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☆ How Mark Zuckerberg turned against the news
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Mark Zuckerberg held regular discussions in 2017 and early 2018 about how to make news on Facebook more trustworthy and reliable. "Giving people a voice is not enough without having people dedicated to uncovering new information and analyzing it," Zuckerberg wrote. Zuckerberg also considered a permanent subsidy through his philanthropy the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Murdoch and Zuckerberg's yearslong relationship, while never outright friendly, turned "tense, very tense," when Australia passed the NMBC, a person who worked with Zuckerberg said. When Canada passed a law similar to Australia's last year, Meta simply and decisively turned off news content on Facebook and Instagram.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump, Facebook's, Zuckerberg, He'd, Chan Zuckerberg, Tracy Clayton, it's, That's, Adam Mosseri, Mark, We're, Meta, Australia Zuckerberg, Rupert Murdoch, James Kennedy, Rod Sims, Murdoch, Lachlan, Zuckerberg's, Scott Morrison, Josh Frydenberg, Joel Kaplan, Campbell Brown, Frydenberg, I'm, Kali Hays Organizations: Facebook, Associated Press, Business, Meta, Google, News, News Corp, . News Corp, Fox, Cambridge, Capitol Locations: Meta, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Myanmar, khays@businessinsider.com

☆ Australia and US unveil undersea drones Ghost Shark and Manta Ray
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Ghost Shark and Manta Ray protect the undersea realm. Ghost Shark and Manta Ray are the names of prototype uncrewed underwater vehicles – UUVs or drones – introduced recently by Australia and the United States respectively. But when Australia unveiled Ghost Shark last month, it called the prototypes “the most advanced undersea autonomous vehicles in the world.”The first Ghost Shark prototype, "Alpha," was co-developed by the Defence Science and Technology Group, Navy and Anduril Australia. Like the Orca, the Manta Ray hasn’t come together as quickly as Ghost Shark. Its program began in 2020 and DARPA didn’t give a goal for the Manta Ray – or some variant of it – to join the US fleet.

Persons: Ray, Manta Ray, Rodney Braithwaite, ” Shane Arnott, Anduril’s, ”, Tanya Monro, Emma Salisbury, “, ” Salisbury, Chris Brose, Northrop, Manta, Northrop Grumman, ” Kyle Woerner, Kyle Woerner, Manta Ray hasn’t, Manta Ray –, –, Salisbury, Sutton Organizations: South Korea CNN, Marvel, Defence Science, Technology Group, Navy, Anduril, Government Defence, Australian Defense Ministry, “, US Navy, Boeing, Pentagon, Advanced Research Products Agency, DARPA, Research Projects Agency, Northrop Grumman, Manta, Defense, Research, Agency, US, U.S . Navy Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Australia, United States, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Kyiv, Swiss, Anduril Australia, Geostrategy, Southern California, Maryland, California, China, UUVs, Beijing, Canada, France, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Norway, Russia, United Kingdom, Sutton

☆ Australia's budget is expected to target housing crisis as prices keep climbing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Vivien Soo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Recent reports indicate that Australian home prices are set to continue their upward trend, driven by increasing migration rates and a shortage of housing supply. Treasurer Jim Chalmers is set to deliver the budget on Tuesday, which is expected to focus on addressing the nation's housing crisis. The Albanese government has already said it plans to allocate 88.8 million Australian dollars ($58.7 million) to train 20,000 local workers for the construction and housing sector. The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council (NHSAC) said Australia's limited housing supply has been further stretched by a number of factors, including "the resumption of migration at pace, rising interest rates, skills shortages, elevated construction company insolvencies, weak consumer confidence and cost inflation." She also said high housing prices have "ugly" long-term effects.

Persons: Andrew Merry, Eliza Owen, Jim Chalmers, Albanese, Peter Dutton, Owen, CoreLogic's Owen Organizations: Australia, Reserve Bank, Australian Bureau, Statistics, CoreLogic, ABS, Housing Supply, Authorities, Australian Bureau of Statistics Locations: North Bondi, Sydney, Australia, CoreLogic Australia

☆ Musk wins court reprieve in fight against Australian government over church stabbing videos
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk's social media platform X won a reprieve Monday after an Australian court refused to extend a temporary order to block videos of a Sydney church stabbing. Following the incident, the country's eSafety Commissioner was granted a temporary legal injunction ordering X to hide posts that showed footage of the attack. In an interview last month, Albanese said Musk thinks "he's above Australian law" and called him out for his "arrogance." "The e-Safety Commissioner has made a ruling. Still, online safety "requires platforms to do everything practical and reasonable to minimize the harm it may cause to Australians," the eSafety Commissioner added.

