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BANGKOK (AP) — Shares advanced in Asia on Friday, with Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index trading near a record high, 35 years after it peaked and then plunged with the collapse of Japan's financial bubble. U.S. futures were lower after stocks on Wall Street set a fresh record following some mixed reports on the economy. It has been hovering just below the record high of 38,915.87 that it set on Dec. 29, 1989, right before a plunge in share and property prices ushered in an era of slower, faltering growth. Taiwan's Taiex edged 0.2% lower a day after breaching a record high of 18,644.57 as major market mover TSMC, the world's biggest computer chip maker, surged nearly 8%. On Thursday, the S&P 500 rose 0.6% to 5,029.73, squeaking past its all-time high set last week.

Persons: Australia's, Shack, Wells Organizations: —, Nikkei, Nvidia, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, U.S, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Fed, CBRE, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent Locations: BANGKOK, Asia, Hong, Seoul, India, Wall

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares rose in Asia on Thursday after Wall Street stocks recovered much of their sharp losses from a day before. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 climbed 1% to 5,000.62, clawing back more than two-thirds of its loss from Tuesday. It was the single strongest force lifting the S&P 500 index. Most companies in the S&P 500 have been topping analysts’ forecasts for the last three months of 2023. Hopes for stronger growth in 2024 from a solid economy have been another reason the S&P 500 has set 10 records already this year.

Persons: Australia's, Taiwan’s Taiex, India's Sensex, Russell, Lyft, Airbnb Organizations: Wall, Bank of Japan, Nikkei, Reserve, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Treasury, Nvidia, Technologies, Akamai Technologies, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent, U.S Locations: BANGKOK, Asia, Seoul, Japan, Britain, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Italy, U.S

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Anthony Albanese has become the first Australian prime minister to get engaged while in office, revealing Thursday that his partner accepted his marriage proposal on Valentine's Day. The first-term prime minister said he had planned both the date and place of the proposal and even helped design Haydon’s diamond ring. Albanese wants Australia to become a republic with an Australian head of state. “I’ll be there, throwing roses out in front of you, prime minister. Albanese is only the second prime minister to live with a common law partner at the Lodge.

Persons: — Anthony Albanese, Jodie Haydon, Albanese, ” Albanese, Australia's, “ We’ll, Haydon, “ It’s, ” Haydon, Peter Dutton, King Charles III, Dutton, ” Dutton, “, Julia Gillard Locations: MELBOURNE, Australia, Italian, British, Australian, Indonesia

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Siobhán Haughey of Hong Kong captured her first long-course world title, winning the women's 200-meter freestyle Wednesday at the World Aquatics Championships. Haughey, a three-time champion at the short-course worlds, finally touched first in the big pool after years of close calls. She was the Olympic silver medalist in both the 100 and 200 free at the Tokyo Games, in addition to a runner-up finish in the 100 free at last summer's world championships in Fukuoka. Also, Haughey finished fourth in the 200 free — just off the podium — at both the 2019 and 2023 worlds. “I really wanted to win this one,” said Wiffen, the short-course world record holder in the 800 free.

Persons: — Siobhán Haughey, Hong, Haughey, “, Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen, ”, Wiffen, Mollie O'Callaghan, Ariarne Titmus, Zealand's Erika Fairweather, Brianna Throssell, Elijah Winnington of, Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri —, Iffland, Molly Carlson, Jessica Macauley, Kaylea Arnett, France's Gary Hunt, ___ Organizations: Tokyo Games, Paris Olympics, Doha, Australia, Doha Old Locations: DOHA, Qatar, Hong Kong, Fukuoka, “ Paris, Paris, Elijah Winnington of Australia, Doha, Doha Old Port, Canada

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

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

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

TOKYO (AP) — Shares declined Wednesday in Asia after disappointingly high U.S. inflation data sent stocks sliding on Wall Street and raised prospects that interest rates will remain elevated for longer. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index resumed trading after the Lunar New Year holiday, edging 0.7% higher to 15,861.77 after opening lower. High interest rates hurt all kinds of investments, and they tend to particularly hurt high-growth stocks like technology companies. Stocks of smaller companies fell even more because high rates could hurt them more than bigger rivals by making it more difficult to borrow cash. Yields jumped in the bond market as traders built up expectations for the Fed to keep rates high for longer.

