But for a lot of us, if we are being really honest, there is another root cause for us upping-sticks and moving half way around the world, often for the fresh start, and sometimes never moving back – love…

Also see: How does living in the UK compare to life in Australia? [infographic]

Our top five reasons Australians move to the UK

1. Break-up refugee

Many Aussies that come over to the UK have recently suffered a devastating, heart wrenching, life-changing break-up. Even if the break-up happened a year or two ago they haven’t really recovered yet. Break-up refugees come with heavy baggage, so they are not really after a new relationship, but are up for lots of fun experiences. There’s no significant other to go home to and a new life in the UK equals a fresh start and a clean slate. Knowing you will never ever bump into your ex is also incredibly appealing.

2. The break-up set-up

No-one who moves to London with a significant other says they plan to break-up, but that so often is often exactly what happens. A big new city can be the make or break of a couple. The big move shake up can include house hunting, job hunting, shift work, and financial woes, all of which can be detrimental to a relationship. Not to mention all the ‘pretty new things’ you will be meeting along the way. Whether the temptation to stray is high or the spider vein cracks in your relationship are just becoming more apparent, London can be the quick and sudden death of a relationship. We suspect this may be a risk when we get the visas. Are some of us subconsciously hoping it may happen?

3. To fall in love

Just like Carrie Bradshaw who moved to New York to fall in love in Sex and the City, many twenty-somethings move to London with a hope of finding love. Not nearly as romantic as Paris or Rome or even New York, London nonetheless has a different field of opportunity to offer. A cheeky Brit, a party-animal Scot or an Irish man or woman who makes you laugh till you think your sides will split could be just the thing for a lonely heart. But it doesn’t stop there. London is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world and you never know who you are going to meet. So keep an open mind and an open heart. And in the meantime, who’s been collecting flags for their bags, hmm?

4. Just to travel

Dyed-in-the-wool travellers are born not made. Your spirit for adventure has made the move to London seamlessly, faultless, easy even. Your friends and family were not surprised when you announced you were making the move and they know you will be back when you have seen and done all you set out to do… maybe.

Happy to travel solo, you easily infiltrate that large group of friends that have taken over your hostel dorm room. You love getting lost in the middle of a strange new city but mum always knows where you are and you can always Skype dad on his birthday.

5. Improve your resume, or is it a CV?

Regardless of all the other great reasons to move to London, you know a London working stint will look great on your resume. Back home you have been struggling for years to get to that next stage of your career but never managed to reach that breakthrough moment. London can open new doors and new opportunities with companies you could only ever dream of working for back home. An extended stay in the city may also net enough income to save up a decent deposit for a house or you might just want to live it up and blow it all on lots and lots of travelling.

TOP IMAGE: Via Pixabay.com

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Blanchett teased the veteran television host for his lack of Australian knowledge, winning over the audience with her light hearted humour.

‘‘Are you, as an Australian, a subject of the Queen?’’ Letterman asked.

‘‘Officially, yes,’’ Blanchett replied.

‘‘How do you take to that in Australia?’’

‘‘Some people, not so well. But I have played a lot of queens and I live in Sydney where there are a lot of queens, so you know.’’

Blanchett is in the US promoting her new film Blue Jasmine, directed by Woody Allen.

Letterman joked that the director spends most of his time on a film set asleep.

The film has an all-star cast including Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins and Peter Sarsgaard but Letterman described Blanchett as “head and shoulders above the rest”.

Blue Jasmine will hit UK cinemas in September 2013.

The post Cate Blanchett gives David Letterman an Aussie education appeared first on Australian Times News.

THE AUSTRALIAN government has found $17 billion in its budget to achieve a small surplus in three years the Treasurer and Finance Minister revealed today.

The mini-budget was jointly announced by Treasurer Chris Bowen and Finance Minister Penny Wong and contained controversial plans for a new tobacco tax and banking levy.

The new taxes, along with deep cuts to foreign aid, will help Australia achieve a “modest” budget surplus of $4 billion in 2016-17.

“Australia’s economic fundamentals remain strong and the outlook remains positive, with solid growth, moderate unemployment and contained inflation,” the statement said.

The budget deficit is currently in the order of $30.1 billion.

The Treasurer revealed a $33 billion shortfall in expected tax receipts and revenue due in part to reduced Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“With the economy currently facing a period of transition and falling terms of trade, budget cuts in the near term to offset the lower than expected revenues would put growth and jobs at risk,” the Ministers said.

Faster than expected falls in mineral and energy commodity prices and reduced demand from China means the non-mining sectors of the economy will need to lead growth in the future.

Speaking to journalists following the release of the mini-budget the Mr Bowen defended the new banking levy and said it was up to the banks whether they pay the levy out of profits or pass the cost on to consumers.

Chris Bowen was appointed Treasurer following the latest Labor leadership spill in June. Mr Bowen replaced Wayne Swan who had held the post since December 2007.

