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☆ Indian police open investigation into London embassy protest - media
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, March 24 (Reuters) - Indian police have opened an investigation into a protest this week outside its High Commission in London, Reuters partner ANI reported on Friday, pursuing action on an incident that has raised tension in relations with Britain. Protesters with "Khalistan" banners took an Indian flag down from a first-floor balcony of the High Commission in the British capital on Sunday to denounce recent police action in India's Punjab state, British and Indian media reported. Khalistan is the name of an independent Sikh homeland that some members of that community aspire to, both at home in India and in countries where Sikhs have settled. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said acts of violence towards staff at the High Commission in London were unacceptable and British police were investigating. Police officials and the British embassy in New Delhi did not immediately respond to calls and messages seeking comment.

☆ Reaction to Lineker being pulled from presenting by the BBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But the decision to take Gary Lineker off air is indefensible. LABOUR PARTY LEADER KEIR STARMER"The BBC is not acting impartially by caving in to Tory MPs who are complaining about Gary Lineker." FORMER LABOUR LEADER JEREMY CORBYN"Well done Gary Lineker for standing up for refugees. FORMER CULTURE SECRETARY NADINE DORRIES"News that Gary Lineker has been stood down for investigation is welcome and shows BBC are serious about impartiality." "The perception out there is going to be that Gary Lineker, a much-loved television presenter, was taken off air after government pressure on a particular issue."

SYDNEY, March 8 (Reuters) - One of Australia's top government bureaucrats on Wednesday demanded Russia crack down on the large number of cyber criminals operating in the country, saying their actions posed a threat to national security. The comments come as Canberra reforms its cybersecurity policy following a raft of cyber attacks on some of the country's largest companies. "The greatest density of cyber criminals, particularly those with ransomware, are in Russia," Michael Pezzullo, Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, told the AFR Business Summit in Sydney. The move follows a rise in cyber attacks since late last year with breaches reported by at least eight companies, including health insurer Medibank Private Ltd (MPL.AX) and telco Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (STEL.SI). The United States and Britain sanctioned several Russians accused of cyber attacks last month, saying ransomware attacks have paralysed businesses, schools and hospitals.

☆ Australia plans to reform cyber security rules, set up agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Australia plans to overhaul its cyber security rules and set up an agency to oversee government investment in the field and help coordinate responses to hacker attacks, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil told public radio on Monday. Current cyber security rules are not adequate to deal with attacks and cannot protect consumer data, O'Neil told ABC Radio, blaming the previous government for implementing them. She said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet industry leaders and cyber security experts on Monday, and that he has decided to appoint a cyber security coordinator tasked with ensuring government agencies work together during cyber incidents. The office of the cyber security coordinator will exist within the department of home affairs, she said. The government has published a discussion paper on a new cyber security strategy, which it aims to implement next year, and is seeking feedback on how businesses can improve their cyber security in partnership with the government.

☆ British police face struggle to clean up sexist culture after scandals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

London's Metropolitan Police has been hardest hit: After years of saying serious misconduct cases were isolated incidents, it now says it must change its culture. "We have failed and I'm sorry," Mark Rowley, the Met's new chief and Britain's most senior officer, said in January. According to an official report, officers had passed off the conversations as 'banter'. RISING CRIMESome officers officers think the government needs to look at itself. Braverman was reported last year as having told police chiefs to prioritise "common-sense policing" over diversity efforts and virtue-signalling "woke" messaging.

☆ Australia's foreign interference laws designed for China - former PM Turnbull
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANBERRA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Exposing China's activities was the "key purpose" of Australia's foreign interference laws, but the scheme has failed to do this, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who introduced the laws, said on Tuesday. The Australian government was careful not to name China when introducing laws to prevent foreign interference in 2018, but the move nonetheless sparked tension with Australia's largest trading partner that later developed into a diplomatic freeze. Turnbull told a parliamentary committee the "key purpose" of a foreign interest register was to disclose the links the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department had formed in Australia. The committee is examining whether to adjust the foreign interference laws to improve their effectiveness. Australia's government plans to "out" foreign interference operations that are targeting politicians, academics and community leaders, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said earlier this month.

