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☆ Great-grandmother, 95, tasered by officer in Australia had walking frame and knife, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Homicide detectives in Australia are investigating why a police officer felt so threatened by a 95-year-old woman clutching a walking aid and steak knife that he needed to Taser her inside her nursing home. I can’t take it any further as to what was going through anyone’s mind when he used the Taser,” Cotter said. “This is an outrage.”How it unfoldedPolice say they were called to the address around 4:15 a.m. on Wednesday to reports of a resident with a knife. Two officers found Nowland in her room, with a knife in her hand, Cotter said during the briefing on Friday. “It is fair to say that she was armed with that knife.

CNN —Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios is set to miss the French Open after injuring his foot during an incident where his car was stolen, his agent confirmed to CNN Sport on Thursday. According to Daniel Horsfall, Kyrgios – the runner-up at Wimbledon last year – hurt himself in the “high-adrenaline rush” of the robbery in Canberra earlier this month. Police said that Kyrgios’ mother was held at gunpoint and that his Tesla was stolen during the incident near his house in the Australian capital, Reuters reported. He underwent knee surgery at the start of the year and had hoped to make a return at the French Open. However, Horsfall said that the 28-year-old had suffered a laceration to his foot during the robbery, rendering practice difficult.

☆ What’s a President to Do When a Nation’s Capital Is Sinking? Move It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hannah Beech | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +38 min

A new capital city for a place with such disparities and diversity presents both a challenge and a chance for reinvention. Moving the Seat of Power From Java to Borneo Detail area Malaysia Nusantara Borneo Java Sea Indonesia Jakarta Java Indian Ocean Detail area Malaysia Nusantara Borneo Java Sea Indonesia Jakarta Java Indian Ocean Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, will be about 800 miles from the current capital, Jakarta. It cannot be overnight, it’s not like Aladdin comes with his genie,” said Bambang Susantono, the head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority. We have to prove that this will be a self-propelling city.” — Bambang Susantono, head of the Nusantara Capital City AuthorityCritics of I.K.N. Indonesia’s capital city faces sinking land and rising seas.

☆ Australia trade minister flies to China to lobby for 'full' restoration of exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Trade Minister Don Farrell arrived in Beijing on Thursday for a three-day visit to meet with his counterpart, Wang Wentao, according to the Chinese commerce ministry. It’s the first visit to China by an Australian trade minister since 2019. “I will be advocating strongly for the full resumption of unimpeded Australian exports to China — for all sectors — to the benefit of both countries,” he added. As a result, Australian exports to China fell by 13% in 2022, compared to the previous year, according to Chinese customs data. In March, Australia’s exports to China hit a record high, with the value of shipments reaching 19 billion Australian dollars ($12.8 billion).

"The Albanese Government is delivering a transformational package of support to the Pacific, to respond to Pacific priorities and ensure our shared interests in a peaceful, prosperous and resilient region," the government said in a statement. Canberra has looked to build its defence capabilities amid concerns about rising global geopolitical tensions and China's growing influence among Pacific island nations. Defence spending as a proportion of GDP will lift above its current trajectory to be 0.2% higher by 2032-33, the budget showed. Over the next four years, the government will invest more than A$19 billion to implement the priorities identified in a defence strategic review released last month, the budget statement said. "Ultimately, defence spending will grow over the medium term, which is in line with the strategic circumstances," defence minister Richard Marles said in a statement.

SINGAPORE, May 9 (Reuters) - China's imports of major commodities lost momentum in April as the strong start to the year faded amid uncertainty about the strength and composition of the recovery in the world's second-biggest economy. Crude imports were the lowest since January and the decline places a question mark over just how strong demand is in the world's largest oil importer. One factor worth noting is that China's exports of refined fuels also dropped sharply in April to 3.75 million tonnes, down 31.2% from 5.75 million tonnes in March. Part of the strength in China's crude imports in the first quarter was driven by a massive 59.8% surge in exports of refined fuels. Iron ore imports dropped to 90.44 million tonnes in April, down 9.8% from March but up 5.1% from April last year.

Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, urging her to help drop the pending extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and allow him to return to Australia. The "Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group" said it had informed the U.S. envoy of "the widespread concern in Australia" about the continued detention of Assange, an Australian citizen. "There are a range of views about Assange in the Australian community and the members of the Parliamentary Group reflect that diversity of views. But what is not in dispute in the Group is that Mr Assange is being treated unjustly," the lawmakers said in a statement after meeting Kennedy in Canberra. Albanese, who has been advocating for the release of Assange, last week aired his frustration for not yet finding a diplomatic fix over the issue.

☆ Cheng Lei: Family urges China to release Australian TV anchor detained for 1,000 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Friends and family of Australian television anchor Cheng Lei on Monday renewed calls for her release from detention in China, 1,000 days after she was held by authorities on espionage charges. Australian authorities have expressed concern about her detention amid suggestions from analysts that strained ties between Canberra and Beijing may have provided impetus for the opaque case against her. While there were still some Australian journalists working in China, all are employed by non-Australian media companies. Cheng’s two children are being cared for by their grandmother in Melbourne, Australian public broadcaster ABC reported at the time of her original detention. “For a mother not to see her children for 1000 days is excruciating.

☆ Australia boasts rare budget surplus, before spending pressures intensify
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FILE PHOTO: Tourists walk around the forecourt of Australia's Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, October 16, 2017. “Providing responsible, targeted relief is the number one priority in our Budget,” Chalmers told lawmakers, while also lauding the improvement in the budget bottom line. High prices for Australia’s commodity exports have also delivered a windfall to mining profits, and thus tax receipts, though prices are now well off their peaks. The government also raised its long-term commodity price assumptions in the budget, which is expected to contribute billions of dollars in extra revenues. Walker believed the revised commodity price projections were still conservative.

☆ Australia to deliver first budget surplus in 15 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia is set to deliver its first budget surplus in 15 years on Tuesday, as its coffers bulge with tax windfalls from higher commodities prices and wages, giving it room to dole out cost-of-living relief amid an inflation squeeze on households. FILE PHOTO: Tourists walk around the forecourt of Australia's Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, October 16, 2017. REUTERS/David GrayHowever, fiscal challenges loom large with resource prices well off their peaks and the domestic economy slowing thanks to high interest rates. That is a huge turnaround from a projected deficit of A$36.9 billion in October, although underlying structural pressures are seen keeping the budget in the red in years ahead. “This will be a responsible Budget, which focuses on people doing it tough,” said Chalmers in an interview with ABC Radio on Monday.

☆ Cold snap brings early snow, high wind to Australia's southeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tania Heuning/via REUTERSSYDNEY, May 8 (Reuters) - Winter has come early to Australia with a cold front bringing high winds, snow and hail to the southeast in a cold snap the weather bureau says could last until the middle of the week. Snow fell in Oberon, about 120 km (75 miles) west of Sydney, on Monday, as the weather bureau warned sheep farmers across the southeast and in alpine areas that their animals exposed to the cold wet conditions could die. "I didn't expect it to be this thick," Oberon resident Wendy Stanton said of the snow. "It sort of started early yesterday afternoon and it just kept going and by the time I got up, everything was just covered in snow." The cold front across the southeast began over the weekend with temperatures plunging well below the average for the month, according to the weather bureau, which forecast morning frosts would linger until early Wednesday.

☆ Australia's Sydney Opera House won't light up for coronation to save costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, May 6 (Reuters) - A decision not to light up the sails of the Sydney Opera House to mark the coronation of King Charles was a cost saving measure, a spokesperson for the state government of New South Wales said on Saturday. Across Australia, where King Charles is head of state, the role of the monarchy is controversial. On Sunday, celebrations at Parliament House are set to include Australian military personnel firing off a 21-gun salute, and an Australian air force fly-past. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in London for the coronation, has said he will take the oath of allegiance to King Charles at the ceremony, despite being a republican. In addition to Australia, King Charles is head of state in New Zealand and 12 other Commonwealth realms outside the United Kingdom, although the role is largely ceremonial.

