aimed at sending more people to Manus Island in line with the Government's no advantage principle.

Professor Helen Hughes dies

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:46:46 +1000

An Australian economist who staunchly advocated private land ownership and free markets in the Pacific Islands has died.

Australia has legal obligation to accept asylum seekers: expert

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:53:07 +1000

It's World Refugee Day and to mark the occasion, there will be a rally in the centre of Darwin organised by DASSAN, the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network.

Everyone's a winner at World Refugee Day AFL game

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:24:13 +1000

It's a player list like you've never seen before at an AFL game: Mo, Nguyen, Magd, Fabrice, William, Said, Illya, Tan, Keanu, Jon, Everest, Quinny, Livingston and Ahmed. They're a group of refugees and new migrants who have come to Australia and want to learn Australian Rules Football.

UN calls for reality check in Australia's refugee debate

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:53:32 +1000

The United Nations refugee agency says there are now more refugees and displaced people around the world than at any time since 1994.

Call for rethink on multilateral trade system

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:53:03 +1000

Will the world be worse off with a weakened multilateral trading system?

Claim broadcaster wants influence cricket rotation policy

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:53:11 +1000

Cricket Australia has played down reports that one of the country's leading commercial television channels wants more influence when it comes to selecting the Australian team.

Asylum seekers on Sri Lankan minister's agenda

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:53:16 +1000

Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister says Colombo is prepared to do everything in its power to prevent asylum seeker boats leaving its shores.

Abbott says Opposition committed to stopping boat arrivals

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:53:19 +1000

On World Refugee Day, Australia's Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has again reaffirmed that any government under his command will "stop the boats" and "make a difference from day one".

Integration Portal transports people to cultural unity

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:47:04 +1000

An art installation in the Victorian city of Geelong combines vision and sound to encourage people to think about integration.

Refugees share their stories of hope

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:34:16 +1000

Thursday June 20th is World Refugee Day. In Australia it falls in the middle of Refugee Week, which is a celebration of the contribution refugees make to the community. It is also an opportunity to raise important issues related to refugees and migration.

PNG under strain to tackle drug resistant tuberculosis

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:07:35 +1000

Drug resistant tuberculosis is placing a significant strain on Papua New Guinea's poorly resourced health system.

Julia Gillard to visit Indonesia to discuss asylum seekers with president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:21:56 +1000

Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson says he is confident Julia Gillard will still be Prime Minister by the time she travels to Indonesia for talks with president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono next month. Last night Ms Gillard announced she would be travelling to Jakarta for annual talks with Mr Yudhoyono, who is due to step down next year. However, her plan to travel overseas follows weeks of intense speculation over the leadership and whether Kevin Rudd could take over as prime minister before the September 14 election. Last night both Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd were in attendance as politicians and media turned out in force for Canberra's annual charity Midwinter Ball.

Concerns in PNG that Australian money to fight TB being misused

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:12:43 +1000

Questions are being raised about the tens of millions of dollars Australia is spending to help fight the spread of TB in a coastal region of Papua New Guinea, close to Australia.

World Refugee Day: In their own words

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:49:11 +1000

June 20 is World Refugee Day, and this year focuses on the impact of conflict on families. Meet some of the refugees who now call Australia home, as World Refugee Day is observed around the globe.

High Court rejects challenge to alcohol restriction laws over smuggling conviction

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:49:31 +1000

A Palm Island woman has lost her High Court appeal against her conviction for smuggling alcohol into a restricted area.

Nauru's top court upholds legality of detention

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:38:46 +1000

Amnesty International says it's disappointed Nauru's Supreme Court has dismissed a case challenging the legality of detaining asylum seekers.

PNG under strain to tackle drug resistant tuberculosis

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:07:35 +1000

Drug resistant tuberculosis is placing a significant strain on Papua New Guinea's poorly resourced health system.

New Sri Lankan media laws would stifle free speech: HRW

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:47:34 +1000

Rights groups are concerned that a raft of proposed changes to Sri Lanka's media laws have the potential to damage free speech.