Page 38 - Australia

Australia's Great Barrier Reef should be placed on 'in danger' list: UN

The Unesco released its long-awaited report on the reef following a 10-day visit in March, calling for ambitious, rapid and sustained action to protect it

Australia downgrades national terrorism threat level to 'possible'

Australia's terrorism threat level has been downgraded from probable" to possible for the first time since 2014, the head of the main domestic spy agency said Monday. The defeat of the Islamic State group in battle in the Middle East and an ineffective al-Qaida propaganda machine failing to connect with Western youth has resulted in fewer extremists in Australia, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Director-General Mike Burgess said. This does not mean the threat is extinguished, Burgess said. It remains plausible that someone will die at the hands of a terrorist in Australia within the next 12 months, he added. However, there have been increases in radical nationalism and right-wing extremist ideology in Australia in the past couple of years, Burgess said. Individuals are still fantasising about killing other Australians, still spouting their hateful ideologies in chat rooms, still honing their capabilities by researching bomb-making and training with weapons, Burgess .

Canada wins maiden Davis Cup title, ousts Australia 2-0 in final

Felix Auger-Aliassime gave Canada an invincible 2-0 lead against Australia in Malaga on Sunday, advancing his country to its first Davis Cup Finals victory by defeating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4

India, Australia to conduct 'Austra Hind 22' military exercise in Rajasthan

The bilateral training exercise "Austra Hind 22" between contingents of the Indian Army and the Australian Army is scheduled to take place at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan from tomorrow

Maldives, Australia deny participating in China-led Indian Ocean Forum meet

After Maldives, Australia on Sunday clarified that it did not participate in the "China-Indian Ocean Forum on Development Cooperation" held on November 21."Contrary to media reporting, no Australian Government official attended the Kunming China-Indian Ocean Forum on Development Cooperation," tweeted Australia's High Commissioner to India, Barry O'Farrell.China's aid agency hosted a meeting on Indian Ocean Forum. Maldives's former President Mohammed Waheed Hassan & Australia's Former PM Kevin Rudd joined virtually. No representation at official capacity by Male, Canberra."Pleased @TimWattsMP attended #IORA Ministerial Council last week, the only ministerial-level forum for the Indian Ocean. Australia was delighted India's application for Vice Chair was accepted by consensus. We share an enduring interest: a free, open, rules-based and secure Indo-Pacific," added the Australian envoy.While Canberra was invited for the meet by Beijing, Australia, a member of Quad (comprising ...

IIT Madras, Australian univ to launch 'Australia-India Centre for Energy'

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras is partnering with Australian Universities to launch "Australia-India Centre for Energy" to work on UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to officials, the AICE aims to promote collaboration among universities, research institutes and industry from both countries in the energy domain. The virtual Centre will be launched during the two-day Energy Summit 2022 hosted by IIT Madras in December. IIT Madras and Deakin University in Australia are taking the lead in coordinating and driving the engagement amongst the partners and with external stakeholders, to grow collaborations between government departments, funding agencies and individual researchers in both countries. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Marti Mannariah Gurunath Institute Chair Professor and Dean (Global Engagement), explained that all partners will have an equal footing and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission will be a catalyst to foster partnerships with ...

India will bring different perspective to the task of G20: Australian envoy

India will put forward a different perspective to the task of the G20 Summit, that respects those developing countries across in a better way that we need to encourage and support, said Australia's High Commissioner to India, Barry O'Farrell on Friday as India all set to assume the G20 presidency on December 1 this year."India will bring a different perspective to the task of the G20, a perspective that respects better those developing countries across that we need to encourage & support," Barry O'Farrell told ANI.Moreover, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov, who was also present in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the G20 curtain raiser also reaffirmed his support for India's upcoming G20 Presidency."We'll support all endeavours of India in the year to come," the Russian ambassador said while speaking to ANI.Over 40 various heads of missions and heads of international organisations visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the G20 curtain raiser on Friday, ahead of India assuming the

Australia reports an uptick in Covid cases as it nears peak of current wave

According to the Department data, there were an average of 11,953 new cases recorded daily in the week to Friday, reports Xinhua news agency

Australia to prevent repeat of former prime minister's power grab

An inquiry into a former Australian prime minister secretly appointing himself to multiple ministries recommended Friday that all such appointments be made public in future to preserve trust in government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would recommend his Cabinet accept all of the retired judge's recommendations at a meeting next week. Albanese ordered the inquiry in August after revelations that his predecessor Prime Minister Scott Morrison had taken the unprecedented steps of appointing himself to five ministerial roles between March 2020 and May 2021, usually without the knowledge of the existing minister. The extraordinary power grab came to light after Morrison's conservative coalition was voted out of office in May after nine years in power. Albanese blamed a culture of secrecy within the former government for its leader's extraordinary accumulation of personal power. We're shining sunlight on a shadow government that preferred to operate in darkness, a government

Australian minister links mine blasting of rock shelters to Taliban

An Australian minister likened a mining company blasting ancient rock shelters to the Taliban's destruction of giant Buddha carvings and vowed Thursday to improve protections of Indigenous cultural heritage. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said Rio Tinto acted lawfully in 2020 when it destroyed two rock shelters in Juukan Gorge in Western Australia state that had been inhabited for 46,000 years. She said Australia's laws would be updated to prevent such destruction of Indigenous sacred sites happening again. It is unthinkable that any culture would knowingly destroy Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids or the Lascaux caves in France, Plibersek told Parliament. When the Bamyan Buddhas were destroyed in Afghanistan, the world was rightly outraged. But that's precisely what occurred in Juukan Gorge, she added. Two 1,500-year-old giant Buddhas carved into a cliffside in the Bamyan Valley in Afghanistan were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 because the statues were considered to be

Were punished by our mistakes, says Australian coach after loss to France

Following the loss to France in their FIFA World Cup 2022 opener, Australia coach Graham Arnold said the quality of their opponents contributed to their win and his side was punished by their mistakes

Defending champions France rally from a goal down to trounce Australia 4-1

A brace by Olivier Giroud and a goal each by Adrien Rabiot, and Kylian Mbappe helped defending champions France to carve out an emphatic 4-1 win over Australia

Australian Parliament clears path for free trade agreement with India

Both nations prepare for New Year roll-out; DTAA with New Delhi amended, too

Australian Parliament okays FTA with India; to help double bilateral trade

The agreement, once implemented, will provide duty-free access to the Australian market for over 6,000 broad sectors of India, including textiles, leather, furniture, jewellery and machinery

Australia Post restarts receiving international sea mail after suspension

The recent inconvenience to some customers during the festival season prompted the company to resume sea mail deliveries

FIFA World Cup Group C and D analysis: Argentina, Denmark to make headlines

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar: Here's a detailed analysis of which two teams will qualify for the knockouts from Group C and D of the tournament

Australia reports 38% spike in new Covid cases amid fourth pandemic wave

An average of 10,799 new infections were reported nationally every day in the week to Friday, reports Xinhua

Australian PM Anthony Albanese to visit India next March to lock trade deal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Australia next year for the Quad Leaders' meeting. And then he will return to India later in the year for the G20 Summit, a statement by the Australian PM said.

India, Australia to identify companies in critical mineral space

In the critical minerals space, Australia is the world's largest producer of lithium and the second largest producer of rare-earth elements

NMDC in talks to invest in lithium exploration companies in Australia

Investment would be voa NMDC's Perth-based arm, Legacy Iron Ore, which is already prospecting for iron ore, gold and base metals there