Persons: Australia's, Korea's Kospi, Sensex, Tuesday’s, Russell, Alexandra Wilson, Elizondo, Carl Icahn Organizations: TOKYO, —, Nikkei, Federal Reserve, Labor Department, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Microsoft, Fed, Treasury, Goldman, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Wall, JetBlue Airways, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent, U.S Locations: Asia, Indonesia, Southeast, China, Bangkok, Goldman Sachs

That may relieve pressure on the central bank to alter its longstanding ultra-lax monetary policy and raise its benchmark interest rate from minus 0.1%. Inflation has been cooling enough that the Federal Reserve has hinted it may cut its main interest rate several times this year. Reports showing the U.S. economy and job market remain remarkably solid, along with some comments from Fed officials, have been forcing the delays. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude rose 27 cents to $77.19 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar rose to 149.67 Japanese yen from 149.34 yen.

Persons: Germany's DAX, Australia's, Korea's Kospi, ” Yeap Jun Rong, that’s Organizations: TOKYO, CAC, FTSE, Dow Jones, Nikkei, Bank of Japan, IG, Federal Reserve, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent, U.S Locations: Asia, China , Hong Kong, Taiwan, United States

☆ Strong Winds Cause Power Outages, Fan Bushfires in Australia's Southeast
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of residents across Australia's Victoria state remained without power on Wednesday after wild weather knocked down transmission lines, forcing a major power plant to disconnect from the grid, while strong winds fanned bushfires. AGL's Loy Yang A power station, responsible for about a third of the state's power, had to shut down on Tuesday afternoon impacting half a million properties, which officials said was one of the largest outages in Victoria's history. Some properties were completely destroyed by fire with the exact number to be confirmed after fire crews finish their rescue efforts. Firefighters are battling to contain three bushfires, but better weather conditions could help crews to contain the fires quickly, Heffernan said. Australia's weather bureau forecast milder conditions on Wednesday with temperatures in the low to mid-20 degree Celsius (68°F) and moderate winds, but warned the risk was not over yet.

Persons: AGL's Loy Yang, Clare O'Neil, We've, O'Neil, Jason Heffernan, Heffernan, Renju Jose, Bill Berkrot Organizations: SYDNEY, Mobile, Federal Home Affairs, ABC, Firefighters Locations: Australia's Victoria, Melbourne, Hotham, Victoria's, Victoria, Sydney

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — With some of America's biggest stars deciding to stay home, Claire Curzan and Hunter Armstrong claimed the spotlight at the World Aquatics Championships on Tuesday. Curzan won gold in the women's 100-meter backstroke at the Aspire Dome, while Armstrong followed just a few minutes later with a victory in the men's 100 back. The 19-year-old Curzan, who competes at the University of Virginia, claimed the first individual world title of her burgeoning career. After settling for bronze in the 100 back at the last two world championships, the Ohio native now has a gold. Hobson, part of a scaled-back team for these world championships, gave himself a big boost with the Paris Olympics just five months away.

Persons: Claire Curzan, Hunter Armstrong, Curzan, Armstrong, Simona Quadarella, Italy romped, Hwang Sun, Kaylee McKeown, Regan Smith, Iona Anderson, Canada's Ingrid Wilm, ” Curzan, ” Armstrong, “, Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Ryan Murphy, Quadarella, Katie Ledecky, Ledecky, Li Bingjie, Isabel Gose, Hwang, Luke Hobson, Danas Rapsys, Hobson, ”, Kim Woo Organizations: University of Virginia, Paris, Cal, Doha, Ledecky, Olympic, Paris Olympics, University of Texas Locations: DOHA, Qatar, U.S, Doha, Italy, South Korea, Fukuoka, Ohio, Paris, Quadarella, China, Germany, Nevada

☆ Mongolia's former president mocks Putin with a map showing how big the Mongol empire used to be, and how small Russia was
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mongolia's former president shared a map of the Mongol Empire, which included parts of Russia. On X, Tsakhia Elbegdorj, Mongolia's president between 2009 and 2017 and its former prime minister, poked fun at Putin's argument. AdvertisementHe shared maps showing how large the Mongol Empire was, with it once controlling parts of what is now Russia. We are a peaceful and free nation🌏 pic.twitter.com/w5c2Hr0cQK — Mongol Tsakhia ELBEGDORJ (@elbegdorj) February 11, 2024"After Putin's talk. He fears a free Ukraine.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Tucker Carlson, Tsakhia, hough Organizations: Service, Fox News, ust Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Mongol, Mongolia, Russian, Empire

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Monday, with most regional markets closed for holidays, while U.S. futures edged lower after the S&P 500 ended last week above 5,000. Thailand's SET was up 0.1% and in Jakarta, the benchmark gained 0.6% ahead of an election to be held on Wednesday. With mainland Chinese markets closed for the week for the Lunar New Year, there was a dearth of market moving news. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesOn Friday, the S&P 500 rose 0.6%, finishing above 5,000 for the first time, at 5,026.61. Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon were the three strongest forces lifting the S&P 500 after each rose by at least 1.6%.

