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☆ ‘They have crossed a line’: Australian university orders pro-Palestinian protesters to vacate building
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Pro-Palestinian protesters occupying a building at the University of Melbourne have been told to leave by university officials, who say they’ve “crossed a line” by entering the building and disrupting class for thousands of students. Martin Keep/AFP/Getty ImagesOn the video, protesters said they wouldn’t leave until the university responded to their demands, which include divesting from weapons companies and condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza. The University of Melbourne says student protesters "crossed a line" by occupying the building. Meanwhile, at least seven student protesters at Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra have received letters from the university telling them to leave the site by the end of Friday. In his video message distributed by the University of Melbourne, Wesley called on protesters to “peacefully end the occupation.”“Red lines have been crossed,” he said.

Persons: ”, Michael Wesley, “, Dana Alshaer, Mahmoud Alnaouq, Pip Nicholson, Martin, hadn’t, Alshaer, they’d, Jasmine Duff, for Palestine Victoria, Nick Reich, Wesley Organizations: Australia CNN — Pro, University of Melbourne, “, Arts West, ”, of Melbourne, Victoria Police, Hamas, Getty, Protesters, Deakin University, CNN, for Palestine, Australian National University, ANU, University Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Israel, UniMelb, Palestine, Gaza, Melbourne, Canberra, “

☆ Alarmed by Climate Change, Astronomers Train Their Sights on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Katrina Miller | Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Bush fires that had been on the horizon the day before were now rapidly approaching. That afternoon, from her home some miles away, Dr. Sackett watched burning embers fall from a smoky sky and worried. The fires also destroyed 500 homes across greater Canberra, and killed four people. The incident was an early warning for astronomy: Wildfires, exacerbated by climate change, were becoming a problem for their field. Since then, several other observatories have been damaged or threatened by fires and other extreme weather, and changing atmospheric conditions have made ground-based astronomical research more challenging.

Persons: Penny Sackett, . Sackett Organizations: Australian Locations: Stromlo, Canberra

☆ Developing Taiwan’s own ‘Starlink’ crucial for island-wide emergency, space agency says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The communication satellite is very important for our communication resilience during urgent periods,” Wu said, calling it his agency’s most sensitive project. Taiwanese authorities previously announced the space agency would develop two communication satellites, the first of which could be launched by 2026. Wu Jong-shinn, director general of the Taiwan Space Agency, speaks to CNN on March 5, 2024 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. In the future, Taiwan’s satellite system could replace third-party deals, but Wu, the space agency director, declined to provide more specific details about the project’s timeline. A rocket model in development at the Taiwan Space Agency on March 5, 2024 in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, Wu Jong, shinn, Elon, Wu, ” Wu, ” Starlink, Heidi Levine, John Mees, CNN Brad Tucker, you’re, ”, Su, yun, OneWeb, Sam Yeh, Lai Ching, Tsai Ing, Taiwan’s, “, CNN’s Will Ripley Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Taiwan Space Agency, CNN, Musk’s SpaceX, SpaceX, Ukrainian, The Washington Post, Communist Party, Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Australian National University, Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Getty, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Apple, Nvidia, Triton Locations: Hsinchu, Taiwan, China, Gaza, Beijing, London, Xiamen, Taiwan's, AFP, Guiana, South America

☆ Australia’s problem with male violence is getting worse. So, what’s the solution?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Late Monday, new figures showed a 28% jump in intimate partner homicide in 2022-23, compared to the previous year – ending what had been a decades-long trend of decline. Around 4,000 people marched through the streets of Brisbane on April 28 to call for action on gendered violence. The deaths took the toll to 27 women allegedly killed by a partner or former partner so far this year, according to the Counting Dead Women project. “We don’t have good programs for men with mental illness and personality disorders who use these types of violence. We don’t have a lot of really accessible drug and alcohol treatment programs for men who use violence.

