Sunak to meet Oz and NZ leaders as trade deal – which promises cheaper manuka honey and Jacob’s Creek – takes effect May 5, 2023 Rishi Sunak is set to welcome the leaders of Australia and New Zealand to No10 ahead of the UK’s landmark post-Brexit trade deals coming into force. The prime minister will meet Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Chris Hipkins, prime minister of New Zealand, in Downing Street today. It comes as the UK’s trade deals with [...]
Australia follows UK, US, Canada and New Zealand in banning TikTok from government devices April 4, 2023 Australia has become the last of the Five Eyes security partners to ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from its federal government’s devices. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said in a statement on Tuesday that based on intelligence and security agencies’ advice, that ban would come into effect “as soon as practicable”. The so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing [...]
Is the UK about to tick one of its ‘Asia tilt’ boxes by joining CPTPP Indo-Pacific trade bloc this week? March 29, 2023 The UK is set to join the key CPTPP Indo-Pacific trade bloc later this week, according to reports. Negotiations have been ongoing to secure Britain’s entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) since early 2021. And sources have now said the UK’s entry into the pact is “agreed” and “confirmed”, according [...]
British designed BAE nuclear subs will power up Australian navy as part of AUKUS defence deal March 14, 2023 Australia will operate a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines based on British designs as both countries modernise their armed forces as part of the AUKUS defence deal. The new boats will be in operation in the late 2030s as part of the AUKUS deal – involving Australia, the UK and US. It will follow a [...]
MI5 spies to help firms counter China tech threats, says Sunak March 13, 2023 China poses the biggest “state-based” threat to Britain’s economic security, prime minister Rishi Sunak has said, as MI5 spies are set to help firms counter tech threats. UK organisations and businesses will receive expert security advice from the new National Protective Security Authority within MI5 to help them counter risks from hackers. It comes as [...]
King Charles will not appear on Australian banknote as Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait is replaced February 2, 2023 Queen Elizabeth II will no longer appear on the Australian $5 banknote and King Charles III will not replace her, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said on Thursday. Her Majesty’s portrait will be swapped for an updated design which “honours the culture and history of the First Australians”, according to a statement from the [...]
Australia: ‘Needle in a haystack’ found as tiny radioactive capsule FINALLY recovered after falling off truck February 1, 2023 Authorities in Western Australia have recovered a tiny but dangerous radioactive capsule that fell off a truck while being transported along a 870-mile road last month in what an official said was like finding a needle in a haystack. Officials said the capsule the size of a pea was found south of Newman on the [...]
New Zealand and Australia kick off 2023 December 31, 2022 New Zealand and Australia have stepped into the new year with fireworks, sparklers and street parties. The Pacific countries are thirteen and eleven hours ahead of GMT and have switched calendars well ahead of residents in Britain. Over a million people gathered to watch the first big firework show to bring in 2023 at Sydney’s [...]
Beefy Brexit row: Deal with Australia is ‘success’ says envoy Lord Botham, after ex minister’s criticism December 27, 2022 Lord Ian Botham, the government’s trade envoy to Australia, is at loggerheads with a former minister over the success of the post-Brexit deal. The ex cricket star, affectionately known as ‘Beefy’, hit out at George Eustice who branded the agreement signed in 2021, who said he “no longer has to put such a positive gloss [...]
Ex-environment minister slams the ‘failures’ of UK-Australia Brexit deal November 15, 2022 The UK's free trade deal with Australia was a poor deal for the country which "gave away far too much for far too little in return."