Australia

How $40-a-pack cigarettes pushed Australians to the black market

Tax hikes made cigarettes in Australia the most expensive in the world. They have also helped fuel a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise in bootleg tobacco

Australia to spend $2.7 bn on shipyard for nuclear submarines under Aukus

Aukus is Australia's largest-ever defence investment and will see US-commanded Virginia-class submarines based in Australia from 2027

Army Chief Gen Dwivedi to embark on 4-day visit to Australia on Monday

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi will undertake a four-day visit to Australia beginning Monday to explore ways to boost bilateral defence ties and jointly contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The defence ministry said the Army Chief will hold wide-ranging interactions with senior leadership of the Australian defence forces, especially focussing on enhancing army-to-army engagements including training and joint exercises. It said the visit is aimed at further strengthening India-Australia defence cooperation and reinforcing the growing convergence between the two nations. "The visit reaffirms the shared commitment of both nations to further enhancing defence cooperation and jointly contributing to peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region," it said in a statement. In Canberra, Gen Dwivedi will hold talks with Lt Gen Simon Stuart, the Chief of the Australian Army. Lt Gen Stuart and Gen Dwivedi are alumni of the US Army War College's 'Class of 2015' a

Ties with India must go beyond economic complementarity: Australian envoy

India and Australia have "highly complementary" economies, and both countries produce things which fit each other's interests, but the bilateral relationship needs to be deeper than that aspect, Australian envoy Philip Green said. "We need to understand each other at a deeper level. We need to tell each other's stories and hear each other's stories," Green told PTI on the sidelines of an event hosted on Friday night on the premises of the Australian High Commission here. Two Australians of Indian heritage, including India-born Reuben de Melo, who won "The Voice Australia" singing competition in 2024, entertained guests at the event, "Gig on the Green". "It is a very special occasion for us. You know, we are building up a multi-faceted bilateral relationship across defence and security, across economics, across education," Green said. The human connection that we have is a very special thing about the bilateral relationship, he said. "There are now more than a million people of Ind

India turns to US for coking coal as Australia's dominance wanes

The shift in sourcing predates the India-US trade framework and reflects a structural diversification strategy, even as coking coal is designated a critical mineral to boost domestic output

Reliance Consumer Products buys majority stake in Australia's Goodness Grp

RCPL enters Australian market with stake in Goodness Group, adding health-focused brands Nexba and PACE to its beverages portfolio and expanding its reach across domestic and global markets

Apogee Aerospace signs ₹3,500 cr deal with Australia's AAI for 15 seaplanes

Apogee Aerospace has placed an order for 15 amphibian aircraft with Australia's Amphibian Aerospace Industries (AAI) for a total value of Rs 3,500 crore as part of a strategic collaboration. Besides, the Indian company will invest Rs 500 crore to establish tail-section manufacturing, maintenance and overhaul facilities, training and simulation infrastructure, and advanced systems integration capabilities in India. This will be for the amphibian planes of AAI, which also plans to set up a manufacturing facility for these planes in India. The announcements made on Thursday in the national capital also come at a time when the government is making efforts to boost air connectivity as well as encourage self-reliance in the fast-growing aviation and aerospace ecosystem. Amphibian aircraft can operate on both water and land. They are also known as seaplanes. The two companies are also looking to tap the opportunities in the country's blue economy. On Thursday, AAI and Apogee Aerospace .