Persons: Daniel McCormack, Daniel Sloss, “, ”, McCormack, Samantha Bricknell, we’ve, Anthony Albanese, –, Hilary Whiteman, wasn’t, Lukas Coch, Hayley Boxall, Albanese, ’, ” Albanese, ” Boxall, ” Bricknell, Emily Garnett, there’ll, ” McCormack, he’s, “ I’ve, ‘ That’s Organizations: Australia CNN, Australian, of Criminology, ”, Australia, CNN, New South, Australian National University, Wales, Nations, First Nations, Brisbane Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Scottish, Bondi, Sydney, New South Wales, Canberra, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australian, Melbourne, England

☆ Sydney, Australia, stabbing: Mall attacker may have targeted women, police say, as more details emerge of his six victims
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Helen Regan | Sandi Sidhu | Mall Attacker Was Known To Authorities | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The community is devastated in the knowledge of their loss.”Police said Monday they had concluded their examinations of the shopping mall and the crime scene was being handed back to Westfield. More than 100 pieces of evidence were removed and will be forensically examined as part of the investigation, said Yasmin Catley, New South Wales Minister for Police. A woman cries as she comes out of the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on April 13, 2024. People react outside the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on April 13, 2024. The number of women killed by violence in Australia has ranged between 43 and 84 each year since Counting Dead Women began tallying deaths in 2012.

Persons: Joel Cauchi, Health Ryan, Cauchi, Karen Webb, ”, ” Webb, “, Lisa Maree Williams, Chris Minns, ” Minn, Yasmin Catley, David Gray, Baby, ‘, Ashlee Good, Good, Health Park, Ashlee, Faraz Tahir, ” Tahir, Adnan Qadir, Tahir, Anthony Albanese, KIIS, Yixuan Cheng, ’, undoubtably, Amy Scott, Scott, Webb, Amy, she’s, Roger Lowe, David GRAY, Lowe, New South Wales Premier Minns, Arthur Organizations: CNN, New South Wales ’, Health, New South Wales Police, ABC, ” Police, Getty, Police, Westfield, New South Wales Minister, “, “ Staff, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia, Australian, Embassy, Australia’s, Queensland Police, New South Wales Police Force, Queensland Police Service, New South Wales Premier, Minn Locations: Sydney’s, Bondi, Westfield, New South, New, Bondi Junction, Australia, Queensland, Sydney, AFP, Pakistan

☆ Sydney knife attacker had mental health issues, ideology not motive, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The man who fatally stabbed six people in Sydney had mental health issues in the past and there was no indication ideology was a motive in the attack in one of the city's busiest shopping centres, police said on Sunday. Cauchi's family recognised him and contacted police on Saturday after seeing news reports of the killings. Witnesses described how Cauchi, wearing shorts and an Australian national rugby league jersey, ran through the Westfield Bondi Junction mall with a knife. "This was a terrible scene," New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. Five of the six people killed were women, and the male victim was a shopping centre security guard, police said.

Persons: Joel Cauchi, Roger Lowe, Amy Scott, Anthony Cooke, Cauchi, Lowe, Ashlee Good Organizations: New, Queensland Police, Australian, rugby league, Westfield, New South Wales Police, Police Locations: Sydney, Queensland, New South Wales, Sydney's, New, Australia

☆ Universe’s brightest known object and fastest-growing black hole revealed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Astronomers have spotted the brightest known object in the universe, and it’s a quasar powered by the fastest-growing black hole on record, according to a new study. The black hole powering the quasar devours the equivalent of one sun per day and has a mass about 17 billion times that of our sun, the researchers found. A black hole is massive power sourceThe intense gravitational influence of black holes draws matter toward these celestial objects in such an energetic way that the process creates light. The blinding radiation is due to the black hole’s accretion disk, or the ring around the black hole where material gathers before being consumed. The team followed up with observations from the powerful Very Large Telescope in Chile’s Atacama Desert to confirm details about the black hole, including its hefty mass.

Persons: ”, Christian Wolf, ” Wolf, Samuel Lai, Wolf, Southern Observatory’s Schmidt, Christopher Onken Organizations: CNN —, Southern, National University’s College of Science, National University’s Research, of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Hubble, Southern Observatory’s, Sky Survey, Sky, Dark Energy Survey, Energy Survey, ESO Locations: Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Atacama

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers have discovered what may be the brightest object in the universe, a quasar with a black hole at its heart growing so fast that it swallows the equivalent of a sun a day. The record-breaking quasar shines 500 trillion times brighter than our sun. The black hole powering this distant quasar is more than 17 billion times more immense than our sun, an Australian-led team reported Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. The rotating disk around the quasar's black hole — the luminous swirling gas and other matter from gobbled-up stars — is like a cosmic hurricane. Further analysis shows the mass of the black hole to be 17 to 19 billion times that of our sun, according to the team.

