Chinese state media accuses Australia of spying campaign, says agents were arrested in 2018ShareChina's Government has used state media to launch an extraordinary attack on Australia, claiming Australian spies are waging an intensifying espionage campaign.Beijing's main attack dog media outlet the Global Times published an article saying an Australian spying operation was disrupted in China two years ago.The jingoistic tabloid posted pictures of what it claimed were items seized, which included a map of Shanghai and a compass.It also claimed Australian spies were operating under the cover...…Chinese state media accuses Australia of spying campaign, says agents were arrested in 2018ShareChina's Government has used state media to launch an extraordinary attack on Australia, claiming Australian spies are waging an intensifying espionage campaign.Beijing's main attack dog media outlet the Global Times published an article saying an Australian spying operation was disrupted in China two years ago.The jingoistic tabloid posted pictures of what it claimed were items seized, which included a map of Shanghai and a compass.It also claimed Australian spies were operating under the cover...WW…

ShareIn the space of just five days, Dea Winnie Pertiwi lost half her family to COVID-19.Her parents, pregnant sister Debby and the sister's unborn baby are all dead. Debby's husband, another older sister and her small daughter were also ill but have since recovered.And now, as she grieves for her family, 28-year-old Dea is fighting the virus herself, living alone in isolation."In the beginning I was in a state of shock," she said. "I couldn't believe it because it all happened so fast.""I'm trying to accept things that I can't change."Yet even as the coronavirus ravaged their hometown...…ShareIn the space of just five days, Dea Winnie Pertiwi lost half her family to COVID-19.Her parents, pregnant sister Debby and the sister's unborn baby are all dead. Debby's husband, another older sister and her small daughter were also ill but have since recovered.And now, as she grieves for her family, 28-year-old Dea is fighting the virus herself, living alone in isolation."In the beginning I was in a state of shock," she said. "I couldn't believe it because it all happened so fast.""I'm trying to accept things that I can't change."Yet even as the coronavirus ravaged their hometown...WW…

Australia says China travel warning 'unhelpful' amid escalating diplomatic rowShareTrade and Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has labelled China's warning against its citizens visiting Australia "unhelpful", as Chinese state media said the warning was issued in response to Australia's "anti-China" policies.Senator Birmingham told RN on Monday that he accepted Asian-Australians had faced incidents of racism since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but rejected the idea that Australia was unsafe for foreign tourists.On Saturday, the , citing a "significant increase" in racist attacks on "Chinese...…Australia says China travel warning 'unhelpful' amid escalating diplomatic rowShareTrade and Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has labelled China's warning against its citizens visiting Australia "unhelpful", as Chinese state media said the warning was issued in response to Australia's "anti-China" policies.Senator Birmingham told RN on Monday that he accepted Asian-Australians had faced incidents of racism since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but rejected the idea that Australia was unsafe for foreign tourists.On Saturday, the , citing a "significant increase" in racist attacks on "Chinese...WW…

ShareAs Indonesian authorities look to ease coronavirus restrictions, doctors are warning that children seem particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 in South-East Asia's most populous country.According to Australia's Department of Health, emerging epidemiologic reports on COVID-19 in children show that while they are less likely than adults to be infected and have severe illness, they are still vulnerable.Nevertheless, nobody under the age of 18 has died in Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. The youngest person to die from COVID-19 in Australia was a 42-year-old Filipino man.But in Indonesia,...…ShareAs Indonesian authorities look to ease coronavirus restrictions, doctors are warning that children seem particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 in South-East Asia's most populous country.According to Australia's Department of Health, emerging epidemiologic reports on COVID-19 in children show that while they are less likely than adults to be infected and have severe illness, they are still vulnerable.Nevertheless, nobody under the age of 18 has died in Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. The youngest person to die from COVID-19 in Australia was a 42-year-old Filipino man.But in Indonesia,...WW…

Australian sentenced to death in China for smuggling meth in checked flight luggageShareThe Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is "deeply saddened" by a Chinese court's decision to sentence an Australian man to death for drug smuggling.According to its website, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court said the man's sentence was delivered on June 10.The ABC understands Karm Gilespie was arrested at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, north-west of Hong Kong, in December 2013 with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his checked luggage.A spokesperson for the Department of...…Australian sentenced to death in China for smuggling meth in checked flight luggageShareThe Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is "deeply saddened" by a Chinese court's decision to sentence an Australian man to death for drug smuggling.According to its website, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court said the man's sentence was delivered on June 10.The ABC understands Karm Gilespie was arrested at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, north-west of Hong Kong, in December 2013 with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his checked luggage.A spokesperson for the Department of...WW…