Mini-budget breakdown

• $5.3 billion raised from a new tobacco excise, tax rise of 12.5 per cent every year for four years
• $1.1 billion spend to pay for the PNG deal. The government will save $600 million in onshore processing costs
• $879 million cut to foreign aid budget
• $733 million raised from a new banking levy. The levy will help fund a bank bailout in the event of a financial crisis
• $582 million raised from inactive superannuation accounts
• $600 million saving from a public service efficiency drive, equivalent to 2.25 per cent of the public service budget
• $420 million in new aid to PNG
• Unemployment is expected to rise to 6.25 per cent
• No cuts to health or education

The post Australian budget will return to surplus by 2016, says Bowen appeared first on Australian Times News.

THE HUMAN experience of life, love, hope, disappointment and guilt can be incredibly confusing. Yet, once in a while a song comes along that encapsulates that universal feeling, and for three and a half minutes provides some much needed release.

A hot-pot of words and stories seasoned with people and places is what makes up good song writing for folk-singer-songwriter Carus Thompson.

“You don’t realise you are coming up with these ideas, these songs, but they are just sort of stewing away and cooking in your mind,” he said.

“Sometimes a song can come in two minutes. Sometimes it can take months or a year. And sometimes the song that came in two minutes you were actually thinking about for a year.”

When he’s not pushing a pram around Melbourne’s eclectic city streets 36-year-old Thompson is busy riding the singer-songwriter tide. His creative cycle could be represented in a three pronged flow chart — song writing, recording, performing and back to song writing again. Currently Thompson is in performance mode and will be heading to Europe for a 10 year anniversary tour.

Thompson will play a total of eight shows in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. Five of the shows are in Germany where Thompson has tapped into an audience starved of local singer-songwriters.

One determined fan is driving from the F1 in Hungary to Berlin to catch the show.

Thompson said: “The Germans call what I do handmade music. They love Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. They love this sort of singer-songwriter stuff with balls, with a bit of a rock edge to it.

“In Australian even singer-songwriters have to come up through the pub rock scene, you have to learn how to rock ‘em. So when you take that sort of thing to Germany people love it and so do the English too I might add — especially when they get a few Australians to show them the way.”

Fatherhood means this will be Thompson’s last European tour for a while. Originally from Fremantle, he is hoping to stay closer to home for the next couple of years.

Having played with the likes of John Butler, Jack Johnson, Pete Murray, Xavier Rudd and Seth Lakeman; Thompson was a little bewildered the first time he was asked if he planned to try out for reality television show Australia’s Got Talent.

“I don’t care how many X-Factors there are. It’s not the same thing as going to a pub and seeing a band or a musician and having a pint in your hand. It’s a different thing and it will always survive and in my heart it’s way better. TV talent shows are my sworn enemy,” Thompson said.

For Thompson human interaction is what makes the live music experience so special.

“What I do I can’t do in four minutes. My thing is about establishing and building a connection with my audience,” he said.

“A performance needs to be an event. Any performance that happens once — a certain bunch of people are there, it’s a certain venue, a certain bunch of songs, certain things happen. You build to some sort of crescendo and it ends. Everyone has a chat afterwards but the next day it’s gone.

“I need at least half an hour with people to tell them a few stories, get them dancing, hopefully make them cry a little bit and no worries,” he laughed.

Carus Thompson will play The Half Moon in Putney on Friday 9 August, at 8pm. Tickets cost £10 and are available from thehalfmoon.musicglue.com. 

The post Singer-songwriter Carus Thompson to play Half Moon in London appeared first on Australian Times News.

THE AUSTRALIAN government is set to announce a new tobacco tax in its economic statement on Friday which will help Labor return the budget to surplus.

The new federal tobacco excise will see the cost of cigarettes rise 12.5 per cent every year for the next four years, meaning a single cigarette will cost over $1 by 2016.

“This I know won’t be universally popular with all. It’s a difficult decision but a decision which is taken in the best interests of the nation,” Treasurer Chris Bowen said to journalists in Sydney.

The tax hike will raise $5.3 billion over four years.

In 2016 a packet of Winfield Blue 20’s will cost around $20.42 or $1.02 for a single cigarette.

Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey has lambasted the tax hike as a grab for cash.

“Again, it’s Kevin Rudd running out of taxpayers’ money and just going for the nearest solution, which is not about health, it’s all about Kevin Rudd running out of money,” Mr Hockey told ABC radio.

Treasurer Bowen claimed the new tax would help as many as 200,000 smokers give up the fags.

“I think the Australian people would agree that we need to consider all sorts of measures to reduce the impact of cancer caused by smoking,” Mr Bowen said.

In 2010 the Rudd government raised cigarette excise by 25 per cent reducing smoking by 11 per cent, Mr Bowen said.

Over 750,000 hospital beds a year are occupied by patients with smoking related health issues, costing the Australian government an estimated $31 billion a year.