Persons: Elon Musk, The Beverly Hilton, Elon, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Musk, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, " Albanese Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, The Beverly, eSafety, Tech Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Sydney

☆ A Chinese fighter jet popped flares in the path of an Australian military helicopter in an 'unsafe' Yellow Sea intercept, Canberra says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe Australian government said Monday that a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force fighter jet released flares dangerously close to an Australian Defence Force helicopter over the weekend. The PLAAF jet intercepted the Royal Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter attached to HMAS Hobart in the Yellow Sea and "released flares across the flight path of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) helicopter," the Australian government said in a statement. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said a Chinese J-10 fighter aircraft popped flares about 300 meters in front of the helicopter and about 60 meters above it, per reporting from the AP. Related stories"This was an unsafe manoeuvre which posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel," the statement said. This isn't the first incident involving a Chinese jet engaging in troubling behavior in the vicinity of an Australian aircraft.

Persons: —, Operation, Richard Marles Organizations: Service, Liberation Army Air Force, Australian Defence Force, Royal Australian Navy, ADF, Business, Australian Defense, China, of Defense, Military, Security, U.S Locations: Hobart, North Korea, Chinese, Canberra, Beijing, Australian, China, People's Republic of China

Great Barrier Reef, Australia CNN —As the early-morning sun rises over the Great Barrier Reef, its light pierces the turquoise waters of a shallow lagoon, bringing more than a dozen turtles to life. CNN witnessed bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in mid-February, on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern parts of the 2,300-kilometer (1,400-mile) ecosystem. “It’s a die-off,” said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist at the University of Queensland in Australia and chief scientist at The Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Our destination is Lady Elliot Island, a remote coral cay perched on top of the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. — Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort Guano miners once stripped Lady Elliot Island of its topsoil.

Persons: Elliot Island, ”, Kate Quigley, “ We’re, Ove Hoegh, I’m, Guldberg, ‘, Elliot, Peter Gash, “, ” Gash, Lady Elliot, ” Peter Gash, CNN Gash, Derek Manzello, Peter Harrison, “ We’ve, ” Harrison, ” David Ritter, ” Ritter, David Wachenfeld Organizations: Australia CNN —, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, CNN, Minderoo, University of Queensland, Eco, Reef Watch, Southern Cross University, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Greenpeace, Australia CNN Scientists, AIMS Locations: Australia, El, Brisbane, Queensland, Red Sea, Indonesia, Seychelles, Caribbean, Florida, “, New South Wales, Greenpeace Australia, Briggs, Elliot Island

They call it an encirclement of their nation and say the United States is trying to constrain its main economic and military rival. The United States also has a new security agreement with Papua New Guinea. On Wednesday, Mr. Biden signed a $95-billion supplemental military aid and spending bill that Congress had just passed and that includes $8.1 billion to counter China in the region. In addition, the United States continues to send weapons and Green Beret trainers to Taiwan, a de facto independent island and the biggest flashpoint between the United States and China. A swarm of Chinese militia and Coast Guard vessels chased a Philippine Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea last year.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Yuri Gripas, ” Ely Ratner, Xi, ” Kurt Campbell, Joseph Wu, ”, “, Samuel J, Paparo Jr, Mr, Paparo, Carl Vinson, Richard A, Brooks, Trump, Lloyd J, Austin III, Chen Jining, Jes Aznar, David H, Berger, Obama, Tony Mcdonough, United States —, Admiral Paparo, China’s “ revanchist, we’re Organizations: Australian, U.S, Marines, United, Pentagon, Corps, Mr, White House, White, The New York Times, American, Marine, Green, China’s, Liberation Army, Seoul SOUTH, Pacific Command, People’s Liberation Army, Agence France, Nuclear Forces Treaty, Defense, Communist Party, Tokyo Okinawa, U.S . Navy, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Army, Philippines Luzon Partner, Australia Darwin Potential, NATO, Tomahawk Locations: Beijing, United States, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, Asia, Pacific, U.S, China, Shanghai, South China, South Korea, Guam, Washington, Manila, Taipei, People’s Republic of China, Palau, West Papua, Seoul, Tokyo JAPAN CHINA Taipei TAIWAN Hong Kong, GUAM philippines MALAYSIA INDONESIA JAPAN CHINA TAIWAN, philippines GUAM, INDONESIA Seoul, GUAM philippines, MALAYSIA INDONESIA, Philippine, Moscow, Tokyo, Ryukyu Islands, South, Philippines Luzon, Luzon, Spratly, Australia, Canberra, Singapore, Darwin, Australia’s, . North Carolina, Virginia, Perth, United Kingdom, Navy’s, America

