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☆ BAE Systems Australia unveils homegrown military drone
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People take a look at a model of STRIX drone by BAE Systems Australia, at the Australian International Airshow, in Avalon, Australia February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Jamie FreedAVALON, Australia Feb 28 (Reuters) - BAE Systems Australia and another local manufacturer on Tuesday unveiled a new uncrewed military aircraft that will be designed, manufactured and armed in Australia. Work on a prototype is under way, with operational service possible by 2026, said Ben Hudson, chief executive of BAE Systems Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems (BAES.L), Britain's biggest defence company. Boeing is designing the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a fighter-like drone, alongside the Royal Australian Air Force. BAE Systems Australia will also deliver a new low-cost precision-guided munition, known as RAZER, usable with STRIX.

☆ BAE Systems Australia unveils first homegrown military drone
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People take a look at a model of STRIX drone by BAE Systems Australia, at the Australian International Airshow, in Avalon, Australia February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Jamie FreedGEELONG, Australia Feb 28 (Reuters) - BAE Systems Australia and another local manufacturer on Tuesday unveiled a new uncrewed military aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, the first to be designed, manufactured and armed in Australia. Work on a prototype is under way, with operational service possible by 2026, said Ben Hudson, chief executive of BAE Systems Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems (BAES.L), Britain's biggest defence company. BAE Systems programme manager Natalie Waldie said that STRIX could be exported to allied nations and that there had been strong interest from two unnamed international customers. BAE Systems Australia will also deliver a new low-cost precision-guided munition, known as RAZER, usable with STRIX.

Fund managers say they are fielding more queries from clients about the odds of an invasion of Taiwan by China. Russia's invasion of Ukraine early last year has also made investors more wary of war risk, analysts said. Goldman Sachs' Cross-Strait Risk Index, which gauges the intensity of geopolitical risk between Taiwan and mainland China, hit a record high last August after then-U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan. Jordan Stuart, client portfolio manager at Federated Hermes, says he cut China exposure last year while holding onto some small stocks that can "fly under the radar". The Taiwan Strait is a major route for ships transporting goods from East Asia to the United States and Europe.

☆ Australian exporters rekindle China ties amid diplomatic thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Australian business leaders are following the political signals. Fortescue Metals (FMG.AX) founder Andrew Forrest, BHP (BHP.AX) head Mike Henry and Tim Ford, chief executive of tariff-hit winemaker Treasury Wine Estate (TWE.AX), have scheduled visits to China in March. At least 15 vessels carrying Australian coal were bound for China last week as traders bet already-reduced trade barriers will fall further. "People are starting to get on the front foot," Grain Trade Australia Chief Executive Pat O'Shannassy told Reuters. A shipment of Australian coal diverted to Vietnam last week after waiting at a Chinese port for five days without unloading.

☆ New Zealand launches global fundraiser for post-cyclone reconstruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 27 (Reuters) - New Zealand will launch an international fundraising appeal for the massive reconstruction work needed after Cyclone Gabrielle tore across the country's north earlier this month, forcing thousands of people into shelters and killing eleven. The appeal will fund longer term recovery projects and target wealthy expatriates, businesses and anyone with affection for New Zealand, said Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Monday. The appeal will be modeled after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake fundraiser, which collected over NZ$94 million ($57.94 million). A national state of emergency, only the third declared in the country's history, will continue in cyclone-hit regions. ($1 = 1.6223 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Heavy rains forecast for cyclone-hit areas of New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A view of flood damage in the the aftermath of cyclone Gabrielle in HawkeÕs Bay, New Zealand, in this picture released on February 15, 2023. New Zealand Defence Force/Handout via REUTERSFeb 21 (Reuters) - Parts of cyclone-stricken New Zealand could see heavy rains from Thursday as relief and recovery efforts continue and tens of thousands remain without power after Cyclone Gabrielle tore across the country's North Island last week. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called Gabrielle New Zealand's biggest natural disaster this century. Hard-hit regions across the north east, where 13,000 remain without power and 1,300 are in emergency shelters, are set for heavy rain from Thursday. ($1 = 1.6028 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lewis Jackson in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

