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☆ Parents of Australian surfers murdered in Mexico remember loving sons who adored adventure
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The grieving parents of two Australian brothers killed on a surfing trip in Mexico alongside their American friend said their deaths had made the world a “darker place,” days after their sons’ bodies were identified. On Sunday, Mexican authorities confirmed their identities as the three missing friends with the help of relatives who flew out help investigators. Mexican authorities have vowed to investigate the murders, saying the surfers may have been attacked in an attempted vehicle robbery. Mexico’s homicide rate is among the highest in the world, and more than 100,000 people remain missing in the country. Studies show only around seven percent of murders in Mexico are ever solved.

Persons: Jake, Callum Robinson, Jack Carter Rhoad, ”, Debra Robinson, “, Carter Rhoad, Martin, Callum, “ Callum, Debra, Callum’s, Penny Wong, Jesús Gerardo “, “ El Organizations: CNN, Seven Network Australia, Australia’s, team, Seven, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Australian Federal Police, Australian Embassy Locations: Mexico, Ensenada, Tijuana, San Diego, Perth, Australia, United States, Baja California

☆ Asia stocks track Wall Street gains as softer-than-expected U.S. jobs data fuels rate cut hopes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's and Australia's flags are seen on the tables where China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong held their bilateral meeting at Parliament House in Canberra on March 20, 2024. Asia-Pacific markets tracked Wall Street gains on Monday as a softer-than-expected U.S. jobs report fueled hopes that the Federal Reserve could start cutting rates soon. Investors, meanwhile, awaited the Reserve Bank of Australia's rate decision on Tuesday and China's April trade data on Thursday. ING said in a note last week that the RBA meeting was "worth watching closely," adding that recent inflation data from Australia showed growth in prices was starting to accelerate. However, the analysts said Australia's inflation data was better than they had expected, and compared to the US, the country's economy had slowed more with the labor market softening substantially.

Persons: Wang Yi, Penny Wong Organizations: House, Wall, Federal Reserve, Investors, Reserve Bank, ING, Global Locations: Canberra, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Hong Kong, China, India, Japan, South

☆ Middle East Crisis Israeli Military Takes Responsibility for Strike That Killed 7 Aid Workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Ben Shpigel | Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

A car used by World Central Kitchen that was hit by a strike in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The Israeli military had been informed of the aid workers’ movements, the charity said. The World Central Kitchen logo could be seen on items inside the charred interiors of the northernmost and southernmost cars. Mr. Abutaha and other World Central Kitchen workers were thrilled to have the opportunity to unload the desperately needed food aid. The World Central Kitchen aid ship is headed back to Cyprus.

Persons: Deir al Balah, José Andrés, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ”, Erin Gore, Anthony Albanese, Zomi, Penny Wong, Damian Sobol, Wojciech Bakun, Zomi Frankcom, Associated Press David Cameron, John Chapman, James Henderson, James Kirby, Chapman, Henderson, Jacob Flickinger, Saif Abutaha, Abutaha, Shadi, “, Cameron, Israel “, Jamie McGoldrick, Haitham Imad, Mr, Netanyahu, ” Mr, Herzi Halevi, Daniel Hagari, Jennifer, Theodoros Gotsis, Gotsis, Patrick Kingsley, Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, Gabby Sobelman, Matina, Lauren Leatherby, Nader Ibrahim, Kim Severson Organizations: Central Kitchen, The New York Times, ”, ., Free Place Foundation, Associated Press, BBC, James Kirby . Local, Royal Marines, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Central, West Bank, Najjar, United Nations, Agence France, Cypriot Locations: Deir al, Gaza, Spanish, Deir al Balah, Al, Rashid, Palestinian, United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, Poland, Australian, Polish, Przemysl, British, James Kirby . Local British, Palestine, Egypt, Israel, Rafah, Cyprus, Cypriot, Larnaca

