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The funds available for deals are growing as investors including pension funds, sovereign wealth and insurance firms look for meaty returns hard to find in today's equity markets, especially in the beaten-down real estate sector. Australian real estate specialist Qualitas (QAL.AX), whose backers include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, has nearly doubled funds under management to A$8 billion ($5.07 billion) since mid-2022, with roughly half the increase since this June. U.S.-based PGIM Real Estate expects to deploy a further $1 billion in the country over the next few years, said its head of Australian real estate Steve Bulloch. Lenders are expanding into residential and commercial construction as banks slow lending or exit, a March report from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said. JUICY RETURNSInvestors can expect returns from 9% to 11% with the added security of loans pledged against real assets like condos or warehouses, often with a 30% to 40% equity buffer, said Paul Notaras, executive director at Barings Real Estate Australia.

Persons: Stella Qiu, meaty, Steve Bulloch, JUICY, Paul Notaras, Notaras, Qualitas, Andrew Schwartz, Bonds, We've, Schwartz, Lewis Jackson, Rae Wee, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, International Monetary, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australia, prudential, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Parramatta, Sydney, SYDNEY, Australian, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Qualitas, Singapore

☆ Stuart Condie — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Stuart Condie | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Stuart CondieStuart Condie covers corporate news for The Wall Street Journal in Sydney, Australia. Previously, he led the financial news desk at Australian Associated Press. A former sports writer for the AP and Bloomberg, Stuart has an English degree from University of Leicester.

Persons: Stuart Condie Stuart Condie, Stuart Organizations: Wall Street, Australian Associated Press, AP, Bloomberg, University of Leicester Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ 5 deaths in 10 days point to a problem Australia wants to solve
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Two days earlier, the body of 38-year-old Krystal Marshall was recovered from the charred remains of her home after a house fire in South Australia, according to SA Police. The number of women killed by violence in Australia has ranged between 43 and 84 each years since Counting Dead Women began tallying deaths in 2012. Since then, she said she’s noticed a change in the way people, including the police, respond to domestic violence. But until those lessons are learned, state authorities are strengthening their responses to domestic violence. Whitford says it takes the community to come together to prevent more women becoming victims of domestic violence.

Persons: Manuela Whitford, We’ve, I’ve, ”, ’ I’m, ” Whitford, you’re, you’ve, It’s, They’re, Alice McShera, Geoff DeSanges, Lilie James, Krystal Marshall, Analyn, Whitford, she’s, “, Julia Gillard, Gillard, Andrew Tate, Andrew Lines, Lines, –, haven’t, Hilary Whiteman Organizations: Australia CNN, Friends, Facebook, WA, Victoria Police, New South Wales Police, ACT Policing, Police, SA Police, Dignity, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Women Survey, Women, United Nations, Global Institute, Women’s, NSW Police, CNN Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Australian, Perth, Western Australia, Sydney, New, Canberra, South Australia, Romania, New Zealand

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

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

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

☆ Australia-China: After seven years of strain, leader Albanese heads to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Stakes are high for the four-day visit, which begins on Saturday and will see Albanese meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang and make stops in Beijing and Shanghai. Albanese’s trip also carries symbolic overtones, marking 50 years since the first official visit by an Australian leader to Communist China after the two countries established ties. James Bugg/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesUS relations loomAlbanese is heading to Beijing less than two weeks after he met with US President Joe Biden in Washington. As he aims to repair ties with China, Albanese will need to walk a line between these interests and China’s suspicions about the aims of these blocs, analysts say. “Beijing came to learn that the weaponization of trade did not force a close US ally to back down,” said Collinson.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Scott Morrison’s, Jingdong Yuan, ”, Cheng Lei, Yang Hengjun, Yang, ” Albanese, Elena Collinson, teeters, ” Collinson, James Bugg, Joe Biden, “ Albanese, Yuan, Xi, Biden, Collinson, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s Foreign Ministry, University of Sydney, Reuters, Huawei, Albanese’s Labor, Canberra, Albanese’s, University of Technology Sydney’s, China Relations Institute, Trans, Pacific, Bloomberg, Getty, Albanese, China, China - Asia Security, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Economic Cooperation, Australia Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Australia, Washington, Seoul, Communist China, Asia, Pacific, Darwin, Pacific Islands, South, University of Technology Sydney’s Australia, Europe, Yarra, Victoria, South China, United Kingdom, Japan, India, Sydney, Stockholm, San Fransisco

☆ She was a Pan Am flight attendant, he was a pilot. Their inflight meeting sparked a 50-year romance
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

CNN —Flight attendant Ilona Zahn was less than impressed when she first met pilot Ian Duncan. Ilona was working the first class cabin on the Pan American Airlines flight from Rome to Tehran, traveling via Beirut and Damascus. It was, says Ilona, “a long, romantic embrace.”When their Pan Am flight returned to Rome, Ian and Ilona spent the evening walking around the city together. When their flights didn’t coincide, they’d leave letters for one another at Intercontinental Hotels frequented by Pan Am crew. Ilona DuncanWhile Ilona was enjoying her romance with Ian, she was also keen to hold onto her independence.

