Australian businessman accused of supplying suspected Chinese spies with AUKUS information | CNN

Australian businessman accused of supplying suspected Chinese spies with AUKUS information | CNN

CNN  —  An Australian man has been refused bail after being charged with a foreign interference offense for accepting cash from suspected Chinese intelligence agents, with a Sydney court saying his close ties to China made him a flight risk. Magistrate Michael Barko said Alexander Csergo was a “sophisticated, worldly businessperson” who had been on … Read more

Cyclone Ilsa rapidly intensifies as it approaches landfall in Western Australia | CNN

Cyclone Ilsa rapidly intensifies as it approaches landfall in Western Australia | CNN

Brisbane, Australia CNN  —  A massive cyclone swirling off Australia’s western coast will likely make landfall as a category 5 storm – the strongest on the national scale – according to the country’s official forecaster. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) expects Cyclone Ilsa to cross the Pilbara coast of Western Australia Thursday evening or Friday … Read more

Australia bans TikTok on federal government devices | CNN Business

Australia bans TikTok on federal government devices | CNN Business

CNN  —  Australia has joined other Western countries in banning the use of TikTok on government devices as the Chinese-owned video app comes under increasing pressure over claims it presents a security concern. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced the ban on Tuesday after receiving advice from intelligence and security agencies, saying the directive would be imposed … Read more

Nearly 8 million driver license numbers and passport numbers stolen in Australia | CNN

Nearly 8 million driver license numbers and passport numbers stolen in Australia | CNN

CNN  —  Digital payments and lending firm Latitude Holdings said on Monday that 7.9 million Australian and New Zealand driver license numbers were stolen in a large-scale information theft on March 16. Apart from the driver licence numbers stolen, the Australian fintech firm also identified about 53,000 passport numbers were stolen, and fewer than 100 … Read more

Australia, the UK and US are joining forces in the Pacific, but will nuclear subs arrive quick enough to counter China? | CNN

Australia, the UK and US are joining forces in the Pacific, but will nuclear subs arrive quick enough to counter China? | CNN

Canberra, Australia CNN  —  More than a year after the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia dropped the tightly held news they were combining submarine forces, the trio released more details Monday of their ambitious plan to counter China’s rapid military expansion. Under the multi-decade AUKUS deal, the partners will build a combined fleet … Read more

China looms large as Biden makes submarine moves with UK, Australia | CNN Politics

China looms large as Biden makes submarine moves with UK, Australia | CNN Politics

San Diego CNN  —  President Joe Biden was flanked on Monday by a 377-foot submarine – the USS Missouri – as he announced an accelerated timeline for Australia to receive its own nuclear-powered submarines early next decade. But looming much larger was the increasingly tense US relationship with China, which has emerged as a central … Read more

16-hour Air New Zealand flight to nowhere caps a ‘wild’ trip for one frequent flyer | CNN

16-hour Air New Zealand flight to nowhere caps a ‘wild’ trip for one frequent flyer | CNN

CNN  —  It’s the stuff of nightmares. You’re trying to get somewhere, you’ve prepped and planned and you’re doing your best and yet you end up right back where you started. That’s about what happened to frequent flyer Bryan Gottlieb and his fellow Air New Zealand passengers on Thursday when their planned journey from Auckland … Read more

This fan has shaped anti-discrimination policy in Australian cricket after alleging racial abuse at a match | CNN

This fan has shaped anti-discrimination policy in Australian cricket after alleging racial abuse at a match | CNN

CNN  —  Two years after alleging he was racially abused at a cricket match, an Indian fan has had a hand in shaping how the sport tackles discrimination in Australia. Krishna Kumar was attending the third day of the 2021 test match between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) when he heard … Read more

Australia’s central bank signals more tightening ahead after hiking rates to decade high | CNN Business

Australia’s central bank signals more tightening ahead after hiking rates to decade high | CNN Business

Sydney Reuters  —  Australia’s central bank raised its cash rate by 25 basis points to a decade-high of 3.35% on Tuesday and reiterated that further increases would be needed, in a more hawkish policy tilt than many had expected. Wrapping up its February policy meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) also dropped previous guidance … Read more

US, EU, G7 and Australia announce new price cap on Russian petroleum products | CNN Politics

US, EU, G7 and Australia announce new price cap on Russian petroleum products | CNN Politics

CNN  —  The US and allies are trying to further limit Russia’s ability to make money and finance its war efforts with new price limits on products like gasoline and fuel oil, a senior Treasury official announced Friday – adding to sanctions on Russian energy sales in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. “Our … Read more