A spate of unpopular taxes are set to be announced during Friday’s mini-budget, helping Labor achieve a budget surplus in 2016-2017.

Tobacco excise will increase by 12.5 per cent on 1 December, 2013, 1 September, 2014, 1 September 2015, and 1 September, 2016.

Tony Abbott said: “This is a government that cannot control its spending and because it can’t control its spending whenever it gets into trouble, it hits you the Australian people with more taxes and all of it, whether it’s a bank deposit tax, an increase in cigarette tax, it’s a tax on you the people.”

The post Government plans new tobacco tax to return budget to surplus appeared first on Australian Times News.

THE FIRST arrivals of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Papua New Guinea (PNG) asylum seeker solution have landed on Manus Island, Immigration Minister Tony Burke announced.

Around 40 men travelled from Christmas Island through bad weather and delays, arriving on Manus Island at around 7.45 Wednesday morning Australia time.

“People smugglers no longer have a product to sell. There is no point getting on a boat any more,’” Mr Burke said.

The men are said to be from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan with the youngest 18-years-old. Their bid for refugee status will now be outsourced to the PNG Government and if successful the men will be settled in PNG, not in Australia.

Since Kevin Rudd announced the policy last Friday marquee accommodation has been put up to house the asylum seekers. The site is also fitted with a field kitchen, wash block and laundry facilities.

Mr Burke told reporters on Wednesday that only single men would be sent to Manus Island until appropriate facilities for family groups were ready.

“My policy principle is that everyone will end up being sent offshore but they will be sent at a time that I am confident they are safe,” Mr Burke said.

Manus Island’s current capacity is for 3,000 asylum seekers which can be expanded if required the Immigration Minister said.

The Australian government plans to spend $30 million on it’s “You won’t be settled in Australia” campaign, dwarfing the cost of other government public information spending.

Launched on 20 July, the campaign will blitz radio, newspaper and social media. Advertisements will also appear in a range of “culturally and linguistically diverse newspapers”.

The Government will need approval from authorities in Iran, Afghanistan and Indonesia before it can launch its campaign in those key areas.

Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison was scathing of Rudd’s PNG solution.

“At present, there is no legally binding agreement for resettlement in PNG. Putting people on a plane to Manus Island doesn’t prove anything; it doesn’t prove anything at all,” Mr Morrison said.

“Almost $500 million of Australian taxpayers’ money has been handed out for works that are completely unrelated to supporting the offshore processing centre in Papua New Guinea, in the form of hospitals, roads, and universities,” he said.

The post First 40 asylum seekers arrive on Manus Island, PNG appeared first on Australian Times News.

CANBERRA is expected to announce a banking levy on Friday which will help raise funds towards a bank bailout in the event of a financial crisis.

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) has reported that the government will announce the deposit insurance levy as part of their economic statement this week.

According to the AFR one of the big banks spoke out against the plans, highlighting that the levy would be passed on to customers in the form of reduced interest payments on deposits.

The insurance levy is expected to be between 0.05 per cent and 0.1 per cent.

Share prices of the major banks were down following the AFR report on the proposed levy.

The Council of Financial Regulators recommended the insurance levy in February to ensure Australia’s banking system is robust enough to weather a financial crisis.

The Australian government currently guarantees deposits of up to $250,000 without any levies on the banks. The equivalent deposit guarantee in the UK is $167,000.

Money raised from the levy will build up over time and will also appear in the budget bottom line, helping the government return the budget to surplus in 2016-17.

“The fundamental point is we will respond to the government’s economic statement when we see the economic statement. We are not going to respond piecemeal to rumoured or individual items that may or may not be in it,” Tony Abbott told reporters in Melbourne.

“This is a government that cannot control its spending and because it can’t control its spending whenever it gets into trouble, it hits you the Australian people with more taxes and all of it, whether it’s a bank deposit tax, an increase in cigarette tax, it’s a tax on you the people,” he said.

The post Banking insurance levy could be passed on to Australian depositors appeared first on Australian Times News.

THE COALITION’S announcement to settle 2000 asylum seekers on Nauru has been marred by reports an exploratory trip by the Shadow Immigration Minister was funded by a logistics company set to profit from the deal.

Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison travelled to Nauru with a photographer and journalist from News Corporation to reveal plans for the Coalition’s “tent city” solution. The trip was facilitated by Toll Holdings who also paid for News Corporation’s flights.

News Corporation chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch has been vocal in his support for the Coalition and contempt for Labor.

“Australian public now totally disgusted with Labor Party wrecking country with its sordid intrigues. Now for a quick election,” Mr Murdoch said on Twitter on 26 June.

Toll Holdings provide “camp and base logistics in remote locations and emerging markets”. The company offer a permanent camp option suitable for “long term or permanent projects”.

Toll Holdings would “build, own and operate” the camps and stand to make millions if the deal goes ahead.

The Coalition claims their “tent city” policy is a cheaper and faster solution then Labor’s plans to hold asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea.

