Australia

SYDNEY, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A new study led by Australian researchers has found that greater atmospheric demand for water is associated with a rising risk of major fires in global forests, calling for more urgent and effective action to combat climate change.

Published in the Nature Communications journal on Nov. 22, the study examined satellite records of fire activity and a global climate dataset to find the maximum daily vapor pressure deficit (VPD) for every fire detection -- over 30 million records in the last 20 years.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s environment minister said Tuesday her government will lobby against UNESCO adding the Great Barrier Reef to a list of endangered World Heritage sites, arguing that criticisms of government inaction on climate change were outdated.

Officials from the U.N. cultural agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature released a report on Monday warning that without “ambitious, rapid and sustained” climate action, the world’s largest coral reef is in peril.

SYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Rapid advancements in China’s military capabilities pose increasing risks to American supremacy in outer space, the head of the United States military’s space wing said on Monday.

Nina Armagno, director of staff of the U.S. Space Force, said Beijing had made significant progress in developing military space technology, including in areas such as satellite communications and re-useable spacecraft, which allow countries to rapidly scale up their space programs.

SYDNEY, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Some 2,500 people took off their clothes on Saturday to pose for U.S. photographic artist Spencer Tunick at Sydney's Bondi Beach in an effort to raise awareness about skin cancer.

Tunick, known for staging mass nude photo shoots at world landmarks, used a megaphone to direct attendees into several poses on the beach before many took a naked dip in the ocean.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An inquiry into a former Australian prime minister secretly appointing himself to multiple ministries recommended Friday that all such appointments be made public in the future to preserve trust in government.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would recommend his Cabinet accept all of the retired judge ’s recommendations at a meeting next week.

SYDNEY, Nov 24 (NNN-AAP) – The Australian authorities have arrested six men, over the involvement of distributing more than 300 kg of methylamphetamine and cocaine, after a multi-agency police investigation.

Yesterday, strike force investigators conducted 16 searches in Sydney, seizing more than 1.2 million Australian dollars (about 0.8 million U.S. dollars) in cash, a rifle, ammunition, gold bullion, cigarettes, cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, steroids, electronic devices, cryptocurrency wallets and documents.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s prime minister said Friday he remained committed to building a fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology despite the French president describing the plan as a “confrontation with China.”

The previous Australian government infuriated President Emmanuel Macron last year by canceling a contract for a French-built fleet of conventionally-powered submarines worth 90 billion Australian dollars ($66 billion) and opting instead for nuclear-powered versions in a deal secretly brokered with the United States and Britain.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday he would ask Chinese President Xi Jinping to lift billions of dollars in trade barriers in the event that the two leaders hold their first bilateral meeting.

Both leaders will attend a Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia and then an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meeting in Thailand next week.

Albanese was speaking in Sydney before departing Australia on Friday for an East Asia Summit in Cambodia, which Xi is not expected to attend.

SYDNEY (AP) — Half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan beat New Zealand in dominant fashion to book its place in the T20 World Cup final.

Rizwan scored 57 runs and Azam added 53 as Pakistan made easy work of a 153-run chase on a placid Sydney wicket. It finished with 153-3 in 19.1 overs.

That came after Shaheen Afridi took 2-24 to help restrict New Zealand to a sub-par 152-4 from its 20 overs.

Pakistan awaits the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between India and England in Adelaide. The final will be played in Melbourne on Sunday.

SYDNEY, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Australia's state of New South Wales (NSW) has been installing or upgrading courthouses for more safe spaces to help empower domestic and sexual violence survivors to testify without fear.

The NSW government said on Monday that additional safe rooms where the victims can prepare for court privately, and remote witness rooms where they can provide evidence via audio visual link (AVL), have been delivered to 45 courthouses across the state, aiming to alleviate survivors' trauma and ensuring fair trials.