2008 is a big year for The Australian Ballet. In addition to 162 performances across the country, The Australian Ballet will tour four works to Paris, London and Manchester in September and October, marking the company's 30th international tour in its 46 year history. The company will present contemporary, mainly large scale Australian works, full of awesome ensemble movements and exquisite passages that showcase the brilliance of our leading dancers.

Australia will offer a permanent home to hundreds of its Iraqi employees when Canberra pulls its combat forces out of the troubled country later this year. There are fears these employees could face retribution after Australian troops are withdrawn.

The New South Wales Government is under fire over reports a Sydney high school scanned its students' fingerprints without parental consent.

In contrast to the fears of recession in the United States, Australia's Federal Treasury still believes Australia's problem is too much growth.

Australian banks are now seeing hope to recover from its recent lose, as customers are starting to save their money in banks, report said. On the other hand, Australian dollar has a worst record for the third day as it declined in a recent tradings. The slide of dollar was attributed to the countries low price of exports commodities such as metal.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will use the rest of his overseas trip to lobby for support for Australia's bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Australia has ratified its acceptance of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. The new government elected last year made signing the emissions-limiting accord its first act.

Australia's central bank says the economy is likely to slow, easing inflationary pressures that led to another interest rate increase last week. And, in China, one of the country's largest road and rail contractors has begun Hong Kong's biggest share listing. Claudia Blume in Hong Kong has more on these and other business stories from the region.

The Australian Ballet is pleased to announce that Yosvani Ramos will join the company as Principal Artist.

Graeme Murphy's critically acclaimed and multiple award-winning production Swan Lake is set to return for a much anticipated season in Melbourne at the Arts Centre from 14-26 March.

Demonstrators in Papua New Guinea tried to disrupt a visit by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Landowners staged protests as part of a dispute over proposed mining of the Kokoda Track, a trail where Australian forces fought Japanese troops during the Second World War. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

The Australian government has called on Japanese fishermen and international anti-whaling activists to exercise restraint after the latest confrontation between the two groups in Antarctic waters.