Syria&nbsp;coach&nbsp;Ayman Hakeem has backed his heavily&nbsp;depleted&nbsp;squad&nbsp;to continue&nbsp;the war-ravaged nation&#39;s unlikely march towards a maiden World Cup finals appearance when they take on Australia in the second leg of the Asian qualifying playoff on Tuesday.

Hakeem believes the fairytale&nbsp;run&nbsp;towards a place in Russia has illustrated the underlying unity of a nation bitterly divided by civil war and trusts his players to take another step towards the goal against at Sydney&#39;s Olympic stadium.

The odds were stacked against the&nbsp;Syrians throughout the third round of Asian qualifying but, despite having to play their &#39;home&#39;&nbsp;matches in Malaysia because of security concerns in&nbsp;Syria, they managed to battle into the playoff.

A penalty five minutes from the end of the first leg last week earned them a 1-1 draw and a high-scoring draw or a win on Tuesday would secure an intercontinental playoff against the fourth-placed team in North and Central American qualifying.

Already without key centre-backs&nbsp;Ahmad Al Salih and Omar Midani because of injury, though, Hakeem has now lost defender Hadi Al Masri, midfielder Khaled Mobayed and striker Omar Khribin to suspension for the second leg.

His defence has been particularly badly hit but Hakeem believes the never-say-die attitude his team have shown throughout qualifying will enable them to hold out the Asian champions.

&quot;We&#39;ve faced many obstacles from the start,&quot; he told reporters on Monday.

&quot;Five key players is a big loss for us but we trust the players we have. The players have had to fight all the way through qualifying and they believe in themselves. We&#39;re looking forward to tomorrow.&quot;

Hakeem said he had not decided yet whether to give an international debut to Swedish-born defender Gabriel Somi in the match and expects another tough tussle with the Socceroos.

&quot;The game in Malaysia was the first half and tomorrow will be the second half,&quot; he added. &quot;Both teams know each other well and there will be no surprises.&quot;

The visitors are expecting support from as many as 15,000 of Australia&#39;s&nbsp;Syrian and wider Arab community at the Olympic stadium and Hakeem said they had the backing of the entire nation back home.

&quot;All&nbsp;Syrians are behind the national team,&quot; he said. &quot;The&nbsp;Syrian national team has shown to all nations that&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;is one and there is no divide among any groups. And that&#39;s the message being sent through the&nbsp;Syrian national team.&quot;

Syria coach Ayman Hakeem believes the fairytale?run?towards a place in Russia has illustrated the underlying unity of a nation bitterly divided by civil war and trusts his players to take another step towards the goal against at Sydney's Olympic stadium

Syria coach Ayman Hakeem has backed his heavily depleted squad to continue the war-ravaged nation's unlikely march towards a maiden World Cup finals appearance when they take on Australia in the second leg of the Asian qualifying playoff on Tuesday. Hakeem believes the fairytale run towards a place in Russia has illustrated the underlying unity of a nation bitterly divided by civil war and trusts his players to take another step towards the goal against at Sydney's Olympic stadium. The odds were stacked against the Syrians throughout the third round of Asian qualifying but, despite having to play their 'home' matches in Malaysia because of security concerns in Syria, they managed to battle into the playoff. A penalty five minutes from the end of the first leg last week earned them a 1-1 draw and a high-scoring draw or a win on Tuesday would secure an intercontinental playoff against the fourth-placed team in North and Central American qualifying. Already without key centre-backs Ahmad Al Salih and Omar Midani because of injury, though, Hakeem has now lost defender Hadi Al Masri, midfielder Khaled Mobayed and striker Omar Khribin to suspension for the second leg. His defence has been particularly badly hit but Hakeem believes the never-say-die attitude his team have shown throughout qualifying will enable them to hold out the Asian champions. "We've faced many obstacles from the start," he told reporters on Monday. "Five key players is a big loss for us but we trust the players we have. The players have had to fight all the way through qualifying and they believe in themselves. We're looking forward to tomorrow." Hakeem said he had not decided yet whether to give an international debut to Swedish-born defender Gabriel Somi in the match and expects another tough tussle with the Socceroos. "The game in Malaysia was the first half and tomorrow will be the second half," he added. "Both teams know each other well and there will be no surprises." The visitors are expecting support from as many as 15,000 of Australia's Syrian and wider Arab community at the Olympic stadium and Hakeem said they had the backing of the entire nation back home. "All Syrians are behind the national team," he said. "The Syrian national team has shown to all nations that Syria is one and there is no divide among any groups. And that's the message being sent through the Syrian national team."

World Cup qualifier: Syrian coach backs depleted squad against Australia

Skipper Virat Kohli Sunday urged&nbsp;India&nbsp;to be &quot;relentless&quot; after&nbsp;they thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the fifth one-day international, clinching the series 4-1.

Chasing 243 for victory, the hosts rode on opener Rohit Sharma&#39;s 109-ball 125 to achieve their target in 42.5 overs at Nagpur and get back to the top of ODI world rankings table.

India, who reached the ODI summit after three straight wins in the series, had slipped behind South Africa following their loss in the fourth game. They were already the top Test team.

&quot;It feels good. It was a really convincing series win for us. Ticked all boxes... We had a chance to retain the No. 1 spot and we ended up doing that,&quot; Kohli said at the presentation.

&quot;The management also plays a massive part in motivating players after being 3-0 up in the series. But we want to be relentless,&quot; he added.

It was a disciplined bowling effort led by spinner Axar Patel, who claimed three wickets, that set up&nbsp;India&#39;s comfortable victory after restricting the visitors to 242-9.

In reply,&nbsp;Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, who made 61, put on a 124-run opening stand to lay a solid foundation in another dominating performance in recent times.

