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The decision scraps duties as high as 218% on Australian wine exports to China, its largest overseas market once worth more than 1 billion Australian dollars ($653 million). The Australian government said it welcomed Beijing’s decision “which comes at a critical time for the Australian wine industry.”“Since 2020, China’s duties on Australian wine effectively made it unviable for Australian producers to export bottled wine to that market,” the statement read. “There are a lot of people in the Australian wine industry who will be reaching out for a good glass of wine tonight and feeling a whole lot happier about their future,” Bruce Tyrrell, managing director of Tyrrell’s Wines in New South Wales, told CNN. Annual wine production hit its lowest point in more than 15 years during 2022-2023, Wine Australia said. Lee McLean, head of national association of grape and wine producers Australian Grape & Wine, said industry groups were working with the Australian government to “ensure a coordinated re-entry” into the market.

Persons: ”, “, that’s, ” Bruce Tyrrell, Lee McLean, ” McLean, Anthony Albanese’s, Albanese, Wang Yi, Penny Wong, Yang Hengjun, Wong Organizations: Sydney CNN, China’s Ministry of Commerce, Canberra, World Trade Organization, Tyrrell’s, CNN, Wine Australia, Global, Wine, China’s Foreign, Anthony Albanese’s Labor, China’s, Ministry, Australian Locations: Hong Kong, Sydney, China, Australia, Beijing, New South Wales, Wine Australia, United Kingdom, Europe, China’s

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Survivors of the harmful morning sickness drug thalidomide were in the public gallery Wednesday when Australia’s Parliament made a national apology to them on the 62nd anniversary of the drug being withdrawn from sale in the country. “Today, on behalf of the people of Australia, our government and this Parliament offers a full unreserved and overdue apology to all thalidomide survivors, their families, loved ones, and carers,” Albanese said. The apology was recommended in 2019 by a Senate inquiry into the support that was available to aging thalidomide survivors. The government will fulfill another recommendation Thursday by opening a memorial in Canberra in recognition of thalidomide survivors and their families. Australia established a support program in 2020 that is providing lifelong assistance to 148 survivors, and Albanese said his government was reopening the program to survivors who had yet to register.

Persons: thalidomide, Anthony Albanese’s, “, ” Albanese, Trish Jackson, ” Jackson, Albanese, Jackson, “ It’s Organizations: —, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Diageo Scotland Ltd Locations: CANBERRA, Australia, Canberra, Zealand, British

☆ 'A deaf whale is a dead whale': Activists fight huge Australian fossil fuel project
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

According to the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the noise can reach 250 decibels, around a million times “more intense” than the loudest whale sounds. “So, a deaf whale is a dead whale.”Environmental campaigners say Australia should be making greater efforts to reduce its emissions, not build new fossil fuel projects. Campaigners say the projected emissions made a mockery of Australia’s stated commitment to reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. “Scarborough is a part of the Burrup Hub, and that is Australia’s largest fossil fuel project. If it goes ahead we’re looking at emissions equivalent to 12 years of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Greenpeace’s Richard George.

Persons: Woodside’s, “, Raelene Cooper, Cooper, ”, Richard George, Alex Westover, Scott Morrison, Anthony Albanese’s, it’s, Woodside, ” Woodside, Wendy Mitchell, ” Cooper, “ Woodside, Australia’s, Greenpeace’s Richard George Organizations: Sydney CNN —, Woodside Energy, Federal, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Energy, CNN, Greenpeace, Whales, ” Locations: Australia, Woodside, “ Scarborough, ”, Scarborough, Western Australia, Asia

☆ Alan Joyce: Qantas CEO to step down early as Australian airline's reputation under scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Qantas Airways said on Tuesday that long-serving CEO Alan Joyce would exit the company two months earlier than previously flagged as a reputational turbulence engulfs Australia’s flagship carrier. Joyce’s early retirement will see CEO Designate Vanessa Hudson, the first woman to lead the century-old airline, take charge on Wednesday. Chairman Richard Goyder said the executive transition came at a “challenging time” for the airline and its staff. Qantas had announced a raft of leadership changes in June in a bid to increase focus on key areas as the airline completes its post-pandemic recovery. The airline said newly appointed Chief Financial Officer Rob Marcolina will also start early alongside Hudson.

Persons: Alan Joyce, Vanessa Hudson, Anthony Albanese’s, ”, Joyce, Richard Goyder, “, ” Goyder, Rob Marcolina Organizations: Reuters — Qantas Airways, Qantas, Qatar Airways, “, Hudson Locations: Australia

☆ Australia’s $2.5 trln pension stash is one to envy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Sure, mining giant BHP (BHP.AX) has its headquarters in Australia’s second-most populous city, it’s a self-anointed coffee capital and boasts top-notch restaurants. Two other factors have capital-hungry institutions knocking on super funds’ doors. This is especially true of so-called industry funds that are mutually owned and initially catered to specific sectors such as higher education employees or hospitality workers. Daniel Andrews, premier of Victoria, has earmarked industry super funds as minority investors in a state-run plan to build renewable energy plants. Recent ructions in real estate have prompted some super funds to reassess whether the risk and complexity are justified.

Persons: dwarfing, AustralianSuper, California’s CalPERS, London’s, Paul Schroder, Hostplus, Anthony, Daniel Andrews, Breakingviews, outsized, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Australian Stock Exchange, Association, Retirement, Canada, Plan Investment Board, Prudential Regulation Authority, APRA, Coal, IFM, Vienna Airport, KPMG, Reuters Graphics, Australian, Trust, Macquarie, Victorian State Department of, UniSuper, Sydney Airport, Victoria, Blackstone, CVC, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Melbourne, Australia’s, it’s, Australia, Heathrow, Edinburgh, Europe, United States, Indiana, New York, London

☆ Australia has bulwark against China slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The country is Australia’s biggest trading partner, accounting for up to a third of its roughly A$475 billion ($303 billion) of annual exports. Its voracious demand over the past three decades helped Australia enjoy almost 30 years without a recession until the 2020 pandemic. As Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ first budget on Tuesday shows, though, Australia has some shock absorbers. If it doesn’t Australia won’t be able to escape the fallout entirely, but at least has some defences. Australia’s budget deficit for the financial year to June 30 2023 is expected to be A$36.9 billion ($23.3 billion).

☆ Australia Boosts Pacific Aid as Efforts Ramp Up to Counter China
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Mike Cherney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said much of the aid increase will focus on mitigating climate change, which many view as an existential threat to low-lying Pacific islands. SYDNEY—Australia plans to increase aid to Pacific island nations and invest more in security ties with those countries, as the U.S. and its allies seek to counter Chinese influence in the strategically important region. The Australian government said it would increase official development assistance to the Pacific by 900 million Australian dollars, equivalent to roughly $565 million, over the next four years. That is much more than the A$525 million boost that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s party promised during the recent election campaign, highlighting the issue’s importance to policy makers.

Many residents were especially incensed that their countries were helping pay for the royal tour. The same goes for Canada, where the support for having a foreigner as head of state has also been eroding. The sun was already setting on the British Empire when Elizabeth took the throne in 1953. With Charles now king, that trend is likely to continue, said Prior. “I don’t think that these conversations taking place across the world are conversations that the new king would have a great deal of control over,” Prior said.

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