Persons: —, Christian Wolf, ”, Priyamvada Natarajan Organizations: —, Australian National University, Southern Observatory, ” Yale, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, Australian, gobbled, Australia

☆ Analysis-Indonesia's Prabowo Poised for Power, but How Will He Rule?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

One major question is how well, and for how long, his alliance with outgoing President Joko Widodo, or "Jokowi", will hold. On the campaign trail Prabowo has promised policy "continuity", but analysts say that is far from guaranteed. "Make no mistake a President Prabowo would be his own president." 'UNCERTAINTY' ON THE CARDSIn contrast to Jokowi, Prabowo is from an elite family, the son of a prominent Indonesian economist and the ex-son-law of the country's former authoritarian ruler, Suharto. Once his victory is officially endorsed, Prabowo will assume the controls of Southeast Asia's biggest economy on October 20.

Persons: Kate Lamb JAKARTA, Prabowo Subianto, Prabowo, Long, general's, Joko Widodo, Liam Gammon, Jokowi, Doug Ramage, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Indonesia's, Kevin O'Rourke, Suharto, “, He's, ANU's Gammon, Gammon, Kay Johnson, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Defence, Australian National University, ANU, Jokowi, Analysts, Human Rights Watch Locations: Indonesia, Prabowo, BowerGroupAsia, Indonesian, Ukraine, Qatar

☆ Risk of Prabowo remilitarizing the government and economy is very low
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGrowing authoritarianism is the greater risk of a Prabowo presidency, not remilitarizing: ProfessorGreg Fealy from the Australian National University discusses what a Prabowo presidency could look like after Indonesia's presidential elections this year.

Persons: Greg Fealy Organizations: Australian National University

Increasingly, voters are demanding that the men vying to succeed him address the tradeoffs between fast growth and a healthy environment in the world's fourth most populated country. In recent years, surging commodity prices have fueled fast economic growth and helped Indonesia become a middle-income country. That growth is expected to slow as the boom loses steam, according to a World Bank report. “That means, if the government forces its development, it will involve inefficient and unproductive allocation of resources.”Another campaign issue: food estate programs, massive plantations the government set up to fortify national food security. INDONESIA’S ENERGY TRANSITIONIn 2021, coal-rich Indonesia was the world’s ninth-largest source of carbon emissions that are causing global warming, according to a report by the International Energy Agency.

Persons: —, Joko Widodo, It's, Joko Widodo —, Prabowo Subianto, Josua Pardede, ”, Arianto Patunru, Baswedan, Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara, El Organizations: Permata Bank, EV, Australian National University, of Economic, Law Studies, International Energy Agency, World Bank, Youth, Bank, El Nino, AP Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jakarta, Nusantara, Borneo, Anies, Central Java, Widodo, Washington, Kalimantan

☆ Lowitja O’Donohue, trailblazer for indigenous Australian rights, dead at 91
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Lowitja O’Donoghue, one of the most respected and influential Aboriginal activists in Australian history, has died at age 91. Other titles included Australian of the Year in 1984, Australian National Living Treasure in 1998 and many others. O'Donoghue won many accolades and titles for her fierce campaigning for the health and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Mark Baker/AFP/Getty ImagesIn 2010, the Lowitja Institute was established in her honor, to promote the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. “Aunty Lowitja dedicated her entire lifetime of work to the rights, health, and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Persons: Lowitja, O’Donoghue, Pope John Paul II, O'Donoghue, Mark Baker, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, ”, Nana Organizations: CNN, Torres Strait, of, British Empire, Royal Adelaide Hospital, United Nations General, Getty, Lowitja, Aboriginal Locations: Adelaide, of Australia, British, Irish, Indulkana, South Australia, Australian, AFP, Australia

☆ My sons are in the Australian education system, while my nephew attends school in the US. Some differences surprised me.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Ash Jurberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

There was more school pride in my nephew's school in TexasWalking Cooper's school grounds, the sense of school pride was evident. The school mascot was on display; there were banners throughout the school, and lots of school events were being promoted. There are no school mascots, no banners, few school events, and, to be honest, a lot less school spirit. In 2021, my son's school made the state soccer championships, and I went to offer support. I can only imagine what a high school Texas football game would be like.