&quot;We repeated the way we played against Sri Lanka (beat them 9-0 across the three formats), proud of that. Shows the quality of the side, regardless of the opposition,&quot; said Kohli.

Man of the match Sharma, who opened his account with two successive boundaries after 14 deliveries,&nbsp;was the first to get to his fifty with a double off Marcus Stoinis.

Rahane also got his fourth successive 50-plus score before being trapped lbw by paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile, who ended with 10 wickets in the five matches.

Sharma went on to register his 14th ODI ton during his 99-run partnership with Kohli, who made a sedate 39. He got to his hundred with a six off Coulter-Nile.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa sent Sharma, who hit 11 fours and 5 sixes, and Kohli back to pavilion.

&quot;Wickets in clumps&quot;

Kedar Jadhav, unbeaten on five, and Manish Pandey, 11 not out, then saw the team through.

Earlier, opener David Warner&#39;s 62-ball 53 was not enough to inspire Australian batting as they ended on a below-par total after electing to bat first.

All-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who struck first by getting Aaron Finch out for 32, was given the man of the series award for his six wickets and 222 runs in the series.

Travis Head and Stoinis tried hard to counter a persistent Indian bowling with their 87-run fifth-wicket partnership, but their departure spelt further trouble for the visitors.

Head, who made 42, and Stoinis, who scored 46, failed to convert their starts into bigger scores as Australia totally lost steam in the final five overs.

Left-arm spinner Patel returned impressive figures of 3-38 while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah claimed two wickets.

&quot;Lost wickets in clumps again. Have a few things to look at to try and improve and gain the consistent performances we&#39;re after,&quot; said a disappointed Smith.

&quot;We&#39;ve been outplayed and deserve to lose 4-1...India&nbsp;have got a very good balance. We have six or so days until the 3-match T20I series. We&#39;d like to go home with a trophy,&quot; he added.

The action now shifts to the three Twenty20 internationals starting Saturday in Ranchi. 
&nbsp;

Virat Kohli asked?India?to be 'relentless' after?they thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the fifth one-day international

Skipper Virat Kohli Sunday urged India to be "relentless" after they thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the fifth one-day international, clinching the series 4-1. Chasing 243 for victory, the hosts rode on opener Rohit Sharma's 109-ball 125 to achieve their target in 42.5 overs at Nagpur and get back to the top of ODI world rankings table. India, who reached the ODI summit after three straight wins in the series, had slipped behind South Africa following their loss in the fourth game. They were already the top Test team. "It feels good. It was a really convincing series win for us. Ticked all boxes... We had a chance to retain the No. 1 spot and we ended up doing that," Kohli said at the presentation. "The management also plays a massive part in motivating players after being 3-0 up in the series. But we want to be relentless," he added. It was a disciplined bowling effort led by spinner Axar Patel, who claimed three wickets, that set up India's comfortable victory after restricting the visitors to 242-9. In reply, Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, who made 61, put on a 124-run opening stand to lay a solid foundation in another dominating performance in recent times. "We repeated the way we played against Sri Lanka (beat them 9-0 across the three formats), proud of that. Shows the quality of the side, regardless of the opposition," said Kohli. Man of the match Sharma, who opened his account with two successive boundaries after 14 deliveries, was the first to get to his fifty with a double off Marcus Stoinis. Rahane also got his fourth successive 50-plus score before being trapped lbw by paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile, who ended with 10 wickets in the five matches. Sharma went on to register his 14th ODI ton during his 99-run partnership with Kohli, who made a sedate 39. He got to his hundred with a six off Coulter-Nile. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa sent Sharma, who hit 11 fours and 5 sixes, and Kohli back to pavilion. "Wickets in clumps" Kedar Jadhav, unbeaten on five, and Manish Pandey, 11 not out, then saw the team through. Earlier, opener David Warner's 62-ball 53 was not enough to inspire Australian batting as they ended on a below-par total after electing to bat first. All-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who struck first by getting Aaron Finch out for 32, was given the man of the series award for his six wickets and 222 runs in the series. Travis Head and Stoinis tried hard to counter a persistent Indian bowling with their 87-run fifth-wicket partnership, but their departure spelt further trouble for the visitors. Head, who made 42, and Stoinis, who scored 46, failed to convert their starts into bigger scores as Australia totally lost steam in the final five overs. Left-arm spinner Patel returned impressive figures of 3-38 while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah claimed two wickets. "Lost wickets in clumps again. Have a few things to look at to try and improve and gain the consistent performances we're after," said a disappointed Smith. "We've been outplayed and deserve to lose 4-1...India have got a very good balance. We have six or so days until the 3-match T20I series. We'd like to go home with a trophy," he added. The action now shifts to the three Twenty20 internationals starting Saturday in Ranchi.

India thrash Australia to win ODI series 4-1

Australia&#39;s David Warner celebrated his 100th one-day international century in today&#39;s match against India. He made 124 runs from 119 balls &nbsp;He beats Virat Kohli&#39;s record with this milestone.&nbsp;Warner is the first Australian player to reach this milestone. 
 
The vice-captain of the team gave the spectators an exuberant after they won the toss and chose to bat. The team set a target of 335 for India. With 334/5, Australia went past the 300-mark for the first time in four ODIs. 
 
Australia is playing the fourth match for pride after losing the first three games in the five-match series.

Warner, who smashed 124, put together a 231-run opening stand in partnership with Aaron Finch to pulverize the Indian bowling attack at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. 
 
The left-handed Warner hit 12 fours and 4 sixes during his 119-ball innings. It was&nbsp;his 14th ODI century since making his debut at Hobart in 2009.&nbsp;

The batsman got to his milestone with a boundary off part-time spinner Kedar Jadhav, jumping for joy as the runs were marked up. He later fell to Jadhav&#39;s off-spin and walked off to a standing ovation. 
 