☆ India to ban Chinese-linked betting and loan lending apps, ANI reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 5 (Reuters) - India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has begun a process to ban and block 138 betting apps and 94 loan lending apps with Chinese links, India's ANI reported on Sunday, citing sources. The Ministry of Home Affairs recommended the MeitY ban and block these apps by the coming week under Section 69 of India's IT law, the report said. The IT law allows the government to block public access to content in the interest of national security, among other reasons. Since the start of political tension with China in 2020 following a border clash, India has banned popular Chinese apps in the country including TikTok and WeChat Messenger. India last year blocked access to several Chinese mobile apps citing security concerns which was followed by China expressing concerns over bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

☆ Nepal deputy PM loses job after top court rules his ID invalid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KATHMANDU, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Nepal's Supreme Court ruled on Friday that deputy prime minister Rabi Lamichhane had stood for election with invalid citizenship papers, annulling his status as a lawmaker and effectively removing him from office. Lamichhane became deputy prime minister for home affairs - heading the ministry that oversees identity cards - in a seven-party alliance that took power last month. In its ruling on Friday, a five-member constitutional bench of the top court said the 48-year-old had contested November elections on an invalid citizenship certificate after abandoning his U.S. citizenship. "He loses his ministerial position and there will be a by-election in his constituency," Lamichhane’s lawyer Sunil Pokhrel told Reuters. Pokhrel said Lamichhane will now seek to get a regular citizenship card and contest the by-election from the same constituency in south Nepal.

☆ TikTok CEO, EU's Vestager chatted about data harvesting, spying
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 10 (Reuters) - TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew and the EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager discussed on Tuesday "aggressive" data harvesting and surveillance in the United States, the European Commission said. The short-video app, which is owned by Chinese technology conglomerate ByteDance, last month admitted that some of its employees improperly accessed TikTok user data of two journalists to try to identify the source of information leaks to the media. "At the meeting the parties also discussed GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and matters of privacy and data transfer obligations with a reference to the recent press reporting on aggressive data harvesting and surveillance in the U.S," it said. Chew is scheduled to meet Values and Transparency Commissioner Vera Jourova and Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson after Vestager. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ TikTok CEO Plans to Meet European Union Regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Stu Woo | Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to meet with the European Union’s antitrust chief and other officials. TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to meet with European Union officials and regulators in Brussels next week, as the popular app faces heightened scrutiny in Washington over its Chinese ownership. Mr. Chew is scheduled to meet with Margrethe Vestager , the executive vice president of the EU’s executive arm and its top competition regulator, on Tuesday. He also plans to meet Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders , Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson and Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova .

☆ TikTok CEO to meet EU antitrust chief Vestager on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 6 (Reuters) - TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew will meet the European Union's antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager in Brussels on Jan. 10, a calendar released by the European Commission showed on Friday. Chew will also meet Values and Transparency Commissioner Vera Jourova and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson on the same day, the calendar showed. A spokesman for the European Commission said the meetings could be expected to cover issues such as the protection of personal data by online platforms such as TikTok and the implementation of the EU's Digital Services Act. He declined to comment on further specific details of the meetings or who requested them. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Bart Meijer Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australian Parliament censures former prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s former Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday listed his achievements in government including standing up to a “bullying” China as he unsuccessfully argued against being censured by Parliament for secretly amassing multiple ministerial powers. A censure motion against Morrison, who remains an opposition lawmaker, has no effect other than to tarnish his political legacy. The censure motion said that by failing to inform his Cabinet, Parliament and the Australian people of his additional ministerial powers, Morrison had undermined responsible government and eroded public trust in Australia’s democracy. Morrison’s successor, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, this month held Australia’s first official bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since Morrison’s predecessor, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in 2016. In calling for Morrison’s censure, Albanese said the former prime minister had demonstrated hubris, arrogance and denial but no contrition.