Coalition leader Tony Abbott told the Seven’s Sunrise programme that Nauru was “quite a pleasant island” and “by no means an unpleasant place to live”. He also added that the “tent city” would be temporary part of a five year plan.

But the Coalition party has to win the election first.

A Twitter storm erupted following the publication of the Fairfax article revealing Toll Holdings had paid for the Coalition and News Corporation visit to Nauru.

Greens Senator for South Australia, Sarah Hanson-Young labelled the financial arrangements “dodgy”.

Senator Hanson-Young posted on Twitter:

Dodgy. Seems it’s not just people smugglers who are looking to profit from the desperation of refugees.

– Sarah Hanson-Young (@sarahinthesen8) July 30, 2013

This is what members of the press had to say:

No man is in island. Except, of course, Scott Morrison, for who the smell tolls. Bad puns, but this stinks.https://t.co/0hjgyP7oNb

– Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) July 30, 2013

 

A very iffy arrangement Via everyone. – Monica Attard (@attardmon) July 30, 2013

 

Hidden Toll of Glamping. Asylum logistics cpny funds Coalition Nauru trip via @jonathanvswan pic.twitter.com/ELuzwIuD5s – Damien Bright (@damienbright) July 30, 2013

 

Most outrageous is telling journalists to get policy details from other newspapers’ articles

– Bridie Jabour (@bkjabour) July 30, 2013

The post Coalition Nauru “tent city” trip paid for by tent supplier appeared first on Australian Times News.

A NEW report from the United Nations has revealed that Australians are some of the fattest people in the developed world, surpassing the United Kingdom.

Obesity in Australian adults affects 25.1 per cent of the population and the figure is expected to keep rising for at least another decade.

Countries where 20 per cent or more of the adult population are obese face a serious public health crisis, the UN report on the State of Food and Agriculture said.

An adult is considered obese when their Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than or equal to 30. BMI is a measure of body fat based on an individual’s height and weight.

The cost of obesity in Australia is around $60 billion a year, according to a Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study. Over 60 per cent of the population are either overweight or obese.

Consumption of fizzy drinks, trans fats and the fact that we are eating more processed food is leading to weight gain in Australians and defies the global image of a lithe sporting nation.

Sedentary behaviour has led to obesity becoming commonplace in industrialised countries. Fattest in that category is Mexico (32.8 per cent), followed by the United States (31.8 per cent).

Obesity in the UK has reached 24.9 per cent, lower than the Australian figures but higher than the Irish (24.5 per cent).

The fattest nation surveyed was Nauru where 71.1 per cent of the adult population is obese.

The tiniest people are from Nepal (1.5 per cent) with Vietnam a very close second (1.6 per cent).

Our near neighbours in Japan (4.5 per cent) are one of the slimmest nations in the developed world while New Zealand tipped the scales at 27 per cent.

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JULIAN Assange formally announced his political party’s plans to run for six senate seats in the next election via video link from the Ecuadorian embassy.

Mr Assange revealed the WikiLeaks Party candidates who will contest seats in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia in the 2013 federal election.

The candidates are not traditional politicians but people with an interest in transparency and scrutiny, who want to bring the Senate back to a house of oversight, Mr Assange is reported to have said.

The Australian WikiLeaks party is hoping to attract disgruntled voters away from the big two parties, and if successful could draw away protest votes from the Greens and independents.

The WikiLeaks party has a formal charter and will hold a Latin themed fundraiser in Marrickville in Sydney on 17 August.

The party maxim is “transparency, accountability, justice”.

Meet the candidates

Julian Assange (Victoria)

• Founder and editor-in-chief of Wikileaks
• Publisher of the Iraq War Logs, the Collateral Murder video and Cablegate leaks
• Currently seeking asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy, London
• Wanted for questioning over allegations of rape in Sweden
• Fears extradition to the USA for espionage, though no formal charges or requests have been made

Dr Leslie Cannold (Victoria)

“I want to be a voice for Australians concerned about the security of their private information and what the Government is doing in our name.”

• Ethicist and women’s rights activist
• Running mate for Julian Assange, will stand in the event that Assange is elected but not able to return to Australia
• Stated that the Wikileaks party is “bigger than one man”

Dr Binoy Kampmark (Victoria)

“A monitored government, rather than a government monitoring its subjects, has always been the aim of a healthy democracy. WikiLeaks is the only party of its kind to remind voters of that aim.”

• Legal disputes lecturer
• Areas of research include conflict, diplomacy, crisis, and refugees
• Involved in a project investigating the origins of neoconservatism in the United States

Kellie Tranter (New South Wales)

“I’m running because our government simply doesn’t give people accurate information, it is incapable of having Australia stand in the world as an independent nation and its policies often don’t reflect public opinion.”

• Human rights activist
• Areas of interest climate change, human rights and gender equality
• “Can we trust the media?” speech at Splendour In The Grass festival in Byron Bay

Dr Alison Broinowski (New South Wales)

“Secrecy empowers governments, it doesn’t protect citizens from them.”

