Oceania

China-Australia ties hit a new low: China suspends high-level economic dialogue with Australia indefinitely
Asia, Oceania, World

China-Australia ties hit a new low: China suspends high-level economic dialogue with Australia indefinitely

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said all activities under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue had been ‘indefinitely suspended’. The decision is based ‘on the current attitude of the Australian Commonwealth government toward China-Australia cooperation’, it said. “Recently, some Australian Commonwealth government officials launched a series of measures to disrupt the normal exchanges and […]

Australia scrapped Victoria’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with China. Here’s why?
Analysis, Featured, Oceania, World

Australia scrapped Victoria’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with China. Here’s why?

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has scrapped the controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) deal between China and the state of Victoria, calling it “inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy”. The Morrison government’s decision to scrap Victoria’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with China was based on Australia’s new Foreign Relations Act, which says the […]

Australia – China Trade War: No talks with preconditions, says PM Scott Morrison
Oceania, World

Australia – China Trade War: No talks with preconditions, says PM Scott Morrison

Australian PM Scott Morrison seems to have taken a strong willed stance against China. He said that he will refuse to meet his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, if Beijing demands for concessions before talks begin. His statement comes as the two countries are involved in a trade war with China slapping trade sanctions on a number of Australian products.

Google blocks local news content in Australia; Government urges Google to focus on paying for content instead of blocking it
Featured, Oceania, World

Google blocks local news content in Australia; Government urges Google to focus on paying for content instead of blocking it

Google has blocked several Australian news sites from its search results, in a move that is being interpreted as a response to the Australian Government attempting to make the tech giant pay for original news content.
The move by Google came as a Senate committee is reviewing legislation that would force Google and Facebook to negotiate with Australian news media companies for a fair price for displaying local news content.
In early December 2020, the Australian Government tabled legislation that will force Google and Facebook to pay news organisations for access to their journalism.
Experts on media regulation say though Google was trying to downplay the significance of the move, it was clearly “throwing its weight around”.

New Zealand becomes the 33rd country to declare a climate change emergency;  “Acknowledgement of the next generation”, says PM Ardern
Oceania, World

New Zealand becomes the 33rd country to declare a climate change emergency; “Acknowledgement of the next generation”, says PM Ardern

New Zealand’s parliament has officially declared a climate emergency in the country. It becomes the 33rd country to declare a climate change emergency and joins the likes of the UK, France, Argentine, Canada and Ireland. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during the discussion in parliament called the declaration of climate emergency as an “acknowledgement of the next generation” and said that it was a “declaration based on science”,

Trade war fallout? Australia demands China’s apology for derogatory Tweet by its spokesman over its soldiers
Featured, Oceania, World

Trade war fallout? Australia demands China’s apology for derogatory Tweet by its spokesman over its soldiers

Australia’s shadowboxing with China has now ended up with a fight on social media. China’s relationship with Australia has deteriorated since the latter called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. China, which did not take it lightly, indulged in a trade war with Australia. Several Australian parliamentarians have blamed China […]

Convicted Islamic terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika stripped of his Australian citizenship
Featured, Oceania, World

Convicted Islamic terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika stripped of his Australian citizenship

Islamic terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika convicted of being involved in terrorist attacks in Australia has been stripped of his citizenship, as per Australian news reports. He is slated to be released from the Victorian prison where he was imprisoned since 2008. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton confirmed the news that Australian passport of the terrorist […]