- Australia, Iran and S.Korea head for Brazil - June 19 2013 00:16
By Patrick Johnston (Reuters) - Australia and Iran booked their fourth World Cup finals appearances with nervous 1-0 victories in a dramatic finale to Asian qualifying on Tuesday. South Korea joined them and Japan in qualifying for the finals after sneaking through on goal difference and Uzbekistan and Jordan retained hope of making it five Asian sides in Brazil after taking the third spots in the groups to set up a playoff. The teams will meet over two legs in September with the winners taking on the fifth-placed side in South America in a similar playoff in November for a place at the ... - Soccer-Australia fans celebrate World Cup entry with Sydney party - June 18 2013 23:24
By Michael Sin SYDNEY, June 19 (Reuters) - Australia's soccer team celebrated with hundreds of fans at a victory party in Sydney on Wednesday after eking out a nervous win over Iraq that sealed their ticket to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. Their victory drew bleary-eyed fans young and old to Sydney's Customs House, all draped in green and gold, keen to meet the players, who were welcomed with wild cheers and applause and threw bright yellow soccer balls into the crowd. ... - Australian jailed for life for rape, murder - June 18 2013 21:02
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A serial sex offender was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for raping and murdering an Irish woman while he was free on parole after previous convictions for raping five women. - Rugby-Lions pride wounded ahead of first Australia test - June 18 2013 19:57
By Ian Ransom CANBERRA, June 19 (Reuters) - If managing players' fitness and keeping morale high are the ultimate balancing act for a long and arduous rugby tour, British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland took a plunge off the high-wire after his team's shock loss to the ACT Brumbies. The 14-12 disappointment at a sodden Canberra Stadium torpedoed captain Sam Warburton's hopes of a 'perfect 10' wins and an unbeaten tour, while handing Robbie Deans' Wallabies extra belief ahead of Saturday's first test in Brisbane. ... - Charges pending against Afghans accused of prison abuse: Australia - June 18 2013 19:48
By Rob Taylor CANBERRA (Reuters) - Afghan authorities will lay charges against officials at a prison run by the country's internal security service, Australia said on Wednesday, just weeks after Canberra blocked prisoner transfers over fears of detainee mistreatment. Afghan authorities were taking action after Australia stopped handing over insurgent suspects to an NDS-run detention facility at the coalition base in Tirin Kot, in southern Uruzgan province, Australia's Defense Minister Stephen Smith said. ... - Soccer-Australia, Iran and S.Korea head for Brazil - June 18 2013 11:59
* Iran beat South Korea 1-0 away to qualify * Substitute Kennedy to the rescue for Australia * Uzbekistan and Jordan into playoff By Patrick Johnston June 18 (Reuters) - Australia and Iran booked their fourth World Cup finals appearances with nervous 1-0 victories in a dramatic finale to Asian qualifying on Tuesday. South Korea joined them and Japan in qualifying for the finals after sneaking through on goal difference and Uzbekistan and Jordan retained hope of making it five Asian sides in Brazil after taking the third spots in the groups to set up a playoff. ... - Australia, South Korea, Iran qualify for World Cup - June 18 2013 11:52
Australia, Iran and South Korea won spots at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil on a dramatic final day of Asian qualifying Tuesday. - Soccer-Kennedy's late header sends Australia to Brazil - June 18 2013 05:56
(Adds more quotes) * Substitute makes difference in 1-0 win over Iraq * Australia reach World Cup finals for fourth time By Nick Mulvenney SYDNEY, June 18 (Reuters) - Substitute Josh Kennedy's dramatic goal seven minutes from time sent Australia to the World Cup finals for the fourth time on Tuesday, ending a nervous night for 80,523 rain-soaked fans packed into Sydney's Olympic Stadium. Six minutes after coming on as a substitute for Tim Cahill, Kennedy rose alone in the middle of the penalty area to head Mark Bresciano's cross past the dive of Iraq goalkeeper Noor Sabri and into the net. ... - Kennedy's late header sends Australia to Brazil - June 18 2013 04:52
By Nick Mulvenney SYDNEY (Reuters) - Substitute Josh Kennedy's goal seven minutes from time sent Australia into the World Cup finals for the fourth time on Tuesday, ending a nervous night for 80,523 rain-soaked fans packed into Sydney's Olympic Stadium. Six minutes after coming on as a substitute for Tim Cahill, Kennedy rose alone in the centre of the penalty box to head Mark Bresciano's cross past the despairing dive of Iraq goalkeeper Noor Sabri and into the net. ... - New 'Mixed' Language Discovered in Northern Australia - June 18 2013 04:46
A new language, one that combines elements of English with traditional indigenous speech, has been discovered in northern Australia, according to a new study.
- Soccer-Australia beat Iraq 1-0 to qualify for 2014 World Cup - June 18 2013 04:25
SYDNEY, June 18 (Reuters) - Australia left it late but beat Iraq 1-0 to become the second country to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in front of 80,000 rain-soaked but euphoric fans at Sydney's Olympic Stadium on Tuesday. Substitute striker Josh Kennedy headed the ball home seven minutes from time to give the Socceroos the win they needed to secure second place in Asian qualifying Group B and the ticket to Brazil that goes with it. ... - Rugby-Carter expected back as New Zealand aim even higher - June 17 2013 16:05
WELLINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - Flyhalf Daniel Carter is likely to return to the starting side for New Zealand in their final test against France on Saturday with expectations he can spark the side to even higher performance levels. The All Blacks produced a near perfectly executed game plan as they overwhelmed France 30-0 in Christchurch on Saturday with their tactical kicking forcing Philippe Saint-Andre's team back into their own territory. ... - Cricket-Final Champions Trophy Group A standings - June 17 2013 13:10
June 17 (Reuters) - Final Champions Trophy Group A standingsafter Sri Lanka beat Australia by 20 runs on Monday. P W T L NR Pts Net run rate England 3 2 0 1 0 4 +0.308 Sri Lanka 3 2 0 1 0 4 -0.197 New Zealand 3 1 0 1 1 3 +0.777 Australia 3 0 0 2 1 1 -0.680 (Compiled by Ed Osmond) - Cricket-Australia v Sri Lanka Champions Trophy scoreboard - June 17 2013 12:56
LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Scoreboard from the ChampionsTrophy Group A match between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Ovalon Monday. Sri Lanka won by 20 runs Australia won the toss Sri Lanka K.Perera lbw b Johnson 4 T.Dilshan c Watson b Doherty 34 K.Sangakkara c Maxwell b McKay 3 L.Thirimanne c Watson b Johnson 57 M.Jayawardene not out 84 A.Mathews b Faulkner 12 D.Chandimal c Hughes b Johnson 31 N.Kulasekera run out (Maxwell) 6 R.Herath run out (Marsh) 2 L. ... - Cricket-Sri Lanka beat Australia to reach semi-finals - June 17 2013 12:37
LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka beat Australia by 20 runs at the Oval on Monday to reach the Champions Trophy semi-finals. The Sri Lankans, who finished second behind England in Group A, will play Group B winners India in the last four in Cardiff on Thursday. New Zealand were eliminated along with Australia from Group A. England will face Group B runners-up South Africa in the first semi-final at the Oval on Wednesday. (Reporting by Ed Osmond; Editing by John Mehaffey)