Persons: Ilona Zahn, Ian Duncan, Ilona, Ian, ” Ilona, “, haven’t, Ilona wasn’t, Ilona Duncan Ilona’s, ’, ‘, ”, Rome Here's Ilona, Ilona Duncan, warily, wouldn’t, he’d, –, she’d, who’d, John F, Here's Ian, He’d, They’d, Rome, ’ ”, Iona, Pan, She’d, ” Ian, Ilona weren’t, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, “ Ilona Zahn, Manhattan –, Pan Am, Duncan, Ilona Zahn Ilona, She’s, Ian’s, I’m Organizations: CNN, Pan American Airlines, CNN Travel, Boeing, Pan, Royal Tehran Hilton, John, Kennedy, Intercontinental Hotels, Pan Am, “, Playboy, Airbus, Hotel Metropole Locations: Rome, Tehran, Beirut, Damascus, Tabasco, Worcestershire, ”, Iran, Germany, London , New York, Paris, American, Trevi, New York, Sydney, Australia, London, Tokyo, Kenya, Bermuda, JFK, Pan, New Delhi, Bangkok, Hong Kong, West Hampton, Long Island, Manhattan, Long Island , New York, Las Vegas, Fiji, Samoa, France, China, Virginia, Chesapeake, “, Florida

☆ Macquarie sends shareholders a sell signal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chief Executive of the Macquarie Group Shemara Wikramanayake, is seen in this handout picture taken in Sydney, Australia in 2022 released on May 5, 2023. Macquarie Group and Alice Boshell/Handout via REUTERS. Acquire Licensing RightsMELBOURNE, Nov 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Macquarie (MQG.AX) boss Shemara Wikramanayake knows how to time the market. The two moves seem designed to calm any shareholders nervous about the bank’s dip in fortunes. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Alice Boshell, Shemara Wikramanayake, Macquarie, Antony Currie, Aston Martin, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Macquarie Group, REUTERS, Acquire, Rights MELBOURNE, Reuters, X, Pfizer, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Handout, Macquarie

Erin Patterson speaks to the media outside her home in Leongatha, Victoria, Australia in a screengrab obtained on November 3, 2023, AAP/Nine News via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. Patterson, 49, is charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder, according to court documents. Local media reported Don and Gail Patterson were the parents of Erin Patterson's ex-husband Simon Patterson, who was also present at the lunch. The mysterious deaths have gripped Australia, where deaths from eating mushrooms are relatively rare. "Anyone who collects and consumes wild mushrooms of unknown species is putting themselves at risk of potential poisoning and serious illness," the state's health department said.

Persons: Erin Patterson, Patterson, Don Patterson, Gail, Heather Wilkinson, Don, Gail Patterson, Erin Patterson's, Simon Patterson, Ian, Dean Thomas, Alasdair Pal, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Nine, ZEALAND, Melbourne . Local, Police, Thomson Locations: Leongatha, Victoria, Australia, AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY, Melbourne ., Sydney

We are actually going to be looking at this in the very early days of generative AI. casey newtonYeah, this feels like one of the big questions in AI right now. rebecca tushnetSo I see why you say that’s strange, but in fact, it’s exactly how you would make a general-purpose tool. But now, finally, along come these new technologies to take them down a peg, and they’re actually going to have to work for a living. So maybe they’re slapping, like, AI sort of things around the stories that they’re aggregating.

