Page 22 - Australia

Australian, Vietnamese PMs elevate their nations' economic relations

Australian and Vietnamese prime ministers on Thursday discussed ways of improving an already booming economic relationship, as part of Australia's strategy to diversify trade away from China. Vietnamese Pham Minh Chinh's official state visit came after he attended a summit of Southeast Asian leaders this week co-chaired by his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone. The Vietnam bilateral relationship has proved a success in Australia's hedge against Chinese economic moves. Australia says China's official and unofficial trade barriers have cost Australian exporters up to 20 billion Australian dollars (USD 13 billion) a year since 2020, though those steps have been relaxed gradually since Albanese's government came to power in 2022. Albanese said trade between Australia and Vietnam had increased 75 per cent in two years to USD 25.7 billion in 2022, the most recent year for which data was available. Vietnam had become Australia's ...

Quad a statement that others cannot have 'veto' on our choices: Jaishankar

The Quad is a statement that others cannot have a "veto" on choices of like-minded nations and the coalition is here to stay, grow and contribute to global prosperity, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, amid mounting global concerns over China's rising assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. In an address at a think-tank forum, Jaishankar described the coalition of India, the US, Japan and Australia as an "overhead light" that is a "creative, flexible, nimble, responsive and open-minded" enterprise. The Quad has largely been focusing on bolstering cooperation to ensure a free and an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific in the face of Chinese belligerence. The external affairs minister said the Quad reflects the growth of a multipolar global order and its central approach is collaborative, and not unilateral. "All four governments have behaved differently from how they normally do. The Quad is an overhead light -- creative, flexible, nimble, responsive and open-minded ..

Raisina Dialogue: Jaishankar meets Australian Intelligence chief Shearer

Jaishankar also welcomed the Foreign Minister of Bhutan DN Dhungyel on his first visit to India after assuming office

'India is the world's emerging democratic superpower,' says Tony Abbott

'India is a wonderful place to do business. Today, India is a far more business-friendly place than it was a decade ago...' he said

JSW Steel in talks with Australia's Whitehaven for coal mine stake

The miner acquired the Blackwater and Daunia mines from BHP Group in a $4.1 billion deal last October, and expects the acquisition to complete in early April

JSW Steel in talks to buy 20% in Australian coal mine for $1 billion

Whitehaven selling part of stake in Blackwater mine

TMS Ep632: Jio OTT and TV, flight delays, markets, Right to Disconnect

Can Reliance do a Jio in media? Why are your flights getting delayed or cancelled? Is the market recovery sustainable? What is Australia's Right to Disconnect Bill? All answers here

US House passes Quad bill to facilitate closer cooperation between members

The US House of Representatives has passed the Quad bill which instructs the Biden administration to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer cooperation between the US, Australia, India and Japan. Passed by a roll call vote of 379 to 39 votes, the Strengthen US-Australia-India-Japan Cooperation' or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) bill says that the joint cooperation between the US, Australia, India and Japan should be strengthened. It directs the State Department to submit to Congress, within 180 days of the bill's enactment, a strategy to increase engagement and cooperation with the Quad, and within 60 days of its enactment, to enter into negotiations with Japan, Australia and India to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer cooperation. It also would establish a US group, which would have a maximum of 24 members of Congress, to represent the US in the working group. It also would establish guidelines for ..

Australian lawmakers pass motion calling for release of WikiLeaks founder

Australia's House of Representatives has ramped up pressure on the United States and Britain to end the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange by passing a motion calling for the Australian citizen to be allowed to return to his home country. Independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie moved the motion on Wednesday one week ahead of Britain's High Court of Justice hearing Assange's appeal against extradition to the United States on espionage charges. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among the 86 lawmakers who voted for the motion that called on the United States and Britain to bring the "matter to a close so that Mr. Assange can return home to his family in Australia. The motion was opposed by 42 lawmakers including most of the main opposition party that unsuccessfully proposed amendments. Leaders of both the government and the opposition have publicly stated that the United States' pursuit of the 52-year-old had dragged on for too long. Assange has been in London's

APEDA facilitates Punjab farmer to export millets to Australia, says govt

The commerce ministry's arm APEDA has facilitated a farmer in Punjab to export 14.3 tonnes of millets and its products worth USD 45,803 to Australia, an official statement said on Tuesday. The shipment includes ready-to-cook millets derived from Kodo millet, Foxtail millet, Little millet, Browntop millet, and Barnyard millet, the commerce ministry said. "A farmer from Sangrur, Mr Dilpreet Singh, has transformed into an exporter, marking his first export consignment of 14.3 metric tonnes of millets, and its products valued at USD 45,803," it said. It also said that India's millet exports have touched USD 45.46 million during April-November this fiscal against USD 75.45 million in 2022-23. "Millets are gaining popularity in the global market. There is a significant increase in the export of cereal preparation, including value-added millet products. APEDA has facilitated around 500 startups in marketing, and exporting millet-based value-added products," it said.