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

☆ Cyberattacks: New Zealand joins UK, US in accusing China of espionage hacks as coordinated pressure on Beijing grows
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —New Zealand has joined the United States and the United Kingdom in accusing China of launching “malicious” cyberattacks through state-backed hackers, as Beijing comes under growing scrutiny in a big election year for democracies around the world. The Chinese embassy in London dismissed the claims as “completely unfounded” and “malicious slander,” calling the sanctions “outright political manipulation.”“China is a major victim of cyberattacks. We have firmly fought and stopped all kinds of malicious cyber activities in accordance with the law, and have never encouraged, supported or condoned cyberattacks,” the embassy said, reiterating Beijing’s long-held stance on the matter. Australia and the European Union has also expressed solidarity with the UK and voiced concerns over China’s alleged malicious cyber activities. Without naming China, the EU said it would continue to monitor and address malicious cyber activities and stand ready to take further action when necessary.

Persons: Judith Collins, “, Zealand’s, ” Collins, Wang Xiaolong, Winston Peters, ” Peters, Penny Wong, Clare O’Neil Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, United, New, UK, Parliamentary, Office, Parliamentary Service, New Zealand, Wellington, European Union, Australia’s Foreign, Home Affairs, Inter, Parliamentary Alliance Locations: Hong Kong, Zealand, United States, United Kingdom, China, Beijing, New Zealand, London, PRC, Australia, EU, Canada

☆ China and New Zealand pledge deeper trade and economic cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

China and New Zealand are working toward implementing an upgraded version of the free trade agreement between the two countries. Wang met New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay during an official visit to New Zealand. New Zealand was the first developed country to sign a bilateral free trade deal with China in 2008. China's door to the world will open even wider, Wang said, pledging to forge closer cooperation with New Zealand in the next decade and emphasizing on the need to safeguard free trade. He will be holding the seventh China-Australia Foreign and Strategic Dialogue with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in his visit to Australia.

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, Todd McClay, McClay, Winston Peters, China's, Peters, Penny Wong Organizations: Xinhua, New Zealand Trade, New Zealand, Foreign Affairs, Australian Foreign Locations: China, New Zealand, New, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet, Zealand, South, Sea, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan, Beijing, Philippines, Wang, Australia, Mar

☆ Why Australia keeps an arm’s length from South China Sea tensions, even as it draws closer with the Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —When Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addressed the Australian Parliament last week there was no mistaking the fighting talk. The Philippines accused China's coast guard of setting up the barrier at the mouth of the disputed fishing ground. That meeting will also be attended by several other nations with territorial disagreements with China – including Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia. Collin Koh, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said Australia was unlikely to back any tough language at the summit pertaining to the South China Sea or any other hot-button issue. As Bisley put it, “We don’t like what China does, but we’re not going to put ourselves in harm’s way.”

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, ”, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, –, Thomas Shoal, David, China’s, Marcos ’, China –, Scott Morrison, Collin Koh, Penny Wong annouced, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Lukas Coch, Susannah Patton, it’s, ” Patton, China’s aggressions, Wang Wenbin, Nick Bisley, Bisley, we’re Organizations: CNN, Maxar, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, China, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Australia, Australian, Partners, Reuters, South China, Southeast Asia, Lowy Institute, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, La Trobe University Locations: Philippines, China, South China, Manila, China’s, Philippine, Scarborough, Scarborough Shoal, Hague, United States, Canberra, Australia, Melbourne, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Beijing, Singapore, South, Penny Wong annouced Canberra, Southeast Asia, Japan, India

☆ PNG Assures Australia on Security Ties as Leader Marape Arrives on Visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Australia and the United States have been alarmed by China's security ambitions in the Pacific Islands region since Beijing struck a security and policing deal with Solomon Islands. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma urged PNG to reject a security deal with China, in comments reported by the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday. PNG would not strike a security agreement with China, he said in an interview with the ABC broadcast on Wednesday. China "understand clearly where we stand on security in the region and that is with our close traditional partners, Australia, U.S., New Zealand", he added. Even before the riots, he had pointed to law-and-order concerns and said boosting security would help to attract foreign investment in PNG's burgeoning resources sector.