☆ 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

☆ Elon Musk vs Australia: Fight heats up over Sydney church stabbing video on X
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The country’s e-safety commissioner ordered social media giants to take it down. Australia wants X to remove the video completely, not just hide it from Australian users who could circumvent a local ban by using virtual private networks. With her message to Musk, Australian Senator Jacqui Lambie posted an image of herself in army fatigues taken at a Veteran Mentors' Junior Leadership camp in January. President David Adler told CNN he hadn’t been asked to take it down, either by X or Australia’s e-safety commissioner. In a statement Wednesday, Australia’s eSafety commissioner said the takedown request wasn’t designed to stifle discussion about the church attack.

Persons: Elon Musk, that’s, X, ’, Anthony Albanese, Jacqui Lambie, “, hadn’t, ”, fatigues, AJA, David Adler, Adler, AJA hasn’t, Krissy Barrett, Reece Kershaw, Marcus Hoyne, Bishop, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Joanne Gray, Grzegorz Wajda, Gray, Musk, Musk’s, Australia’s, Lambie’s Organizations: Australia CNN, Christian Church, Australian, Leadership, Australian Jewish Association, CNN, ” CNN, Joint Counter, Counter, New South Wales Police Seven, Australian Federal Police, AFP, Australia’s Security Intelligence Organisation, National Press Club, Musk, Court, Bishop Mar, Good Shepherd, University of Sydney, European Jewish Association, X Corp Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Sydney, Tasmania, United States, New, Australia’s, Krakow, Poland

☆ Elon Musk is waging war on multiple fronts — and now Australia is in the firing line
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Musk has been in public spats with Brazil's Supreme Court and the Australian government this year. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Musk said on Friday: "The Australian censorship commissar is demanding global content bans." Musk said on X the content had been "censored" for Australia, "pending legal appeal, and it is stored only on servers in the USA." Representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: Elon, Musk, —, That's, he's, Mar Mari Emmanuel, Australia's, Tanya Plibersek, Alexandre de Moraes, de Moraes, Brazil's, De Moraes, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy's, Donald Trump Jr Organizations: Twitter, Brazil's, Service, Reuters, Australia's eSafety, BBC News, SpaceX, Getty, Business Locations: Sydney, Australian, Australia's, Australia, USA, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, Ireland, Dublin

☆ ‘Heart-breaking’: Refugees once detained offshore by Australia warn the UK government not to push through its Rwanda policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Antoinette Radford | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The policy enjoys bipartisan political support in Australia, with both the coalition and Labor governments backing offshore detention. And on face value, the UK’s proposed offshore detention policy follows a similar model to that of Australia. Australia’s own offshore detention policy has been heavily criticized and fraught with controversy – but still seems to exert considerable appeal for some UK politicians. Another difference between two nations stems from the fact Australia does not have a human rights charter, Tubakovic said. She notes that the UK is still bound by human rights obligations, particularly as a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Persons: CNN — “, Behrouz Boochani, “, ”, Boochani, Mostafa Azimitabar –, –, ” Azimitabar, Rwanda Bill, Dan Kitwood, Rishi Sunak, Tony Abbott, Jonas Gratzer, Alexander Downer, Downer, Tamara Tubakovic, “ It’s, Tubakovic, David Gray, ” Tubakovic Organizations: CNN, Kurd, European, of Human, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, Labor, Refugee Council of Australia, ‘, Conservative, English Channel, UK Border Force, University of Melbourne, University of Oxford, Human Rights, of Human Rights, UN, Reuters Locations: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Iran, Indonesia, Australia, Nauru, Manus, Melbourne, United Kingdom, Rwanda, England, Britain, British, France, Sydney