The 30-year-old Warner is the eight batsman in world cricket to register a ton in his 100th ODI with West Indies&#39; Gordon Greenidge being the first against Pakistan in 1988.

Warner&#39;s opening partner missed out on completing his consecutive century by barely 6 runs. Finch gave out the ball right off paceman Umesh Yadav into Azar Patel&#39;s hands at mid-on region. Finch hit 10 fours and 3 sixes in his 96-ball knock. 
 
Indian right-hand bowler Umesh Yadav secured his 100th ODI wicket when he dismissed Australian captain Steve Smith.

Australia is playing for pride after losing the first three games

Australia's David Warner celebrated his 100th one-day international century in today's match against India. He made 124 runs from 119 balls He beats Virat Kohli's record with this milestone. Warner is the first Australian player to reach this milestone. The vice-captain of the team gave the spectators an exuberant after they won the toss and chose to bat. The team set a target of 335 for India. With 334/5, Australia went past the 300-mark for the first time in four ODIs. Australia is playing the fourth match for pride after losing the first three games in the five-match series. Warner, who smashed 124, put together a 231-run opening stand in partnership with Aaron Finch to pulverize the Indian bowling attack at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The left-handed Warner hit 12 fours and 4 sixes during his 119-ball innings. It was his 14th ODI century since making his debut at Hobart in 2009. The batsman got to his milestone with a boundary off part-time spinner Kedar Jadhav, jumping for joy as the runs were marked up. He later fell to Jadhav's off-spin and walked off to a standing ovation. The 30-year-old Warner is the eight batsman in world cricket to register a ton in his 100th ODI with West Indies' Gordon Greenidge being the first against Pakistan in 1988. Warner's opening partner missed out on completing his consecutive century by barely 6 runs. Finch gave out the ball right off paceman Umesh Yadav into Azar Patel's hands at mid-on region. Finch hit 10 fours and 3 sixes in his 96-ball knock. Indian right-hand bowler Umesh Yadav secured his 100th ODI wicket when he dismissed Australian captain Steve Smith.

4th ODI: Australia makes 334/5 against India, Warner sparkles with 14th century

Shattered Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt has said his young Davis Cup team will be better for their heart-breaking semi-final loss to Belgium and backed them to bounce back quickly from the disappointment.

Chasing their first appearance in the final since winning the 2003 title, Australia led 2-1 heading into the final singles in Brussels on Sunday but Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson met their match against David Goffin and Steve Darcis.

Hewitt said he could not fault the effort of his players in front of a parochial home crowd on clay courts, their least-preferred surface, but as a member of the team that beat Spain in the 2003 title-decider, he was still crushed by the defeat.

&quot;You come here to get the result. It&#39;s a bit raw at the moment,&quot; the two-time grand slam champion told reporters. &quot;Everyone gave 100 per cent. We left it all out there. But that doesn&#39;t make it hurt any less.

&quot;It&#39;s disappointing, but I&#39;ve told the boys, if it hurts it&#39;s because it means something.

&quot;These boys take a lot of pride wearing the green and gold and will bounce back.&quot;

With Bernard Tomic overlooked for the tie amid a deep form slump, Hewitt sprung a couple of selection surprises over the weekend, neither of which paid off.

After including the in-form Thanasi Kokkinakis in his squad, Hewitt ignored the young talent and plumped for 183rd-ranked John Millman, who lost the opening singles to Goffin on Friday.

Millman played well in defeat to Goffin but was discarded in favour of 69th-ranked Jordan Thompson who duly lost to Darcis on Sunday.

&quot;It was always going to be the case for a long time (to play Thompson on Sunday), so nothing in our plans changed,&quot; Hewitt said, defending the decision.

&quot;A lot of these boys haven&#39;t played in Davis Cup ties away from home,&quot; added Hewitt. &quot;It is different. It&#39;s tough. Especially in semis and finals. They&#39;ll be better for the run.&quot;

Belgium will play away to France in the decider in November.

Chasing their first appearance in the final since winning the 2003 title, Australia led 2-1 heading into the final singles in Brussels on Sunday but Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson met their match against David Goffin and Steve Darcis.

Shattered Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt has said his young Davis Cup team will be better for their heart-breaking semi-final loss to Belgium and backed them to bounce back quickly from the disappointment. Chasing their first appearance in the final since winning the 2003 title, Australia led 2-1 heading into the final singles in Brussels on Sunday but Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson met their match against David Goffin and Steve Darcis. Hewitt said he could not fault the effort of his players in front of a parochial home crowd on clay courts, their least-preferred surface, but as a member of the team that beat Spain in the 2003 title-decider, he was still crushed by the defeat. "You come here to get the result. It's a bit raw at the moment," the two-time grand slam champion told reporters. "Everyone gave 100 per cent. We left it all out there. But that doesn't make it hurt any less. "It's disappointing, but I've told the boys, if it hurts it's because it means something. "These boys take a lot of pride wearing the green and gold and will bounce back." With Bernard Tomic overlooked for the tie amid a deep form slump, Hewitt sprung a couple of selection surprises over the weekend, neither of which paid off. After including the in-form Thanasi Kokkinakis in his squad, Hewitt ignored the young talent and plumped for 183rd-ranked John Millman, who lost the opening singles to Goffin on Friday. Millman played well in defeat to Goffin but was discarded in favour of 69th-ranked Jordan Thompson who duly lost to Darcis on Sunday. "It was always going to be the case for a long time (to play Thompson on Sunday), so nothing in our plans changed," Hewitt said, defending the decision. "A lot of these boys haven't played in Davis Cup ties away from home," added Hewitt. "It is different. It's tough. Especially in semis and finals. They'll be better for the run." Belgium will play away to France in the decider in November.

