Australia

Australia's immigration minister granted permanent residency Wednesday to a German family whose application was twice denied because their 13-year-old son has Down syndrome. Immigration Minister Chris Evans ruled that Dr. Bernhard Moeller and his family made a valuable contribution to their community and should be allowed to stay. Moeller was recruited by a regional hospital to be the only internal medicine specialist to serve an area of 54,000 people. Rural areas of Australia have for years faced a shortage of doctors and nurses and the government helps fund overseas recruiting efforts. (AP)