☆ Australia to spend $5 bln on Brisbane Olympics venues
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A view of the city skyline of Brisbane, expected to be announced as host for the 2032 Olympic Games, in Brisbane, Australia, July 4, 2021. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File PhotoSYDNEY, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The Australian federal government and the Queensland state government said on Friday they would spend a combined A$7.1 billion ($4.9 billion) to build new venues and refurbish existing ones ahead of the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane. This event is a great event for Queensland but it's great for Australia as well," Albanese said. Brisbane will become the third Australian city to host the Summer Olympics, after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. The event is expected to deliver A$8.1 billion in economic and social benefits to Queensland, and more than A$17.6 billion to Australia, Queensland state Deputy Premier Steven Miles said.

☆ Australia marks anniversary of 'Stolen Generation' apology; promises more funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Praveen Menon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Day after day, week after week," he said. Opposition leader Peter Dutton apologised for boycotting the national apology in 2008. "I've apologised for that in the past and I repeat that apology again today," Dutton told parliament in his speech. "I failed to grasp at the time the symbolic significance to the Stolen Generation of the Apology." Australia’s First Nations people were not included in the census and recognised as part of the Australian population until 1967.

☆ Fortescue Metals preparing to cut up to 1,000 jobs, The Australian reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Fortescue Metals Group (FMG.AX) is looking to cut up to 1,000 jobs across its back office and clean energy unit as part of a cost-cutting exercise, The Australian reported on Thursday, less than week before Fortescue reports half-yearly results. 4 iron ore miner said any significant changes to the number of its employees require board approval, which has not been received. Fortescue reports results for the six months through December on Feb. 15. The company is preparing to cut costs despite a more than three-month rally in iron ore prices as traders bid up the metal in anticipation of China's economy reopening from pandemic restrictions. The Australian reported that job losses at the company's Pilbara region mining operations are likely, although safety staff and production workers would probably be exempt.

☆ Australia denies permission for coal mine near Great Barrier Reef
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Australia's environment minister on Wednesday declined to grant permission for a new thermal coal project owned by mining magnate Clive Palmer near the Great Barrier Reef. The Central Queensland Coal owned mine is in the Styx Coal Basin, just off the coast of central Queensland. "I've decided that the adverse environmental impacts are simply too great," Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said in a video posted to social media. "The mine is an open-cut coal mine less than 10 km from the Great Barrier Reef, and the risk of pollution and irreversible damage to the reef is very real." Central Queensland Coal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Australia to remove Chinese-made security cameras from national war memorial -reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Australia's national war memorial will remove several Chinese-made security cameras installed on the premises because officials are concerned they could be used for spying, local media reported on Wednesday. Eleven surveillance cameras manufactured by Hikvision (002415.SZ), partly owned by Chinese state investors, will be removed from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra by mid-2023, according to the Canberra Times. The Australian War Memorial said in a statement on Wednesday it did not comment on security matters. Opposition senator James Paterson said on Wednesday he is conducting a full audit of all government departments and agencies for possible exposure to Chinese-made surveillance devices. Paterson first raised the issue of Chinese-made surveillance equipment during public hearings last year.

☆ Australia, New Zealand talk up their relationships with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand talked up their relationships with China at a joint prime ministerial news conference on Tuesday in the latest sign of strengthening ties with their biggest trading partner. "The trade to China is more than the next three highest trading partners combined. It's in Australia's national interest to have good economic relations and to trade with China." New Zealand has historically taken a more conciliatory approach to China - a stance that has led to pressure from some elements among its Western allies. It is part of the Five Eyes intelligence and security alliance which includes Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States.

☆ Solomon Islands ousts official critical of close relations with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Daniel Suidani, premier of the South Pacific nation's Malaita province, is a longtime critic of the country's deepening relations with China, which culminated in a security pact signed last April. Malaita's provincial assembly ousted Suidani in a unanimous vote on Tuesday, said the ABC. Suidani and his supporters boycotted the vote, ABC said, adding he had not yet spoken to the media about the results. Flights are delayed in Auki, the capital of Malaita, the ABC reported. Residents of Malaita opposed the decision by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's government in 2019 to formally recognise China instead of Taiwan.