☆ What's so great about Australia's retirement plan — and what it means for America
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Australia's superannuation system mandates employer-funded retirement contributions. Meanwhile, the US retirement system has become anxiety-inducing for many, as older adults struggle to make ends meet. AdvertisementAustralian retirement system puts saving responsibility on employers, not employeesAmerica's current retirement infrastructure includes two major categories: defined contribution plans and Social Security. This differs from the American system, where retirees' money is often held between a 401(k), other accounts, and outside investments. Still, Reilly cautioned that applying Australia's retirement system to the US could negatively affect employee wages.

Persons: —, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Catherine Reilly, Reilly, Larry Fink, Fink Organizations: Service, Challenger Limited, Money, TIAA Institute, Georgetown University's Center for Retirement, Social Security, BlackRock, Employers, Pew Charitable Trust Locations: Australia, America, California, Colorado

☆ Five workers with World Central Kitchen killed in Israeli attack in Gaza, group says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Caitlin Stephen Hu | Abeer Salman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Videos obtained by CNN show the bodies of multiple people wearing World Central Kitchen vests following an airstrike in the central city of Deir Al-Balah. World Central Kitchen provides meals to disaster-struck regions and communities. World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés confirmed the five deaths to CNN. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” he added. The shipment included enough ingredients for 500,000 meals that World Central Kitchen planned to distribute in the strip, where hundreds of thousands people are on the brink of famine.

Persons: José Andrés, @WCKitchen, ” Andrés, “, ” “, ”, Andrés, Hurricane Maria Organizations: CNN, “, Twitter, Central, Israel Defense Forces, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, United Nations Locations: Gaza, Deir Al, Britain, Poland, Australia, Haiti, Hurricane, Puerto Rico, Southern California, Venezuelan, WCK, Ukraine

☆ Horizontal Falls: Why tourists are being banned from riding boats through this Australian natural wonder
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Ronan O Connell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

For decades, tours have pierced these gaps on powerful boats, much to the dismay of the area’s Indigenous Traditional Owners, who say the site is sacred. Talbot Bay’s main boat tour operator, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, will cease traversing the falls in March 2028, with all other operators to stop by the end of 2026. Jeff Mauritzen/Design Pics Editorial/Getty ImagesThe Horizontal Falls ban aims to restore the sanctity of this site. In preparation for the Horizontal Falls ban, the Dambeemangaddee stated they have begun creating new videos and brochures that will explain their culture and spiritual connection to Talbot Bay. “By traversing the falls, visitors experience the awesome nature of this unique environment,” Hall said in a statement earlier this month.

Persons: It’s, Jeff Mauritzen, it’s, Talbot Bay’s, David Attenborough, ”, Reece Whitby, Evan Hall, ” Hall, “, Sally Shaw, ” Shaw Organizations: CNN, Owners, Western, WA Tourism Council, Traditional Owners, WA Government, Western Australian, WA, UNESCO, Tourism Council, National Parks, Kimberley Day Locations: Talbot, Western Australia, Talbot Bay, WA, Kimberley Region, Perth, British, Australia, Kimberley

☆ China lifts tariffs on Australian wine, ends three-year freeze in trade
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

China will lift anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs on Australian wine from March 29, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Thursday, ending three years of punitive levies and offering long-awaited relief to Australian wine producers. "We welcome this outcome, which comes at a critical time for the Australian wine industry," the Australian government said in a statement. "Since 2020, China's duties on Australian wine effectively made it unviable for Australian producers to export bottled wine to that market. When the tariffs on Australian wine were levied in 2021, Canberra urged the WTO to arbitrate in the dispute. "Today's announcement is a significant positive not only for Treasury Wine Estates, but also for the Australian wine industry and wine consumers in China," CEO Tim Ford said in a statement.

