Papua New Guinea’s PM to address Australian parliament as Pacific security race with China builds

Australia will roll out the red carpet to the visiting Papua New Guinea prime minister, James Marape, amid efforts to stall China’s security talks with the Pacific country. Marape is due to arrive in Canberra on Wednesday before he addresses a joint sitting of the Australian parliament on Thursday – the first Pacific leader to be afforded this honour. Amid increasing competition for influence in the region, the Australian government will seek to build on the security agreement with PNG that Marape and Anthony Albanese signed just two months ago.…

Australian Yang Hengjun’s death sentence is a warning shot to anyone who wants to challenge China | Richard McGregor

The death sentence handed to Yang Hengjun, an Australian citizen and pro-democracy activist, by a Beijing court has naturally focused attention on what the verdict means for bilateral ties with Canberra. A more interesting question, however, might set the lens wider, and ask what message the verdict on Monday was designed to send, not just to Australia, but to anyone at home or abroad critical of China’s ruling Communist party. The answer to that question lies in the serious charge of espionage that was levelled against Yang, and the rising…

Government ‘appalled’ by suspended death sentence for Australian academic, Penny Wong says – video

Foreign minister Penny Wong says Australian academic Yang Hengjun has received a suspended death sentence in China, an outcome that has ‘appalled’ the Australian government. ‘We understand that this can be committed to a life sentence following two years,’ Wong said. ‘We will be communicating our response in the strongest terms’ The Guardian

BoM forecasts category three storm – as it happened

<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"65a9f5d48f0819b86aad88ab","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Senior Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Felim Hanniffy has given an update on the cyclone building off the coast of Queensland. ","elementId":"368c5292-28dd-4f7f-af06-a1cc1ca01ac2"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Hanniffy said the storm is expected to intensify into a “serious tropical cyclone”, of at least category three. It could cross the Queensland coast at that size, he said. ","elementId":"9a886f07-0445-4d68-9ffa-6dca678520cf"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" “The atmosphere is certainly conducive for significant tropical cyclone development in the Coral Sea,” he said. ","elementId":"cf6d6b33-ce95-4cce-8df7-88163007b973"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" “I think the bottom line is for next week there’s a high chance of tropical cyclone development…

China lodges protests at Australia’s response to Taiwan’s presidential election

China has lodged diplomatic protests with Australia for congratulating the winner of Taiwan’s presidential election, with the Chinese ambassador warning there is “no room at all” for compromise on the “sensitive” issue. China’s top envoy in Australia, Xiao Qian, also dashed hopes that the Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun might be released from custody in a similar manner to the Australian journalist Cheng Lei last year. The ambassador further denied that a Chinese warship had subjected Australian naval divers to dangerous sonar pulses in an incident in Japan’s exclusive economic…

Australia news live: Albanese hails ‘significant progress’ in Pacific diplomacy; Australia not named as part of Red Sea task force

From 45m ago Australia not among nations named in Red Sea task force The US defense secretary has announced a new multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea as attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni militants forced major shipping companies to reroute, stoking fears of sustained disruptions to global trade. Lloyd Austin, who is on a trip to Bahrain, home to the US navy’s headquarters in the Middle East, said Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain would be involved in the Red Sea security operation.…

Ex-Liberal candidate found guilty of using donation to attempt to influence Morrison government for China

A Melbourne businessman has become the first person found guilty of preparing or planning an act of foreign interference under recent federal laws, over a $37,000 hospital donation. Di Sanh Duong, 68, faced a month-long jury trial in Melbourne’s county court after being the first person charged under the laws, created in 2018, which ban covert foreign interference in domestic politics. Prosecutors argued at the trial that Duong planned to gain political influence with the former federal education minister Alan Tudge, on behalf of the Chinese Communist party (CCP). He…

News live: Marles will ‘make right decision in Australia’s interest’ over deploying navy vessels to Red Sea, Farrell says

From 5h ago Sarah Basford Canales Marles will ‘make right decision in Australia’s interest’ over deploying navy vessels to Red Sea Earlier this morning, trade minister Don Farrell left open the possibility Australia could deploy navy vessels to the Red Sea amid ongoing attacks against commercial shipping from Iran-backed militia. This week the US asked Australia to send a warship to the region as part of its duties as a member of the international naval security taskforce, the combined maritime forces. It comes as the Yemen-based and Iran-backed Houthis warned…

Tropical cyclone Jasper live update: Qld weather warnings in place as category 2 storm on track to hit north of Cairns today – latest

<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"657857b58f08c4c875ce9dd3","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The Australian government has accused the Chinese coast guard and other vessels of threatening “lives and livelihoods” and creating “risks of miscalculation” amid a series of incidents involving the Philippines. ","elementId":"9d61b100-7fbb-4dba-b088-18b50aa5193d"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said last night: ","elementId":"ef0fac29-1e2c-47c2-af60-ee3af83d7dfb"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":" \n The Australian Government shares the grave concerns of the Philippines Government about a pattern of dangerous actions conducted by Chinese vessels against Philippines vessels and crew in the South China Sea, including incidents near Scarborough Shoal and at Second Thomas Shoal on…

Taiwan says Australian warship sailed through sensitive Taiwan Strait close to China

Taiwan says an Australian warship has sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the sensitive and narrow waterway that separates the democratically governed island from China. The ship, which it did not name, entered the strait on Thursday and sailed in a southerly direction, the ministry said on Friday. Taiwan’s military kept watch throughout, the ministry said, without giving details. The Guardian has contacted the Australian government for comment. Euan Graham, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the Australian navy had previously transited through the Taiwan Strait but…