Hillary Clinton to visit Australia

Australia will be in the global news later this month, with the US confirming
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit for the first time since being
appointed by President Barack Obama.
Hot on her heels will be Prince William, making his first trip Down Under as an adult.
Mrs Clinton will be accompanied by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and a large
contingent of American journalists.
Prince William, second in line to the British throne, will be followed by UK
reporters and paparazzi.
The US secretary of state will touch down in Canberra on Sunday January 17.
The following day Mrs Clinton and Dr Gates will meet with Australian Foreign
Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Minister John Faulkner for the annual
Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN).
The US state department says they'll discuss "key global and regional security
challenges".
Mr Smith says the talks will address "shared global and regional interests".
"Following closely President Obama's recently announced revised strategy in
Afghanistan and Pakistan, Australia and the United States will discuss their
commitment to both countries," the foreign minister said in a statement.
Joint counter-terrorism efforts will also be discussed "in the wake of the failed
terrorist attack on a US airliner".
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard told reporters in Adelaide "the United States is
our biggest ally" and the countries regularly held security talks.
"Hillary Clinton will be here participating in that as a formal secretary of state
in the Obama administration."
After Canberra, Mrs Clinton will briefly visit Melbourne.
En route to Australia she'll stop over in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last year invited President Obama to visit Australia in
2010, but there's no word yet whether that's likely.
As Mrs Clinton departs, Prince William will jet into Sydney on January 19.
The prince will also visit Melbourne.
During his stay the 27-year-old will "carry out engagements", according to his
official diary on the Royal Family's website.
Prince William previously visited Australia with his parents, Prince Charles and
Princess Diana, in 1983, a year after his birth.