Davis Cup: Australia will bounce back, says Hewitt

A contentious postal survey on same-sex marriage kicked off in Australia&nbsp;Tuesday, with ballots delivered across the vast continent ahead of an expected fractious campaign between the &quot;yes&quot; and &quot;no&quot; sides.

While there has been growing support for marriage equality, with 70 per cent of those surveyed in a new Fairfax Media poll&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;backing the &quot;yes&quot; campaign, Australia has not yet legalised such unions despite more than a decade of political wrangling.

The conservative government chose an unusual approach, a voluntary and non-binding postal vote, after an election promise of a national plebiscite was knocked back twice by the upper house Senate.

&quot;I encourage everyone to fill in the survey and return it. I`ll be voting `yes` as will (my wife) Lucy,&quot; Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told commercial radio this week.

Turnbull, a moderate, is opposed by some members of his conservative ruling Liberal-National coalition on legalising gay marriage, with the postal vote seen as a compromise.

The start of the ballot process followed rallies on the weekend for and against changing marriage laws, with thousands of people dressed in rainbow colours packing central Sydney&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;to back the &quot;yes&quot; vote.

Hundreds of &quot;no&quot; campaigners marched&nbsp;on Saturday, arguing that changes would infringe on religious freedom and children`s rights.

Up to 15 million Australians will be asked: &quot;Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?&quot; on the ballot paper and given the option of marking &quot;yes&quot; or &quot;no&quot; boxes.

But &quot;yes&quot; campaigners have warned the method of collecting votes, via the postal system, could be less effective at engaging younger tech-savvy Australians, who are seen as more supportive of changing the laws.

National Party MPs have also voiced concern about Australia Post`s abilities to deliver the survey to rural and regional areas across the vast country.

The postal vote will close on&nbsp;November 7, with the result released on&nbsp;November 15.

If most Australians vote &quot;yes&quot;, the government will move for a parliamentary vote, but will not do so if there is a &quot;no&quot; outcome.

The survey has shed light on how rare national non-binding plebiscites are in Australia. The votes are different in the country to referendums, which affect the constitution.

Just three have been held, two on conscription in 1916 and 1917, and one on which song should be the national anthem in 1977.

But all occurred under the Electoral Act, unlike the postal survey which is being carried out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The bureau was given the task by Canberra to avoid the need for parliamentary approval, but that meant the marriage poll did not attract advertising protections against malicious campaign material in force during elections, a key concern for activists fearing it could unleash a barrage of homophobia.

Politicians this week were scrambling to pass similar election-type safeguards restricting material that might be misleading and deceptive.

Australia has not yet legalised such unions despite more than a decade of political wrangling

A contentious postal survey on same-sex marriage kicked off in Australia Tuesday, with ballots delivered across the vast continent ahead of an expected fractious campaign between the "yes" and "no" sides. While there has been growing support for marriage equality, with 70 per cent of those surveyed in a new Fairfax Media poll on Tuesday backing the "yes" campaign, Australia has not yet legalised such unions despite more than a decade of political wrangling. The conservative government chose an unusual approach, a voluntary and non-binding postal vote, after an election promise of a national plebiscite was knocked back twice by the upper house Senate. "I encourage everyone to fill in the survey and return it. I`ll be voting `yes` as will (my wife) Lucy," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told commercial radio this week. Turnbull, a moderate, is opposed by some members of his conservative ruling Liberal-National coalition on legalising gay marriage, with the postal vote seen as a compromise. The start of the ballot process followed rallies on the weekend for and against changing marriage laws, with thousands of people dressed in rainbow colours packing central Sydney on Sunday to back the "yes" vote. Hundreds of "no" campaigners marched on Saturday, arguing that changes would infringe on religious freedom and children`s rights. Up to 15 million Australians will be asked: "Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?" on the ballot paper and given the option of marking "yes" or "no" boxes. But "yes" campaigners have warned the method of collecting votes, via the postal system, could be less effective at engaging younger tech-savvy Australians, who are seen as more supportive of changing the laws. National Party MPs have also voiced concern about Australia Post`s abilities to deliver the survey to rural and regional areas across the vast country. The postal vote will close on November 7, with the result released on November 15. If most Australians vote "yes", the government will move for a parliamentary vote, but will not do so if there is a "no" outcome. The survey has shed light on how rare national non-binding plebiscites are in Australia. The votes are different in the country to referendums, which affect the constitution. Just three have been held, two on conscription in 1916 and 1917, and one on which song should be the national anthem in 1977. But all occurred under the Electoral Act, unlike the postal survey which is being carried out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau was given the task by Canberra to avoid the need for parliamentary approval, but that meant the marriage poll did not attract advertising protections against malicious campaign material in force during elections, a key concern for activists fearing it could unleash a barrage of homophobia. Politicians this week were scrambling to pass similar election-type safeguards restricting material that might be misleading and deceptive.

Australia same-sex marriage vote begins

By:&nbsp;Tridivesh Singh Maini &amp; Sandeep Sachdeva

Ties between Australia and China have been strained recently. Only a few days ago, Australian PM, Malcolm Turnbull urged China to take a tougher stand against North Korea.

On August 31, 2017, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/31/china-should-cut-off-north-korea-oil-supply-says-turnbull">Turnbull&nbsp;</a>said, &quot;China has by far the greatest leverage&quot;.&nbsp;&ldquo;China really has to step up now and bring this regime to its senses. &ldquo;They are committed to stop buying coal, iron ore, seafood and other products from North Korea. They can go further &ndash; they can cut off their oil supply for example&rdquo;, he added.&nbsp;

At the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-03/china-should-curb-unlawful,-reckless-north-korea:-turnbull/8586008">Shangri-La Dialogue in June 2017</a>, Turnbull had minced no words and urged China to play by a rule based structure (alluding it to its assertiveness on the South China Sea Issue).

