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☆ CNBC's Inside India newsletter: India's deepening ties with natural gas
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Currently, more than 80% of India's energy needs are met by coal, oil and solid biomass, according to the International Energy Agency. On the demand side, the Indian government has aggressively pushed policies that favor vehicles powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), a derivative of liquified natural gas (LNG). Meanwhile, the number of households that could receive piped natural gas is more than 300 million. For instance, natural gas is a crucial ingredient for making fertilizers, and manufacturing it domestically helps increase food security. Seth is also optimistic about India's growth rate for its third and fourth quarters despite slower capital expenditure in some states.

Persons: Punit Paranjpe, Francis Mascarenhas, They're, Maruti Suzuki, GAIL, MGL, of Home Affairs Amit Shah, David Morrison, Shah, Ajay Seth, Seth, Aravind Maiya, Embassy REITs, Maiya, Landsberg Bennett, Michael Landsberg, Landsberg Organizations: Gas, Private, Afp, Getty, International Energy Agency, Energy, Reuters, Maruti, Institute for Energy Economics, Rystad Energy, Citi, JPMorgan, Gujarat Gas, of Home Affairs, Foreign, Department of Economic, Reserve Bank of India, CNBC, Embassy, Fortune, Wealth Locations: Dhamra, Bhadrak district, India's Odisha, India, Europe, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pune, Gujarat, Canada, U.S

☆ Canada alleges Indian minister Amit Shah behind plot to target Sikh separatists
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Canadian government alleged on Tuesday that Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, a close ally of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was behind the plots to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil. The Washington Post newspaper first reported that Canadian officials alleged Shah was behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists in Canada. India has called Sikh separatists "terrorists" and threats to its security. Sikh separatists demand an independent homeland known as Khalistan to be carved out of India. The Canadian case is not the only instance of India's alleged targeting of Sikh separatists on foreign soil.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, of Home Affairs Amit Shah, Canada's, Shah, David Morrison, Morrison, Indira Gandhi, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Vikash Yadav, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun Organizations: Indian, India's, of Home Affairs, Washington Post, Foreign, Commission of, FBI, West Locations: Varanasi, Canada, U.S, Commission of India, Ottawa, India, Washington, Indian, New York City, China

Matthew is serving a 7-year prison sentence in Singapore's Changi Prison for trafficking meth. Officials from the Singapore Prison Service say they encourage guards to think of themselves as “Captains of Life,” helping rehabilitate the prison population. Officials did not allow CNN to visit Institution A1, where more than 40 death row inmates await the same fate. Before each execution, authorities organize a professional photo shoot in which inmates trade their prison uniforms for civilian clothes. Hong Kong’s population is around 25% larger than Singapore’s, and it does not impose the death penalty for drug offenses.

Persons: Matthew, “, ”, Tom Booth, ” Shanmugam, Shanmugam, Rebecca Wright, ” Matthew, Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela, Reuben Leong, –, Halinda binte Ismail, Halinda, Muhammed Izwan bin, ” Halinda, ’, Kirsten Han, Nazira, you’ve Organizations: Singapore CNN —, CNN, Changi, Singapore, Singapore’s, Home Affairs and Law, Visitors, Action Party, Home Affairs Ministry, Home Affairs, CNN Singapore, United Nations Office, Drugs, CNN Authorities, Singapore Prison Service Locations: Singapore, Canada, Portugal, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Asia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Scandinavian, mealtimes, United States, Australia, European, Hong Kong, British, –

☆ Husbands are legally allowed to rape their wives in India. Changing that would be ‘excessively harsh,’ government says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But punishing it as rape would “severely impact the conjugal relationship” and “have a far-reaching effect on the institution of marriage.”Classifying marital rape as a crime, “can be arguably considered to be excessively harsh and therefore, disproportionate,” the government said. The government’s written affidavit is its clearest position yet on the issue of marital rape in India. “It speaks to India’s acceptance of sexual violence in our culture,” said Ntasha Bhardwaj, a criminal justice and gender scholar. Arguing against child marital rape in that case was senior advocate Jayna Kothari. “It’s not like floodgates are going to be opened with hundreds of marital rape cases [being reported].