Persons: James Marape, Marape, Justin Tkachenko, Tkachenko, Richard Verma, Tkatchenko, Penny Wong, Kirsty Needham, Michael Perry Organizations: SYDNEY, Papua New Guinea, Reuters, U.S, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian, ABC Locations: Papua New, Canberra, Australia, China, United States, Beijing, Solomon Islands, Port Moresby, U.S, , New Zealand

☆ Australian writer Yang Hengjun given suspended death sentence in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Beijing court on Monday handed Australian writer Yang Hengjun a suspended death sentence, five years after he was first detained in China and three years after a closed-door trial on espionage charges. Yang's sentence was confirmed by another human rights lawyer in Beijing who has been following his case. Yang's family was "shocked and devastated by this news, which comes at the extreme end of worst expectations", said a family spokesman in Sydney. Australia had said it was troubled by repeated delays in Yang's case, and had advocated for his well-being, including access to medical treatment "at the highest levels". A Beijing court heard Yang's trial in secret in May 2021 and the case against him has never been publicly disclosed.

Persons: Yang Hengjun, Yang, Feng Chongyi, Penny Wong, Wong, Dr Yang Organizations: Australian Locations: Beijing, China, Australian, New York, Guangzhou, Sydney, Australia, United States

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

☆ Australian Foreign Minister Calls for 'Sustainable Ceasefire' at Start of Middle East Tour
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Lewis JacksonSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's foreign minister called on Monday for a "sustainable ceasefire" in Gaza as she left for a Middle East tour that includes a visit to the occupied West Bank and meetings with the families of Israeli hostages. "Our position is that we want to see a sustainable ceasefire and that we see an international humanitarian, immediate humanitarian ceasefire as a step towards that," Wong said at a news conference ahead of her departure. "No ceasefire can be one sided and no ceasefire can be unconditional." Wong will then travel to Jordan before visiting the West Bank, where she will meet representatives of communities affected by violence from Israeli settlers. "I will make clear Australia’s support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination and commitment to meeting humanitarian needs in Gaza and the West Bank," she said.

Persons: Lewis Jackson SYDNEY, Penny Wong, Wong, Israel, Lewis Jackson, Neil Fullick Organizations: West Bank, United, UN Locations: Gaza, Jordan, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Australia, U.S

☆ Safety of Defence Personnel 'Utmost Priority', Australia Says After China Warship Incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The safety and wellbeing of Australian defence personnel is Canberra's "utmost priority" and Australia expects all countries to operate militaries in a safe and professional manner, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday. Wong's comments came a week after an incident involving a Chinese warship and an Australian navy vessel in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in which an Australian military diver was injured. HMAS Toowoomba - a long-range frigate - was conducting a diving operation on Nov. 14 to clear fishing nets from its propellers when the Chinese warship acted in a dangerous manner, Australia has said. India's relations with China have deteriorated since a 2020 border clash between their militaries in which 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed. Australia, she added, "will cooperate where we can, we will disagree where we must, and we will engage in our national interest".

Persons: Penny Wong, Wong's, Anthony Albanese's, Wong, Subrahmanyam, Richard Marles, YP Rajesh, Krishn Kaushik, Sharon Singleton Organizations: PLA Navy, Liberation Army Navy, PLA, Defence, Indian, YP Locations: DELHI, Australian, Japan's, New Delhi, Toowoomba, Australia, Beijing, Canberra, Ningbo, China, India

☆ More than 180,000 demonstrators march in France against antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In Paris, an estimated 105,000 demonstrators joined the march, making it the largest mobilization against antisemitism since the protest against the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Carpentras in 1990, according to CNN affiliate BFM TV. Protesters were joined in the French capital by political figures including Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy. Tensions have been rising in France, and particularly in the capital, over the Israel-Hamas war, resulting in a surge in antisemitic incidents, according to French President Emmanual Macron. Pro-Palestinian rallies in EuropeThe marches against antisemitism in France came as pro-Palestinian demonstrators also rallied in multiple European capitals over the weekend. A pro-Palestinian demonstration also took place in Germany’s financial capital Frankfurt on Sunday, as well as in Barcelona and Brussels on Saturday.