SYDNEY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Australia's parliament on Wednesday voted to censure former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison after an inquiry found his secret appointment to multiple ministries during the COVID-19 pandemic undermined trust in government. Morrison, who lost power in a general election in May, secretly accumulated five ministerial roles during the pandemic: health, finance, treasury, resources and home affairs. It marks the first time a former prime minister has been censured by parliament, though the motion is symbolic in nature. "The fact is, that our democracy is precious," Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during the debate, speaking in favour of censuring Morrison. Morrison said he had only used the powers on one occasion, to block BPH Energy's (BPH.AX) PEP-11 gas exploration project.

☆ Singapore repeals gay sex ban but limits prospect of legalizing same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Singapore’s parliament on Tuesday decriminalized sex between men, but, in a blow to the LGBTQ community, also amended the constitution to prevent court challenges that in other countries have led to the legalization of same-sex marriage. The government has defended amending the constitution saying decisions on such issues should not be led by the courts. The changes do, however, leave room for a future parliament to expand the definition of marriage to include same-sex relationships. In Singapore, attitudes towards LGBTQ issues have shifted toward a more liberal stance in recent years especially among the young, though conservative attitudes remain among religious groups. Of those aged 18-25, about 42% accepted same-sex marriage in 2018, up from 17% just five years prior, according to a survey by the Institute of Policy Studies.

☆ Singapore repeals gay sex ban but limits prospect of legalising same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Chen Lin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The moves come as other parts of Asia, including Taiwan, Thailand and India are recognising more rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The government has defended amending the constitution saying decisions on such issues should not be led by the courts. The changes do, however, leave room for a future parliament to expand the definition of marriage to include same-sex relationships. In Singapore, attitudes towards LGBT issues have shifted towards a more liberal stance in recent years especially among the young, though conservative attitudes remain among religious groups. Of those aged 18-25, about 42% accepted same-sex marriage in 2018, up from 17% just five years prior, according to a survey by the Institute of Policy Studies.

While the government's decision to repeal the colonial-era sodomy law was cheered as a symbolic victory for the gay community, many worry LGBT families will continue to suffer under public policies that favour heterosexual marriages and families. But influential conservative groups that strongly opposed lifting the gay sex ban make it politically uncomfortable for the ruling party to further change laws. An alliance of more than 80 Singaporean churches has decried repealing the gay sex ban as an "extremely regrettable decision" that "celebrates homosexuality". 'PUNISHING THE CHILD'LGBT families in Singapore now worry that further change will not come in time for them. The government did not respond to Reuters' questions about the rights of LGBT families and their children's residency and access to education.

☆ Australian government moves to censure former prime minister over secret ministries
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Australia's Labor government said it will move a parliamentary censure motion against former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison this week after an inquiry found his secret appointment to multiple ministries undermined trust in government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday said a motion of censure would be introduced to the Labor-controlled House of Representative this week by either the leader of the house or the attorney general. "This wasn't about a relationship between the former prime minister and his ministers. It's not a personal relationship between two mates over what happened down the pub," Albanese said during a news conference. Having committed to all six changes, Albanese said legislation to require public notification of ministerial appointments will be introduced this week.

☆ Australian inquiry finds Morrison's secret ministries corroded trust
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Australia will introduce rules to increase transparency in ministerial appointments after an inquiry into secret ministerial appointments by then Prime Minister Scott Morrison found they corroded public trust in government. An inquiry led by former High Court judge Virginia Bell found the appointments likely hurt public confidence in government. "Once the appointments became known, the secrecy with which they had been surrounded was corrosive of trust in government," Bell said. Bell recommended six changes, including legislation requiring public notice of ministerial appointments. Bell noted that because Morrison's extra powers had only been exercised once, the implications of the appointments were limited.