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<h5>A lecturer of the University of Sydney was forced to apologise for a map which depicted Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and Ladakh as part of India, while China considers these as disputed territory.</h5>
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It is not just differences in the strategic sphere, which have been clearly evident in recent months. Australia has also been uncomfortable with Chinese students being excessively assertive on University campuses. There have been at least four instances, wherein Chinese international students in Australia have pressurised lecturers to apologise under the pretext of making offensive comments. <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-03/china-should-curb-unlawful,-reckless-north-korea:-turnbull/8586008">A lecturer of the University of Sydney</a> was forced to apologise for a map which depicted Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and Ladakh as part of India, while China considers these as disputed territory. This incident had happened 18 months ago, but the Doklam dispute provoked Chinese students to not just use harsh words for the Professor, Khimji Vaghjiani, who happened to be of Indian origin, on a University WeChat account.

Students also protested outside the <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/chinese-students-expats-flex-muscle-over-doklam-in-australia/articleshow/60304007.cms">Indian Consulate</a> in Sydney on this issue, this was during the Doklam standoff. One of the placards read: &quot;Anyone who offends China will be killed no matter how far the target is.&quot;&nbsp;

Commenting on this assertiveness by Chinese students, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/end-the-isolation-of-chinese-students-in-australia-20170902-gy9iv6.html">John Garnaut</a>, a former adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, had stated, &quot;Beijing is stirring up &#39;red hot patriotism&#39; among Chinese students on Australian campuses&quot;. He went on to describe it as national security risks for Australia.

Australia needs to be commended for taking a principled stand against aggressive Chinese students in spite of having close economic ties with China. The bilateral trade between both countries is well over 100 Billion USD. Apart from it, in last ten years <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/amp.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/5-things-to-know-about-china-and-australia-s-economic-ties">Australia has also received</a> the second highest volume of Chinese direct investment.&nbsp;

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<h5>Australia needs to be commended for taking a principled stand against aggressive Chinese students in spite of having close economic ties with China.</h5>
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On the other hand, Trump has spoken tough against China on not just the issue of North Korea but also dubbed China as a currency manipulator. As soon as North Korea formally announced that it has conducted hydrogen bomb test on this weekend, President Trump not only lambasted the North Korea but also took aim at China for the current political crisis as he tweeted &quot;North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success.&rdquo;

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/04/north-korea-nuclear-test-united-states-may-sanction-chinas-major-banks-to-rein-in-pyongyang.html">Trump further tweeted</a> that the U.S. is considering &quot;Stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.&rdquo;

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/04/north-korea-nuclear-test-united-states-may-sanction-chinas-major-banks-to-rein-in-pyongyang.html">According to media</a> reports, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is drafting a harsher sanctions package against North Korea and its trading partner. It is especially aimed China because it is North Korea&#39;s largest trading partner, accounting for 85 per cent of its total trade. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Yet, due to economic interests of the US, as well as some voices in the state department, which urge restraint US while making belligerent noises is compelled to rightly act in a nuanced manner, which Beijing perceives as the weakness of Washington DC.&nbsp;

Even on the second issue, Chinese students have been asserting themselves on US campuses. There are over <a href="https://qz.com/908922/chinese-students-at-ucsd-are-evoking-diversity-to-justify-their-opposition-to-the-dalai-lamas-graduation-speech/">300,000 Chinese students in the US</a>. <a href="https://www.nas.org/images/documents/confucius_institutes/NAS_confuciusInstitutes.pdf">Confucius institutes on US Campuses</a> follow a Chinese agenda, and controversial issues like the Cultural Revolution, The Tiananmen Square are not discussed. A close watch is kept on the activities of Chinese students, and those criticising China. Associations always vehemently opposed Universities for their decisions on related issues. This year in June 2017, Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) opposed the <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/4821653/dalai-lama-university-california-san-diego-commencement-address/%3fsource=dam">Dalai Lama&rsquo;s commencement address</a> at the University of California, San Diego.

Initially, the CCSA admitted that: &quot;It had been in contact with the People&rsquo;s Republic of China Consulate General in Los Angeles at the earliest opportunity since the matter arose,&rdquo; and &ldquo;was waiting for the advice of the Consulate General.&rdquo; Later on, it issued a denial.

While the US has begun to take note of assertiveness by Chinese students, it is still excessively tolerant, towards incidents while Australia is seeking to nip the evil in the bud. While a number of countries, posing to be the beacons of democracy, do make noise about democracy and liberal values, but their economic constraints have prevented them from doing so. In this sense, Australia deserves full marks.&nbsp;

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Australia&rsquo;s ties with Japan and India are more robust in the context of the Asia Pacific and are likely to get only closer with Trump&#39;s unpredictability, and American cautiousness vis-a-vis China, in spite of all the bluster. Even in the context of defending liberal values and democratic ideals, countries in the Asia-Pacific region need to work together. Australia, Japan, and India can show the way, not just through strategic cooperation, but also by raising greater awareness against Chinese assertiveness in countries in South Asia and South East Asia. While it may seem ambitious at this time, there is also scope for the three countries to work closely to send a clear message, that none of these countries is willing to make any compromise with democratic ideals like freedom of speech and diversity of opinion.

The battle in the Asia-Pacific region is not just about economics and security, but also about values. And the Australia-India-Japan tri-lateral can certainly lead the way.

John Garnaut, a former adviser to Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, had stated, "Beijing is stirring up 'red hot patriotism' among Chinese students on Australian campuses".

