BREAKING NEWS

Australia to take 12,000 refugees, extend air strikes into Syria

SYDNEY- Australia will accept 12,000 refugees from Syria on top of its current humanitarian intake program, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday, and extend its air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq into neighboring Syria.
Abbott on Sunday said Australia would allocate more spaces in its 13,750 annual intake quota to those fleeing violence in Syria, but did not plan to boost the overall intake, sparking criticism from across the political spectrum.