☆ EU to discuss migration problems at extraordinary meeting on Nov 25
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

AMSTERDAM, Nov 17 (Reuters) - EU home affairs ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss current problems with migration on Nov. 25, the Czech EU Presidency said on Thursday. "Ministers will address the current situation in all migratory routes," the Presidency said in a tweet. Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia seeks to reassure citizens on COVID after cruise ship outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Australia's Home Affairs Minister on Saturday sought to reassure the public that COVID-19 protocols were adequate after a cruise ship with hundreds of infected passengers docked in Sydney. The incident has sparked comparisons with a notorious 2020 outbreak onboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship. That outbreak, also in New South Wales, led to 914 infections and 28 deaths, an inquiry found. Carnival Australia, part of global leisure company Carnival Corporation & plc, said COVID-positive passengers were isolating onboard and being cared for by medical staff, according to New South Wales Health. The agency said it was working with cruise ship staff to monitor the health of passengers and crew members.

☆ Cruise ship docks in Sydney after 800 people on board infected by COVID outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A cruise ship where 800 people on board have tested positive for COVID has docked in Sydney. The BBC reports that approximately 4,600 passengers and crew were aboard the luxury Majestic Princess, and 800 people were affected by the outbreak of the viral bug. COVID cases are spiking across Australia, with 54,661 cases reported across the country in the last week, said The Guardian. According to Reuters, Australian authorities have been working to assure the public that this ship outbreak is under control. O'Neil told Reuters that the authorities are determining how to get passengers off the Majestic Princess "on a case-by-case basis."

☆ Australia unveils joint cyber police taskforce to 'hunt down' hackers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Australia on Saturday formalised a new cyber-policing model in a stepped-up effort to "hunt down" cyber criminal syndicates, following recent hacks impacting millions of Australians. Australia's biggest health insurer, Medibank Private Ltd (MPL.AX), last month was hit by a massive cyber attack, as Australia grapples with a rise in damaging hacks. O'Neil said around 100 officers would be part of the new partnership between the two federal agencies, which would act as "a joint standing operation against cyber criminal syndicates". The taskforce would "day in, day out, hunt down the scumbags who are responsible for these malicious crimes", she said. Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, speaking alongside O'Neil in Melbourne, refused to be drawn on whether the ransomware group REvil was responsible for recent cyber attacks on Australians.

☆ Australia to consider banning paying of ransoms to cyber criminals
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Australia's Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil on Sunday said the government would consider making illegal the paying of ransoms to cyber hackers, following recent cyber attacks affecting millions of Australians. Australia's biggest health insurer, Medibank Private Ltd (MPL.AX), last month suffered a massive cyber attack, as Australia grapples with a rise in hacks. Asked on ABC television on Sunday whether the government planned to look at outlawing ransom payments to cyber criminals, O'Neil said "that's correct". Around 100 officers would be part of the new partnership between the two federal agencies, which would act as a joint standing operation against cyber criminals. The AFP earlier this week said Russia-based hackers were behind the attack on Medibank, which compromised data from around 10 million current and former customers.

☆ UK interior minister denounced for asylum seeker 'invasion' comments
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Her comments came a day after a man used fire bombs to attack an immigration processing centre in the port town of Dover. Robert Jenrick, an immigration minister in Braverman's interior ministry, said his boss's language reflected the scale of the challenge, after a record number of nearly 40,000 asylum seekers arrived in Britain via small boats so far this year. She has also been accused of failing to listen to legal advice on the prolonged detention of migrants at another processing centre, and failing to secure adequate accommodation, both claims she has denied. "Let's stop pretending they are all refugees in distress, the whole country knows that is not true," Braverman told parliament. "No Home Secretary who was serious about public safety or national security would use highly inflammatory language on the day after a dangerous petrol bomb attack on a Dover initial processing centre," she said.

☆ Australian government repatriates women and children held in Syrian refugee camp
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Australian government has repatriated four Australian women and their 13 children from a Syrian refugee camp, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said on Saturday in a resumption of a controversial program. The repatriation to New South Wales state, criticized by the Liberal-National opposition, is part of bringing back from Syria dozens of Australian women and children who are relatives of dead or jailed fighters from the so-called Islamic State group. The repatriation followed similar moves by the United States, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain and Canada, O’Neil said. Local media previously reported some women may be charged with terrorism offences or for entering Syria illegally. “The Australian government will always work to ensure that people are kept safe here in Australia, that is our priority,” he said, according to an official transcript of his remarks in Griffith, in regional New South Wales.

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