Persons: kevin roose Casey, casey newton What’s, kevin roose, casey newton Dots, casey newton, they’re, kevin roose —, casey newton Dot, CASEY, Biden, Mr, kevin roose I’m Kevin Russo, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, Rebecca Tushnet, casey newton Kevin, I’d, Rachel, kevin roose Aw, Harry Potter, kevin roose Wow, SpongeBob, Chuck Schumer, let’s, it’s, Claude, kevin roose Totally, casey newton Yes, Yann LeCun, It’s, you’re, you’ve, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, kevin roose I’ve, Arati Prabhakar, arati prabhakar, Ben Buchanan, ben buchanan, casey newton Well, Dodd, Frank, I’m, kevin roose Will, You’ve, kevin roose God, kevin roose Hey, Casey, we’ve, Sarah Anderson, who’s, Emad Mostaque, Anderson, weren’t, Kevin, — casey newton, ” rebecca tushnet, rebecca tushnet, that’s, there’s, casey newton Right, I’ve, “ Barbie, “ Barbie ”, Sarah Anderson’s, rebecca tushnet It’s, Barbie, casey newton I’m, Rebecca, Westlaw, we’re, Cory Doctorow, what’s, casey newton Um, Pattie, it’s minty, Patties, Let’s, casey newton No, it’ll, casey newton That’s, KEVIN, “ Joe Biden, ’, Bruce Reed, Joe Biden, ” ‘, Reed, Camp David, Biden’s, —, kevin roose Jack, Jack, ”, Lily James, kevin roose Oh, kevin roose Ugh, kevin roose Horrible, kevin roose “ Cruise, ” “ Cruise, They’re, haven’t, casey newton Close, kevin roose It’s, Guy, casey newton I’ve, Newton Organizations: Target, Opera, The New York Times, White, White House, casey newton People, Google, casey, Science, Technology, Defense Department, Biden White House, Communications, Department of Commerce, European Union, Harvard Law, Midjourney, Copyright, Stability, Harvard Law School, Associated Press, Adobe, Starbucks, Disney, YouTube, Stetson, Media, Biden, NVIDIA, Variety, Staff, Associated, Microsoft, Guardian, General Motors, Cruise, House Locations: Washington, Bikini, Valley, OpenAI, Anthropic, Silicon Valley, Europe, America, York, They’re, Camp, Sydney, United States, California, Austin , Texas, Phoenix, Dallas , Houston, Miami, San Francisco, Franciscans

☆ Take Five: You (may) have arrived at your destination
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

No wonder markets see a 70% chance that the Fed's brutal 20-month tightening cycle is over and that rate cuts could begin as soon as June. So watch closely to see if the top central bankers push back against the cut chatter until inflation is truly tamed. Shekel, gold, oil response to the war5/RACE DAY RATE HIKEThe famous Melbourne Cup horse race runs on Tuesday, but some of the shortest odds are on an Aussie central bank rate hike over in Sydney that day. Three-year and 10-year Australian government bond yields have hit their highest since 2011, though backed off slightly on the Fed's hold. The Australian dollar has also rallied strongly against its New Zealand counterpart as rate expectations diverge.

Persons: Marc Jones, Dhara, Kevin Buckland, Tom Westbrook, Lewis Krauskopf, BoE, Horton, Walt Disney, Mittal, shekel, Antony Blinken, Jordan, Luci Ellis, Kripa Jayaram, Riddhima Talwani, Gareth Jones Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, ECB, FX, Bank of Japan, Reuters, eBay, Nvidia, UBS, ABN Amro, Allianz, Friday, U.S, Melbourne Cup, Westpac, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Australia, Gaza, Here's, London, Tokyo, Singapore, New York, Britain, U.S, Europe, Commerzbank, Israel, Gaza City, Iran, Sydney

☆ Google, Lendlease Scrap Agreement for $15 Billion Real-Estate Development in Silicon Valley
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Stuart Condie | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Lendlease construction site in Sydney. Photo: david gray/ReutersSYDNEY—Four years ago, Google and Australia’s Lendlease rolled out a vision for a more than $15 billion real-estate investment in the San Francisco Bay Area featuring apartments, shops and new office space. Now, those plans are on the scrapheap, the latest example of U.S. tech leaders dumping office space at a rapid clip as they reassess commitments to the workplace.

Persons: Lendlease Organizations: SYDNEY —, Google Locations: Sydney, San Francisco Bay

☆ How Microsoft’s AI is making a mess of the news
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | Allison Gordon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But the apparent role of AI in Microsoft’s recent amplification of bogus stories raises questions about the company’s public adoption of the nascent technology and for the journalism industry as a whole. The poll prompted criticism from Microsoft’s readers, “This has to be the most pathetic, disgusting poll I’ve ever seen,” one person wrote. “We had a really tight knit, super talented editorial team and we had all worked together for a long time,” Pfeuffer told CNN. “I don’t think people realize how many people use [MSN],” she told CNN. “It felt like I was standing in line at the grocery store reading a National Enquirer front page,” Kawar told CNN.