UNSW under fire for deleting social media posts critical of China over Hong KongShareFederal Education Minister Dan Tehan has urged the University of New South Wales to protect freedom of speech after its media team deleted posts which drew an online backlash from Chinese students.The controversy also sparked a flurry of criticism from several federal MPs and senators, who accused UNSW of compromising academic freedom.The official UNSW account on Friday tweeted an article that quoted Human Rights Watch's Australia director and adjunct law lecturer Elaine Pearson as saying: "Now is a pivotal...…UNSW under fire for deleting social media posts critical of China over Hong KongShareFederal Education Minister Dan Tehan has urged the University of New South Wales to protect freedom of speech after its media team deleted posts which drew an online backlash from Chinese students.The controversy also sparked a flurry of criticism from several federal MPs and senators, who accused UNSW of compromising academic freedom.The official UNSW account on Friday tweeted an article that quoted Human Rights Watch's Australia director and adjunct law lecturer Elaine Pearson as saying: "Now is a pivotal...WW…

UNSW under fire for deleting social media posts critical of China over Hong KongShareFederal Education Minister Dan Tehan has urged the University of New South Wales to protect freedom of speech after its media team deleted posts which drew an online backlash from Chinese students.The controversy also sparked a flurry of criticism from several federal MPs and senators, who accused UNSW of compromising academic freedom.The official UNSW account on Friday tweeted an article that quoted Human Rights Watch's Australia director and adjunct law lecturer Elaine Pearson as saying: "Now is a pivotal...…UNSW under fire for deleting social media posts critical of China over Hong KongShareFederal Education Minister Dan Tehan has urged the University of New South Wales to protect freedom of speech after its media team deleted posts which drew an online backlash from Chinese students.The controversy also sparked a flurry of criticism from several federal MPs and senators, who accused UNSW of compromising academic freedom.The official UNSW account on Friday tweeted an article that quoted Human Rights Watch's Australia director and adjunct law lecturer Elaine Pearson as saying: "Now is a pivotal...WW…

ShareWhile Malaysia managed to flatten its COVID-19 curve with a strict stay-at-home order, a slowed economy has seen many migrant workers from neighbouring Indonesia struggle to feed themselves., the country had the largest caseload in South-East Asia. But it brought strict , which has seen cases limited to 8,861 — about one third less than Australia's — with just 123 deaths.Claims that foreigners were not observing social distancing, however, saw  in raids widely condemned by rights groups.Malaysia's Human Rights Commission last month warned of the "proliferation of hate speech and...…ShareWhile Malaysia managed to flatten its COVID-19 curve with a strict stay-at-home order, a slowed economy has seen many migrant workers from neighbouring Indonesia struggle to feed themselves., the country had the largest caseload in South-East Asia. But it brought strict , which has seen cases limited to 8,861 — about one third less than Australia's — with just 123 deaths.Claims that foreigners were not observing social distancing, however, saw  in raids widely condemned by rights groups.Malaysia's Human Rights Commission last month warned of the "proliferation of hate speech and...WW…

Saudi Arabia executed a record 184 people last year, Amnesty reportsShareSaudi Arabia executed 184 people in 2019 — the most since records began in the ultraconservative kingdom — according to watchdog Amnesty International's annual report on the death penalty.Most of those executed by the Saudi Government were convicted of violent crimes or drug offences, however Amnesty said Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was increasingly using the punishment as a way to silence critics of his regime from the country's Shia Muslim minority."Saudi Arabia's growing use of the death penalty, including as a...…Saudi Arabia executed a record 184 people last year, Amnesty reportsShareSaudi Arabia executed 184 people in 2019 — the most since records began in the ultraconservative kingdom — according to watchdog Amnesty International's annual report on the death penalty.Most of those executed by the Saudi Government were convicted of violent crimes or drug offences, however Amnesty said Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was increasingly using the punishment as a way to silence critics of his regime from the country's Shia Muslim minority."Saudi Arabia's growing use of the death penalty, including as a...WW…

Australia joins UK, Japan in expressing concern over China's treatment of Uyghurs, Hong KongShareAustralia has expressed its "deep and growing concerns" over China's imposition of a new national security bill in Hong Kong and human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.Australia was one of 27 countries that issued a joint statement at the Human Rights Council, calling for China to allow the UN body's Commissioner, "meaningful access to Xinjiang at the earliest opportunity."It follows the publication of a major investigation into China's use of Presented by the UK's Ambassador to...…Australia joins UK, Japan in expressing concern over China's treatment of Uyghurs, Hong KongShareAustralia has expressed its "deep and growing concerns" over China's imposition of a new national security bill in Hong Kong and human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.Australia was one of 27 countries that issued a joint statement at the Human Rights Council, calling for China to allow the UN body's Commissioner, "meaningful access to Xinjiang at the earliest opportunity."It follows the publication of a major investigation into China's use of Presented by the UK's Ambassador to...WW…