Australia

SYDNEY, Australia—Australian biotech group Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited said on Thursday it was not under investigation in an insider trading case involving Republican U.S. congressman Christopher Collins. In a statement, the company said it had cooperated fully with requests for information from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “The Company and its directors/officers (excepting Mr. […]

MELBOURNE, Australia—Australian golfer Jarrod Lyle has died at the age of 36 after a long battle with cancer. Lyle, who had two wins on the feeder Web.com tour in 2008 and played 121 U.S. PGA Tour tournaments, was diagnosed with leukemia as a teenager and suffered a relapse in 2012. He chose to halt all […]

Australia and the European Union have agreed to a number of measures to bolster relations and expressed their wish to enter into a free trade agreement as soon as possible in a meeting on Aug. 8. Federica Mogherini, the EU Commission vice president, visited Sydney and met with Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop as part […]

Investigations into whether Uber is compliant with Australian workplace laws continue, as a ride sharing advocacy group threatens further disruptions following a nationwide strike against Uber’s recent pricing changes. On Aug. 6, thousands of Uber drivers across Australia logged off the Uber app during peak-hour commuting time, from 7 a.m. to 9.30 a.m., in a strike […]

Farmers in Australia’s most populous state have been doing it tough, battling through one of the driest winters on record. Now, their outlook may turn even bleaker since officials have declared, on Aug. 8, that the entire New South Wales is in drought. “This is tough, there isn’t a person in the state that isn’t […]

Two consumer packaging giants—Amcor Limited and Bemis Company—will merge after its directors unanimously approved a US$6.8 billion buyout from Amcor that was announced on Aug. 6. This acquisition is Amcor’s biggest and is an effort by the Melbourne-based plastics packaging company to capitalize on growth opportunities in North America and Brazil, according to Bloomberg. Both companies […]

A Victorian man has been diagnosed with an uncommon fungal superbug that can cause serious infections and possibly cause death. Health authorities in Victoria said in an alert on Aug. 7 that they believe the man had likely contracted the fungus Candida auris, also known as C. auris, during admission to a hospital in the United Kingdom. […]

SYDNEY—Australia on Aug. 7 granted the corporate watchdog invasive new power to position supervisors inside financial firms after a public inquiry exposed systemic wrongdoing at some of the country’s top institutions. The new powers for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) add to the regulatory pressure that has already driven banks to tighten lending […]

SYDNEY—National Australia Bank will compensate thousands of pension fund customers who had paid for advice they did not receive, Australia’s financial-sector inquiry heard on Aug. 6 as it turned its sights on the pension industry. The first day of hearings into Australia’s A$2.6 trillion ($1.9 trillion) pension system heard that a unit of NAB, the […]

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced an emergency relief package on Aug. 5, whereby drought-stricken farmers could receive up to $12,000 in cash payments. The prime minister visited Trangie, in the central west of New South Wales (NSW), where he announced a $190 million package to assist farmers who have been affected by drought. Under the […]

An Australian soldier was trapped by severe weather on a mountain in New Zealand for a week before being found alive on the evening of Aug. 2. Four alpine rescuers found Army Lt. Terry Harch, 29, stranded on the South Island’s Mount Aspiring around 5 p.m. He was “standing and waving” with mild frostbite on […]

SYDNEY—Australia’s government called for more banks to challenge the industry’s oligopoly on Aug. 3, after the country’s top economic adviser said the “Big Four” lenders’ market dominance has been detrimental to customers. The remarks from Treasurer Scott Morrison demonstrate the increasingly strident tone the conservative government is taking with an industry it has traditionally supported, […]

Some 1.8 million potentially deadly Takata airbags in Australian cars still need replacing, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). On Aug. 2, the ACCC released state-by-state data recall rates of the Takata airbags. The consumer watchdog is reminding drivers and manufacturers to replace the airbags as soon as possible. For the first […]

SYDNEY—Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand flew out of Sydney on Aug. 3 on a mission to relieve exhausted crews battling deadly wildfires sweeping the northwest of the United States. Australian fire authorities said the contingent of about 100 firefighters set off as conditions turned gusty in the mountains north of Sacramento, where fierce fires […]

A New Zealand union official has been detained in Israel with 21 other activists after he took part in an illegal aid convoy to the Gaza Strip in Israel. This is the latest incident in a career of left-wing activism. Far-Left Auckland-based “Unite Union” leader Mike Treen was arrested alongside other international campaigners on the […]

The NSW Food Authority announced a recall of frozen vegetables on Aug. 1 due to concerns of possible listeria contamination. Metcash, a wholesale distribution and marketing company in Australia, recalled the 1kg Black & Gold mixed vegetables. The recall applies to consumers who bought the product from IGA, Campbells, or Independent Grocers in NSW, Victoria, […]

In reporting on the threat of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) infiltration in Australian politics, Australia’s journalists have been facing major challenges in doing their job to openly report on the issue due to the chance that they could be sued for defamation. But at a forum “The Great Thrall of China,” hosted by the Melbourne […]

Australia and Japan are teaming up with the United States to boost investment in Indo-Pacific infrastructure projects in a move that is seen to be countering China’s increasing influence in the region. In a joint statement on July 31, the nations announced a trilateral partnership to invest in regional projects that would “build infrastructure, address […]

SYDNEY—Growth in Australian home loans for investment hit record lows in June as tighter lending standards and hikes in some mortgage rates sucked the life out of the buy-to-let sector, piling further pressure on house prices. Tuesday’s figures showed the stock of outstanding credit for home investment fell 0.1 percent in June, from May. That […]

MELBOURNE—Australians welcomed on Tuesday the resignation of Archbishop Philip Wilson, who had resisted quitting for two months after he became the most senior Catholic cleric in the world found guilty of concealing child sex abuse. Wilson, 67, came under pressure from abuse victims, other bishops, and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after being convicted for […]