☆ Australia’s exports to China hit record high as relations thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Australia’s exports to China hit a record high in March, as Chinese buyers snapped up Australian commodities from coal to iron ore amid a thaw in bilateral relations. Shipments of iron ore lump and iron ore fines to China also jumped 28% and 22.5%, respectively, to $380 million and $973 million. Earlier this year, Beijing removed all remaining curbs on Australian coal imports, ending an unofficial ban. For iron ore, it remained the largest supplier for China even when relations soured. Iron ore, for example, is a vital component of its steel industry.

[1/3] King Charles receives Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an audience at Buckingham Palace, London. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart, Chris Hipkins, have travelled to London where they are due to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday. King Charles is head of state in Australia, New Zealand and 12 other Commonwealth realms outside the United Kingdom, although the role is largely ceremonial. I want to see an Australian as Australia's head of state," Albanese said in an interview with state broadcaster ABC on Friday. Albanese said would take the oath of allegiance to King Charles at the ceremony.

☆ Rugby league-'Marvel' coach Bennett hailed ahead of 900th match
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Some 36 years on and seven National Rugby League (NRL) titles later, the 73-year-old supercoach will plot the Sharks' downfall again on Saturday when he coaches the Dolphins in his 900th championship match. Emotions may run high during the game, but the famously taciturn Bennett will likely have his usual poker-face on while looking to engineer victory. Tributes from players, fellow coaches and NRL head office have rained down on the luminary this week. No NRL coach has come close to Bennett's tally of games, with second-placed Tim Sheens, the 72-year-old Wests Tigers manager, yet to crack 700. He wandered into it when asked to mentor a junior side at Queensland's police academy after the team's coach fell ill.

☆ Kyrgios says not sleeping much after mother allegedly held at gunpoint
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 4 (Reuters) - Nick Kyrgios said he had not slept much this week and was "battling a little" after police accused a man of threatening the player's mother with a firearm and allegedly stealing a Tesla car from her. A 32-year-old Canberra suspect appeared in ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday to face several charges, including aggravated robbery and driving a stolen motor vehicle. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has said the man pointed a long-barrelled gun at Kyrgios's mother Norlaila and demanded the keys to the green Tesla. "Last couple days has been rough ... haven't slept much and battling a little," Kyrgios wrote on Instagram. World number 26 Kyrgios is yet to make his 2023 season debut after having knee surgery following his withdrawal from the Australian Open in January.

☆ Wallabies will back whoever Jones picks as skipper - Slipper
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, May 3 (Reuters) - James Slipper, Australia's incumbent test skipper, says the Wallabies will back whoever coach Eddie Jones chooses as captain for the Rugby Championship and World Cup. Hooper has since returned to the game and the Wallabies squad but Jones has yet to announce who will lead the side when the test season starts in July, only suggesting that he might pick more than one. "Eddie made it clear he's just going to pick the right man for the job so whoever that is, mate, we'll just bide behind," Slipper told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday. Jones has not always followed the expected path with his captains, most notably when he named New Zealand-born hooker Dylan Hartley as England skipper in 2016. "I feel I have got a couple of good years left in me, so we'll see what happens."

☆ Man charged after stealing Kyrgios' car, threatening player's mother
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MELBOURNE, May 2 (Reuters) - Australian police have charged a man with armed robbery and accused him of threatening Nick Kyrgios' mother at gunpoint before stealing the Australian tennis player's car, local media reported on Tuesday. An ACT policing statement on Monday said police had received a report that a man had threatened a woman with a firearm and allegedly stolen a car. The ABC said the man had pointed a long-barrelled gun at Kyrgios's mother Norlaila and demanded the keys to a green Tesla. Kyrgios helped police track down the car by using a location app on his phone, the ABC added, citing court documents. Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden to make historic visit to Papua New Guinea next month - PNG officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will briefly visit Papua New Guinea (PNG) on May 22, officials from the Pacific island nation said on Thursday, as Washington seeks to counter growing Chinese influence in the strategically important region. A Pacific islands source told Reuters that Biden was also expected to meet with more than a dozen Pacific islands leaders during his May visit. Modi arrives in PNG on May 21 for a two-day visit en-route to Australia, the island nation's government has previously announced. The U.S. embassy in Canberra referred questions to the White House. The White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