Biocon inks pact with Sandoz for sale of 2 biosimilar products in Australia

Biocon Biologics on Friday said it has inked a five-year pact with pharmaceutical company Sandoz AG regarding the sale and distribution of two cancer treatment biosimilar products in Australia. The agreement provides Sandoz the exclusive rights to promote, sell and distribute biosimilars Trastuzumab and Bevacizumab in Australia, Biocon Biologics said in a statement. Biocon Biologics is a subsidiary of Biocon Ltd. Under the agreement, Sandoz will distribute the Biocon Biologics' brands, Ogivri (Trastuzumab) and Abevmy (Bevacizumab), and facilitate the sustained access of these medications that were previously distributed by another pharmaceutical company to patients in Australia. Trastuzumab is a biosimilar of Herceptin and Bevacizumab is a biosimilar of Avastin and utilised for the treatment of various cancers. "Following the recent establishment of our strategic partnership with Sandoz in Japan, our agreement with Sandoz in Australia marks another important milestone of our globa

Landmark Indo-Pacific supply chain pact to come into force on February 24

The US on Thursday announced that a landmark agreement on supply chain resilience under the Indo-Pacific economic framework involving 14 partner nations, including India, Japan and Australia, will come into force on February 24. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the pact will facilitate a collaborative approach to strengthen supply chains and prevent potential disruptions. The US Department of Commerce said the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) agreement relating to supply chain resilience will enter into force on February 24. The agreement is aimed at coordination among the IPEF partners on building resilient, efficient, productive, sustainable, transparent, diversified, secure, fair, and inclusive supply chains. "This is a critical step in bringing the landmark, first-of-its kind agreement into action and promoting coordination among the IPEF partners on building resilient, efficient, productive, sustainable, transparent, diversified, secure, fair, and

16K sheep, cattle stuck on board export ship after Red Sea turn-back

The animals have been on the vessel since January 5 Government and industry officials say they are in good health but animal welfare advocates have branded their plight torture

India sends $1 million emergency relief assistance to Papua New Guinea

The relief consignment worth $1 million was airlifted to the capital of West New Britain, Kimbe, from the Papua New Guinea capital, Port Moresby, for distribution within the West New Britain province

Climate change: World's forests are doing much better than we think

The destruction of tropical forests gets so much (justified) attention that we're at risk of missing how much progress we're making in cooler climates.

Indian community in Australia mourns victims of quadruple beach drowning

The Indian community in Australia is mourning the tragic death of four compatriots, including three women, who drowned at an unpatrolled beach in Phillip Island this week. Jagjeet Singh Anand, a 23-year-old male nurse, Suhani Anand and Kirti Bedi, 20-year-old nursing students, and Reema Sondhi, 43, died in the tragic incident on Wednesday. They were part of a group of about 10 people who were enjoying a day out at Phillip Island, near Melbourne in Victoria. A close relative, who was too devastated to speak at length, said Sondhi was visiting her family in Australia and had arrived there two weeks earlier, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Sondhi was the daughter-in-law of industrialist Om Sondhi from Phagwara in India's Punjab state. Reema's husband Sanjeev too was part of the group but he survived. Jagjeet Singh Anand, a Melbourne-based nurse, was a permanent resident in Australia while Suhani Anand and Bedi were on student visas. The three younger victims were all residents of

Support to Pacific nations with policing shouldn't alarm Australia: China

China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, sought to reassure on Wednesday that China's increased involvement in the Pacific, particularly in policing efforts, should not be a cause of alarm for Australia. Xiao, speaking at his first news conference of the year in Canberra on Wednesday, maintained that Australia should not harbour anxiety about China's intentions in the region. Pacific Islands countries is an area where China and Australia can cooperate and can contribute together instead of asking them to choose between the two," Xiao said. What China has been doing is to help them to for their social stability, economic development and for bilateral trade relations." Concerns of China's encroachment in the South Pacific had escalated last year when the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China, raising fears of a military buildup in the region. We're not seeking military strategies, we're not seeking military purposes, and there's no need for any so-called anxiety on the

From the US to France: Here's how the world is celebrating Ram temple

From the United States to France and Australia, festivities to mark the historic occasion have been arranged all across the world

State-owned KABIL signs $24 mn lithium exploration deal in Argentina

The deal, signed with an Argentinian state-run enterprise, gives KABIL exploration and developmental rights for commercial production

Hundreds evacuated, 38 rescued from floods in Australia after heavy storms

Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate their homes on Monday after flooding inundated parts of Victoria state, as wild weather continues to batter Australia's southeast. The issue was ordered for badly hit areas in the small towns of Seymour and Yea, about 70 miles north of Melbourne. Authorities told residents and tourists to leave immediately as floodwaters rose to dangerous levels. Multiple flood and thunderstorm warnings were in place across Victoria with the deluge filling streets with water. Authorities rescued 38 people from flooding and almost 1,000 calls were made for help, Victoria State of Emergency Services said. Rainfall in the northeast of Victoria was expected to reach more than 200 millimeters (7.88 inches). Authorities warned that flooding above the floor level of a single-story house was likely, and access to key roads would be difficult. The area is popular with vacationers. If you live in a flood-prone area, please make the necessary plans. Especially peop