By: Tridivesh Singh Maini & Sandeep Sachdeva Ties between Australia and China have been strained recently. Only a few days ago, Australian PM, Malcolm Turnbull urged China to take a tougher stand against North Korea. On August 31, 2017, Turnbull said, "China has by far the greatest leverage". “China really has to step up now and bring this regime to its senses. “They are committed to stop buying coal, iron ore, seafood and other products from North Korea. They can go further – they can cut off their oil supply for example”, he added. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in June 2017, Turnbull had minced no words and urged China to play by a rule based structure (alluding it to its assertiveness on the South China Sea Issue). A lecturer of the University of Sydney was forced to apologise for a map which depicted Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and Ladakh as part of India, while China considers these as disputed territory. × It is not just differences in the strategic sphere, which have been clearly evident in recent months. Australia has also been uncomfortable with Chinese students being excessively assertive on University campuses. There have been at least four instances, wherein Chinese international students in Australia have pressurised lecturers to apologise under the pretext of making offensive comments. A lecturer of the University of Sydney was forced to apologise for a map which depicted Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and Ladakh as part of India, while China considers these as disputed territory. This incident had happened 18 months ago, but the Doklam dispute provoked Chinese students to not just use harsh words for the Professor, Khimji Vaghjiani, who happened to be of Indian origin, on a University WeChat account. Students also protested outside the Indian Consulate in Sydney on this issue, this was during the Doklam standoff. One of the placards read: "Anyone who offends China will be killed no matter how far the target is." Commenting on this assertiveness by Chinese students, John Garnaut, a former adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, had stated, "Beijing is stirring up 'red hot patriotism' among Chinese students on Australian campuses". He went on to describe it as national security risks for Australia. Australia needs to be commended for taking a principled stand against aggressive Chinese students in spite of having close economic ties with China. The bilateral trade between both countries is well over 100 Billion USD. Apart from it, in last ten years Australia has also received the second highest volume of Chinese direct investment. Australia needs to be commended for taking a principled stand against aggressive Chinese students in spite of having close economic ties with China. × On the other hand, Trump has spoken tough against China on not just the issue of North Korea but also dubbed China as a currency manipulator. As soon as North Korea formally announced that it has conducted hydrogen bomb test on this weekend, President Trump not only lambasted the North Korea but also took aim at China for the current political crisis as he tweeted "North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success.” Trump further tweeted that the U.S. is considering "Stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.” According to media reports, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is drafting a harsher sanctions package against North Korea and its trading partner. It is especially aimed China because it is North Korea's largest trading partner, accounting for 85 per cent of its total trade. Yet, due to economic interests of the US, as well as some voices in the state department, which urge restraint US while making belligerent noises is compelled to rightly act in a nuanced manner, which Beijing perceives as the weakness of Washington DC. Even on the second issue, Chinese students have been asserting themselves on US campuses. There are over 300,000 Chinese students in the US. Confucius institutes on US Campuses follow a Chinese agenda, and controversial issues like the Cultural Revolution, The Tiananmen Square are not discussed. A close watch is kept on the activities of Chinese students, and those criticising China. Associations always vehemently opposed Universities for their decisions on related issues. This year in June 2017, Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) opposed the Dalai Lama’s commencement address at the University of California, San Diego. Initially, the CCSA admitted that: "It had been in contact with the People’s Republic of China Consulate General in Los Angeles at the earliest opportunity since the matter arose,” and “was waiting for the advice of the Consulate General.” Later on, it issued a denial. While the US has begun to take note of assertiveness by Chinese students, it is still excessively tolerant, towards incidents while Australia is seeking to nip the evil in the bud. While a number of countries, posing to be the beacons of democracy, do make noise about democracy and liberal values, but their economic constraints have prevented them from doing so. In this sense, Australia deserves full marks. Australia, Japan, and India can show the way, not just through strategic cooperation, but also by raising greater awareness against Chinese assertiveness in countries in South Asia and South East Asia. × Australia’s ties with Japan and India are more robust in the context of the Asia Pacific and are likely to get only closer with Trump's unpredictability, and American cautiousness vis-a-vis China, in spite of all the bluster. Even in the context of defending liberal values and democratic ideals, countries in the Asia-Pacific region need to work together. Australia, Japan, and India can show the way, not just through strategic cooperation, but also by raising greater awareness against Chinese assertiveness in countries in South Asia and South East Asia. While it may seem ambitious at this time, there is also scope for the three countries to work closely to send a clear message, that none of these countries is willing to make any compromise with democratic ideals like freedom of speech and diversity of opinion. The battle in the Asia-Pacific region is not just about economics and security, but also about values. And the Australia-India-Japan tri-lateral can certainly lead the way.

Australia determined to curb Chinese students making anti-India comments. Should US follow the same?

Australia&#39;s Wallabies face an acid test against the rejuvenated Springboks in the Rugby Championship on Saturday to gauge whether they are on the rise after taking the All Blacks to the limit.

The world champion New Zealanders had to pull out all the stops to overcome Australia 35-29 with a try two minutes from time in Dunedin a fortnight ago.

The Wallabies have already lost the trans-Tasman Bledisloe Cup series, but take on the regenerated Springboks in Perth, with the South Africans yet to lose in 2017.

Fly-half Bernard Foley said every member of the Wallabies&#39; squad knew the importance of not undoing all their good work from Dunedin against the South Africans.

&quot;I think that&#39;s probably been a hurdle of Wallaby teams in the past, is not being able to be consistent,&quot; Foley said.

&quot;We&#39;ve definitely spoken (about) that and challenged every player to go up a level from where he was in Dunedin.&quot;

While the Springboks have vanquished Argentina and France over five internationals this year they have not beaten the Wallabies in Australia since their 38-12 romp in Brisbane in 2013.

It has been a torrid year for Australia, winning only two of their five internationals and coming off a miserable Super Rugby season climaxed by the contentious axing of Perth-based Western Force from next year&#39;s competition.

There have been reports that the Perth rugby public may boycott the Test on Saturday as a way of protesting against the Australian Rugby Union&#39;s vexed decision to cull the Force, or wear their blue Western Force jerseys instead of the Wallabies&#39; gold.

