Australia

The Newcastle Knights' Ponga and Parramatta Eels' Moses are yet to represent Australia, but are set to play their parts in Sydney on October 18-19.

Moses' Eels team-mate Clint Gutherson and the Brisbane Broncos' David Fifita are also part of the squad.

Australia head coach Mal Meninga is excited by the players he has at his disposal for the tournament.

Congrats to Eels Clint Gutherson, Mitch Moses and Nathan Brown who have been named in Australia’s Nines squad!

Kalolo Kuea passed away at the Driscoll berry production company in Tasmania.

His death has shocked the tight-knit Tongan community in the area as well as family and friends.

The cause of Mr Kuea's death has yet to be released.

Fifteen Pacific islanders have reportedly died in the programme since it began 10 years ago.

Brisbane's Courier-Mail reports extreme neglect was a factor in the earlier deaths.

Photo Kaniva News Caption: Kalolo Kuea 

In what will surely be the key fixture in Pool D at the Rugby World Cup, Wales got the better of a strong-finishing Australia 29-25, having led 23-8 at the break.

Tries from Dane Haylett-Petty and Hooper himself set up a tense finish, but the Wallabies could not quite wrestle back control of the match.

Hooper was disappointed but keen to move on quickly, knowing Australia cannot afford to spend too long reflecting on a defeat that likely sends them into the same side of the draw as England and New Zealand.

The death toll from violence in the Papuan cities of Jayapura and Wamena on Monday has risen to 26.

Violence erupted in both cities as Indonesian security forces cracked down on student protests.

This follows weeks of unrest triggered by large protests in the region last month.

Outside the UN headquarters in New York, Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne told SBS that her government was seeking updates about the situation.

Tins of formula have become objects of desire among enterprising amateur salespeople keen to get into China's black market for safe baby formula. 

The melamine scandal of 2008, in which six babies died after being fed formula that contained a dangerous chemical, created lingering mistrust in Chinese baby products.

International brands can sell for twice as much as local Chinese formula. It's become a lucrative business for many living in the West, bulk-buying tins and selling them for a mark-up. 

Just weeks after levelling fierce criticism at Scott Morrison, Mr Bainimarama also played down the differences between the two leaders.

AAP reports the two prime ministers signed the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership, aimed at strengthening security and economic ties.

The Fiji leader recently accused Australia of being insulting over negotiations about climate change at the Pacific Islands Forum. He even told media that he had been mistaken in his earlier belief that Mr Morrison was his friend.

On a beautifully sunny day at The Oval, England set Australia 399 to win and bowled them out for 263 to square the contest with their oldest enemies in a year when they lifted the World Cup for the first time.

Australia retain the urn they won in 2017-18 but miss out on a first series win in England since 2001, while an Ashes series is drawn for the first time in 47 years.

From 313-8 overnight, England added 16 to be all out for 329 and leave Australia in need of pulling off the highest run-chase in an Ashes Test since 1948.

Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia in May for a "high-level breach" of contract after the full-back posted "hell awaits drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters" on Instagram.

Cheika overlooked Folau before he was sanctioned, stating "the team is king", and the Wallabies boss has revealed that stance did not go down well with some supporters.

"People were saying all sorts of stuff," Cheika said. "Just threats I was getting; people on the street, some to my face, a couple at some games. It was just crazy stuff."

The Boomers sealed a sixth consecutive victory in the tournament to make history at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center on Wednesday.

Australia took charge in the third quarter, outscoring the Czechs by 30 points to 18 to seize control and went on to set up a last-four showdown with Spain in Beijing on Friday.

Mills, Chris Goulding and Andrew Bogut played key roles for Andrej Lemanis' side, scoring 48 points between them to ensure a brilliant performance from Tomas Satoransky was in vain.

Officials say the intense blazes mark the worst start to the fire season on record for the state of Queensland.

On Tuesday, 58 fires were also burning across about 100,000 hectares in neighbouring New South Wales.

About a dozen homes have been destroyed but officials have praised the "Herculean" efforts of firefighters.

More than 300 firefighters battled through the night on Monday to try and contain a major front on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

It threatened homes in the residential area of Peregian Beach, and has so far destroyed one property.