• Republican and former Australian diplomat
• Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Asian Studies ANU
• Co-patron of the Asian Association of Australian Studies

Gerry Georgatos (Western Australia)

“The ability to discover the truth is outstripped by the capacity to manifest deceit — The WikiLeaks Party is an opportunity to challenge this premise.”

• Founder Students Without Borders
• Staunch advocate for refugee rights
• PhD researcher in to Australian Custodial Systems and Deaths in Custody

Suresh Rajan (Western Australia)

“The protection of human rights is paramount to me. WikiLeaks Party delivers this.”

• Financial planner and economist
• Advocate for ethnic communities and people with disabilities
• Appeared on the ABC radio programme “Who Are You?” in 2012, speaking openly about his battle with cancer

The post Assange announces candidates for WikiLeaks political party appeared first on Australian Times News.

FORMER Neighbours star Kym Valentine who played Libby Kennedy in the popular television show for fourteen years is suing producers for sex and disability discrimination.

The star is reportedly demanding she be reinstated on the show and is seeking compensation for lost wages, “pain, hurt, suffering and humiliation”.

The 36-year-old actor has not appeared on the show since taking indefinite sick leave two years ago for a depressive illness which was compounded by a series of health issues.

In 2009 actor Michala Banas was temporarily cast to play Libby Kennedy leaving Ms Valentine devastated.

“It was like being told your boyfriend was going to be intimate with someone else and you not only had to deal with it, but be happy about it,” Ms Valentine said.

Susan Bowers, then executive producer of the show, said: “Kym was just too ill to return to do the workload required to finish the episode in time for our contracted delivery date.”

Ms Valentine, who played Dr Karl Kennedy’s daughter between 1994 and 2011, is alleging FremantleMedia failed to provide a safe working environment and breached “the relationship of trust and confidence”.

@AndiePrad said on Twitter: “Bring back Libby Kennedy! She’s my favourite!”

Libby Kennedy leaving Neighbours in 2004 before returning in 2007:

The post Former Neighbours star suing show for ‘pain, hurt and humiliation’ appeared first on Australian Times News.

AUSTRALIA House is celebrating 100 years since King George V laid its foundation stone, initiating construction of the High Commission on the Strand in London.

The mission at Australia House is Australia’s oldest diplomatic seat and the longest continuously occupied foreign mission in London.

Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK, Mike Rann, said: “This stunning building has been the stalwart sentinel for the Aussie spirit here in the UK and is used everyday for the promotion of Australian business, tourism, sporting, arts, and defence interests.”

At the foundation King George V used a mallet to tap the stone into position, a block of Australian trachyte shipped over especially for the occasion. Shouts of “coo-ey” rang out as the grey-green stone was set in to place.

The Queen Consort and the royal couple’s only daughter Princess Mary attended the ceremonies on 24 July, 1913.

The “impressive ceremony” was witnessed by 1,700 guests including the first High Commissioner to the UK and former Australian Prime Minister, Sir George Reid.

Australia House was a symbol of Australia’s budding nationhood and represented political harmony between Australia and the UK, Sir Reid said.

The foundation stone contained a bronze box filled with plans of the building, a program of proceedings and an inventory of the members of the Australian Government.

The building was not officially opened until 3 August, 1918, as the First World War caused labour shortages, delaying construction.

Australia House cost around £1 million to build, including land costs of £379,756.

Famous Aussie visitors to the Commission include Dame Nellie Melba, Sir Don Bradman, Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame Edna, Kylie Minogue, and Hugh Jackman.

The post Australia House in London celebrates 100 year anniversary appeared first on Australian Times News.

THE AUSTRALIAN Minister for Foreign Affairs Bob Carr has made a direct plea to the UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague, not to leave the European Union.

Two letters were sent from Parliament House in Canberra and formed part of evidence submitted to a UK government review of EU powers.

In a letter to William Hague, Mr Carr reflected on the “deep and enduring partnership” between the two countries and the special role the UK has played in helping shape the EU market.

“In advocating a spirit of inclusiveness and openness the UK’s efforts have benefited both the EU and third states, including Australia,” Mr Carr said.

Mr Carr becomes the most senior figure to speak out against the UK exiting the EU.

“While not intending to comment on the detail of every competence or on internal questions of how sovereignty is shared in the EU, I particularly want to register Australia’s strong appreciation for the important and positive role that the UK has played in EU foreign policy. I hope to see this continue long into the future,” he said.

Signatures were removed from the letters but the first is stamped Minister for Foreign Affairs, indicating Bob Carr or someone in his office. The letters formed part of an audit of EU powers published by the UK government on the Gov.uk website.

Contact details on a second letter addressed to Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, points to the Australian Minister for Trade, Richard Marles.

Mr Marles said: “The UK attracts strong Australian investment partly due to our long-term links but also because of the UK’s position in the EU market.”

