POLITICS & POLICY

Australian voters wanted change and ditched the Australian Labor Party. The Coalition got 87 seats, Labor 54, Greens 1 and Others 2. Since the 150-seat Parliament needs 76 seats for a majority, the Coalition becomes the administration and Tony Abbot gets to fulfill his ambition to be Australia's next prime minister.

With almost two-thirds of the votes counted, Australian Labor Party leader and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has conceded defeat to the Coalition led by Tony Abbott.

Pre-election surveys that said a Coalition win were confirmed by exit polls which showed that the Opposition - soon to be the administration - could win up to 100 seats. The number all point to the inevitable - that Australia's next prime minister is probably Tony Abbott.

Australia Election 2013: when is the counting of votes done and when is the tentative announcement of results?

Sep 7 Australia Election 2013: Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott, Ginger Bread and Cakes

It's judgment day for Australians who will be casting their votes on today's federal elections 2013 in a contest between Australian Labor Party's Kevin Rudd, who is hoping for another fresh start, and the Coalition's Tony Abbott who has long sought the position of Prime Minister.

Calling on voters to make sure their vote on Saturday’s federal election counts, the Australian Election Commission issued a statement on Thursday, asking voters to ensure they fill in their ballot papers correctly. In the statement the commission outlined it effort to ensure success of the federal elections.

Pro-refugee organisations in Australia, have called upon voters to cast their vote for the rights of refugees and West Papuans and join in a creative act of resistance, after voting, on election-day, Sept 7.

As the world tethers on a balance, watching its global leaders fight for reason to blast Syria for its alleged illegal use of chemical weapons, the global populace likewise ponders if World War III is really just about to happen and will anyone ever survive a chemical gas attack.

U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, early Friday, killed at least 6 people. Although, the identity of those killed was not immediately known, reports quoted a security official saying they are all Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani militants.

The YouTube video shown is believed to be the reason why North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un had his former girlfriend, Hyon Song-wol allegedly executed on Aug 29, 2013.

The U.S. had decried the world stands to gain no support to curb Syria's alleged use of illegal chemical weapons because Russia had held hostage the 15-nation panel of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Australian Federal Election 2013: the best of Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott’s political gaffes and quotes

With a day to go before elections, on Thursday, the battle seemed to get bitter. What happens when the media mogul brushes a business tycoon the wrong way; sparks fly. Flamboyant Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, enraged by an article in a local national newspaper, that questioned his credibility and credentials, not only wowed to take the newspaper owner Rupert Murdoch to court, but also called Murdoch’s estranged wife Wendi Deng, a Chinese spy.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has retreated from its recent highs as the G20 meeting begins in St. Petersburg and financial markets await the most recent US jobs data tonight.

Australian Federal Election 2013 last minute reminders for Muslims and Aussie voters

U.S. President Barack Obama has confronted strong opposition from leaders worldwide against launching a military attack on Syria.

Canadian Foreign Minister had announced that Canada would act enthusiastically to help Syrian civilians.

Animal rights activists in Australia have raised the pitch against shocking live exports, calling upon voters to consider cruelty to live export animals while voting and demanding candidates make their positions on the issue clear.

Opposition Liberal National did a turnaround Thursday, when it replaced its policy on enhancing online safety for children which provided for mandatory implementation of “opt-out” internet filters, by default for all Australians. The turnaround came in less than 5 hours after the earlier policy document was released. The redraft followed a major uproar, particularly on social media, with Malcolm Turnbull facing much of the ire.

World War III, the Apocalypse or the End of Days may be coming to Syria as US President Barack Obama was backed by the US Senate in his bid to push for a military strike against the Assad regime in Syria. The move to strike Syria passed the initial hurdle when a Senate panel voted in favour of the planned retaliation against the Syrian government's use of chemical weapons against its own people. However, despite the victory, the narrow margin of votes only showed how the United States will b...

The extremely high levels of ammonia discharged by a plant in just a span of 40 hours have killed a whopping number of 110 tonnes of fish from a river in China's central Hubei province.

Australia's climate change policy is always considered to be a major factor that will greatly impact the next government after the Sept. 7 federal elections. For the Australian voting public, the issue of climate change has dropped down from the list of the most important issues that the next leadership should address.

Canada may have been ranked as the 14th globally competitive economy by the World Economic Forum (WEF), but Canadians aren't happy about it. For one, it just maintained status quo from last year. Moreover, the government hardly spends on research and development.

The TV ad of Getup has been banned in local networks because it criticises media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The activist group has lodged a complaint with the consumer watchdog Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for the refusal of Channels 7, 9, and 10 to play its advertisement on air.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has extended its rally, and maybe heading toward USD 0.9200 after GDP data showed local economic growth was solid in the June quarter.

Appearing in ABC 1’s "Kitchen Cabinet" show, Tony Abbott shares that all is well between him and Julia Gillard.

With President Barack Obama on Wednesday gaining a vote of support over his bid for military action against Syria, should the world already cower and start digging underground hideouts in preparation for the apocalyptic doomsday WW3?

Quebec’s proposed ban on religious headwear faced another opposition when one of the major teachers’ unions has publicly expressed its views on the issue.