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☆ David McBride: Former Australian military lawyer who exposed alleged war crimes jailed for leaking documents
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

However, during proceedings against McBride, the court heard that he did not bring the documents to the media’s attention to highlight the alleged war crimes. “David McBride leaked documents to our national broadcaster which contained credible evidence of war crimes committed by Australian forces in Afghanistan. Pender and others pointed out that no one had yet been prosecuted over Australia’s alleged war crimes in Afghanistan – except the man who had brought it to the country’s attention. Australian Federal Police officers raided the ABC offices in Sydney in 2019 seeking documents as they pursued potential charges against the journalists behind the story. The Australian Federal Police is working with the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) to investigate potential charges.

Persons: CNN —, ”, David Mossop, David McBride, McBride, Mark Davies, Brereton, Mossop, “, ” McBride, Justice Mossop, ” Mossop, McBride’s, Kieran Pender, “ David McBride, Pender, Australia’s, “ Will, Peter Greste, Greste, ” “ David, ” Greste, he’ll, Anthony Albanese, “ I’m, Mark Dreyfus Organizations: CNN, Australian Army, Canberra, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Australian Defense Force, Australian Special Air Service, SAS, Human Rights Law, Australian, Journalists, Australian Federal Police, Commonwealth, Public Prosecutions, ADF, AFP Locations: Afghanistan, Egypt, Sydney, New South Wales

☆ Elon Musk's X scores a win in his feud with Australia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk won a legal victory in Australia Monday about content moderation. The fight revolves around footage on X of a church stabbing in a Sydney suburb. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAn Australian court handed Elon Musk a victory Monday in what he described as an ongoing fight for "free speech." X had opposed the block, which was initially ordered on April 22, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, X Organizations: Elon, Australia, Service, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Business Locations: Sydney

☆ Australian Journalist Says She Was Pushed Out of India
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Sameer Yasir | Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A senior journalist with Australia’s national broadcaster says she was effectively pushed out of India after her reporting on Sikh separatism angered the Indian government, accusing the authorities of hindering her from going to events, seeking to have her reporting taken down and refusing for weeks to renew her visa. Avani Dias, the South Asia correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said on social media that Indian officials told her last month that her application for a resident journalist visa extension would not be approved because a television segment she had produced on accusations that India was responsible for the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada had “crossed the line.”She was eventually granted a temporary visa extension at the last minute after lobbying by the Australian government, less than a day before she was scheduled to leave the country, Ms. Dias said in her podcast, “Looking for Modi.” But she said that she ultimately decided to leave because “it felt too difficult to do my job in India.”“I was struggling to get into public events run by Modi’s party,” Ms. Dias said on the podcast. The Indian government has disputed Ms. Dias’ account and said she was assured by high ranking officials that her visa would be renewed.

Persons: Avani Dias, “, Dias, Modi, ”, Ms, Dias ’ Organizations: Australia’s, South, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Locations: India, South Asia, Canada

☆ A hospital in Australia is begging snakebite victims to stop bringing the snakes in with them
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

An Australian hospital is asking snakebite victims to stop bringing the snakes to the ER. The hospital's director said that having a live snake in the ER puts staff and patients at risk. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementA hospital in Australia is asking snakebite victims not to bring the reptiles with them to the emergency room, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. In one instance earlier this month, staff at Bundaberg Hospital in Queensland were handed a plastic container with a small Eastern Brown snake inside, according to the news outlet.

Persons: — Organizations: ER, Service, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Bundaberg Hospital, Business Locations: Australia, Queensland, Eastern

☆ US comedian Arj Barker engulfed in row over mother and baby ejected from show
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —What should a comedian do when a baby cradled in its mother’s arms starts making noises in the middle of a set? American comedian Arj Barker was faced with that awkward situation during a show in Australia on Saturday night at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Barker has repeatedly defended his decision to ask Trish Faranda and her baby, Clara, to leave the event, which specified a minimum age of 15 for attendees. “All I could see was a woman likely holding a baby – the breastfeeding was never part of it. A witness who spoke with Nine News said a few people in the crowd heckled the mother to leave.