Persons: —, Cooper Organizations: Service, Australian, Texas Locations: Australia, Texas, San Antonio

GENEVA (AP) — Shares of Holcim Ltd. jumped Monday after the Swiss-based cement and building materials company announced plans to spin off its North American unit and list its shares in the U.S.Sunday's announcement of the listing and spinoff comes 15 months after Holcim’s French subsidiary Lafarge pleaded guilty to paying millions of dollars to the Islamic State group to keep a plant open in Syria and agreed to pay about $778 million in penalties in a settlement with U.S. authorities. At the time, the Islamic State group controlled a vast swath of Syrian territory and was engaged in torturing kidnapped Westerners. The listing, which is expected to be completed in the first half of next year, would create a North American unit that is targeting more than $20 billion in net sales by 2030, the company said. Holcim will retain its listing on the Swiss SIX stock exchange. Chairman and CEO Jan Jenisch will lead the North American operations and hand over duties of CEO of Holcim to executive committee member Miljan Gutovic, an Australian national, on May 1.

Persons: Lafarge, Holcim, Jan Jenisch, Miljan Gutovic, Jenisch Organizations: GENEVA, Holcim Ltd, American, Islamic, Islamic State, Swiss SIX, North, SIX Locations: Swiss, U.S, Syria, American, Australian, Zurich, Holcim

☆ Australia marks national day that stokes patriotism and anger
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Sydney CNN —“Australia Day is Dead!” Indigenous activist Gwenda Stanley chants into the loudspeaker, as a crowd of thousands breaks into applause. This is not a day to celebrate.”Nearby, Kevin Shaw-Taylor agrees January 26 is “absolutely not” an appropriate day for national celebrations. On the other side of the city, the Australia Day party was in full swing. A yacht sails in Sydney Harbor to mark Australia Day on January 16, 2024. Instead of guilt on Australia Day, a vast number of Australians “associate it with summer fun,” says Bongiorno, from the ANU.

Persons: Gwenda Stanley, It’s, Lynda, June Coe, Jenny Evans, ”, Grace, Elise, Kevin Shaw, Taylor, Arthur Phillip, Dan Himbrechts, EFE, Frank Bongiorno, –, Asanka Ratnayake, Chelsea Watego, “, Peter Dutton, ” Dutton, Dutton, Brad Banducci, Banducci, ” Banducci, Captain Cook, Queen Victoria, Queen, Diego Fedele, “ I’m, UQ’s, we’ve, we’re Organizations: Sydney CNN —, Indigenous, “, CNN, Australia, First Nations, Sydney, British Royal Navy, Australian National University, ANU, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders, Voters, Nations, Curumba, Sea, Indigenous Voice, Coalition, Woolworths, Sovereign Movement, Blak Locations: Sydney, “ Australia, Belmore, Sydney’s, Australia, Sydney Harbor, Melbourne, Queensland, Queen Victoria

☆ Test Yourself: Which Faces Were Made by A.I.?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Stuart A. Thompson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Test Yourself: Which Faces Were Made by A.I.? Research published across multiple studies found that faces of white people created by A.I. 90% got it wrong Real90% got it wrong A.I. 89% got it wrong Top photos identified as “A.I.” Real90% got it wrong Real86% got it wrong Real84% got it wrong A.I. The images in the study came from StyleGAN2, an image model trained on a public repository of photographs containing 69 percent white faces.

Persons: Taylor Swift, ”, Amy Dawel, Dawel Organizations: Australian National University, telltale Locations: ”, StyleGAN2

☆ Ange Postecoglou: How Australian coach is transforming his club and winning the hearts of soccer fans
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

However, the top flight of English soccer had never seen an Australian manager in its 31-year history – that is until the arrival of Ange Postecoglou. Ian MacNicol/Getty ImagesThe Australian was greeted with a similar reception when he was hired by London club Tottenham in the summer of 2023. “He’s inspired Australian football and inspired Australian football coaches,” Dr. Craig Duncan, one of the nation’s leading sports scientists who worked with Postecoglou during his tenure with the Socceroos – the Australian national team – told CNN Sport. So much so that, according to Duncan, many Australian football fans he has spoken to will immediately check the score of Tottenham’s matches when they wake up. “This isn’t about us playing good football, it’s about us winning games of football,” Postecoglou told reporters after a recent 2-1 defeat by West Ham.