☆ Inside Qatar’s ‘city of the future’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Like others, it has moved from the capital Doha to this, Qatar’s newest city – 10 miles north. Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty ImagesLusail claims to be Qatar’s first sustainable city – no easy task for a newbuild in the desert. There’s an extensive choice from food trucks at the Lusail Marina Food Arena, abundant cafes, and fine dining restaurants.”A sprawling city of the futureThe Marina area is fast proving a hit for residents. Al Tara – the district, by Al Maha Island, where Warner lives – is home to the Lusail Marina. There is a rumor – as yet unsubstantiated – that Lusail might eventually become Qatar’s capital city.

☆ Australia to prioritise long-range strike capability in defence shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/6] Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy and Chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Angus Campbell speak to the media at a news conference after the release of the Defence Strategic Review at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia April 24, 2023. AAP/Lukas Coch/via REUTERSCANBERRA, April 24 (Reuters) - Australia's government will prioritise long-range precision strike, domestic production of guided weapons, and diplomacy - key points of a review released Monday recommending the country's biggest defence shakeup since World War Two. Australia must also strengthen defence cooperation with Japan, India, Pacific and South East Asian nations, the review said. The review found Australia's defence force was "not fit for purpose", he said. The navy needs more smaller vessels with long-range strike weapons, with details decided after an independent analysis this year, the report said.

☆ Australia unveils biggest overhaul in defense spending in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Australia has unveiled a radical shakeup of its defense spending billed as the most significant review of its military preparedness since World War II, shifting its emphasis onto long-range strike capabilities and building munitions at home. Launching the Defense Strategic Review in Canberra, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government’s strategy was designed to make Australia more self reliant, more prepared and more secure. Defense Minister Richard Marles said the defense posture that had served Australia well for decades was “no longer fit for purpose” and the review recasts the mission of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). It also recommends speeding up the acquisition of long-range strike missiles and manufacturing munitions within Australia. The country also wants to improve its defense cooperation with regional neighbors, particularly in the Pacific.

☆ Atlassian taps OpenAI to make its collaboration software smarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Atlassian on Wednesday said it will draw on technology from startup OpenAI to add artificial intelligence features to a slew of the collaboration software company's programs. Atlassian has been building its own AI models for several years, but just started using OpenAI at the beginning of 2023. But Farquhar dismissed this concern, explaining that OpenAI won't be training its models on Atlassian's customer data, so Atlassian won't be necessarily making OpenAI better by giving it business. Atlassian employees have been able to use the new Atlassian Intelligence features internally, and they have become popular, especially for those leading teams, Anu Bharadwaj, president of Atlassian, said. Bharadwaj said Atlassian hasn't figured out how much to charge for Atlassian Intelligence.

China's coal imports leapt to a three-year high in March, with official data showing arrivals of 41.17 million tonnes, up 151% from the same month in 2022. China's coal imports from Australia were 2.73 million tonnes, with 2.13 million assessed as the thermal grade used in power plants, with 417,576 tonnes being coking coal used to make steel. Chinese utilities used to be major buyers of Australian thermal coal with an energy content of 5,500 kilocalories per kg (kcal/kg). This advantage is driving Chinese buying of Australian coal, with Kpler estimating that arrivals in April will reach 5.04 million tonnes, with thermal coal accounting for 4.72 million tonnes. The question for the seaborne coal market is whether China's renewed interest in Australian coal is a sustainable trend, or whether it is simply opportunistic buying that will wither if the price advantage slips.

☆ China urges Australia to treat all firms, including TikTok fairly
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, April 7 (Reuters) - China said Australia's "discriminatory" ban on TikTok from all federal government-owned devices harmed the interests of Australian businesses and the public, urging Canberra to treat all firms fairly, a commerce ministry statement said on Friday. "Australia treated TikTok differently from other social media platforms and adopted discriminatory restrictive measures, which are not conducive to maintaining Australia's national security," the statement said. China also urged Australia to create a favourable environment for bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Reporting by Ellen Zhang, Judy Hua and Liz Lee; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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