Persons: Arj Barker, Barker, Trish Faranda, Clara, ” Barker, ”, –, ” ‘, ’ Faranda, Faranda, “, ” Faranda, 3AW, ” –, I’ve, Ellen Sandell, Sandell, you’re, mums aren’t, It’s Organizations: CNN, Melbourne International Comedy, Athenaeum Theater, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Nine, Seven News, Nine News, Facebook, Melbourne, Comedy, Festival Locations: Australia, Melbourne, Australian

☆ Opinion: What gun laws can’t stop
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Opinion Latika Bourke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“The videos (of the attack) speak for themselves don’t they?” Webb told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Steven Saphore/AAP/ReutersCauchi’s father Andrew Cauchi — who appeared devastated — believes his “monster” son may have deliberately set out to kill women, he told Australian media. He enacted strict gun control laws and initated a massive buyback scheme. “The evidence consistently shows that the underlying causes of violence directed toward women are rigid gender stereotypes, sexism and disrespect. Joel Cauchi had a fixation with blades and kept a collection of them, his father told the newspaper The Australian.

Persons: Latika Bourke, ”, Read, Latika Bourke Louis Douvis “, Julia Hartley, Brewer, Hartley, Karen Webb, Joel Cauchi, ” Webb, Webb, Steven Saphore, Reuters Cauchi’s, Andrew Cauchi —, —, John Howard, Australia’s, Julia Gillard, Bondi, Patty Kinnersly, Patty Kinnersly “, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Roman Quaedvlieg, “, X Quaedvlieg, they’d, Howard Organizations: Sydney Morning Herald, Love, CNN, New South Wales Police, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Reuters, Port, Conservative, Global Institute, Women’s Leadership, Good Shepherd, Australian Jewish Association, X Locations: Australian, India, Sydney, British, Bondi’s, Westfield, Bondi, Port Arthur, London, Australia, United States

☆ 'Black and Brown' influencers were harassed on a Topicals brand trip to France, the skincare company said
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Amanda Krause | Maria Noyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewA Black-owned skincare brand said influencers who traveled to France on a brand trip it organized experienced "racism and Islamophobia." Topicals said Monday that the incident occurred during a recent brand trip to the French Alps attended by "Black and Brown creators from the UK and US." AdvertisementThis past weekend, we hosted our third brand trip in Megève, France with a group of Black and Brown creators from the UK and US. At least one influencer on the trip shared their experience online, identifying the establishment. Muslim women dress modestly for many reasons, but a central one is to respect and deepen their relationship with God, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Persons: —, influencers, Topicals, Black, Brown, Rose Hollela, Nella Rose, Rose, Kanaan Pitan, Shaq Muhammad, Aiyana Lewis, Jéssica Pimentel, Modest swimsuits, God, Ange, Pierre Vivoni —, Corsica — Organizations: Service, Business, Spa, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Reuters, Miss, Miss Universe Locations: France, Megève, Corsica, Miss Pakistan

☆ Qantas pilots landed a plane with just one working engine, and the airline says it was safe to do so
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Qantas pilots safely landed a plane with a single engine in Perth. Engine failure is rare, but it's not the first time a Qantas engine has had issues. These aircraft are designed to safely operate with one engine," Qantas told The West Australian. AdvertisementIt's not the first time Qantas pilots have had to turn off an engine to land safely. In January 2023, pilots landed a Qantas flight flying from Auckland to Sydney after one of the engines failed while crossing the Tasman Sea.

Persons: it's, —, they'd, Lachlan Britt, Darrell Weekes, Doug Drury, you'd, Drury Organizations: Qantas, Service, West, The West Australian, Airbus, West Australian, Business, The West, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, University of Bologna, Federal Aviation Administration, Central Queensland University, CNN Locations: Perth, Melbourne, Australia, Auckland, Sydney

☆ Australian authorities urge hundreds to flee uncontained bushfire
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A bushfire in Australia's Victoria state raged out of control on Saturday, with authorities issuing a fresh evacuation alert at the highest danger rating for hundreds of residents in the state's west. The Australian Broadcasting Corp reported on Saturday that three homes and several outbuildings had been destroyed this week in Victoria's bushfire emergency. Around 1,000 firefighters supported by more than 50 aircraft have battled the fires since they started. Australia is currently in the grips of an El Nino weather pattern, which is typically associated with extreme phenomena such as wildfires, cyclones and droughts. The last two bushfire seasons in Australia have been subdued compared with the 2019-2020 "Black Summer" when bushfires destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people and 3 billion animals.