The UK is Australia’s largest export and investment destination in Europe and a platform for trade and investment in the wider EU market, he said.

“The economic advantages from internal market membership mean a stronger UK economy, with flow-on benefits to Australian business.”

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AUSTRALIAN expatriates living in the UK are encouraged check their electoral enrolment status and to register as overseas voters ahead of this year’s federal election.

Kevin Rudd could announce the date of the election any day now so time is running out to register.

How to vote in the next federal election:

• Check your enrolment at
• If you are NOT enrolled to vote and are already overseas use this form
• If you ARE enrolled to vote and plan to return to Australia in the next 6 years you can register to vote as an overseas elector. Do so by filling in this form
• If you wish to have your name removed from the electoral roll indefinitely complete this form
• Vote at Australia House in London (polling stations are usually open for two weeks before the election) or by postal vote (there is an option to elect to postal vote on the overseas elector form, or submit a separate postal vote application to the AEC)

There are 400,000 Australians living in the UK and those extra votes could be the difference between candidates winning and losing marginal seats.

Australia House in London was the largest polling station at the last federal election with over 16,000 voters.

Despite there being no official election date, the unofficial election race has been gaining momentum since the start of the year.

Australia also faces the possibility of having three prime ministers in the space of a single year after Kevin Rudd defeated Julia Gillard for the leadership in June.

The most likely election dates are 31 August, 14 September, and 21 September, avoiding a parliamentary recall and the AFL grand final.

Kevin Rudd has until Monday to call a 31 August election.

For more information see the Australian Electoral Commission website. 

The post How to vote in the Australian federal election from the UK appeared first on Australian Times News.

STRONG arms and shoulders in male kangaroos set the girl kangaroos swooning, a team of veterinary researchers at Murdoch University have revealed.

Male kangaroos with beefier chests and arms are more likely to sit at the top of the kangaroo food chain and have a better chance of finding a mate.

Researcher Dr Natalie Warburton said: “Male kangaroos establish and maintain their dominance hierarchy through sparring contests that involve grasping their opponent and using their back legs to box them.

“We found differences in muscle growth for those muscles more likely to be used in these wrestling matches — those involved in clutching and pulling toward the middle of the body.”

The team from Murdoch University found that being at the top of the hierarchy almost certainly improved a male’s chance of securing a female.

“To take the point even further, dominant males frequently adopt poses which best display their muscularity and size,” Dr Warburton said.

Female kangaroos do not display the same level of forelimb growth and their total body muscle measure is in proportion to their size while male musculature was overwhelmingly exaggerated, the study said.

But bigger isn’t necessarily better as all that extra bulk comes with a price.

“Under conditions of extreme environmental stress, there is evidence that male mortality is greater, suggesting that maintaining this additional musculature incurs a significant cost,” Dr Warburton said.

The post Female kangaroos attracted to bulging muscles in males appeared first on Australian Times News.

MAJOR landmarks in Australia and the UK are taking part in royal baby celebrations by turning a shade of blue.

Iconic Story Bridge in Brisbane and Tower Bridge in London were lit up in blue, while the London Eye turned red, white and blue, the colours of the Union Jack.

The BT tower in London also got in on the act and carried the message “it’s a boy” following the announcement of the royal birth.

Babies born in Queensland will receive a commemorative medallion to celebrate the arrival of the new Prince of Cambridge, the State Premier Campbell Newman announced.

Premier Newman revealed plans to mark the birth of the royal baby with a commemorative medal for all Queensland babies born on 22 July.

Further celebrations in the state will include a commemorative birth certificate for babies born in 2013. A civic building will also be named after the new royal, Mr Newman said.

The royal birth is also sparking off the cuff celebrations. A seasoned town crier took it upon himself to attend St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington to herald the arrival of the new prince. Crier Tony Appleton officiated at William and Kate’s royal wedding and participated in last year’s Olympic Games.

“May he be long-lived happy and glorious and one day reign over us,” Mr Appleton declared.

Babies born in the UK on 22 July will receive one of 2,013 special royal silver pennies. The coins will come in a blue pouch for boys and a pink pouch for girls.

The issue of the silver penny harks back to an ancient English tradition of gifting silver for good luck.

The post Iconic landmarks light up to celebrate the arrival of the royal baby appeared first on Australian Times News.

BETTING agencies across the UK have been inundated with wagers on the name of the royal baby, born in St Mary’s hospital in London on Monday.

A staggering £1 million has been spent nationwide to guess the name of the new Prince of Cambridge.

Alex Donohue, from Ladbrokes betting firm, said: “Us Brits love the royal family and love a flutter as well. Stakes are low here, with the average being as low as one pound in certain areas, so people aren’t breaking the bank.”

“It is such a big talking point, people just want to be involved,” he said.

At the peak of betting yesterday, Ladbrokes received nearly 900 bets per hour on the baby name alone.

Mr Donohue said: “This isn’t seasoned punters either. Plenty of once-a-year Melbourne Cup type bets are being placed as well.”