Persons: New Delhi CNN —, ”, criminalization, Ntasha Bhardwaj, “, Narendra Modi’s, ” Mariam Dhawale, criminalization –, Dibyangshu Sarkar, She’s, she’s, ” Dhawale, it’s, don’t, AIDWA’s Dhawale, ’ India’s, Jayna, Kothari, Dhawale, “ It’s, It’s Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, United Nations, Court, government’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Central Bureau of Investigation, CNN, All India Democratic Women’s Association, Getty, criminalization Locations: New Delhi, India, Britain, Delhi, ”, West Bengal, Kolkata, AFP, Madhya Pradesh

☆ Nepal rains: Rescuers use zip lines and boats to reach survivors as flooding and landslides kill nearly 200 people
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Days of heavy monsoon rains in Nepal have triggered widespread flooding and landslides across the Himalayan nation, killing almost 200 people and causing widespread destruction. Nepal's Armed Police Force rescues stranded people using a zip line from a flooded river in Lalitpur, Nepal, on September 28, 2024. Sunil Pradhan/Anadolu/Getty ImagesNepal Army personnel evacuates an infant using a kayak from a flooded residential area in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 28, 2024. Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty ImagesA woman carrying a chair walks along a muddy street that was flooded by the overflowing Bagmati River following heavy rains in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 29, 2024. Navesh Chitrakar/ReutersA man cleans mud from his house in a flood-affected area following heavy monsoon rains in Kathmandu on September 29, 2024.

Persons: Subaas Shrestha, Sunil Pradhan, Dil Kumar Tamang, Navesh Chitrakar, Ellie Wirth, “ I’ve, ”, Arun Bhakta Shrestha, Prakash Mathema Organizations: CNN, Nepal's Armed Police Force, Anadolu, Getty Images Nepal Army, Nepal Armed Police Force, Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Reuters, Nepal Police, Associated Press, International Centre, Integrated Mountain Development, Getty Locations: Nepal, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Dhading, Bhimeshwor, Dolakha, Pokhara, “, Katmandu, AFP, South Asia, Asia

☆ Australian police infiltrate encrypted messaging app Ghost and arrest dozens
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Australian police said Wednesday they have infiltrated Ghost, an encrypted global communications app developed for criminals, leading to dozens of arrests. In an undated photo provided by the Australian Federal Police, illicit drugs are found in a concealed compartment in a vehicle. Australian Federal Police/APPolice allege that Jung developed the app specifically for criminal use in 2017. Australian police technicians were able to modify software updates regularly pushed out by the administrator, McCartney said. The modified smartphones sold for 2,350 Australian dollars ($1,590) which included a six-month subscription to Ghost and tech support.

Persons: Jay Je Yoon Jung, Jung, Ian McCartney, “, ” McCartney, Kirsty Schofield, Col, Florian Manet, McCartney, ’ Organizations: CNN, Australian Federal Police, AP Police, Home Affairs Ministry, Command, Department, Australian, ’ Sydney Locations: Canada, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, Australia

☆ Bangladesh’s top court rolls back some job quotas after deadly protests, local media report
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Alex Stambaugh | Manveena Suri | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Sunday rolled back some of the controversial quotas on government jobs which sparked violent protests, Reuters reported, citing local media. Since the roles are linked to job security and higher pay, the quota system has angered many in the country, particularly students and young people, as Bangladesh faces high unemployment levels. In 2018, the civil service quota system was scrapped following similar protests but in June the High Court reinstated it, ruling its removal unconstitutional. On July 10, the Supreme Court suspended the quotas for one month while it took up the case. According to local media, the curfew was extended until after the Supreme Court hearing and will continue for an “uncertain time” following a two-hour break for people to gather supplies, Reuters reported.