Persons: Vic Organizations: Australian Broadcasting Corp Locations: Australia's Victoria, Ballarat, Melbourne, Amphitheatre, Australia, El Nino, Turkey

☆ Australia unveils plan for largest navy buildup since World War II
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Australia on Tuesday announced plans to build its largest navy since World War II, allocating more than $35 billion for the defense project over the next 10 years, in a move analysts said pointed to heightened tensions with China in the Indo-Pacific. The independent review noted Australia had “the oldest fleet Navy has operated in its history,” according to the government statement. John Bradford, Council on Foreign Relations international affairs fellow, said Australia would need to be steadfast in sticking with the plan. “This investment provides a clear pathway for the shipbuilding industry and workforce in South Australia and Western Australia,” the release said. However, the opposition Greens party called the plan a “multi-billion-dollar mistake” driven by local political concerns to protect shipbuilding jobs – and political ones.

Persons: ”, Mark Hammond, Collin Koh, ” Jennifer Parker, Parker, John Bradford, Bradford, Andrew Hastie, ” Hastie, that’s, ” Koh, Pat Conroy, Sen, David Shoebridge, CNN’s Angus Watson, Hilary Whiteman Organizations: CNN, Australia, Royal Australian Navy, US Navy, Navy, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, UNSW Canberra, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Hobart, Foreign Relations, Greens, ” Greens Locations: China, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, South, Northeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Spain, Australian, South Australia, Western Australia

☆ Papua New Guinea: Dozens killed as tribal violence erupts in restive highlands
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Angus Watson | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —At least 49 bodies were found at the site of a gun battle between tribes in Papua New Guinea’s remote highlands, police told CNN Monday, in a gruesome escalation of hostilities in the country. Those killed were believed to be warring members of the Ambulin and Sikin tribes who were armed with “military style” automatic weapons, according to Enga Province Police Commander George Kakas. It is home to hundreds of tribes across the archipelago’s remote terrain where tribal feuds often stem from land and wealth disputes. Hostilities between the Ambulin and Sikin tribes began in 2021 over a piece of land and has since spiraled into a constant cycle of violence, Kakas said. Members of the Amublin tribe had “got wind of the Sikin staging an attack early in the morning, so they were waiting for them – setting up an ambush,” Kakas told CNN.

Persons: George Kakas, Kakas, ” Kakas, “, ”, ” Anthony Albanese, ” Albanese Organizations: CNN, Enga Province Police, Police, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio, Australia Locations: Papua, Enga Province, Lai, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Pacific, Australia

☆ Dozens Killed in Papua New Guinea Violence, Official Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Natasha Frost | More About Natasha Frost | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At least 53 people were killed in fighting in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea, where deadly violence between more than a dozen tribal groups has been escalating, a senior security official said. George Kakas, the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary acting superintendent, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the death toll from the incident in Enga Province was likely to rise. “These tribesmen have been killed all over the countryside, all over the bush,” Mr. Kakas told the broadcaster. “Police and defense forces have had to go in to do their best to quell the situation at their own risk.”Bodies were found across a field, along roads and near a river, Mr. Kakas said. Video footage and photos shared on social media, whose authenticity could not immediately be confirmed, showed dozens of bodies piled onto the back of an open truck.

Persons: George Kakas, Mr, Kakas Organizations: Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “ Police Locations: Papua New Guinea, Royal Papua, Enga Province

☆ Australia PM Backs Parliament Motion Calling for Julian Assange's Release
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The motion, moved by independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie, was passed on Wednesday with 86 votes in favour and 42 against after it was supported by the Labor government. "(The motion) will send a powerful political signal to the British government and to the U.S. government," Wilkie told parliament ahead of the vote. Assange's supporters say he has been victimised because he exposed U.S. wrongdoing and potential crimes, including in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Washington says the release of the secret documents put lives in danger. Australia's Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said Assange's extradition was raised in a meeting with his U.S. counterpart Merrick Garland in Washington last month.

Persons: Renju Jose SYDNEY, Anthony Albanese, Julian Assange, Andrew Wilkie, Wilkie, Assange, Albanese, Mark Dreyfus, Merrick Garland, Dreyfus, Renju Jose, Jamie Freed Organizations: Australia's, WikiLeaks, London's, Labor, ., Britain, Australian Broadcasting Corp, U.S Locations: Australia, United States, Australian, Britain, Afghanistan, Iraq, Washington, Sydney

☆ Australia PM to Introduce Bill to Reshape Tax Cuts on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

"We'll release the actual legislation later today it will be introduced into the parliament on Tuesday," Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. He said he wanted the bill passed "during this existing session" of federal parliament, which resumes on Feb. 6. The new policy, recently announced, will see people earning up to A$135,000 ($88,763) fall into lower tax brackets from July 1. For some high-income earners tax breaks will nearly halve, with the savings redirected to those on low incomes. Albanese flagged last month that his centre-left government would soon legislate the changes but did not specify a timeline.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, " Albanese, Albanese, Sam McKeith, David Gregorio Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Labour Locations: Sydney