Persons: Australia's, SET, ” Stephen Innes, Wall, they’ve, Cloudflare, it’s, Brent Organizations: Federal Reserve, Management, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Big Tech, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Bank of America, New York Mercantile Exchange, U.S Locations: BANGKOK, India, Jakarta, United States, Japan, U.S

☆ Brazil Army Colonel Arrested in Military Coup Probe on Return From US
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Lisandra ParaguassuBRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian army colonel wanted by police in an investigation into am attempted coup by associates of Brazil's former far-right president was arrested on Sunday when he returned from the United States. Colonel Bernardo Correa Neto was arrested at Brasilia's airport when he arrived and put in detention at an army garrison after a custody hearing. The Federal Police on Thursday raided Bolsonaro's beach house and political party office, confiscated his passport and accused him of editing a draft decree to overturn the election result as part of an alleged plot for a military coup. Thursday's police operation included search warrants against four former ministers, three of them retired army generals, and the arrest of four former aides, including Colonel Correa Neto. The president of Bolsonaro's right-wing political party, Valdemar Costa Neto, was also arrested on Thursday when a search of his Brasilia home turned up an unregistered firearm.

Persons: Bernardo Correa Neto, Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro, Lula, Donald Trump, Correa Neto, Bolsonaro's, Valdemar Costa Neto, Alexandre de Moraes, Lisandra Paraguassu, Anthony Boadle, Mark Porter Organizations: Reuters, Inter - American Defense College, Federal Police, Supreme Locations: Paraguassu BRASILIA, United States, Brasilia's, Washington, Florida, Bolsonaro's, Brasilia

☆ Five Dead After Soldier Opens Fire at Military Base in Mogadishu
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) -Five people, including Somali military officials and a United Arab Emirates (UAE) soldier, were killed on Saturday after a soldier opened fire at a military base in the capital Mogadishu, an army officer and hospital staff told Reuters. The gun man, a newly-trained Somali soldier, was also shot dead in the Gordon military base managed by the UAE, the officer, who gave his name only as Ahmed, said. "The soldier opened fire on the UAE trainers and Somali military officials when they started praying. Al Shabaab, linked to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack via a statement on its Radio al Andalus and said its fighters had killed 17 soldiers. Al Shabaab has waged an insurgency against the Somali government since 2006 to try to establish its own rule.

Persons: Gordon, Ahmed, Al Shabaab, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Abdi Sheikh, Elias Biryabarema, Surbhi Misra, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Reuters, United, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Erdogan, Surbhi Locations: United Arab, UAE, Mogadishu, Somali, Israel, Gaza, al Shabaab, Somalia, Al, al Qaeda, Andalus, Nairobi, Bengaluru

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose nearly 0.1% to 36,897.42, slipping back from earlier gains that took it briefly to a 34-year high. In prior months, such a report may have hurt the stock market because of concerns that it would mean a longer wait for cuts to interest rates from the Federal Reserve. The latest set of earnings reports from big U.S. companies also kept the stock market mixed overall. It gave a forecast for expected profit across 2024 that fell short of analysts’. In other trading, benchmark U.S. crude lost 6 cents to $76.16 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Persons: Shinichi Uchida, Australia's, ”, Ryan Detrick, Ralph Lauren Organizations: TOKYO, Nikkei, Investors, Bank of Japan, SoftBank Group Corp, Nissan, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Carson Group, Federal Reserve, Walt Disney Co, Arm Holdings, PayPal, Global, New York Community Bancorp, Traders, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent, U.S . Locations: U.S, Asia, U.K

BANGKOK (AP) — Share were mostly higher in Asia on Thursday after the S&P 500 neared the 5,000 level for the first time. Hong Kong’s benchmark fell while Shanghai advanced after China replaced its top stock market regulator. Late Wednesday, China's top stock regulator was replaced by a former chairman of the Shanghai Stock Exchange as part of those efforts. On Thursday, the Shanghai Composite index gained 1.3% to 2,865.90 and the Shenzhen Components index in China's smaller main market also added 1.3%. The S&P 500 gained 0.8%, coming within a fraction of a point of the 5,000 level before ending the day at 4,995.06.