Persons: Joe Biden, Britain’s, Lilie James, James ’, Anna Bateson, “, ” Bateson, Brad Smith, Bateson, ”, Brandon Hunter, “ Brandon Hunter, Dean Preston, Elon Musk, Pfeuffer, ” Pfeuffer, Biden, Joe Biden ”, Ferris, ” Kawar, he’s Organizations: CNN, Democratic Party, NBA, Microsoft, Guardian, MSN, Guardian Media Group, San Francisco, Microsoft Edge, Enquirer, Microsoft Microsoft, Google Locations: OpenAI, Sydney, Australia, Santa Monica , California

REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Santos (STO.AX) said on Thursday an Australian court has granted an interim injunction preventing it from starting work on laying undersea pipelines on its $3.6 billion Barossa gas project off northern Australia. Australia's offshore regulator ordered Santos in January to evaluate the environmental risks to underwater indigenous cultural heritage before starting pipeline work though it did not prohibit the start of work. Santos has said, citing an independent expert, that there were no specific underwater cultural heritage sites along the planned route of the pipeline. A Santos ship was hours away from beginning work on the pipeline, lawyers for Munkara told the court. Santos said the vessel will remain at its current location but no pipeline works will be conducted during the interim injunction.

Persons: Santos, Chris Helgren, Simon Munkara, Munkara, Renju Jose, Ayushman, Mrigank Dhaniwala, Rashmi Aich, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal, Environmental, Office, EDO, Woodside, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Australia, Tiwi, Munkara, Barossa, Scarborough, Sydney, Bengaluru

The Sydney-based financial conglomerate has not had a steeper first-half profit drop in more than a decade. The results capped a run of "exceptional conditions" last year in the company's commodity trading and asset management segments, buoyed by energy market volatility and ripe conditions for asset sales, respectively, Chief Financial Officer Alex Harvey told Reuters. Macquarie said the asset management division's income should rebound in the second half to about the A$940 million it reported in the same period last year. The company said fees and commissions at investment banking arm Macquarie Capital were in line with the previous comparable period. Profit fell 28% to A$430 million.

Persons: David Gray, Alex Harvey, Macquarie, Shemara Wikramanayake, Wikramanayake, Barrenjoey, Lewis Jackson, Roushni Nair, Rishav Chatterjee, Jamie Freed Organizations: Macquarie Group Ltd, REUTERS, Macquarie, Reuters, Citi, Investment, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, SYDNEY, Ukraine, North America, Israel, Bengaluru

☆ Southeast Asia internet economy to grow 11% y/y in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An internet LAN cable is pictured in this photo illustration taken in Sydney June 23, 2011. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Southeast Asia's internet economy is expected to grow 11% year-on-year in 2023, slowing from last year's 20% growth, an industry report showed on Wednesday. The annual report published jointly by Alphabet (GOOGL.O)'s Google, Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings and global business consultants Bain & Company, also said the region's internet economy is seen worth $295 billion by 2025, down from a previous estimate of $330 billion. "Digital economy sectors are showing positive growth trajectories, with travel and transport on track to exceed pre-pandemic levels by 2024," the companies said in a joint statement. The region of 11 countries and more than half a billion people has a young population, widespread smartphone usage, and a growing middle class, making it one of the world's fastest growing internet markets.

Persons: Tim Wimborne, Chen Lin, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Google, Temasek Holdings, Bain & Company, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Rights SINGAPORE, Singapore

☆ RA chairman says no shortage of replacements for ex-Wallabies coach Jones
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO:New Australia rugby union coach Eddie Jones poses with Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan and CEO Andy Marinos after his first news conference since his reappointment, which was held at Matraville Sports High School, in Sydney, Australia January 31, 2023. McLennan said an Australian coach's knowledge of grass-roots rugby in the country would be of value but added that Rugby Australia (RA) wanted the best person for the job. I can tell you, there’s no shortage of high-quality coaches that want to come and coach the Wallabies." Former ACT Brumbies coach Dan McKellar, now coaching in England, is seen as among the strongest candidates to replace Jones, along with current Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham. McLennan was instrumental in appointing Jones, who replaced Dave Rennie after the New Zealander was sacked as Wallabies coach in January.