☆ Australia PM Says Government 'Examining' Claims Against UN Palestinian Agency
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday his government was probing claims that some staff of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, after Australia paused funding to the aid agency last month. Australia is one of several countries to have halted funding for UNRWA, a critical source of support in Gaza, after Israeli claims of U.N. employees' complicity with Hamas. "We're examining it, along with other like-minded countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 ImagesLate last month, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland joined the United States, Australia and Canada in pausing funding to the aid agency. The agency has opened an investigation into several employees and has severed ties with those people, it has said.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Albanese, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Sam McKeith Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's, Australia, UNRWA, Australian Broadcasting Corp, European Union Locations: Palestinian, Israel, Australia, Gaza, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Sydney

☆ Shark Attacks Woman Swimming in Sydney Harbour
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A woman swimmer was seriously injured in a shark attack in Sydney Harbour and had been taken to the hospital in a stable condition, authorities said on Tuesday. Police said they had been told the woman was swimming off the wharf when the shark attacked her. While shark sightings along Sydney's ocean-facing beaches are common, attacks in its iconic harbour are rare. Monday's incident took place near the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. "Shark bites are really rare ... the last incident that occurred in Sydney Harbour was in 2009," Amy Smoothey, senior shark scientist at the New South Wales department of primary industries, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.Based on the bite patterns and images provided, the woman was likely attacked by a bull shark, Smoothey said.

Persons: Amy Smoothey, Smoothey, Renju Jose, Michael Perry Organizations: SYDNEY, Police, Opera, New South, Australian Broadcasting Corp Locations: Sydney Harbour, Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales, Sydney

☆ Thousands Protest Australia Day Holiday With 'Invasion Day' Rallies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Thousand's marked Australia's national day on Friday with "Invasion Day" rallies in support of the country's Indigenous community, many of whom oppose celebrating the day a British fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in 1788. Australia Day commemorates the day Britain established the state of New South Wales a penal colony, arriving in what is now the state capital Sydney with a "First Fleet" bringing colonists and convicts. Many people celebrate the holiday with barbecues and trips to the beach, and it is also a popular date for immigrants to receive their Australian citizenship. In Sydney, thousands of protesters, many waving Indigenous flags, gathered in the city centre at an "Invasion Day" rally before a march that closed nearby city streets. Two statues of colonial figures were vandalised in Melbourne earlier this week ahead of the contentious national holiday.

Persons: Browne, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Sam McKeith, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Sydney Harbour, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Labor Party Locations: British, Sydney, Britain, New South Wales, Victoria's Melbourne, Canberra, Melbourne

Image Antoinette Lattouf said the Australian Broadcasting Corporation unlawfully dismissed her amid outside pressure. Credit... Peter MorrisThe ABC, publicly funded and with an obligation to represent all stripes of Australian life, is confronting the collision of two contentious issues. First, how do news outlets and their employees cover hot-button topics in a time of stark political divides and strong personal brands? And second, as its journalists allege, has Australia’s beleaguered public broadcaster been so weakened by underfunding and right-wing political attacks that it will not stand up for its journalists, especially people of color and women? “I was embarrassed that a group of 156 lawyers could laugh at how easy it was to manipulate the ABC,” Mr. Lyons said, according to multiple sources.

Persons: Antoinette Lattouf, Peter Morris, underfunding, John Lyons, Lyons, ABC “, Mr, David Anderson Organizations: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Melbourne Locations: Israel

☆ Giant guinea pig-sized rats that climb trees and chomp coconuts were photographed for the first time by researchers
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Vangunu giant rat is a species that exists only on one of the Solomon Islands. They were trying to capture evidence of the Vangunu giant rat, Uromys vika. It's been known to eat green coconuts , but researchers had never seen a live rat. Despite its large size, the giant rat was difficult to spot. The Vangunu giant rat is critically endangered, and logging has destroyed its habitat.

Persons: —, Tyrone Lavery, It's, Lavery, vika, it's, " Lavery, Vika Organizations: Service, University of Melbourne, Solomon Islands National University, Solomon, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Locations: Solomon Islands, Vangunu, Zaira, Solomon, New Guinea

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

☆ Australia foreign minister touts Tuvalu security, migration pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday that a security and migration pact signed with Tuvalu showed Australia was a "genuine, reliable" regional partner, as it seeks to counter China's influence in the Pacific. Australia announced on Friday the security guarantee to the tiny Pacific Islands nation to respond to military aggression, protect it from climate change and boost migration. Australia, a United States ally, has been working to shore up its Pacific standing amid a rising China, which recently upgraded a security pact with Solomon Islands. Under the treaty, announced in the Cook Islands by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Tuvalu counterpart Kausea Natano, Australia will also vet Tuvalu's security arrangements with other nations.