Persons: Ange Postecoglou, Postecoglou, Callum McGregor, Ian MacNicol, “ We’ve, “ He’s, ” Dr, Craig Duncan, –, Duncan, ” Postecoglou, “, Postecoglou’s, Craig Foster, Foster, unemployable ”, Ryan Pierse, Postecoglou's, ” Duncan, Spurs, Antonio Conte’s, you’re, ”, Anusak, “ Ricky Sacks, Sacks, Pedro Porro, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, ’, Mauricio Pochettino, Pochettino, José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo, Conte, Harry Kane, Son Heung, he’s Organizations: CNN, Premier League, Spain’s Basque, Australian’s Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Scottish, Celtic, Glasgow, Scottish Premier League, London, Tottenham, Spurs, Socceroos –, Australian, CNN Sport, BBC Sport, Sky Sports, South Melbourne FC, FIFA, Australia, Panachaiki, Brisbane Roar, Roar, Melbourne Victory, Socceroos, Brisbane, Melbourne, Marinos, Tottenham Hotspur “, ” Spurs, ‘, Champions League, Bayern Munich, Spurs ’ Locations: Argentinians, Australia, Greece, Japan, Australian, Postecoglou, Athens, Victoria, Brazil, South Melbourne, Yokohama, Scotland, North London, West Ham, London

☆ Australia walks a tight rope on trade with China as security concerns mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 6, 2023. While trade compulsions have forced the Asia-Pacific nation to reach out to China, security concerns over Beijing's South China Sea claims have prevented a reset in ties. Trade talksPart of Beijing's calculus is rooted in Australia economic dependence on China. According to the Australian government, China is its largest trading partner, accounting for nearly a third of the country's total trade with the world. Australia is already closely watching potential flashpoints in the South China Sea, and in regard to Taiwan," Economist Intelligence Unit analysts said in a note.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Anthony Albanese, Ding Haitao, coronavirus, Darren Lim, Lee McLean, McLean, we've, Albanese, We've Organizations: Australian, of, People, Getty Images, Xinhua, Agency, Xinhua News Agency, Getty, Australian National University, Labor, Australia, U.S ., China Hub . Trade, CNBC, Sky News Australia, Economist Intelligence, U.S Locations: Beijing, China, Xinhua, Australia, Asia, Pacific, Canberra, U.S, South China, Taiwan, The Hague, Philippines

☆ New discoveries suggest Rhode Island shipwreck is Captain Cook's long-lost vessel after battle over ship's identity
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Australian researchers believe a shipwreck off the coast of Rhode Island is that of the HMS Endeavor. Previously, their claim was contested by their research partner, The Rhode Island Maritime Archeology Project. The Rhode Island Maritime Archeology Project did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment regarding the recent announcement of evidence. "We would like to work with the Rhode Island government to do that," Hosty told the outlet. "If it means working with Rhode Island Maritime Archaeology Project we'll work with them; we'll work with anyone who is willing to help us on this site."

Persons: —, Captain James Cook, Cook, Daryl Karp, Kieran Hosty, Hosty Organizations: HMS Endeavor, Australian National Maritime Museum, Rhode, Maritime Archeology, Service, HMS, British Royal Navy, Endeavour, Sydney Herald, Guardian, Herald, Maritime Locations: Rhode, British, Newport Harbor , Rhode Island, Australia, Newport

☆ Israel-Hamas deal will hold — with 'certain variations' to its terms, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIsrael-Hamas deal will hold — with 'certain variations' to its terms, analyst saysAnas Iqtait, lecturer at Australian National University, says it's a "very unstable deal with a very high level of mistrust" between both parties.

Persons: Anas Iqtait Organizations: Israel, Hamas, Australian National University

SYDNEY/BEIJING Nov 13 (Reuters) - Australia scored a significant win for influence in the Pacific Islands region with a trump card that China, seeking to expand security ties, doesn't have: the opportunity of resettlement. "It is something China can't do," said Australian National University Pacific expert Graeme Smith. "China can turn up and offer more infrastructure money... they can't turn up and offer this kind of resettlement relationship. Australia also will be able to block any policing deal between China and Tuvalu - as well as any telecommunications, energy or port deal - under its treaty. "Cooperation in the Pacific region tends to focus on non-traditional security, including maintenance of public security and infrastructure to deal with climate change," he added.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Graeme Smith, Richard Marles, Peter Dean, Smith, Wang Yiwei, Kirsty Needham, Martin Pollard, Miral Organizations: SYDNEY, Pacific, Australian National University Pacific, Pacific Islanders, Defence, United States Studies Centre, Albanese's, Pacific Games, State, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Renmin University, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Australia, China, Tuvalu, Washington, Beijing, Rarotonga, Sydney, Pacific Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Kiribati, U.S, United States, Pacific

☆ The US is quietly arming Taiwan against a Chinese invasion — but it could backfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementIn late August, the US approved an $80 million military grant to arm Taiwan against a potential Chinese invasion. It's part of a plan to wrong-step China's leaders and make them uncertain about how exactly the US would respond to Chinese attacks on Taiwan. "Those military packages are the Biden administration's efforts to build Taiwan's defense capabilities at a faster pace to match PLA [Chinese military] modernization efforts," said Kuo. Provoking ChinaSince the 1970s, the US has had a delicate diplomatic relationship with China, acknowledging the "One China" policy under which China claims ownership of Taiwan, yet also backing Taiwanese autonomy. "That could easily provoke exactly the Chinese attack on Taiwan that US policy aims to deter," he wrote.