☆ Australia's biggest state unveils plan for cashless poker machines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The leader of Australia's most populous state on Monday unveiled a plan to make all poker machines cashless within five years to fight money laundering and problem gambling, setting up a political battle ahead of a state election next month. New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said his government would make every poker machine cashless by 2028 and offer interest-free loans for pubs and clubs to buy new cashless gambling machines that would only allow players to bet from a bank account. Perrottet said his proposal "solves problem gambling, solves money laundering, protects jobs and industries". Australia, with a population of 25 million, has about one-fifth of the world's 1 million legal poker machines, according to think tank the Australia Institute. The centre-left Labor state opposition has stopped short of calling for mandatory cashless poker machines, saying only that it would support a limited trial of the measure.

☆ Australia's radioactive capsule: searching scientists were quietly confident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A view shows the area where a radioactive capsule was found, near Newman, Australia, February 1, 2023. Western Australian Department Of Fire And Emergency Services/Handout via REUTERSSYDNEY, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The task was daunting: find a tiny radioactive capsule that had fallen off a truck somewhere in Western Australia's vast outback sometime in January. Western Australia is buzzing with low-level rays thanks to its A$230 billion ($160 billion) mining industry. The Australian Radiation Incident Register reported six incidents of material being found, lost or stolen in 2019. That year, a radioactive gauge was stolen in Queensland state, according to police reports.

☆ Australia's radioactive capsule to be moved to storage as investigation starts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A view shows the area where a radioactive capsule was found, near Newman, Australia, February 1, 2023. The week-long search retracing the truck's journey involved 100 people from at least five government agencies using specialised radiation detection equipment. Capsule was found south of the town of Newman after a week-long search. Western Australia's Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson launched an investigation on Wednesday and said prosecutions would be considered under state radiation safety laws dating to 1975. A report for Western Australia's Health Minister is due in several weeks.

☆ Australian regulator to review short-seller report on India's Adani
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of the Adani Group is seen on the facade of its Corporate House on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Amit DaveSYDNEY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Australia's corporate regulator said on Wednesday it will review a short-seller report that has flagged a wide range of concerns about India's Adani Group. Bravus, an Australian Adani Group company, said in a statement that the group "refutes all allegations" made in the Hindenburg report about its Australian operations and that it has publicly provided evidence to back up its stance. Adani Group's Australian businesses all comply with the law, a spokesperson said, adding that none had been contacted by ASIC or the Australian Tax Office about Hindenburg Research's allegations. The Hindenburg report "presents transactions related to Adani's Australian businesses in a misleading way to purposefully undermine the reputation of the Adani Group, in order to pursue their own profit by short-selling shares in Adani Group companies," the statement said.

☆ Australian securities regulator reviewing short-seller report on India's Adani
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Australia's corporate regulator is reviewing a short-seller report that accused India's Adani Group of improper use of offshore tax havens to determine whether regulatory action is required, according to a spokesperson. "ASIC will review the allegations against Adani and determine whether further inquiries are warranted," a spokesperson for the regulator told Reuters on Wednesday. The Adani Group said in a statement that the Hindenburg report "presents transactions related to Adani’s Australian businesses in a misleading way to purposefully undermine the reputation of the Adani Group, in order to pursue their own profit by short-selling shares in Adani Group companies." "All our businesses are Australian companies that comply with Australian corporations and securities legislation," the statement said. On Tuesday, a crucial $2.5 billion share sale for the Adani Group was fully subscribed with foreign institutional investors and corporate funds taking part, although participation by retail investors was low.

☆ Missing radioactive capsule found in Western Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Wednesday found a radioactive capsule that was lost in the vast Outback after nearly a week-long search along a 1,400 km (870-mile) stretch of highway, an emergency services official said. The military was verifying the capsule and it would be taken to a secure facility in the city of Perth on Thursday, Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said in a news conference. The radioactive capsule was part of a gauge used to measure the density of iron ore feed from Rio Tinto's (RIO.AX) Gudai-Darri mine in the state's remote Kimberley region. The ore was being taken to a facility in the suburbs of Perth - a distance longer than the length of Great Britain. The silver capsule, 6 mm in diameter and 8 mm long, contains Caesium-137 which emits radiation equal to 10 X-rays per hour.

