‘Hong Kong 47’: Reaction to jailings of democrats in landmark national security trial
Updated: 10:45pm (AEDT) Hong Kong, China Reuters Hong Kong’s High Court on Tuesday sentenced 45 leading democrats to jail terms of up to 10 years in what critics say is a major blow to the financial hub’s rule of law. The following are comments on this landmark ruling: Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Human […]
Australia says Israel did not deliberately kill foreign aid workers in Gaza
Sydney, Australia Reuters Israeli air strikes that killed international aid workers in Gaza in April were the result of serious operational failures but were not intentional, according to a Australian government review of the incident released on Friday. Three Israeli air strikes hit the convoy of aid vehicles travelling through Gaza on 1st April, killing […]
Australian leaders celebrate Julian Assange’s freedom but opposition says he is “no martyr”
Canberra, Australia Reuters Julian Assange spent his first night in 14 years as a free man back at home in Australia as the conservative opposition on Thursday cautioned the government against hailing the WikiLeaks founder as a hero. Assange landed in Australia to an ecstatic welcome on Wednesday evening after pleading guilty to violating the […]
Australia’s Albanese, China’s Li to discuss trade, jailed writer
Canberra, Australia Reuters Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang met on Monday in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years, with trade ties, regional security and a jailed Australian writer on the host’s agenda. The visit by Li, China’s top-ranked official after President Xi Jinping, […]
Australia, New Zealand send evacuation flights to New Caledonia
Sydney, Australia/Wellington, New Zealand Reuters Australia and New Zealand said they will send government planes to New Caledonia on Tuesday to evacuate nationals from the French territory which has experienced a week of deadly riots, sparked by electoral changes by the French government in Paris. France’s High Commission in New Caledonia said on Tuesday the […]
Australians stranded in New Caledonia “running out of food” amid civil unrest
Sydney, Australia/Paris, France Reuters Australians stranded in New Caledonia are rationing food as they wait for a way out of the Pacific island territory, amid unrest that has killed six people, a traveller from Sydney said on Saturday. They are among 3,200 people who are stuck waiting to leave or enter the French-ruled territory as […]
Australia says Palestinian UN membership bid builds peace momentum
Sydney, Australia Reuters Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Saturday the country’s support for a Palestinian bid to become a full United Nations member was part of building momentum to secure peace in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Australia voted on Friday with the overwhelming majority of the UN General Assembly in backing the […]
Australian writer Yang Hengjun given suspended death sentence in Beijing
Sydney, Australia/Beijing, China Reuters A Beijing court on Monday handed Australian writer Yang Hengjun a suspended death sentence, five years after he was first detained in China and three years after a closed-door trial on espionage charges. Yang, a pro-democracy blogger, is an Australian citizen born in China who was working in New York before […]
Essay: Why Australia should speak up for minorities in India
TIM COSTELLO, a senior fellow at Australia’s Centre for Public Christianity, reflects on the balance between promoting national interests and calling out injustices…
Breaking: Australian doctor freed by al-Qaeda after seven years in captivity
Sydney, AustraliaReuters An Australian doctor held captive by al-Qaeda-linked extremists for more than seven years in West Africa has been released, the Australian Government said on Friday. Dr Kenneth Elliott, 88, is safe and well, and had been reunited with his wife, Jocelyn, and their children, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. The couple were […]