Persons: CNN —, Anik Rahman Organizations: CNN, CNN — Bangladesh’s, Reuters, Bangladesh Army Locations: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Dhaka

☆ Australia doubles foreign student visa fee in migration crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Australia said on Monday it had more than doubled the visa fee for international students, the latest move by the government to rein in record migration that has intensified pressure on an already tight housing market. Australia said on Monday it had more than doubled the visa fee for international students, the latest move by the government to rein in record migration that has intensified pressure on an already tight housing market. From July 1, the international student visa fee has risen to 1,600 Australian dollars ($1,068) from AU$710, while visitor visa holders and students with temporary graduate visas are banned from applying onshore for a student visa. "The changes coming into force today will help restore integrity to our international education system, and create a migration system which is fairer, smaller and better able to deliver for Australia," Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said in a statement. The rise in fees makes applying for a student visa for Australia far more expensive than in competing countries like the U.S. and Canada, where they cost about $185 and 150 Canadian dollars ($110) respectively.

Persons: Clare O'Neil Organizations: Australia, Home Affairs Locations: Australia, U.S, Canada

☆ Hurricane Beryl intensifies into ‘very dangerous’ Category 3 storm as it approaches the Caribbean
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Dalia Faheid | Sara Tonks | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The National Hurricane Center says Beryl is expected to be an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane when it reaches the Windward Islands by late Sunday or early Monday. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Martinique, and a tropical storm watch is in effect for Dominica. The first hurricane of the season is unusually earlyBeryl’s rapid intensification is very unusual this early into hurricane season, according to Brennan. If Beryl reaches Category 4 intensity before Thursday, July 4, it would be the earliest recorded Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic. Cars line up at a gas station Saturday in Bridgetown, Barbados, as hurricane Beryl approaches.

Persons: Beryl, ” Mike Brennan, CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield, Brennan, Vincent, “ Beryl, ” Brennan, “, Wilfred Abrahams, Chandan Khanna, Ralph Gonsalves, ” Gonsalves, Saint Lucia, Philip J, Pierre, Phil Klotzbach, that’s “, ” Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, NHC, National Oceanic, Hurricane Center, NOAA, Home Affairs, Getty, National Disaster Management Agency, Colorado State University, Weather Service Locations: Barbados, Windward, Islands, Windward Islands, Caribbean, St, Lucia, Grenada, Tobago, Martinique, Dominica, Lesser, Atlantic, El, Bridgetown, Grenadines, “ Kingstown, ”, Saint, Pacific

☆ Beryl is first hurricane of 2024 Atlantic season
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Eric Zerkel | Sara Tonks | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph with stronger gusts, according to a 5 p.m. EST update from the National Hurricane Center. That this formed so early in the season – and in this part of the Atlantic – is a sign of the hyperactive hurricane season to come, according to research from Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane expert and research scientist at Colorado State University. Normally, ocean temperatures aren’t warm enough in this region in June and July to help tropical systems thrive. That’s hardly the case this year, and one of the reasons behind record-high hurricane season forecasts over the past few months. Both have low odds of developing over the next week, but given the unusual early season action and favorable ocean temperatures, they will have to be watched closely.

Persons: Beryl, St Lucia, Vincent, Philip Klotzbach, Phil Klotzbach, “ Beryl, ” Dr, Mike Brennan, CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield, ” Brennan, “, ”, El Niño, Wilfred Abrahams, Saint Vincent, Ralph Gonsalves, ” Gonsalves, Saint Lucia, Philip J, Pierre Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, Lesser, St, Colorado State University, National Oceanic, Hurricane Center, NHC, Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Agency Locations: Barbados, Windward, Caribbean, Islands, St, Grenadines, Grenada, Martinique, Tobago, Mexico Gulf, Lesser, El, Mexico, “ Kingstown, ”, Saint

☆ India’s free press is not so free after a decade of Modi
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Analysis Aishwarya S. Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

And as Modi looks to win another five years in power in an ongoing nationwide election, critics fear further erosion of the protections afforded to India’s free press. “I think many times before I write stories,” Kappan told CNN. Since his bail, Kappan has struggled to find a permanent job to provide for his family. Kumar told CNN he resigned because Adani’s proximity to Modi and the BJP would leave him unable to continue asking tough questions of the government. “They gave no reasons nor any justifications for why they denied my permit,” she told CNN from Paris.