Current favourite for a flutter is George, moving up to 2/1 odds from 5/1 odds yesterday.

Before the sex of the royal baby was known, Alexandra had been the hands-down favourite at 11 to four odds. Matilda also made it onto the list, with 33 to one odds according to betting agency Paddy Power.

James, Alexander, Henry and Albert are also popular name choices for the future King of England.

Punters are hoping for a short wait as Prince Charles and Lady Diana announced the name of their first child William after one week, and Prince Harry was named within 24 hours of his birth.

The Queen’s subjects had a longer wait when Prince Charles was born, the royal family did not announce the name of the second in line to the throne for one month.

The post UK bets £1 million on most likely royal baby names appeared first on Australian Times News.

THE PEOPLE of Australia will be sending the royal baby a plush bilby toy and naming a bilby enclosure after him, the Prime Minister announced.

The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a baby boy on Monday afternoon at 4.24pm, weighing 8 pounds and 6 ounches.

Kevin Rudd has revealed plans to donate $10,000 to Taronga Zoo’s bilby preservation programme which is helping restore numbers of the shy mammal in the wild.

A bilby enclosure will also be named after the new prince whose name is yet to be revealed.

Australia has a long tradition of sending the Royal family quirky gifts and have made headlines around the world for a series of unusual choices.

In 1947 when the future Queen, Princess Elizabeth, married Philip of Greece and Denmark, Queensland sent 500 cases of tinned pineapples to starved post-war Britain.

The state also sent a maple cigarette box with an inscription from the people of Queensland inside the lid.

The Australian Junior Red Cross sent over 900 kilograms of sweets to be distributed to the children of London.

When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were married in 2011, Australia made a $25,000 donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The couple had requested well-wishes to donate to one of 26 charities rather than receive gifts.

The royal baby will also receive a copy of the Australian children’s book “Ten Little Fingers and Ten Toes” by Mem Fox and a free pass to Taronga Zoo.

The fate of Julia Gillard’s knitted kangaroo is as yet unknown. The former PM appeared in the Australian Women’s Weekly knitting the gift shortly before she was overthrown by Kevin Rudd for the leadership.

The Governor-General, Quentin Bryce Governor-General, said: “On behalf of all Australians, I send heartfelt congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on this joyful occasion.”

The post Australia’s royal baby gift is revealed, and it’s not pineapple appeared first on Australian Times News.

WALTZING Matilda could be third in line to the British throne if the Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to a baby girl.

The royal baby stands a 33 to one chance of being named Matilda according to betting agency Paddy Power.

Alexandra is the hands-down favourite at 11/4 odds hard-on-the-heels of the 150^th anniversary of iconic Alexandra Palace in London over the weekend.

The current favourite name for a boy is George at 11/2.

Other favourites include Elizabeth (12/1) and Phillip (33/1) after the baby’s great-grandparents, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

Diana is another popular favourite at 16 to one odds of being the next royal baby’s name.

More unorthodox entries include Maud (66/1), Fergie (500/1) and Nelson (100/1).

The most popular baby names in Australia are William for a boy and Charlotte for a girl, according to the not-for-profit research group McCrindle.

Following changes to the law of succession the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be Prince Williams’s heir whether born a boy or a girl.

The new royal will now also be able to marry a catholic without sacrificing their right to the throne.

Kensington Palace released a statement on Monday morning UK time that the Duchess of Cambridge had gone into labour.

The Duchess of Cambridge has been taken to the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s hospital in Paddington, where Prince William was born in 1982.

Prince William will be with his wife for the birth and politicians and officials will be on hand outside the hospital to bear witness to the occasion.

The post Queen Matilda or King George could be our future head of state appeared first on Australian Times News.

AUSTRALIAN officials have been closely following the US trial of Bradley Manning and reporting back to Canberra any references to Julian Assange, declassified documents have revealed.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have released all cables sent from the Australian US embassy to Canberra containing references to Bradley Manning and Julian Assange following a Freedom of Information request.

Embassies in London, Santiago and Stockholm were also copied in to the communiqués.

The cables reveal that Manning read a long statement at the opening of the trial explaining his actions and admitting to leaking the documents to WikiLeaks through their on-line drop box.

Manning also revealed he had been communicating with someone he assumed to be a senior member of WikiLeaks but that individual had not encouraged him to leak.

The declassified cables were sent from the embassy in Washington DC to Canberra between 22 February and 5 March 2013.

The US military have refused to release transcripts of the Bradley Manning court marshal, making the DFAT release even more significant.

Bradley Manning has pleaded guilty to unauthorised leaking of classified material and a number of lesser charges but not guilty to aiding the enemy.

Manning spoke of communicating with someone at WikiLeaks over a long period of time, who he gave the chat handle ‘Nathaniel Fink’, the author of a book he read in 2009.