&quot;Playing in your home town in front of your club team fans and Wallaby fans, it&#39;s a very special occasion,&quot; Wallabies and Force lock Adam Coleman said.

&quot;The fans in Western Australia are amazing. I&#39;m sure they&#39;ll turn out in numbers.&quot;

- Desire to get better -

The Wallabies are looking to stifle the Springboks playmaker and fly-half Elton Jantjies, who has been impressive in his team&#39;s two wins over Argentina so far in the Rugby Championship.

&quot;For us shutting him down is not allowing him momentum, doing the job up front, pushing him backwards and that probably takes down his time and space,&quot; Foley said of his opposite number.

Scrum-half Ross Cronje has overcome an ankle injury and partners Jantjies with Francois Hougaard dropping back to the reserves.

In the only other change to the starting team, Pieter-Steph du Toit comes in at lock for Franco Mostert.

&quot;Even though we travelled to three continents in 10 days, this group has the desire to get better, and learn from previous experiences,&quot; coach Allister Coetzee said Thursday.

&quot;The Wallabies are a well-coached side, with great deception on attack. Their playmakers and strike runners complement each other very well and we will have to be very sharp on defence.

&quot;If you look at their performances against New Zealand, you will see how well they have functioned in scoring nine tries and 63 points in two matches.&quot;

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika made four changes to his starting XV with Tatafu Polota-Nau at hooker, Sekope Kepu at tight-head prop, Adam Coleman at lock and Reece Hodge on the left wing.

The Australians are without their 122-Test hooker Stephen Moore, back at home awaiting the birth of his third child, while winger Dane Haylett-Petty is out for three months following biceps surgery.

Teams (15-1)

Australia - Israel Folau; Henry Speight, Tevita Kuridrani, Kurtley Beale, Reece Hodge; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; Sean McMahon, Michael Hooper (capt), Ned Hanigan; Adam Coleman, Rory Arnold; Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio.

Replacements: Jordan Uelese, Tom Robertson, Allan Alaalatoa, Rob Simmons, Jack Dempsey, Nick Phipps, Samu Kerevi, Curtis Rona

South Africa - Andries Coetzee; Raymond Rhule, Jesse Kriel, Jan Serfontein, Courtnall Skosan; Elton Jantjies, Ross Cronje; Uzair Cassiem, Jaco Kriel, Siya Kolisi; Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth (capt); Coenie Oosthuizen, Malcolm Marx, Tendai Mtawarira

Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Trevor Nyakane, Lood de Jager, Jean-Luc du Preez, Francois Hougaard, Handre Pollard, Damian de Allende

Referee: Glen Jackson (NZL)

The world champion New Zealanders had to pull out all the stops to overcome Australia 35-29 with a try two minutes from time in Dunedin a fortnight ago.

Australia's Wallabies face an acid test against the rejuvenated Springboks in the Rugby Championship on Saturday to gauge whether they are on the rise after taking the All Blacks to the limit. The world champion New Zealanders had to pull out all the stops to overcome Australia 35-29 with a try two minutes from time in Dunedin a fortnight ago. The Wallabies have already lost the trans-Tasman Bledisloe Cup series, but take on the regenerated Springboks in Perth, with the South Africans yet to lose in 2017. Fly-half Bernard Foley said every member of the Wallabies' squad knew the importance of not undoing all their good work from Dunedin against the South Africans. "I think that's probably been a hurdle of Wallaby teams in the past, is not being able to be consistent," Foley said. "We've definitely spoken (about) that and challenged every player to go up a level from where he was in Dunedin." While the Springboks have vanquished Argentina and France over five internationals this year they have not beaten the Wallabies in Australia since their 38-12 romp in Brisbane in 2013. It has been a torrid year for Australia, winning only two of their five internationals and coming off a miserable Super Rugby season climaxed by the contentious axing of Perth-based Western Force from next year's competition. There have been reports that the Perth rugby public may boycott the Test on Saturday as a way of protesting against the Australian Rugby Union's vexed decision to cull the Force, or wear their blue Western Force jerseys instead of the Wallabies' gold. "Playing in your home town in front of your club team fans and Wallaby fans, it's a very special occasion," Wallabies and Force lock Adam Coleman said. "The fans in Western Australia are amazing. I'm sure they'll turn out in numbers." - Desire to get better - The Wallabies are looking to stifle the Springboks playmaker and fly-half Elton Jantjies, who has been impressive in his team's two wins over Argentina so far in the Rugby Championship. "For us shutting him down is not allowing him momentum, doing the job up front, pushing him backwards and that probably takes down his time and space," Foley said of his opposite number. Scrum-half Ross Cronje has overcome an ankle injury and partners Jantjies with Francois Hougaard dropping back to the reserves. In the only other change to the starting team, Pieter-Steph du Toit comes in at lock for Franco Mostert. "Even though we travelled to three continents in 10 days, this group has the desire to get better, and learn from previous experiences," coach Allister Coetzee said Thursday. "The Wallabies are a well-coached side, with great deception on attack. Their playmakers and strike runners complement each other very well and we will have to be very sharp on defence. "If you look at their performances against New Zealand, you will see how well they have functioned in scoring nine tries and 63 points in two matches." Wallabies coach Michael Cheika made four changes to his starting XV with Tatafu Polota-Nau at hooker, Sekope Kepu at tight-head prop, Adam Coleman at lock and Reece Hodge on the left wing. The Australians are without their 122-Test hooker Stephen Moore, back at home awaiting the birth of his third child, while winger Dane Haylett-Petty is out for three months following biceps surgery. Teams (15-1) Australia - Israel Folau; Henry Speight, Tevita Kuridrani, Kurtley Beale, Reece Hodge; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; Sean McMahon, Michael Hooper (capt), Ned Hanigan; Adam Coleman, Rory Arnold; Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio. Replacements: Jordan Uelese, Tom Robertson, Allan Alaalatoa, Rob Simmons, Jack Dempsey, Nick Phipps, Samu Kerevi, Curtis Rona South Africa - Andries Coetzee; Raymond Rhule, Jesse Kriel, Jan Serfontein, Courtnall Skosan; Elton Jantjies, Ross Cronje; Uzair Cassiem, Jaco Kriel, Siya Kolisi; Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth (capt); Coenie Oosthuizen, Malcolm Marx, Tendai Mtawarira Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Trevor Nyakane, Lood de Jager, Jean-Luc du Preez, Francois Hougaard, Handre Pollard, Damian de Allende Referee: Glen Jackson (NZL)

