- In the Colombian Pacific, fighting to save sharks
- Argentina's Matera banned for Italy Test after red card
- Vientos grand slam propels Mets in series-tying win over Dodgers
- Supporters of ex-Bolivia leader Morales block roads over possible arrest
- Germany into Nations League quarters, France and Italy win
- Nagelsmann lauds 'supercharged' Germany's 'best half of the year'
- 'Pandas are coming': Two new bears depart China for US capital
- Dodgers pitcher Kershaw plans to return for 2025
- Mbappe 'investigated for rape' in Sweden: report
- Revived Italy sweep past Israel in Nations League amid high security
- Trudeau slams India as tensions soar over Sikh separatist's murder
- Harris courts Black voters as Trump makes inroads
- Wall Street stocks hit fresh records as oil prices slide
- Nigerian team return home after boycotting AFCON qualifier in Libya
- Nigeria refuse to play in Libya as Algeria, Cameroon qualify
- Strike-hit Boeing leaves experts puzzled by strategy
- Leweling rockets Germany past Dutch and into Nations League quarterfinals
- Kolo Muani double fires France to win in Belgium
- Italy sweep past Israel in Nations League amid high security
- UN peacekeepers to 'stay in all positions' in Lebanon
- NASA launches probe to study if life possible on icy Jupiter moon
- 'Unique' Ronaldo an example to everyone, says Martinez
- New lawsuits against Sean Combs allege sex assault, including of minor
- Italy begins migrant transfers to Albania with first group of 16
- Google signs nuclear power deal with startup Kairos
- Carsley open to foreign England manager amid Guardiola links
- Pogba hungry to have his football cake after doping ban
- India and Canada expel top envoys in Sikh separatist killing row
- Mbappe says victim of 'fake news' after 'rape' report in Sweden
- Lebanon says 21 killed in strike on northern village
- Netanyahu vows no mercy after deadly Hezbollah drone strike
- Russia could be able to attack NATO by 2030: German intelligence
- EVs seek to regain sales momentum at Paris Motor Show
- Clarke backs Scotland to bounce back from 'tough' run
- Harris, Trump target crucial Pennsylvania as US vote looms
- NASA probe Europa Clipper lifts off for Jupiter's icy moon
- Lebanese Red Cross says 18 killed in strike in north
- Mendy borrowed money from Man City team-mates for legal fees
- Palestinian officials say Israeli forces kill two in West Bank
- Football leagues, unions file EU complaint against FIFA in calendar dispute
- Nigeria boycott AFCON qualifier in Libya after 'inhumane treatment'
- India to recall top envoy to Canada: foreign ministry
- Hezbollah, Israeli troops in 'violent clashes' after drone strike
- China insists won't renounce 'use of force' to take Taiwan as drills end
- Painkiller sale plan to US gives France major headache
- Italy begins landmark migrant transfers to Albania
- Russia jails French researcher for three years
- 'Unsustainable' housing crisis bedevils Spain's socialist govt
- Stocks shrug off China disappointment but oil slides
- New Zealand 4-0 up in America's Cup but British show signs of life
Australia launches investigation into major telecoms outage
Australia's government on Thursday launched an investigation into a nationwide communications outage that crippled phone lines and severed internet access for 10 million customers.
For almost 12 hours Wednesday, the unexplained glitch crashed electronic payments, disrupted phone lines used by emergency services and stopped people accessing government systems.
Telecommunications company Optus -- Australia's second-largest phone provider with more than 10 million customers -- has repeatedly apologised for what it described as a "technical network outage" but did not offer a fuller explanation of the root cause.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said a government review would now focus on understanding how the "particularly concerning" network failure occurred.
"It is critical that industry and governments take stock following large-scale outages, given no network is immune," she said in a statement.
Optus and the government are at odds over the company's handling of the crisis and whether impacted businesses should be paid out after effectively losing a full day's trading.
While Optus executives have shut down talk of compensation, Rowland said it was "reasonable" for aggrieved customers to expect some form of redress.
Rowland said a separate investigation, conducted by the government's communications regulator, would assess whether Optus had failed its obligations to carry phone calls made to emergency services.
According to polling company Roy Morgan, Optus was already one of Australia's least-trusted brands.
Just over one year ago, more than nine million Optus customers had their personal data stolen in a cyber attack.
Chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said the company would "work even harder to retain our customers' trust" in a statement released Thursday alongside the company's half-yearly earnings.
A host of organisations and businesses were hit by the outage, including the federal department of education, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Australia's Commonwealth Bank.
Landline phones on the Optus network were unable to ring emergency services, and thousands of commuters were stranded when rush hour trains were briefly halted.
T.Ward--AMWN