Due to strict adherence of anonymity at WikiLeaks identifying information was never exchanged, however Manning believed his contact to be either Julian Assange or ‘Schmitt’ — the alias for Daniel Domscheit-Berg, the former WikiLeaks second in command — or their proxy.

Manning had attempted to leak the documents to a number of different media organisations including the Washington Post, the New York Times and Politico it was revealed.

Julian Assange continues to seek asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning over allegations of sexual assault. Mr Assange denies the claims.

The post Embassy cables monitor Assange involvement in Manning case appeared first on Australian Times News.

MORNINGS run long and lazy when you’re camping at Glastonbury as the most basic of tasks – breakfast and ablutions, are put off in preference of a dry warm tent.

Where grass once stood thick and proud paths and thoroughfare have turned to mud.

Click here to see our album of Day 1 | Glastonbury Festival in Pictures

A steady stream of new arrivals continue to pass through the gates but the die-hards arrived on Tuesday night, sleeping in cars before gates opened on Wednesday morning.

There is still plenty of camping space in the periphery but popular areas such as Pennard Hill and The Park have been densely populated since noon on Wednesday.

Notorious sites, such as low-lying Oxleyers, that have flooded year-on-year, look set to do the same again after a single night of rain.

Revellers looking to stay dry tonight can catch music under the giant John Peel tent, or runaway to the circus under the Big Top or chill in the Avalon Cafe.

Perth band Tame Impala play the Other Stage tonight for those brave enough to negotiate the mud.

Glastonbury isn’t just about music, you can find Zap Circus from Australia performing on the Glebeland, just north of Circus Field. And why not start each day with a morning workout with Aussie Dick Pulsing.

As night falls the inviting fire of the Stone Circle beckons. The view of the site from the Crows Nest in the south is a festival highlight.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds play the iconic Pyramid stage on Sunday eve.

Image by Justin Ng. 

The post Greetings from Glastonbury | Thoughts on Day 1 appeared first on Australian Times News.

AUSTRALIAN broadcaster 2DAY FM has launched a case in the Federal Court saying the media watchdog has no power to make a ruling into a prank call which led to the death of a British nurse.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which oversees compliance of the radio code of practice and licence conditions, has been hit with legal action from the Southern Cross Austereo group just days before a ruling was due.

Sydney based 2DayFM, who are owned by Austereo, said: “[The ACMA] has no power to investigate whether the recording of a telephone call breaches state or federal laws and the agencies which do have that power have not conducted an investigation or sought any information.”

The inquiry by the ACMA centres on whether the prank call breached any licencing rules and if any criminal offences were commited through the use of a clandestine recording device.

Austereo had been assisting the ACMA with their investigation into the death until now.

The ACMA said: “In response to the ACMA’s preliminary findings on this issue, 2DayFM applied to the Federal Court for orders restraining the ACMA from continuing the investigation and making a finding that 2DayFM breached [licencing] condition.”

The ACMA was expected to publish its findings next week following a six-month investigation.

DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig called London’s King Edward VII Hospital, where the Duchess of Cambridge had been admitted for acute morning sickness, pretending to be members of the royal family.

Three days after the prank call was broadcast the nurse who connected the call through to the Duchess’s ward, 46-year-old Jacintha Saldanha, was found dead leaving behind a three page note blaming the DJs for her death.

The two DJs were suspended following the incident but did not have to answer to any criminal charges.

Michael Christian returned to work in February and controversy surrounded his award as “Top Jock” earlier this month.

Mel Greig is yet to return to the airwaves and was said to be “devastated” by the death of the mother-of-two.

Ms Greig is due to appear at the Westminster Coroner’s Court when the inquest into the death of Ms Saldanha resumes in September later this year.

The post Austereo moves to block inquiry into royal prank call appeared first on Australian Times News.

A NEW coin featuring royal purple stripes is being released by the Australian Mint to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee the Governor-General announced on Friday.

Two million of the coloured $2 coins will enter general circulation following “extensive” consultation with Buckingham Palace.

Bernie Ripoll MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, said: “The 60^th anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is an important milestone that has only been achieved by one other monarch in history, and it is fitting that it has been chosen to be commemorated on Australia’s coloured circulating $2 coin.”

The special edition coin features St Edward’s Crown, which has been used to coronate British monarchs since the 17^th Century, surrounded by three concentric purple rings.

“This coin is the Mint’s most innovative circulating release,” said Mr Ross MacDiarmid, CEO of the Royal Australian Mint.

The method used to apply the coloured purple and gold rings is a closely guarded secret.

The Australian Mint can produce up to 750 coins per minute with the help of ‘Titan’ the super strong minting robot.

The first commemorative $2 coin was released last year to mark Remembrance Day. Only half a million of the coloured poppy coins were issued.

Details on how overseas collectors may purchase an uncirculated Diamond Jubilee coin from the Australian Mint may be found here.

The post Queen’s 60 years on throne celebrated on Australian $2 coin appeared first on Australian Times News.