Category: International

Bank to Suspend, Cancel Accounts of Customers Engaged in ‘Financial Abuse’

The National Australia Bank (NAB) has assured customers that new rules that allow it to “cut off” customers identified as perpetrators of financial abuse will not be open to misuse. On June 26, NAB announced it would be updating its terms and conditions saying the bank will suspend, cancel, or deny access to savings and…


‘Gross Exaggeration’: Organisers Dispute Premier’s Claims of Cost Blow-Outs for Commonwealth Games

Organisers have blamed the Victorian Labor government for contributing to any cost blowout in hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Commonwealth Games Australia CEO Craig Phillips issued the statement in response to Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews’ announcement on July 18 that the state would withdraw as host of the Games—meaning organisers will be left to…


‘Liability for Our Allies’: Australian Military Gaps Laid Bare by Defence Expert

A senior defence consultant has lambasted the Australian federal government’s decision to undertake multiple defence reviews, saying it is delaying Defence’s ability to advance projects. Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies NSW, Brent Clark, the CEO of the Australian Industry and Defence Network (AIDN), said time that could be…


Victoria Scraps 2026 Commonwealth Games as Massive Debts Sting

The Australian state of Victoria has decided to withdraw as host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games as it battles financial problems caused by massive COVID-19 debts and high government expenses. On July 18, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that the state would no longer host the 2026 event because of a funding blowout. The Games…


Global Climate Agencies Publish Dubious Emissions Calculations, Tighten the Noose Around Energy

Commentary The International Energy Agency (IEA) is again demonstrating its usefulness in creating whips for Western governments to flagellate themselves with. Last time, it was their Net-Zero report, which recommended building no new fossil-fuel-fired power stations. Ever. It was released the day before Australia approved a new gas-fired power station. This time, it is the…


Solomon Islands PM Accuses Australia of Cutting Funding, Says Beijing Will Step-In

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has accused Australia and New Zealand of cutting off aid funding and now says Beijing will step in. Mr. Sogavare made the claims upon his return to Honiara after a week-long visit to China, where he met with communist leadership. The prime minister, who has actively sought to deepen…


Schumer Seeks New Bipartisan Sanctions Against China over Fentanyl

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is seeking bipartisan support to impose new sanctions against China over its role in bringing fentanyl to the United States. Fentanyl is a deadly synthetic opioid that is 50–100 times more powerful than morphine. While its potency has made it a popular and cheap additive in other street drugs,…


Key Russian Bridge to Crimea Is Struck Again, With Moscow Blaming Ukraine for an Attack That Kills 2

An attack before dawn Monday damaged part of a bridge linking Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea that is a key supply route for Kremlin forces in the war with Ukraine, forcing the span’s temporary closure for a second time in less than a year. Two people were killed and their daughter was injured. Vehicle traffic on…


Moscow Announces Withdrawal From Turkey-Brokered Black Sea Grain Deal

Moscow has officially ended its participation in the one-year-old Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea despite ongoing hostilities. “The Black Sea grain deal is no longer in effect,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on July 17, when the terms of the deal officially expired. “Unfortunately,…


Major Revegetation Project Cancelled After Aboriginal Corporation Demands $2.5 Million

A major tree-planting event along the banks of the Canning River in Perth has been cancelled after the head of a local Aboriginal corporation demanded $2.5 million (US$1.7 million) citing cultural heritage laws. The now-former CEO of the Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation, David Collard, cited Western Australia’s contentious Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 as the reason for…