Persons: Australia's, Tim Ford Organizations: World Trade Organisation, WTO, Wine, Treasury Wine Estates Locations: Chirnside Park, Victoria, Australia, China, Canberra, Beijing

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

☆ Australia Wanted to Catch Chinese Spies. Is This Really Whom It Had in Mind?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The police officers asked the man what he meant when he said that involving an Australian government minister in a charity event could benefit “us Chinese.” Was he talking about mainland China and the Chinese Communist Party, or the local Australian Chinese community? Depending on the answer, he faced up to 10 years in prison. “You are understanding the Chinese is China. We always say, ‘I’m Chinese,’ that not mean, ‘I’m mainland China,’” said the man, Di Sanh “Sunny” Duong, who was brought in for questioning. Blockbuster prosecutions revealing sophisticated tactics seemed to be just around the corner.

Persons: ”, ’ ”, Di, Duong, “ Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, Blockbuster Locations: China, Mainland China, United States

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — French defense industry heavyweight Naval Group has been chosen to build four new diesel-electric submarines for the Dutch navy, the government announced Friday, in a provisional deal to replace three ageing Walrus Class subs. The Dutch government did not immediately announce the price tag for the new submarines. “Our shipyards can build excellent surface ships themselves, but unfortunately we have not had any Dutch navy yards that can design and build submarines themselves for more than 25 years," Economic Affairs Minister Micky Adriaansens said in a statement. Instead, Australia had struck a deal with the United States and Britain to provide submarines powered with U.S. nuclear technology, which French leaders said was sealed behind their backs. In a move to heal relations with France, Canberra later agreed to pay Naval Group a 555-million-euro settlement for breaking the contract.

Persons: “, Micky Adriaansens Organizations: Naval, Walrus, Ministry of Defense, Barracuda, ” Naval, Saab, Economic, ”, French Locations: HAGUE, Netherlands, ThyssenKrupp, Germany, French, Australia, United States, Britain, France, Canberra

☆ China ambassador says Australia wine tariff review on track
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's review of tariffs on Australian wine is progressing well, Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian said on Monday, but he stopped short of confirming an Australian government claim the dispute would be resolved this month. China's review of tariffs on Australian wine is progressing well, Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian said on Monday, but he stopped short of confirming an Australian government claim the dispute would be resolved this month. "Currently, Chinese authorities are reviewing and investigating our tariffs on Australian wine and things are moving on the right track, in the right direction," Xiao told the Australian Financial Review Business Summit. A day earlier, Australia's trade minister said China would complete its review into the years-long wine tariffs by the end of March. The standoff over China's tariffs of up to 218% on Australian wine remains unresolved.

Persons: Helen, Joey, Xiao Qian, Xiao Organizations: Australian Financial, Business, Australian, World Trade Organization Locations: Shiraz, Yarra, Greater Melbourne, Australia, China, Beijing

☆ Australia: Mass coral bleaching event underway at Great Barrier Reef
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This is the seventh mass bleaching event to hit the vast, ecologically important but fragile site and the fifth in only eight years. Covering nearly 133,000 square miles (345,000 square kilometers), the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 411 species of hard corals. Severe mass bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef had previously been observed in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2022. Sunrise over the Great Barrier Reef at Lady Elliot island on October 10, 2019. Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket/Getty Images/FileBy continuing on the current pathway, “we risk losing the Great Barrier Reef and the $6 billion sustainable tourism industry,” said Schindler.

Persons: CNN —, El Niño, ”, Tanya Plibersek, Anthony Albanese, Dr, Lissa Schindler, Lady Elliot, Jonas Gratzer, Schindler, “, David Ritter, Derek Manzello Organizations: CNN, Park Authority, Australian Institute of Marine Science, El, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Australian, Australia, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Labor, Oceanic, NOAA, Reuters, Reef Watch Locations: Australia, Lady, Southern, Pacific

☆ Facebook is getting rid of the News tab in the U.S. and Australia
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Meta said Thursday that it would remove a dedicated section for news articles in April that will affect Facebook users in the United States and Australia. "The number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the U.S. has dropped by over 80% last year." Meta's decision to remove the Facebook News tab comes after the company said in September that it would eliminate the news section for Facebook users in the U.K., France and Germany. However, Meta said that it "will not enter into new commercial deals for traditional news content in these countries and will not offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future." A year ago, Facebook represented about 50% the media outlets' social traffic.