Persons: Elisabeth Borne, Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Emmanual Macron, Macron, ”, ” Macron, Issac Herzog Sunday, Macron’s, Penny Wong, “, Israel, Matt Twist Organizations: CNN, BFM TV, Protesters, BBC, Hamas, Corner, Police Locations: France, Israel, Paris, Carpentras, Republic, Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Gaza, Elysee, Australia, Europe, London, London’s Hyde, Palestine, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Brussels

☆ 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 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 PM says China visit 'very positive' for bilateral relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday his much-anticipated visit to China to meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang marks a "very positive step" in stabilising strained bilateral ties. Arriving on Saturday, Albanese will be the first Australian leader to visit China since 2016, part of an effort to patch up relations that had deteriorated over several years due to disputes over Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, espionage and COVID-19. "It is a result of the patient, calibrated and deliberate approach that we have to the relationship with China." Albanese's government has taken credit for stabilising ties with China since coming to office last year. China has lifted most trade blocks imposed in a 2020 diplomatic dispute that cost A$20 billion in commodity and food exports.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Albanese, Xi, Li, " Albanese, Yang Hengjun, Penny Wong, Sam McKeith Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's, Huawei, Foreign, Thomson Locations: China, Darwin, Australia's Northern Territory, Shanghai, Beijing, South China, Tokyo, Sydney

☆ Australia's Albanese to highlight trade on China visit as ties warm
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A quarter of Australia's export earnings come from China, more than the next three trade partners, the United States, South Korea and Japan combined, Albanese said on Tuesday. "Trade as an anchor provides stability and certainty to allow greater engagement while we navigate uncertain currents and obstacles that lie beneath," said Australia China Business Council president David Olsson. Chairman of the Business Council of Australia's global engagement committee, Warwick Smith, said Albanese would highlight the complementary nature of bilateral trade in a speech on Sunday to 500 business people. DIFFICULT TOPICSChina has lauded the visit's timing, on the 50th anniversary of the first to China by an Australian leader, then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Although the Albanese government has put dialogue at the centre of its approach to China, most policy remains the same, he said.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Xi Jinping, Richard Marles, David Olsson, Li Qiang, Fortescue, " Olsson, Warwick Smith, Gough Whitlam, Penny Wong, Xiao Qian, Richard Maude, Thomas, Maude, Kirsty Needham, Robert Birsel Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia China Business, Fortescue Metals, Rio Tinto, BHP, Business Council, Asia Society Australia, America, Thomson Locations: China, Shanghai, South, Beijing, Australia, United States, Canberra, Britain, Washington, South Korea, Japan, Rio, CIIE, Philippines, Taiwan

☆ Australia plans more repatriation flights from Israel, subject to security issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Australia plans more flights to repatriate citizens from Israel after plans for two flights were cancelled on Saturday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, but they depend on concerns about security. "I can confirm that the Australian government is planning multiple flights to depart from Tel Aviv today for Australians wanting to leave," Wong told reporters in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. I want to stress these flights remain subject to factors including the security environment," she added on Sunday. Two planned flights were cancelled late on Saturday because of what the foreign affairs department called a "highly challenging" regional situation. More than 200 Australians and their families arrived safely in London, SBS News said, brought by the first of a planned series of repatriation flights that left Israel on Friday.

