Australia

Australia has a “perfect right” to sail naval assets through the South China Sea and a recent robust exchange in the disputed waters is symbolic of that fact, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. Mr. Turnbull added that Australia asserted its right to freedom of navigation through all the world’s oceans, including the South China Sea, and would not be changing that approach.He was speaking on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) now underway in London. The Sydney Morning Herald  reports Mr. Turnbull outlined Australia’s freedom of navigation rules in simple terms.“All I can say to you is we maintain and practice the right of freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the world,” Mr Turnbull said. “In this context, you’re talking about naval vessels on the world’s oceans including the South China Sea, as is our perfect right in accordance with international law.” The ABC reports … [Read more...] about Australia Snubs Beijing, Asserts ‘Perfect Right’ for Warships to Transit South China Sea

Prospective U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to change President Donald Trump’s choice for the ambassadorial post in Australia, top Adm. Harry Harris, and “re-nominate” him for the South Korea envoy position instead, the Washington Post (WaPo) reported this week. Citing an unnamed senior White House official, the Post explained on Tuesday:Harris was nominated to be Trump’s representative in Canberra in February, and the Australian government had approved the choice. But late Monday, the administration asked the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to postpone his confirmation hearing, which had been scheduled for Tuesday morning. Harris has already told Pompeo he is willing to switch roles and serve in South Korea, the White House official said. An announcement is pending final approval from the president, which is expected to come shortly. Multiple administration officials told me Pompeo wants to move Harris to Seoul due to the urgency of filling … [Read more...] about Report: Pompeo Plans to Switch Australia Envoy Nominee Adm. Harry Harris to South Korea

Australian Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton sees an uncertain future for many of the 1,305 refugees currently warehoused in Papua New Guinea and the island of Nauru. “We continue to talk to third countries, but let me tell you, there are very few prospects, if any, on the horizon,” he said on Monday.“Let’s be realistic: when Labor talks about some mythical third country, it doesn’t exist,” he said. “People are not jumping out of their skin to provide places, and that is a reality.” “In relation to the Iranians that are on Manus or Nauru, Tehran will not issue travel documents for those people unless they come back willingly,” Dutton added. Presumably, people who endured terrible hardships to flee from Iran are not eager to return and place themselves at the mercy of the theocracy. According to Reuters, many of the asylum-seekers in question are having trouble getting their applications to live in the United States … [Read more...] about Australia: ‘Very Few Prospects’ for Refugees Living in Island Camps

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com Australia-China relations in crisis after revelation of Chinese bribery scandal Andrew Hastie’s explosive speech identifying Chau Chak-wing China blames Australia and threatens retaliation Australia-China relations in crisis after revelation of Chinese bribery scandal China is expressing renewed fury at Australian politicians after an explosive speech delivered to Parliament on Tuesday evening accused a prominent wealthy Australian politician of Chinese descent of an explosive bribery scheme. The politician, Dr. Chau Chak-wing, is accused of being linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and of being a previously unnamed co-conspirator in a 2013 case where United Nations General Assembly president John Ashe was bribed with $200,000, along with tens of thousands of dollars in custom suits and clothes, to obtain UN backing for a number of multi-billion-dollar Chinese infrastructure projects in including Antigua … [Read more...] about World View: Australia-China Relations in Crisis After Revelation of Chinese Bribery Scandal

Australia has demanded assurances from the Palestinian Authority that Aus­tralian aid has not funded payments to terrorist “martyrs” or their families. The Palestinian Authority has in the past been accused of dispersing stipends or “martyr payments” of up to $US3500 ($4600) a month to the families of those killed while attacking Israel.In 2017 alone, the Palestinian Authority’s budget showed a “huge increase” in the funding of salaries for imprisoned terrorists and the families of “martyrs,” according to an Israeli research institute. Palestinian Media Watch said the amount of money allocated by the PA for payments to terrorists jailed in Israel in 2017 rose 13 percent to $158 million — compared to $135 million in 2016. During the same time frame, disbursements for family members of dead terrorists increased by 4 percent — to $197 million from $183 million. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said such payments … [Read more...] about Australia Demands Palestinians Reveal if Aid Money Funds Terrorist ‘Martyrs’