Persons: Siddique Kappan, Narendra Modi’s, Modi, “, ” Kappan, Kappan, ”, Kaushik Raj, Narendra Modi, Gareth Copley, Shakuntala Banaji, RSF, Kunal Majumder, NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, Banaji, Kanchan Gupta, Ravish Kumar, Kumar, Gautam Adani, Vishal Bhatnagar, Dinesh Joshi, Gupta, Avani Dias, Vanessa Dougnac, Dias, Gaurav Bhatia, Dougnac Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, CNN, Getty, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, ICC Men's Cricket, India, Journalists, London School of Economics, “, Press, ”, Protect Journalists, Police, LSE, Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, Amnesty, New Delhi Television, NDTV, YouTube, Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s, Ministry of Home Affairs, India’s, Ministry, BBC Locations: New Delhi, India, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, AFP, Hathras, Paris, Ahmedabad, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Delhi, Jaipur, Modi, Asia, Dougnac

☆ ‘Heart-breaking’: Refugees once detained offshore by Australia warn the UK government not to push through its Rwanda policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Antoinette Radford | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The policy enjoys bipartisan political support in Australia, with both the coalition and Labor governments backing offshore detention. And on face value, the UK’s proposed offshore detention policy follows a similar model to that of Australia. Australia’s own offshore detention policy has been heavily criticized and fraught with controversy – but still seems to exert considerable appeal for some UK politicians. Another difference between two nations stems from the fact Australia does not have a human rights charter, Tubakovic said. She notes that the UK is still bound by human rights obligations, particularly as a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Persons: CNN — “, Behrouz Boochani, “, ”, Boochani, Mostafa Azimitabar –, –, ” Azimitabar, Rwanda Bill, Dan Kitwood, Rishi Sunak, Tony Abbott, Jonas Gratzer, Alexander Downer, Downer, Tamara Tubakovic, “ It’s, Tubakovic, David Gray, ” Tubakovic Organizations: CNN, Kurd, European, of Human, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, Labor, Refugee Council of Australia, ‘, Conservative, English Channel, UK Border Force, University of Melbourne, University of Oxford, Human Rights, of Human Rights, UN, Reuters Locations: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Iran, Indonesia, Australia, Nauru, Manus, Melbourne, United Kingdom, Rwanda, England, Britain, British, France, Sydney

☆ 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

CNN —India has announced rules that would allow it to implement a controversial citizenship bill that excludes Muslims. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act provides a fast-track to citizenship for immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan – provided they are not Muslim. The controversial law would apply to religious minorities persecuted on religious grounds, including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians. Members of the United Opposition Forum protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Nagaon District, Assam, India, on March 8, 2024. The BJP has its roots in India’s Hindu right-wing movement, many followers of which see India as a Hindu nation.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Pakistan –, Modi, Amit Shah, “, Anuwar Organizations: CNN, Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, Indian, United Opposition, Getty, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP Locations: India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nagaon District, Assam, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Ayodhya

CNN —The mother of Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny, who died in an Arctic penal colony last week, said Thursday she had seen her son’s body and was being pressured to hold a secret funeral. Looking into my eyes they say that if I don’t agree to a secret funeral they will do something with my son’s body,” she said. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN’s Matthew Chance that he had not seen the comments from Navalny’s mother regarding her son’s body and the issues she claims she is experiencing with investigators. The Russian prison service said Navalny “felt unwell after a walk” in his Siberian penal colony and “almost immediately” lost consciousness. He was initially imprisoned in a penal colony about 150 miles east of Moscow, but his lawyers in December said they had lost contact with him for nearly three weeks.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Lyudmila Navalnaya, Navalny, Kira Yarmysh, Yulia Navalnaya, Vladimir Putin, Alexey, ”, Navalnaya, Voropayev, “, Dmitry Peskov, CNN’s Matthew Chance, ” Peskov, ” Navalny’s, Joe Biden, Sergey Lavrov, ” Lavrov, Navalny’s, ” Navalny, Putin, Kirill Kudryavtsev, –, Navalny “ Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Russian Investigative, Getty, IK Locations: Salekhard, Kremlin, ” Russia, Russian, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, California, Russia, Germany, AFP, Soviet, Moscow, Kharp

☆ 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

☆ Analysis-For Malaysian Filmmakers, Censorship Stifles Optimism After Overseas Glory
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

"This is a very good time ... where people around the world are really looking into Malaysian filmmakers. "Mentega Terbang" follows a teenage Muslim girl exploring different religions while dealing with grief. Online platforms are not covered by film censorship rules in Malaysia. Khairi and others involved in "Mentega Terbang" even received death threats at the time, media reports show. CENSORSHIPUnder Malaysian law, films intended for public viewing must be approved by the Film Censorship Board.