Persons: Wu Qing, Yi Huiman, Hang Seng, Australia's, SET, Snapchat Organizations: Shanghai Stock Exchange, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Communist Party, Nikkei, Ford, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, . New York Community Bancorp, Signature Bank, Ford Motor, Enphase Energy, CVS Health, Corp, Vans, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent Locations: BANGKOK, Asia, Shanghai, China, Tokyo, Beijing, Shenzhen, Seoul, India, Wall

☆ Australia could soon allow workers to ignore office calls and emails outside contracted hours
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Australia's Senate passed a new bill on Thursday giving employees the "right to disconnect" after work. The bill allows workers to ignore unreasonable calls and emails from their bosses once they've clocked out. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAustralia's Senate passed a bill on Thursday giving employees the "right to disconnect" after work and ignore emails and calls from their bosses during their personal time.

Persons: they've, — Organizations: Service, Australia's, Australian Greens, Business Locations: Australia's, Australia

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street, although Tokyo's benchmark slipped slightly. Those developments had pushed Chinese shares, including those in Hong Kong, sharply higher on Tuesday. The mostly small cap stocks traded in the southern Chinese market of Shenzhen were up 1.4%, and the CSI 1000, an index that tracks highly volatile “snowball derivatives" was up 4.2%. Wall Street drifted higher through a quiet Tuesday as the bond market calmed following some sharp swings. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury relaxed following its slingshot ride higher in recent days.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Seng, Australia's, Korea's Kospi, Brent Organizations: TOKYO, Hong, CSI, Nikkei, Toyota Motor Corp, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Federal, GE Healthcare Technologies, Palantir Technologies, FMC, CVS Health, Walt Disney Co, PepsiCo, Treasury, U.S Locations: U.S, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Asia, Brazil

☆ Aboriginal Group to Inspect Rock Shelters for Potential Rio Tinto Damage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - An Aboriginal group from Western Australia's iron ore producing region will inspect an important cultural site in the coming days after it received a notice from Rio Tinto of possible damage, the group's chief executive said. "The Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation was advised by Rio Tinto in late December of the potential impact on a rock shelter at the Mesa C Robe Valley operations," Anthony Galante, Chief Executive Officer of Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation (RRKAC) told Reuters. Rio Tinto has advised the group that a preliminary investigation found no damage to the shelter but it has not performed an on-ground inspection due to cultural restrictions, RRKAC said. Rio Tinto did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Given that history, the RRKAC has "grave concerns" about Rio Tinto's ability to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage, Galante said.

Persons: Anthony Galante, RRKAC, Rio, Rio Tinto, Muntulgura, Galante, Melanie Burton, Lincoln Organizations: MELBOURNE, Aboriginal Corporation, Rio Tinto, Reuters Locations: Rio Tinto, Rio

☆ Woodside Energy ceases talks on $52 billion Santos merger
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Signage for Woodside Energy Group Ltd. atop the Mia Yellagonga building, which houses the company's headquarters, in Perth, Australia, on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2023. Australia's Woodside Energy said on Wednesday it had ended talks with Santos to create a possible AU$80 billion ($52.22 billion) global oil and gas giant. Woodside said it would only pursue a deal that would add value for its shareholders. Santos shares dropped 5% soon after the news was announced while Woodside's stock rose 2% on Wednesday. "While the discussions with Santos did not result in a transaction, Woodside considers that the global LNG sector provides significant potential for value creation," Woodside CEO Meg O'Neill said in a statement.

Persons: Mia Yellagonga, Santos, Meg O'Neill Organizations: Woodside Energy Group, Australia's Woodside Energy, Santos, Woodside Locations: Perth, Australia

☆ Australia Records Its 8th Warmest Year as Climate Change Lifts Temperatures
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia experienced its eighth-warmest year in 2023, with the influence of climate change pushing average temperatures almost 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1961-1990 average, the weather bureau said on Thursday. Forecasters warn that climate change will make Australia hotter and increase the severity of weather extremes. "Climate change continues to influence Australia's climate," the Bureau of Meteorology said. The national mean temperature was 0.98 C warmer than the 1961–1990 average, with the winter average 1.53 C above the 1961–1990 average, the bureau said. Forecasters expect El Nino to fade and perhaps swing later this year into its opposite, La Nina, which makes wetter weather more likely in Australia.