☆ Explainer: How did a radioactive capsule go missing in Australia and how dangerous is it?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Australian authorities are mounting an extensive search for a tiny radioactive capsule believed to have fallen out of a road train - a truck with multiple trailers - that travelled 1,400 km (870 miles) in Western Australia. When it was unpacked on Jan. 25, it was found broken apart, with one of its four mounting bolts as well as screws and the capsule missing. Authorities suspect vibrations from the road train caused the gauge to break apart and the capsule fell out. The road train travelled from the mine in the state's remote Kimberley region and arrived at a storage facility in the suburbs of Perth on Jan. 16. The search involves at least five other government agencies including the Department of Defence, the police, the Australian Nuclear and Science Technology Organisation and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said on Monday that it would take five days to retrace the road train's route. Authorities suspect vibrations from the road train caused the screws and a bolt from the gauge to come loose, and then the capsule fell out. A member of the Incident Management Team coordinates the search for a radioactive capsule that was lost in transit by a contractor hired by Rio Tinto, at the Emergency Services Complex in Cockburn, Australia, in this undated handout photo. Department of Fire and Emergency Services/Handout via REUTERSCenturion said in a statement that the capsule was dislodged from equipment contained in a crate. "The equipment can detect radiation emitted by the missing capsule and is currently being used around the Perth metropolitan area and outskirts."

SYDNEY, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Australia is preparing for the arrival of thousands of Chinese students, the education minister said on Monday, days after China's education ministry warned students enrolled overseas that online learning would no longer be recognised. Tens of thousands remain offshore after pandemic restrictions and strained diplomatic relations led many to return home. Phil Honeywood, chief executive officer at International Education Association of Australia, an advocacy body for international education in Australia, said there were currently about 40,000 Chinese students still offshore. "We anticipate a lot of Chinese students will be scrambling as we speak to get on flights to Australia. The move by China's Ministry of Education has been met with anger from Chinese students.

☆ NBA roundup: Giannis Antetokounmpo nets 50 in Bucks' rout
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Jan 29, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) brings the ball downcourt in the third quarter during game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY SportsJanuary 30 - Giannis Antetokounmpo had 50 points and 13 rebounds and the host Milwaukee Bucks rolled to a 135-110 victory over the reeling New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night. Jrue Holiday added 17 points and Brook Lopez scored 15 as the Bucks won their fourth straight game. Amir Coffey scored 18 points, and both Moses Brown and Moussa Diabate finished with 13 points coming on in reserve. Aaron Nesmith tallied 16 points and five rebounds, while Myles Turner added 15 points and four boards.

☆ Australian minister says Kanye West could be denied entry
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Jan 24 (Reuters) - American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, may not be suitable for an Australian visa because of his history of anti-Semitic remarks, a government minister said on Wednesday, as pressure mounted to deny the award-winning rapper entry. Minister for Education Jason Clare condemned Ye's "awful" anti-Semitic comments involving Hitler and the Holocaust, saying others who had made similar statements had been denied visas. Ye has been dropped by major corporate partners, including Adidas (ADSGn.DE) and banned from Twitter because of anti-Semitic remarks and outbursts on social media against other celebrities. "He's not a person of good character and the minister has the ability to stop somebody coming into our country of bad character." Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, met officials on Tuesday to argue for an entry ban.

☆ Australia limits alcohol sales in Alice Springs amid crime wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The new rules in the town of Alice Springs, 2,000 km northwest of Sydney, and the surrounding region, mean that the sale of takeaway alcohol will be restricted on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and sales will be reduced on other days. A fifth of the citizens of Alice Springs are Indigenous. Community leaders across Australia have long identified alcohol abuse as a huge factor behind violence and health problems. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who met politicians, police and community leaders in Alice Springs earlier on Tuesday, said the steps on alcohol had to be seen in a broader context. Domestic violence, assaults and property damage in Alice Springs rose between 43% and 60% in the 12 months to November 2022, according to the latest crime statistics from the territory government.

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