Page 23 - Australia

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

Exports to Australia see upward trend, owing to duty concessions under ECTA

Government officials said that there has been an uptick in exports of products, where duty concessions have been given under the trade deal

Wild weather in Australian states of Queensland, Victoria leaves 9 dead

At least nine people have died in wild weather in the Australian eastern states of Queensland and Victoria, officials said on Wednesday. Three men were killed after a boat with 11 people aboard capsized in rough weather in Moreton Bay off the south Queensland coast on Tuesday, police said. Ambulances took the eight survivors to hospital in stable conditions. A 59-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree at the Queensland city of Gold Coast on Monday night. The body of a 9-year-old girl was found on Tuesday in the neighbouring city of Brisbane hours after she disappeared in a flooded stormwater drain. The bodies of a 40-year-old woman and a 46-year-old woman were found in the Mary River in the Queensland town of Gympie. They were among three women swept into the flooded river through a stormwayter drain on Tuesday. Another 46-year-old woman managed to save herself. Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll blamed extraordinarily difficult weather for the tragedies. It ha

Australia to send military personnel to protect cargo shipping in Red Sea

Australia will send 11 military personnel to support a US-led mission to protect cargo shipping in the Red Sea, but it will not send a warship or plane, the defense minister said Thursday. Defense Minister Richard Marles said Australia's military needs to keep focused on the Pacific region. The United States announced this week that several nations are creating a force to protect commercial shipping from attack by drones and ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Marles said 11 military personnel will be sent in January to Operation Prosperity Guardian's headquarters in Bahrain, where five Australians are already posted. We won't be sending a ship or a plane, he told Sky News television. That said, we will be almost tripling our contribution to the combined maritime force. We need to be really clear around our strategic focus, and our strategic focus is our region: the northeast Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Pacific, Marles ...

IPL's hidden sticky wicket

The big bucks disguise structural fault lines

More than 300 rescued from floodwaters in northeast Australia: Officials

More than 300 people were rescued overnight from floodwaters in northeast Australia, with dozens of residents clinging to roofs, officials said on Monday. Cairns Airport was closed on Monday due to flooding and authorities were concerned that the city of 160,000 people will lose drinking water. While rain was easing in Cairns, severe weather warnings were in place in nearby Port Douglas, Daintree, Cooktown, Wujal Wujal and Hope Vale, with more rain forecast. Queensland state Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll described the flooding as absolutely devastating. Last night, we had an extraordinarily challenging, challenging evening, rescuing some 300 people, Carroll told reporters. There were no deaths or serious injuries, she said. All 300 residents would be evacuated by helicopter from the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal, where nine adults and a 7-year-old child spent hours overnight on a hospital roof, officials said. A Category 2 tropical cyclone passed close by Wujal Wuja

Tropical cyclone Jasper weakens while still lashing northeastern Australia

The first tropical cyclone to hit Australia in the current season weakened to a low pressure system but continued to lash the northeast coast Thursday with flooding rain and left almost 40,000 homes and businesses without power. Cyclone Jasper crossed the Queensland state coast late Wednesday as a category 2 storm on a five-tier scale that whipped the sparsely populated region with winds of up to 140 kph (87 mph). The cyclone crossed near the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal, 110 kilometers (68 miles) north of the city of Cairns, though many of its 300 residents evacuated before Jasper struck. Katrina Hewitt, who operates tourist accommodation at Wujal Wujal and did not evacuate, said the community was largely unscathed except for damaged trees. It looks amazing. No flooding, no breakages of buildings, Hewitt said. It was a big waiting game. We just didn't know what was going to happen, she said. Hewitt expected Wujal Wujal would be isolated for days by fallen trees blocking .