Persons: Oscar, Michelle Yeoh, Khairi Anwar, Malaysia's, Khairi, Badrul Hisham Ismail, Pagi Ke, Anwar Ibrahim's, Anwar, Zabidi Mohamed, Amir Muhammad, Brenda Danker, Danial Azhar, Rozanna Latiff, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Azhar KUALA LUMPUR, Reuters, Cannes, Cannes Film, Malay, Academy, Malaysian, Film, YouTube Locations: Azhar KUALA, Malaysia, Malaysian, Viu, Terengganu, Malay

☆ Australia's Labor Government Defends Shift in Personal Tax Policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The government has reached a "different view" about the already-legislated tax cuts, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said, as the conservative opposition coalition criticised the government for breaking an election pledge of retaining the tax cuts. Chalmers said the tax policy shift would help build trust as it was designed to provide more cost-of-living relief for more people without stoking inflation. Under the new policy, people earning up to A$140,000 ($92,050) will enjoy lower taxes from July 1, Australian media reported. A 37% tax band would be retained for some high earners, with the savings redirected to those on low incomes. That has dented Albanese's ratings since his 2022 election win.

Persons: Renju Jose SYDNEY, Jim Chalmers, Chalmers, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, reneging, James Paterson, Renju Jose, Richard Chang Organizations: Labor, Channel, National Press, Labor Party, Home Affairs, Sky News Locations: Sydney

☆ Australia Imposes Sanctions on Russian Hacker Over Medibank Breach
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Renju JoseSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Tuesday imposed cyber sanctions on a Russian man for his role in the breach at insurer Medibank, one of the country's biggest data thefts which impacted about 10 million customers. Targeted financial sanctions and a travel ban have been imposed on Russian citizen Aleksandr Ermakov after Australian authorities linked him to the breach at Medibank, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said during a press briefing. This is the first time Australia has used its cyber sanctions framework since legislating it in 2021. Medibank in 2022 disclosed that a hacker stole the personal information of 9.7 million current and former customers, and released the data on the dark web. Hackers in November hit DP World Australia, one of the country's largest ports operators, forcing it to suspend operations for three days.

Persons: Renju Jose SYDNEY, Aleksandr Ermakov, Clare O'Neil, they're scumbags, we'll, O'Neil, Renju Jose, Jonathan Oatis, Stephen Coates Organizations: Medibank, cybercrime, Home Affairs Locations: Australia, Victoria, Sydney

☆ Malaysia to Review Migrant Labour Deals to Stamp Out Exploitation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia will review bilateral agreements with 15 nations from which it sources labourers in a bid to address exploitative practices and manpower imbalances that have left thousands of migrant workers stranded without jobs, officials said. The plight of the migrants coincided with concerns over workplace abuses in Malaysia, with several companies facing U.S. bans over the use of forced labour in recent years. They said Malaysia still had a shortage of workers in the agriculture and plantations sector, while quotas have been exceeded in other industries. Workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal account for over 70% of Malaysia's migrant labour, with the remainder coming from countries including India, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Thailand. Sim said 751 Bangladesh migrant workers had filed cases with the labour department to claim unpaid wages, involving a total of 2.2 million ringgit ($467,687).

Persons: Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Steven Sim, Sim, Rozanna, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, Workers, Human Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand

"After these results, it looks like there is no stopping Modi," said Yashwant Deshmukh, poll expert with C-Voter agency, adding that stopping Modi would be a "herculean task". The BJP won the regional votes in three of four major states, including central Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh which were ruled by Congress. One of the challenges facing the opposition are the factious ties within the INDIA alliance. Congress refused to share seats in state polls with key regional ally the Samajwadi Party. "The future of the alliance is good if the Congress party works on it with full commitment," he said.