Persons: Eddie Jones, Hamish McLennan, Andy Marinos, Nick Mulvenney, McLennan, Zealander Robbie Deans, Dan McKellar, Jones, Stephen Larkham, Dave Rennie, we’ve, Ian Ransom, Gerry Doyle Organizations: New Australia rugby, Rugby Australia, Matraville Sports High School, REUTERS, Rights MELBOURNE, Wallabies, Sydney Morning Herald, Zealander, Australia, Panasonic Wild Knights, Former ACT Brumbies, Brumbies, New Zealander, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Australian, Brisbane, England, Melbourne

☆ Rugby league-Court drops case against Australia's Mitchell and Wighton
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Wighton was celebrating his 30th birthday when police removed him from the nightclub and ordered him to leave the city area. I thought I saw something different," Australian media quoted the police officer as saying to Wighton in court on Tuesday. Australia Capital Territory (ACT) Magistrates Court judge Jane Campbell dismissed the case, triggering criticism of police and prosecutors. The arrests were prominently reported by national broadcasters, with video showing four police officers pinning Aboriginal Australian Mitchell face-down to the ground. "I hope everyone knows and understands the seriousness of what's gone on," South Sydney fullback Mitchell told reporters outside the court.

Persons: South Sydney Rabbitohs Latrell Mitchell, Loren Elliott, Latrell Mitchell, Jack Wighton, Mitchell, affray, Wighton, Jack, Jane Campbell, what's, it's, they've, I've, Don Furner, Shane Rattenbury, Ian Ransom, Sonali Paul Organizations: South Sydney Rabbitohs, National Rugby League, Sydney Roosters, REUTERS, Rights MELBOURNE, Australian, Police, ., Capital Territory, Aboriginal, South Sydney, Canberra Raiders, ACT Attorney, ACT Policing, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Canberra, Melbourne

☆ Microsoft under fire over AI-generated poll about death of 21-year-old woman on its news platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Guardian accused Microsoft of causing "significant reputational damage" with an AI-generated poll. A poll speculating how a woman died appeared next to a Guardian news story on Microsoft Start. AdvertisementAdvertisementA newspaper publisher accused Microsoft of damaging its reputation after an AI-generated poll appeared next to one of its articles on an aggregation platform. An AI-generated poll asking readers to vote on whether they thought the woman had died by murder, suicide or accident appeared next to the article on Microsoft Start. She also called for the software company to stop using experimental AI alongside Guardian news stories.

Persons: —, Lilie James, Anna Bateson, Bateson, Brad Smith, Smith Organizations: Guardian, Microsoft, Service, Guardian Media Group Locations: Sydney, Australia

SYDNEY, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Residents in three areas in Australia's northern Queensland state were ordered to evacuate their homes on Wednesday, as bushfires burned out of control. People in two adjacent areas, near the town of Dalveen, were on Wednesday ordered to evacuate immediately. AAP Image/Darren England via REUTERS Acquire Licensing Rights"Every Australian's heart goes out to the people... who are being impacted once again by these bushfires," Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers, whose electorate is in the state, told a news conference on Wednesday. "It was a pretty horrifying experience," NSW resident Michelle Balint told state broadcaster ABC on Wednesday, recounting a wall of flames racing across the family's land. Authorities on Wednesday imposed a third evacuation warning in the far north of the state, near Watsonville.

Persons: Darren England, Jim Chalmers, Michelle Balint, Alasdair Pal, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SYDNEY, Firefighters, REUTERS Acquire, NSW, ABC, Authorities, Stefica Bikes, Thomson Locations: Australia's, Queensland, Australia, New Zealand, Dalveen, Wallangarra, New South Wales, NSW, Watsonville, Sydney

Mining companies in the West are facing two overarching challenges in trying to produce enough metals to enable the energy transition, and at the same time build alternative supply chains to lessen their dependence on China. There is little doubt that Australia is a country well-placed to play a major role in supplying many of the metals vital to the energy transition. The previous models for developing mines appear no longer effective, and even if some projects do progress, they are nowhere near enough to provide enough material for the energy transition. Michael Willoughby, global head of metals, mining and transition materials at HSBC, told a forum at IMARC that there is capital available for mining, but it's located in developing countries such as China, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. What's not being talked about is how all the new mines, mineral processing and renewable energy equipment is going to be funded.

Persons: Washington Alves, Michael Willoughby, Willoughby, Miral Organizations: Sigma Lithium Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters . Mining, Mining, Resources Conference, HSBC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil, China, Sydney, Asia, Australia, CHINA, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, New South Wales, U.S

☆ Australia Police Arrest Woman Over Mushroom Lunch That Killed Three
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police said on Thursday they had arrested a 49-year-old woman over the deaths of three elderly people in August after they allegedly consumed mushrooms at a lunch hosted by her. The woman will be interviewed by police and the investigation remained ongoing, Victoria police said in a statement. A fourth man, Wilkinson's husband Ian Wilkinson, a pastor in a nearby town was released from hospital in September. The mysterious deaths have gripped Australia. Deaths from consuming mushrooms are relatively rare in the country, which has several species including the "death cap" mushroom that are dangerous enough to poison and kill a human.