Persons: El, Nina, Peter Hobson, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: CANBERRA, Meteorology Locations: Australia, 473.70mm, Western Australia, El Nino, South America, Southeast Asia

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani of China captured their third straight diving world title in women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard on Wednesday. At the Hamad Aquatic Centre, the synchronized silver went to Australia's Anabelle Smith and Maddison Keeney in 300.45. Chang has now won four synchronized 3-meter world titles, also taking the 2017 championship while partnered with Shi Tingmao. The 30-year-old now has three world championships over her illustrious career, along with gold and silver medals at the Olympics. It was the 16th world medal for Cunha, who has reached the podium in eight straight championships going back to 2011.

Persons: — Chen Yiwen, Chang Yani, Sharon van Rouwendaal, Logan Fontaine of France, Australia's Anabelle Smith, Maddison Keeney, Britain's Scarlett Mew Jensen, Yasmin Harper, Krysta Palmer, Alison Gibson, Chen, Chang, Budapest . Chang, Shi Tingmao, Van Rouwendaal, Chelsea Gubecka, Brazil's Ana Marcela Cunha, Cunha, Fontaine, Marc, Antoine Olivier, Italy’s Domenico Acerenza, Hungary's Kristóf, Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri, ___ Organizations: Doha Old Port, Hamad Aquatic Centre, Olympics, Chelsea, France Locations: DOHA, Qatar, China, Doha, Netherlands, Fukuoka, Budapest ., Perth, Australia

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed Tuesday in Asia, where Chinese stocks surged after a government investment fund said it would step up stock purchases and a report said leader Xi Jinping was set to meet with officials to discuss the markets. The fund periodically steps up buying of shares in big state-owned banks and other companies to counter heavy selling pressure in the Chinese markets. On Monday, benchmarks in Shanghai and the smaller market in Shenzhen bounced between small gains and big losses, while share prices of state-run banks and other big companies rose. The Fed has yanked the federal funds rate to its highest level since 2001 to bring down high inflation. But there's also an upside for stocks from the U.S. economy's blasting through worries about a possible recession.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, Hong, Seng, Australia's, India's, Jerome Powell, there's Organizations: Bloomberg, CSI, Central Huijin Investment, Nikkei, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Institute for Supply, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent Locations: BANGKOK, Asia, Shanghai, Shenzhen, South Korea, Bangkok

☆ Australia and China: Rebound in Ties Threatened by Death Sentence for Australian Writer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

China's then ambassador to Australia says that in response to the call, the Chinese public would boycott Australian wine, beef and tourism. Nov. 27, 2020 - China will impose temporary anti-dumping tariffs on Australian wine, China announces. Jan. 3, 2023 - China allows three government-backed utilities and its top steelmaker to resume coal imports from Australia. Oct. 11, 2023 - China releases Australian journalist Cheng Lei after three years in a Beijing prison on national security charges. Oct. 22, 2023 - China agrees to review dumping tariffs of 218% on Australian wine, potentially clearing way for the resumption of imports.

Persons: Yang Hengjun, Anthony Albanese, China's, Cheng Lei, Albanese, Xi Jinping, Jan, Li, Kirsty Needham, Antoni Slodkowski, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SYDNEY, South China, Huawei Technologies Co, Australia's Labor Party Locations: Beijing, Canberra, China, South, Australia, Indonesia, Japan

☆ Australian War Hero Appeals Defamation Ruling on Reports He Was Complicit in Afghan Unlawful Killings
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Lewis JacksonSYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian court on Monday began hearing the appeal of a decorated war hero, who is fighting a court defamation ruling that found media groups had proven their reports he played a part in the unlawful killings of four Afghans in Afghanistan. He called the reports false and based on claims of failed soldiers who were jealous of his accolades, and sought unspecified damages. The civil court defamation finding required a lower threshold of proof than a criminal court would. Roberts-Smith, 45, whose portrait hangs in the Australian War Memorial, has not been charged with any crimes. The lengthy legal battle has racked up huge costs for Roberts-Smith and his financial backer, Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes.

Persons: Lewis Jackson SYDNEY, Ben Roberts, Smith, Roberts, Kerry Stokes, Stokes, Lewis Jackson, Alasdair Pal, Michael Perry Organizations: Former SAS, Victoria Cross, Nine Entertainment, Australian, Roberts, Seven West Media, Sydney Morning Herald Locations: Afghanistan

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

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

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

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