Persons: India's, Narendra Modi, of Home Affairs Amit Shah, Narendra Modi's, Modi, Yashwant Deshmukh, Rahul Gandhi, Manish Tewari, Manoj Kaka, Gandhi, Baijayant Panda, Saurabh Sharma, Miral Organizations: Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian, Union, of Home Affairs, Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, Voter, Congress, Reuters, Samajwadi Party, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, DELHI, Britain, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, INDIA, Lucknow

SYDNEY, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Australia's top civil servant in its interior ministry was sacked on Monday after an inquiry found he breached impartiality rules. Michael Pezzullo, the powerful head of the department responsible for internal security, stepped aside in September while the investigation was conducted. It was not immediately possible to reach Pezzullo for comment. The inquiry followed a joint investigation by two Australian newspapers and a TV programme that alleged Pezzullo had intervened in politics to promote favoured politicians, attack opponents and push for media censorship. Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Michael Pezzullo, Anthony Albanese, Pezzullo, Alasdair Pal, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Public Service, Liberal Party, Thomson Locations: Sydney

☆ Australia PM Fires a Top Bureaucrat Over Influence Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Alasdair PalSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's top civil servant in its interior ministry was sacked on Monday after an inquiry found he breached impartiality rules. Michael Pezzullo, the powerful head of the department responsible for internal security, stepped aside in September while the investigation was conducted. It was not immediately possible to reach Pezzullo for comment. The inquiry followed a joint investigation by two Australian newspapers and a TV programme that alleged Pezzullo had intervened in politics to promote favoured politicians, attack opponents and push for media censorship. (Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

Persons: Alasdair Pal SYDNEY, Michael Pezzullo, Anthony Albanese, Pezzullo, Alasdair Pal, Lincoln Organizations: Australian Public Service, Liberal Party Locations: Sydney

Now, hundreds of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have appeared at Finland's border from Russia, seeking entry into the Nordic country. They accuse Russia of driving the migrants to the border to sow discord as payback for Finland's membership in NATO. Finnish authorities quickly closed four checkpoints and then three more, leaving just one Arctic crossing point open for asylum-seekers. Finland also asked for help from EU border agency Frontex, which said it would send dozens of officers and equipment as reinforcements to the Finnish border. The Kremlin denies encouraging the migrants, and says it regrets the Finnish border closures.

Persons: Elina Valtonen, Petteri Orpo, Maria Zakharova, Valtonen, Russia’s, ”, Klaus Dodds, ” Dodds, Ylva Johansson, Sauli Niinistö, Alexander Lukashenko, Evika Siliņa, Siliņa, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, “, Geert Wilders, Orpo’s, Vanessa Gera Organizations: HELSINKI, —, NATO, Nordic, Associated Press, HOW, EU, Frontex, Russian Foreign Ministry, Royal Holloway, University of London, VU EU Home Affairs, Belarus —, Latvian, AP, Poland’s, Guard Locations: Finland, Russia, East, Africa, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Finnish, FINLAND, Helsinki, Belarus, Europe, Moscow, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Baltic, Netherlands, Finns, Lapland, Murmansk, Warsaw

A sign is seen at the arrivals passport control area of Terminal 5, at Heathrow Airport, London, Britain, March 23, 2023. High levels of legal migration have for more than a decade dominated Britain's political landscape, and will be a key battleground again in the vote which is expected next year. For the year ending December 2022, the ONS revised up the net migration figure to 745,000, a new record high and up 139,000 on its previous estimate. It also said the net migration number for the year ending June 2023 was 672,000, up from 607,000 a year earlier. "The government remains completely committed to reducing levels of legal migration," he said in a statement.

Persons: Toby Melville, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, James, Simon Clarke, Labour Party's, Yvette Cooper, Muvija M, Sarah Young, Kylie MacLellan, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Heathrow Airport, REUTERS, ONS, EU, Labour, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Ukraine, Hong Kong

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