Persons: Penny Wong, Eduardo Munoz, Wong, Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Albanese, Sam McKeith, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Australia's, General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Tuvalu, Pacific ., Australian Broadcasting Corp, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Australia, Pacific, Pacific . Australia, United States, China, Solomon, Tuvalu, Cook, Taiwan, Beijing, Hawaii, Sydney

☆ Australia Foreign Minister Touts Tuvalu Security, Migration Pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday that a security and migration pact signed with Tuvalu showed Australia was a "genuine, reliable" regional partner, as it seeks to counter China's influence in the Pacific. Australia announced on Friday the security guarantee to the tiny Pacific Islands nation to respond to military aggression, protect it from climate change and boost migration. Australia, a United States ally, has been working to shore up its Pacific standing amid a rising China, which recently upgraded a security pact with Solomon Islands. Under the treaty, announced in the Cook Islands by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Tuvalu counterpart Kausea Natano, Australia will also vet Tuvalu's security arrangements with other nations. Albanese has called the pact Australia's most significant agreement with a Pacific Island nation, giving "a guarantee that upon a request from Tuvalu for any military assistance based upon security issues, Australia will be there."

Persons: Penny Wong, Wong, Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Albanese, Sam McKeith, David Gregorio Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's, Tuvalu, Pacific ., Australian Broadcasting Corp Locations: Australia, Pacific, Pacific . Australia, United States, China, Solomon, Tuvalu, Cook, Taiwan, Beijing, Hawaii, Sydney

☆ Australia to investigate Optus internet and phone outage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Australia said on Thursday it would launch an investigation into a 12-hour national outage at telco Optus that cut off internet and phone connections to nearly half of its population, hitting critical services including payments, transport and hospitals. The federal government would undertake a post-incident review into the outage, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said, describing its impacts as "particularly concerning." Australia's media regulator will conduct a separate review into the outage after emergency triple zero ("000") calls went down on Optus landlines, Rowland added. Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI), has not given the cause for the unprecedented outage, one of the biggest the country has witnessed. The outage happened 14 months after Optus was hit by one of Australia's biggest cyber breaches.

Persons: telco, Michelle Rowland, Rowland, Renju Jose, Jamie Freed Organizations: SYDNEY, Optus, Optus landlines, Singapore Telecommunications, Telstra, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Thomson Locations: Australia, Sydney

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The host of a weekend family lunch at her Australian country home was charged with murdering three guests with poisonous mushrooms and attempting to murder a fourth who was left fighting for life, police said on Thursday. Police say the symptoms the four diners suffered were consistent with poisoning by wild Amanita phalloides, known as death cap mushrooms. Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that Erin Patterson had written in a statement that she cooked a beef Wellington steak dish for the lunch using mushrooms bought from a major supermarket chain and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store. Ian Wilkinson, a Baptist pastor, was released from a hospital in late September and police say he continues to recover. Murder in Victoria carries a potential maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Persons: Erin Patterson, Gail, Don Patterson, Gail Patterson’s, Heather Wilkinson, Ian Wilkinson, Simon Patterson Organizations: . Police, Police, Australian Broadcasting Corp Locations: CANBERRA, Australia, Leongatha, Victoria, Wellington

☆ Residents in rural Australia urged to evacuate as bushfires rage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Authorities on Saturday urged thousands of people in Australia's Queensland state to evacuate as bushfires that have destroyed at least 30 homes continued to threaten rural towns. Australia faces a high-risk bushfire season after the onset of an El Nino weather event, associated with extreme events such as wildfires, cyclones and droughts. Australia's last two fire seasons have been quiet compared with the catastrophic 2019-2020 "Black Summer" of bushfires that destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people. "There's a concerted effort being made by all to throw what we can at these fires," Queensland Rural Fire Service Assistant Commissioner Peter Hollier told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. The broadcaster reported more than 30 homes had been destroyed in the bushfires, sparked this week and fanned by hot, dry winds.

Persons: Tara, Peter Hollier, Hollier, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Brisbane, Queensland, Emergency Services, Queensland Rural Fire Service, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Thomson Locations: Australia's Queensland, Queensland, Tara, Australia, El Nino, Turkey, Sydney

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