Australia student visa rules change: Agent commissions banned for transfers

New rules aim to curb course hopping and tighten oversight of education agents under student visa reforms

Australia can rein in health spending with stronger focus on prevention

Australia's spending on health and social care is growing as a share of the economy and now makes up five of the top seven fiscal pressures facing the federal budget

Australia Parliament debates anti-hate speech, gun laws after Bondi attack

Australia's Parliament on Tuesday began debating draft anti-hate speech and gun laws proposed after two shooters killed 15 people at a Jewish festival in Sydney last month. The draft laws would create new restrictions on gun ownership and create a government-funded buyback scheme to compensate people forced to hand in their firearms. Anti-hate speech laws would enable hate groups that don't fit Australia's definition of a terrorist organisation, such as Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, to be outlawed. Hizb ut-Tahrir is already outlawed by some countries. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told Parliament that alleged gunmen Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram would not have been allowed to possess guns under the proposed laws. The father, who was shot dead by police during the attack on Jewish worshippers during Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach on Dec 14, legally owned the guns used. His son, who was wounded, has been charged with dozens of offenses including 15

UK govt mulls under-16 social media ban, app curbs to cut screen time

The UK may follow Australia in banning under-16s from social media as ministers seek public views on curbing screen time and harmful online features for children

Australia puts India in highest-risk visa list: Are students unwelcome now?

Australia has re-rated India under its student visa framework, increasing scrutiny but not shutting doors for genuine applicants

Australia moves India to highest-risk category, tightens student visas

Indian students applying to Australia are likely to face deeper checks, more documents and longer processing times after a key visa re-rating

Australia, India invited to G7 meeting on critical minerals, says Bessent

The G7 includes the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Canada, as well as the European Union, most of whom are heavily dependent on rare earths supplies from China

South Australia issues 344 skilled visa invites, opens doors for Indians

The first draw of the new migration year focused on healthcare, engineering, IT, education and construction roles

Australian PM announces inquiry into antisemitism after Bondi mass shooting

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a wide-ranging national inquiry into antisemitism, weeks after two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish holiday event at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people. The investigation will be a royal commission, which is the most significant type of independent public inquiry that can be held in Australia. It will be led by former High Court judge Virginia Bell, Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Thursday. The inquiry will investigate the nature, prevalence and drivers of antisemitism generally, as well as the circumstances of the Bondi mass shooting, Albanese said. It will also make recommendations for law enforcement, strengthening social cohesion and countering the spread of extremism. A report is due by December 14, which will be a year to the day since the shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at the Sydney landmark. This was an antisemitic terrorist attack, aimed at Jewish Australians, inspired by ISIS, the deadliest that has ever occur

Australia's Victoria faces catastrophic fire risk as mercury hits 45°C

Several bushfires are already burning in the state, with evacuation orders issued for small communities in the path of the blazes

Studying in Australia 2026: Costs, work rules and student life for Indians

Studying in Australia 2026: A practical guide for Indian students on tuition fees, living expenses, work rules and everyday life in Australia before making the move

Bondi Beach victims' kin seek more action on antisemitism, security failure

Families of victims of the recent Sydney massacre that targeted a Jewish festival released an open letter on Monday calling for more federal action to investigate a rise in antisemitism and the security failures behind Australia's worst mass shooting in three decades. Two gunmen are accused of shooting 15 people dead and wounding another 40 in an attack on a Hannukah festival on Bondi Beach on Dec. 14. In an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, 17 families of the dead and wounded called for a federal inquiry known as a royal commission to investigate a rise in antisemitism in Australia since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023 and consequent security agency failures. Royal commissions are the most powerful form of public investigation in Australia and witnesses can be jailed for deliberately withholding evidence. We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how antisemitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes m

Australia's advisory against rabies vaccine over-cautious: Manufacturer

Days after Australia issued an advisory against counterfeit rabies vaccine in India, a public sector manufacturer of the vaccine 'Abhayrab' clarified that the concern revolves around a specific batch identified in January 2025, and did not merit a blanket warning against it. The vaccine manufacturer, the Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), said the advisory in its present form has the potential to create anxiety and mistrust among the public and healthcare practitioners. It asked the Australian government to consider reviewing its advisory. Around a week ago, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) said Australian travellers who have been administered the anti-rabies vaccine Abhayrab in India after November 1, 2023, should consider the vaccination invalid and initiate a new course of vaccination. The IIL has written to ATAGI, strongly refuting the "over-cautionary and misplaced reference" to a batch of vaccine manufactured in March 2024, and said it had ...