Persons: Xi, —, Biden, Xi Jinping, HECTOR RETAMAL, Joe Biden, Graeme Thomson, Naiyu Kuo, Kuo, Thompson, Hugh White, Beijing's, Kavanagh Organizations: Taiwan, Service, Bloomberg, BBC, Communists, CNN, Getty Images, White, Eurasia Group, PLA, China, Strategic Studies, Australian National University, US Locations: China, Taiwan, Taiwan's, Taiwan Strait, China's, Fujian province, AFP, Washington ,, Beijing, Washington

☆ First Australian nationals leave Israeli-besieged Gaza for Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At least 320 foreign nationals left the Palestinian enclave to cross into Egypt on Wednesday, the first to benefit from a deal mediated by Qatar. Watts said there were still 65 Australians trapped in Gaza and the government had urged them, using all available communication channels, to move toward the Rafah crossing as soon as possible. "We are providing all possible support we can, communicating through all available channels," Watts told ABC television. The Gaza health ministry says at least 8,796 Palestinians in the narrow coastal enclave, including 3,648 children, have been killed by Israeli strikes. Watts said he also "strongly encouraged" Australians in Lebanon to leave the country after deadly clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Persons: Tim Watts, Watts, Renju Jose, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Hamas, Foreign, ABC, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, SYDNEY, Qatar, Lebanon, Iran, Beirut, Sydney

[1/3] China's Premier Li Keqiang waves as he arrives for a news conference after the closing ceremony of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 15, 2017. Li was premier and head of China's cabinet under Xi for a decade until stepping down from all political positions in March. Adam Ni, an independent China political analyst, described Li as "a premier who stood powerless as China took a sharp turn away from reform and opening". A glowing 2014 state media profile of Li, praising him as "a calm and tough wall-breaker", went viral shortly after his death was announced. Li's frequent visits to disaster sites and his easy camaraderie when speaking to ordinary people were also highlighted on Chinese state media.

Persons: Li, Damir Sagolj, Li Keqiang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Deng Xiaoping, Alfred Wu, Lee, Zhu Rongji, Wen Jiabao, Wu, Adam Ni, Jiang Zemin, Deng, Li Yining, Hu Jintao, Cheng Hong, Laurie Chen, Tian, William Mallard Organizations: People's Congress, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Communist Party, CCTV, Weibo, Australian National University, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public Policy, Peking University, Communist Party's Youth League, Youth League, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanghai, Singapore, Social, Anhui, Henan, Liaoning

☆ Once disgraced, Indonesian ex-general tipped for presidency after makeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto gestures while attending a meeting of his Gerindra Party, in Bogor, Indonesia August 12, 2022. "We are ready to move forward for Indonesia," Prabowo told a press conference. The former special forces commander has undergone a remarkable transformation since being appointed defence minister in 2019, cultivating a persona that is more charismatic statesman than fiery, pious nationalist, analysts say. An opinion poll published by Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI) this month showed Prabowo ahead of his two opponents with 34% support. It's a change from previous campaigns where we've seen nationalist populist Prabowo, and pro-Islamist Prabowo," said Ross Tapsell, from the Australian National University.

Persons: Prabowo, Willy Kurniawan, Prabowo Subianto, Joko Widodo's, Suharto, Lembaga Survei, Ganjar Pranowo, LSI's Djayadi Hanan, Jokowi, Prabowo's, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Suharto's, Siti Hediati Hariyadi, we've, Ross Tapsell, Najwa Shihab, Shihab, Andreas Harsono, Ananda Teresia, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Indonesian Defence, Party, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Pentagon, Australian National University ., Human Rights, Prabowo, Thomson Locations: Bogor, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Jordan, United States, Papua, East Timor, Lembaga Survei Indonesia, Europe, Middle, Paris, Beijing, Indonesian, Jakarta

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