Persons: Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Penny Wong, Wong, Sam McKeith, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, SBS News, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Australia, Israel, Tel Aviv, Adelaide, South Australia, Palestinian, London, Sydney

☆ Australian journalist Cheng Lei back home after China release
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] Australian journalist Cheng Lei poses for a selfie at an unknown location in this undated picture obtained by Reuters on August 11, 2023. Nicholas Coyle/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who had been detained in China on national security charges for more than three years, returned home on Wednesday after being released, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. Cheng, who was tried in secret in March 2022, arrived in Melbourne and has been reunited with her two children and family, Albanese told a press conference. Albanese said he expected to visit China this year and told reporters dialogue with China was "a good thing". Albanese said Australia "continued to advocate" for another detained Australian journalist, Yang Hengjun, who has been held since January 2019.

Persons: Cheng Lei, Nicholas Coyle, Handout, Anthony Albanese, Cheng, Albanese, Penny Wong, I've, Xi Jinping, Ryan Neelam, " Albanese, Yang Hengjun, Yang, Adam Ni, Kirsty Needham, Laurie Chen, Alasdair Pal, Clarence Fernandez, Miral Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Australia's, Lowy Institute, Independent, Thomson Locations: Australian, China, Melbourne, Australia, Beijing, Independent China, Canberra, Sydney

☆ Australia police says pro-Palestinian protest plans 'unauthorised'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People take part in a pro-Palestinian rally outside the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, October 9, 2023. Australian officials said the new task force would help coordinate police actions. Hudson urged people not to take part in the protest rally planned in Sydney on Sunday. Israel's embassy in Washington said the death toll from the weekend Hamas attacks had surpassed 1,000. Australian woman Galit Carbone had died in the Hamas attacks, the first known Australian casualty, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Wednesday.

Persons: Dean Lewins, Israel, David Hudson, Hudson, Galit Carbone, Penny Wong, Renju Jose, Michael Perry Organizations: Palestinian, Sydney Opera House, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Hamas, New South Wales Police, Australian Jewish Association, Sky News, Police, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Palestinian, New, Gaza, Washington

☆ Rupert Murdoch's exit ends chapter for polarising figure in his native Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Even at a time when media consumption is splintering from traditional routes, particularly among younger people, Murdoch's influence is embedded in the country's information ecosystem because of its massive reach, media experts said. His local properties include Sky News Australia, a cable TV channel fashioned on the partisan style of U.S. network Fox News. "The Murdoch papers still have that key reach with working-class demographics that can still be influential," he said. "He has been in lots of ways a controversial figure, but an influential figure too, and this is an end of an era at News." Murdoch's exit cuts a native tie between News Corp and Fox Corp and Australia, where Murdoch was born.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Jonathan Ernst, Rupert Murdoch's, Stephen Mayne, Murdoch, Mayne, Shane Homan, Honan, Jim Chalmers, Chalmers, Penny Wong, Malcolm Turnbull, it's, Turnbull, Lachlan Murdoch, James Murdoch, Byron Kaye, Jamie Freed Organizations: USS, Air, Space Museum, REUTERS, Rights, Fox Corp, News Corp, Sky News Australia, Fox, Sky, Monash, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Labor, Labor Party, News, America, ABC, Google, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Adelaide, Australia, Britain, Australian, Sydney, Canada

REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/SYDNEY, Sept 20 (Reuters) - A cross-party delegation of Australian lawmakers that traveled to the United States seeking the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said they had a productive discussion in Washington with the U.S. Justice Department. The group of Australian lawmakers urged U.S. officials to drop their attempts to extradite Assange from a British prison to the United States, where he is wanted on charges over WikiLeaks' release of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables. "We had a fair hearing and we had a productive discussion," Australian Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said after the meeting. The delegation included lawmakers from the Labor government, the opposition Liberal and National parties, and the Greens. Labor Member of Parliament Tony Zappia said Australians believed Assange, an Australian citizen, had been punished enough and that his charges should be dropped.

