[Independent Australia] Future Fund’s Adani investment supports Myanmar coup
Nearly 18 months after the coup in Myanmar, Professor David Kinley asks why Australia’s Future Fund is still investing in Adani Ports whose contracts with the Myanmar military are worth $290 million. At $3.2 million, the Future Fund’s equity holding in Adani Ports is relatively small. The concern lies not so much in the dollar …
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[ABC Radio/ Australia] Myanmar — what are the limits of political violence?
On 1 February Myanmar’s military seized control of the government. The junta’s initial power-grab met with wave upon wave of popular resistance, ranging from noisy urban protests and pro-democracy demonstrations to civil disobedience and other forms of organised non-participation. The dire situation in Myanmar has raised questions, for some, about the inadequacy of Australia’s response, …
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[ABC News/ Australia] Sean Turnell’s wife ‘worrying sick’, begs for his release from Myanmar jail where COVID-19 Delta is spreading
The wife of jailed Australian economist Sean Turnell has begged the Myanmar military junta to release him, saying he is unvaccinated and at “grave risk” as the Delta strain rips through the prison where he is being held. A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said they were “making every effort …
[Nikkei Asia/ Japan] Tesla signs nickel deal with BHP to secure non-Chinese supply
Tesla has agreed to buy nickel for its batteries from BHP, the world’s largest miner, as it looks to lock up supplies of the metal not controlled by China. The electric carmaker will buy nickel from BHP’s Nickel West plant in Western Australia, which is among the lowest-carbon producers of the battery metal, according to …
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[SBS News/ Australia] Australia must consider returning to Afghanistan to monitor Taliban resurgence, analysts say
The final Australian diplomats, military, and intelligence officers only left the country on 18 June. Security analysts say Australia should move quickly to re-establish a presence in Afghanistan amid reports the government is looking at a potential return to monitor the resurgence of the Taliban. Concerns have been raised about the threat posed by Taliban …
[The Conversation/ Australia] Is the COVID vaccine rollout the greatest public policy failure in recent Australian history?
There’s the failure to procure sufficient vaccine and an accompanying over-reliance on the AstraZeneca vaccine. The complications with rolling out the latter have exposed the shortage of supply of the Pfizer vaccine. While other international leaders personally lobbied Pfizer executives for supplies, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt were inexplicably passive. Public …
[Nikkei Asia/ Japan] US must urgently regain Southeast Asia’s trust
• The U.S. has made the Quad, a framework for cooperation with Japan, Australia and India, a centrepiece of its Asia policy. To make the de facto encirclement of China more effective, Washington must gain the cooperation of the ASEAN countries, the geographic centre of the Indo-Pacific region.• While ASEAN is concerned about its growing …
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[Nikkei Asia/ Japan] Australian alliance eyes bid for Pacific telecom to block China
The government of Australia looks to support a bid by domestic telecom Telstra to buy a leading South Pacific mobile phone business reportedly eyed by a Chinese suitor, as Canberra works to limit Beijing’s influence in the region. Last year, Australian media reported that state-owned China Mobile was interested in buying Digicel Pacific. It also …
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[The Conversation/ Australia] Labor gains clear Newspoll lead during Sydney lockdown, but will the economy save the Coalition?
This week’s Newspoll, conducted July 14-17 from a sample of 1,506, gave Labor a 53-47 lead, a two-point gain for Labor since the previous Newspoll three weeks ago. This is the biggest Labor Newspoll lead for this parliamentary term. Primary votes were 39% Coalition (down two), 39% Labor (up two), 10% Greens (down one) and …