- Surging Ko claims LPGA Queen City crown in spectacular style
- 'Impossible': Alcaraz shoots down Federer comparisons after Laver Cup win
- Scholz's party beats far-right AfD in east German state vote
- Verstappen says 'silly' swearing row could hasten F1 exit
- Calls for Israel and Hezbollah to step back from the abyss
- Israel and Hezbollah urged to avoid 'catastrophe'
- Colombia battles fires as drought fuels Latin American flames
- Pressure piles on new French government from day one
- Arteta proud as Arsenal salvage point from 'impossible' task
- Barca rout Villarreal in thriller but Ter Stegen hurt
- Roma stroll past Udinese as fans protest De Rossi sacking
- Horschel outduels McIlroy to win PGA Championship play-off
- Audiences summon 'Beetlejuice' to top of N. America box office for third week
- Stones salvages point for Man City against 10-man Arsenal
- Egypt fears 'all out' regional war: foreign minister to AFP
- Last-gasp Boniface gives Leverkusen victory, Stuttgart outclass Dortmund
- Scholz's party beats far-right AfD in east German state vote: projections
- Olympic champion Evenepoel retains world title in 'toughest time trial'
- Horschel's eagle beats McIlroy in PGA Championship play-off
- Mourners at commander's funeral express loyalty to Hezbollah
- Norris hails his 'mega' McLaren after dominant win at Singapore
- Monaco beat Le Havre to join PSG at the top of Ligue 1
- Scholz's party narrowly leads far-right AfD in east German state vote: exit polls
- New leftist president vows to 'rewrite Sri Lankan history'
- UN adopts pact to tackle volatile future for mankind
- Leclerc hails Ferrari fightback from torrid Singapore GP qualifying
- Belgian Evenepoel retains world title in 'toughest time trial'
- Sosa rescues point for Forest against Brighton
- Last-gasp Boniface gives Leverkusen victory over Wolfsburg in seven-goal thriller
- Swiss voters reject environment, pensions reforms: official results
- No fairytale ending for Ricciardo after 13 years in Formula One
- Israel and Hezbollah urged to step back from the brink
- What is the UN's 'Pact for the Future'?
- Norris dominates Singapore Grand Prix to cut Verstappen's title lead
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- McLaren's Lando Norris wins Singapore GP to narrow F1 title race
- UN adopts pact promising to build 'brighter future' for humanity
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- New French government instantly under pressure on multiple fronts
- Australia's Brown adds world title to Olympic time trial gold
- Russian strike on Ukraine's Kharkiv wounds 21
- UK's Starmer rules out austerity as Labour conference opens
- Swiss voters reject environment, pensions reforms: projected results
- Israel says 'landed blows' on Hezbollah as Lebanon violence intensifies
- Roma CEO steps down amid anger over club icon De Rossi's sacking
Australia accepts N.Zealand offer to take 450 refugees after long delay
Australia accepted on Thursday a long-standing New Zealand offer to take hundreds of refugees detained for years in remote camps under Canberra's "Pacific solution" immigration policy.
The deal, which was originally tabled in 2013, will involve New Zealand welcoming 150 refugees annually for three years after they have been screened by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
"We are pleased to be able to provide resettlement outcomes for refugees who would otherwise have continued to face uncertain futures," New Zealand Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi said.
In a joint statement with Australia's Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, Faafoi said the agreement reflected New Zealand's "long and proud history of refugee resettlement".
Wellington first made the offer at a time when Australia was looking to deter record numbers of asylum seekers arriving by boat.
Canberra sent them to detention camps in the Pacific nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea, vowing no asylum seeker who arrived by boat would ever be allowed to permanently settle in Australia.
At the time, it rejected Wellington's offer over fears the refugees would eventually wind up in Australia because New Zealanders share mutual rights to residency with their neighbour.
Andrews said Thursday's agreement should not be interpreted as a softening of Canberra's stance on people who arrive by boat.
"Australia remains firm –- illegal maritime arrivals will not settle here permanently. Anyone who attempts to breach our borders will be turned back or sent to Nauru," she said.
The UNHCR welcomed the deal, saying prolonged uncertainty had "taken an enormous toll" on refugees caught up in Australia's offshore processing system.
It said 112 refugees were still on Nauru and about 1,100 who had been held in the Pacific camps were now in Australia on temporary visas
It said the 450 spots offered by New Zealand would not cover them all.
"We nonetheless hope it will bring about new impetus towards this goal so that compassionate and lasting answers can be found including in Australia for all who have been subject to Australia’s offshore processing policies," the rights body said.
F.Müller--BTB