BHP Group, the Australian mining giant, is poised to make history by appointing Geraldine Slattery as its first female chief executive in 140 years, the Financial Times reported on Friday. Slattery, who currently leads BHP’s Australian operations, would succeed CEO Mike Henry, who is expected to step down by mid-2026 after five years at the helm.
According to sources familiar with the board’s thinking, BHP is “not in a rush” to formalize the transition, allowing ample time for succession planning and a smooth handover. The miner, the world’s largest listed company in its sector, has a long-standing practice of grooming …
A New South Wales police officer has been charged with assault after a pro-Palestinian protester alleged she was punched in the face during a demonstration in Sydney earlier this year — an incident that has raised fresh questions about policing of dissent in Australia.
The protester, Hannah Thomas, a former Greens party candidate, was among dozens who gathered outside SEC Plating in the suburb of Belmore in late June. Activists accused the manufacturer of supplying parts for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel’s military, a claim the company has denied.
Police declared the demonstration unauthorized and ordered the group to …
Australia has pledged to slash greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 70 percent from 2005 levels by 2035 — a move Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed as “responsible” and “science-based.” But the announcement, made Thursday in Canberra, has been met with disappointment by climate experts and Pacific leaders who argue the country is still falling short of what science demands.
The target forms part of Australia’s formal submission under the Paris climate accord, which requires nations to outline their emissions-cutting goals and detailed roadmaps. The stakes are high: Australia is seeking to co-host next year’s UN climate summit with …
Australia confirmed Sunday that the United States will be able to use a planned submarine maintenance hub in Western Australia, underscoring deepening defense ties under the AUKUS security pact.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said facilities at Henderson shipyard near Perth — slated for a A$12 billion ($8 billion) upgrade — will primarily serve Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarines but will also be open to US vessels.
“This is an AUKUS facility and so I would expect so,” Marles told ABC television. “It is being built in the context of AUKUS, and I would expect that in the future this would be …
Australia has announced that it will henceforth no longer recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing a decision taken by the government of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison sometime in 2018.
In a statement on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said; ‘Today the Government has reaffirmed Australia’s previous and longstanding position that Jerusalem is a final status issue that should be resolved as part of any peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian people’.
‘This reverses the Morrison Government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.’
Wong reiterated that Australia’s embassy would …
King Charles III has been officially named as the main monarch (King) in Australia and New Zealand on Sunday.
In Canberra, Governor-General David Hurley had also proclaimed “Prince Charles Philip Arthur George to be King Charles III, by grace of God, King of Australia”.
At a similar ceremony in Wellington, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hailed Charles, saying he “has long had an affection for Aotearoa New Zealand, has consistently demonstrated his deep care for our nation”.
The two ceremonies had also been relative formalities.
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Both former British colonies have …
The newly elected Prime minster of Australia, Anthony Albanese has vowed to end Australia’s reputation as a climate laggard and also try to reset their relations with the rest of the world he pledged to to form and categorise his government in time for the Tokyo summit.
Fresh from an electoral victory that ended a decade of conservative rule, Albanese signalled an era of fairer, greener, and less pugilistic politics for Australia.
“I want to change the country,” the 59-year-old centre-left leader said. “I want to change the way that politics operates in this country.”
It is still unclear whether …
Australia has finally terminated the job of at least 10 special force soldiers after the release of a report that found credible evidence of unlawful killings of unarmed prisoners, farmers, and civilians in Afghanistan, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said on Thursday.
This is coming after an independent report published last week in redacted form said that there is credible evidence that Australian Elite Soldiers unlawfully killed 39 people during the Afghan war, the long-awaited report has found.
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The killing which took place between 2009 -2013 saw soldiers kill unarmed …
Australia said its budget deficit will be 85.8 billion Australian dollars (AD) ($61.2 billion) in 2019-20 and AD184.5 billion in 2020-21.
This marks the biggest deficit since World War II, due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
“Australia is experiencing a health and economic crisis like nothing we have seen in the last 100 years,’’ Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, said in a press conference giving a special budget update on Thursday.
“The government has acted swiftly and decisively to provide economic support for workers, households and businesses of around AD289 billion or the equivalent of 14.6 percent of GDP,’’ …
Australia is losing US$2.5 billion every week its virus shutdown continues, according to figures announced Tuesday.
A million workers have also lost their jobs.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the restrictions on movement and gatherings were dealing a heavy blow to the economy.
“For every extra week that the current restrictions remain in place, the Treasury estimates that close to $4 billion will be reduced in economic activity, from a combination of a reduced workforce participation, reduced productivity, and reduced consumption,” he said in a speech in Canberra.
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Frydenberg revelation came …
Imagine finding this Burmese python on your front porch. Australia is famously home to all sorts of exotic animals, including snakes.
Australia and New Zealand have both closed their borders to all visitors except for citizens and permanent residents and their close family members.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the press in Canberra on Thursday, adding that the travel ban means the deadline for any non-Australian-citizens or non-residents of Australia entering the country is Friday at 9 pm (1000 GMT).
Morrison said the travel ban was being put in place because about 80 per cent of the cases of coronavirus in Australia have come from either people returning from overseas or their relatives.
“Measures we have put in place have …