Persons: Julian Assange, Alkis, Assange, Peter Whish, Wilson, Tony Zappia, Zappia, Assange's, Anthony Albanese, May, Albanese, Penny Wong, Kanishka Singh, Kirsty Needham, Stephen Coates, Michael Perry Organizations: WikiLeaks, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice Department, U.S, Labor, Liberal, National, Greens . Labor, Department of Justice, Justice Department, Australian, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: Britain, U.S, Athens, Greece, SYDNEY, United States, Washington, Australian, Afghanistan, Iraq, Australia, New York, Sydney

☆ Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar and what just happened between Canada and India?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Blair Gable/ReutersIndia responded hours later by rejecting Trudeau’s allegations, accusing Canada of harboring terrorists and claiming its inaction against extremists had been a “long-standing” concern. Nijjar’s death in June shocked the Sikh community in Canada, one of the largest outside India with more than 770,000 members. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun told CNN that Nijjar was asked to be careful and avoid giving “big talks” or he would be targeted. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with the youngest son of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while attending a ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi on February 23, 2018. When Trudeau visited India in 2018, his calendar, which was light on diplomatic meetings, was seen by many as a “snub” from New Delhi.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Canada wasn’t, ”, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, cratering, Nijjar, Melanie Joly, Blair Gable, –, “, Hardeep Singh, India’s UAPA, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Pannun, Harsh Pant, Modi, Narendra Modi, Canada's, PRAKASH SINGH, ” Pant, Michael Kugelman, Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Australia’s Anthony Albanese, Adrienne Watson, Penny Wong, I’m, ” Kugelman, would’ve “, Kugelman, Canada would’ve Organizations: CNN, Canadian, Canada, Reuters, Canada –, British Columbia Gurdwaras, India’s, Indian National Investigation Agency, Khalistan, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Justice, Observer Research Foundation, India's, AFP, Getty, Indian Army, South Asia Institute, Wilson Center, British, National Security, Australian Foreign Locations: India, New Delhi, United States, Canada, Ottawa, Indian, Reuters India, Canadian, British, Ontario, India’s Punjab, New York, AFP, Toronto, China, Australia, Britain, New Zealand

The tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was investigating “credible allegations” linking India to the June killing of Canadian citizen and prominent Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India’s foreign ministry on Tuesday responded in kind, saying it had expelled a senior Canadian diplomat based in India. “The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days,” it said in a statement. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India,” a statement shared with CNN said. That operation caused huge anger within the Sikh community and Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in the aftermath.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Hardeep Singh, ” Trudeau, Mélanie Joly, ”, Trudeau, Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, “, ” Nijjar, Nijjar, Penny Wong, Narendra Modi, Modi, Guru Nanak, Indira Gandhi, Gandhi Organizations: CNN, Ottawa, British, Sikh Organization, India’s, Indian National Investigation Agency, Khalistan, Government of, Canadian Government, Reuters, Canadian, Relations, Analysts, Indian Army, of, Air Locations: India, New Delhi, Canada, Indian, Ottawa, Canadian, Surrey, British Columbia, Government of India, Canada’s, Toronto, of Canada, Punjab, Britain, Pakistan, Air India, Australia

☆ China, Australia Hold First High-Level Dialogue in Three Years in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Joe CashBEIJING (Reuters) - China and Australia should "seriously consider" what they have learned from halting their high-level dialogue over the past three years, Li Zhaoxing, a former foreign minister, said on Thursday, as the talks restarted in Beijing. China accounts for nearly one-third of Australian trade, while Australia is China's eighth-largest trade partner. Diplomatic exchanges have been ramping up since Australia elected a Labor government in May 2022 and China lifted tariffs on its barley exports. "Over the past decades... China has not posed any threat to Australia, and will not do so in the future. The Australian delegation also includes former Liberal foreign minister Julie Bishop, whose inclusion was to show bipartisan political support, the statement said.

Persons: Joe Cash, Li Zhaoxing, Li, Craig Emerson, Penny Wong, Julie Bishop, Emerson, Anthony Albanese, Li Qiang, Whitlam’s, " Albanese, Kirsty Needham, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Joe Cash BEIJING, Australia, Labor, Australian, Australian Foreign, Liberal, Australia's, ASEAN Locations: China, Australia, Beijing, Canberra, Jakarta, Sydney

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