Persons: Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Jay Y, Lee, Meta, it's, Chartbeat, Similarweb, Mother Jones, Monika Bauerlein, Bauerlein, Sam Altman Organizations: Meta, Samsung Electronics, South Korean, Seoul Economic, Facebook, U.S, CNBC, Canadian, Nvidia Locations: South Korea, Seoul, United States, Australia, France, Germany

☆ Australia’s Great Barrier Reef suffers ‘extensive’ coral bleaching, as scientists fear seventh mass bleaching event
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The southern Great Barrier Reef is suffering from extensive coral bleaching due to heat stress, the reef’s managers said Wednesday, raising fears that a seventh mass bleaching event could be unfolding across the vast, ecologically important site. Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket/Getty ImagesThe Great Barrier Reef’s managers plan to extend aerial and in-water surveys across the entire reef over the coming weeks. Hotter ocean temperatures caused severe mass bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017 and 2020. Last year, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided not to add the Great Barrier Reef to its list of sites “in danger,” despite scientific evidence suggesting the risk of another mass bleaching event. Greenpeace’s Ritter said that following the decision, “the Australian government promised to do everything it can to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

Persons: Mark Read, Elliot, Jonas Gratzer, ”, Neal Cantin, Maya Srinivasan, ” Srinivasan, ” David Ritter, “, ” Ove Hoegh, Greenpeace’s Ritter Organizations: CNN, Park Authority, Australian Institute of Marine Science, El, James Cook University, Marine Park Authority, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Foundation, Oceanic, UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Labor Locations: Keppel, Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, Cairns, Florida, Caribbean

☆ 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

☆ Prabowo Subianto: Once banned from the US, this fiery ex-army general is poised to lead Indonesia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“The most important objective of democracy is giving people the leaders and representatives they want,” Prabowo told reporters from his pool. Antara Foto/Galih Pradipta/ReutersMany are excited about a Prabowo presidency, like this hardcore supporter who has clearly taken his support to the extreme. Bagus Saragih/AFP/Getty ImagesMore recently, Prabowo has presented himself as a loyal Jokowi ally, serving as his defense minister for the past five years. Experts say Prabowo, known for his fiery speeches, military background and combative past will make for a very different kind of president. Indonesia has long been one of Australia’s most important bilateral relationships and experts say that will not change with Prabowo in charge.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, ” Prabowo, Prabowo, Indonesia’s, Partai Probawo, Gibran, “ Prabowo, ”, Zachary Abuza, Abuza, “, Antara, Pradipta, Saragih, Widodo, Barack Obama, Tom Pepinsky, Rodrigo Duterte, Javier Milei, Trump, ” “, Dita Alangkara, Jokowi, Jacqui Baker, Laura Schwartz, Schwartz, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Adek Berry, Chong Ja Ian, Suharto, –, Dan Slater, Prabowo “, ” Slater, Chaideer Mahyuddin, Chong, Juni Kriswanto, Usman Hamid, Papuans, Veronica Koman, ” Koman Organizations: CNN, National War College, Getty, Southeast Asia, Cornell University, “, Center, Research, Senior Southeast, National University of Singapore, Center for Emerging Democracies, University of Michigan, Muda Airforce, Amnesty International Locations: Jakarta, United States, South Jakarta, Washington ,, AFP, Indonesia, Singapore, Ukraine, Russia, China, Australia, Asian, Perth, Asia, Beijing, Washington, “ Washington, Sultan, Muda, Aceh, West Papua, South China, Tentara Nasional Indonesia, Southeast Asia, “, Papua, Amnesty International Indonesia, restive, Indonesian, East Timor

An Australian writer and businessman who has been detained in China since 2019 has been declared guilty of espionage and was given a death sentence with two years’ probation on Monday, in a blow to warming relations between Australia and China. If Mr. Yang does not commit any crimes in those probationary two years, the sentence can be commuted to life imprisonment, Penny Wong, the Australian foreign minister, said in a statement. She described the verdict as “harrowing.”The long detention of Mr. Yang — who is also known by his legal name, Yang Jun — has been one of the sources of tensions between Australia and China. Now the severe sentence may again weigh on relations, which had been improving after the election of a new, center-left Labor government in Australia in 2022. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, visited Beijing late last year and has pressed for Mr. Yang’s release.

Persons: Yang Hengjun, Yang, Penny Wong, Yang —, Yang Jun —, Anthony Albanese Organizations: China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Labor Locations: Australian, China, Australia, Beijing

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