Persons: Don Patterson, Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson, Wilkinson's, Ian Wilkinson, Renju Jose, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY Locations: Victoria, Leongatha, Melbourne, Australia, Sydney

☆ Australia police arrest woman over mushroom lunch that killed three
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"Today's arrest is just the next step in what has been a complex and thorough investigation by homicide squad detectives and one that is not yet over," Dean Thomas, the detective in charge of the investigation, told a news conference on Thursday. Police will interview the woman, who has not been charged and whom they did not name, once the search is complete, he added. State broadcaster ABC reported the woman had told police she did not intend to poison her guests and had herself been hospitalised after the lunch. Deaths from consuming mushrooms are relatively rare in the country, which has several species, including the "death cap" mushroom, that are dangerous enough kill a human. Reporting by Renju Jose and Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dean Thomas, Don Patterson, Gail, Heather Wilkinson, Ian, Renju Jose, Alasdair Pal, Lincoln, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SYDNEY, Police, ABC, Thomson Locations: Victoria, Leongatha, Melbourne, Australia, Sydney

☆ First Australian nationals leave Israeli-besieged Gaza for Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At least 320 foreign nationals left the Palestinian enclave to cross into Egypt on Wednesday, the first to benefit from a deal mediated by Qatar. Watts said there were still 65 Australians trapped in Gaza and the government had urged them, using all available communication channels, to move toward the Rafah crossing as soon as possible. "We are providing all possible support we can, communicating through all available channels," Watts told ABC television. The Gaza health ministry says at least 8,796 Palestinians in the narrow coastal enclave, including 3,648 children, have been killed by Israeli strikes. Watts said he also "strongly encouraged" Australians in Lebanon to leave the country after deadly clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Persons: Tim Watts, Watts, Renju Jose, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Hamas, Foreign, ABC, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, SYDNEY, Qatar, Lebanon, Iran, Beirut, Sydney

"AustralianSuper believes Origin has a highly strategic portfolio of assets to participate in, and benefit from, the energy transition," a spokesperson said. Origin shares plunged as much as 5.6% to A$8.565 in high-volume trading following the news, as AustralianSuper's 13.68% holding could scupper a deal that requires approval from 75% of the register if not all investors vote. Should the deal fail at the shareholder vote scheduled for Nov. 23, a revised agreement allows the consortium to make a subsequent off-market bid if it buys 5% or more of Origin shares. "If it gets voted down, Brookfield aren't obligated to come back with an off-market takeover offer, but they may be inclined to," he said. Should the deal close, Brookfield and its partners GIC and Temasek will own Origin's Energy Markets business, which includes power generation and retailing.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, AustralianSuper, Canada's Brookfield, Brookfield, Jamie Hannah, Simon Mawhinney, Allan Gray, Stewart Upson, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Sameer Manekar, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, SYDNEY, bourse, Brookfield Asia, Energy Markets, Saudi Arabia's Aramco, Australia Pacific LNG, Thomson Locations: VanEck, Brookfield, Temasek, Saudi, Australia, Sydney, Bengaluru

☆ Pilots at Qantas' unit halt planned two-day strike ahead of further talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Rishav Chatterjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AFAP on Friday said that Network Aviation pilots will stop work on Wednesday and Thursday in a bid to negotiate wages. Australia's industrial relations tribunal, the Fair Works Commission (FWC), presided over a series of talks between pilots and the airline on Monday. AFAP members – who make up 90% of the pilot group at Network Aviation – won't be engaging in protected action until next week's bargaining sessions are completed, the pilots' union said. Meanwhile, Qantas expressed disappointment over the union choosing to "cause disruption and uncertainty" by threatening the strike, a few days before a meeting with the FWC. The airline will continue to work with the FWC over coming weeks to seek a resolution, it added.

Persons: Loren Elliott, AFAP, –, Tim Waterer, FWC, Rishav Chatterjee, Ayushman Ojha, Mrigank Dhaniwala Organizations: Qantas, Kingsford Smith International Airport, REUTERS, Pilots, Network Aviation, Qantas Airways, Australian Federation of Pilots, Qantas Group, Fair Works Commission, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

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