RugbyU: Confident Springboks put Wallabies to the test

Bangladesh were dismissed for 305 in their first innings in the second and final Test against Australia on Tuesday.

 
Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim top scored with 68, while Sabbir Rahman contributed 66 for the hosts, who lead the series 1-0.

 
Australia offspinner Nathan Lyon finished with 7-94.

Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim top scored with 68, while Sabbir Rahman contributed 66 for the hosts, who lead the series 1-0.

Bangladesh were dismissed for 305 in their first innings in the second and final Test against Australia on Tuesday. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim top scored with 68, while Sabbir Rahman contributed 66 for the hosts, who lead the series 1-0. Australia offspinner Nathan Lyon finished with 7-94.

2nd Test: Bangladesh 305 all out against Australia

Australia&nbsp;coach Ange Postecoglou has an unshakable faith that his Socceroos will feature at next year&#39;s&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;but said on Monday (September 4) the team must maintain a relentless pressure in Tuesday&#39;s (September 5) final&nbsp;qualifier&nbsp;against&nbsp;Thailand.

The Socceroos have backed themselves into a corner after Thursday&#39;s (August 31) 2-0 defeat by already-qualified Japan, who top Group B with 20 points, four more than&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;and Saudi Arabia.

Australia&nbsp;must win big against&nbsp;Thailand&nbsp;to give themselves their best chance of securing a fourth successive&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;appearance, rather than slip into the tricky playoff zone.

The Socceroos will have to wait to know their qualifying fate until Saudi Arabia host Japan hours later.

The importance of the occasion was not lost on veteran forward Tim Cahill, who promised a &quot;fearless&quot; display against the Thais.

Australia&nbsp;will be boosted by the return of midfielder Aaron Mooy, who was a late withdrawal from the Japan match.

Striker Tomi Juri should also be fit to start against the Thais after he carried an injury into the clash against the Samurai Blue and spent most of the match on the bench.

&nbsp;

The Socceroos have backed themselves into a corner after Thursday's (August 31) 2-0 defeat by already-qualified Japan, who top Group B with 20 points, four more than?Australia?and Saudi Arabia.

Australia coach Ange Postecoglou has an unshakable faith that his Socceroos will feature at next year's World Cup but said on Monday (September 4) the team must maintain a relentless pressure in Tuesday's (September 5) final qualifier against Thailand. The Socceroos have backed themselves into a corner after Thursday's (August 31) 2-0 defeat by already-qualified Japan, who top Group B with 20 points, four more than Australia and Saudi Arabia. Australia must win big against Thailand to give themselves their best chance of securing a fourth successive World Cup appearance, rather than slip into the tricky playoff zone. The Socceroos will have to wait to know their qualifying fate until Saudi Arabia host Japan hours later. The importance of the occasion was not lost on veteran forward Tim Cahill, who promised a "fearless" display against the Thais. Australia will be boosted by the return of midfielder Aaron Mooy, who was a late withdrawal from the Japan match. Striker Tomi Juri should also be fit to start against the Thais after he carried an injury into the clash against the Samurai Blue and spent most of the match on the bench.

Australia ready to face Thailand in crucial World Cup qualifier

Australian cyclist Shane Perkins has been given the green light to attain Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin, paving the way for the twice world champion to represent his new country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Melbourne-born 30-year-old won a sprint bronze for Australia at the 2012 Olympics in London but missed out on selection for last year&#39;s Rio Games.

&quot;The President resolved to grant Russian Federation citizenship to Shane Alan Perkins,&quot; the Kremlin said in a statement on its website. 
Perkins posted a picture of himself on Twitter wearing Russia colours on his bike and wrote: &quot;I&#39;m the most excited guy in the world right now! I can make my dreams come true!&quot;

Perkins, a good friend of Russia&#39;s reigning world champion sprinter Denis Dmitriev, who took bronze in the sprint at Rio, began seriously considering defecting less than a year ago, frustrated at being shut out of Australia&#39;s high performance programme, he told local media.

Perkins&#39; father Daryl, a former national champion, raced in the now defunct tandem sprint with Ian Browne at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. They were beaten by the silver medal-winning Soviet Union pair of Imants Bodnieks and Viktor Logunov in the quarter-finals.

Australia has granted citizenship to a number of top Russian athletes over the years, including women&#39;s tennis player Daria Gavrilova, the world number 26, and former European champion speed skater Tatiana Borodulina.

The Melbourne-born 30-year-old won a sprint bronze for Australia at the 2012 Olympics in London but missed out on selection for last year's Rio Games.

Australian cyclist Shane Perkins has been given the green light to attain Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin, paving the way for the twice world champion to represent his new country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Melbourne-born 30-year-old won a sprint bronze for Australia at the 2012 Olympics in London but missed out on selection for last year's Rio Games. "The President resolved to grant Russian Federation citizenship to Shane Alan Perkins," the Kremlin said in a statement on its website. Perkins posted a picture of himself on Twitter wearing Russia colours on his bike and wrote: "I'm the most excited guy in the world right now! I can make my dreams come true!" Perkins, a good friend of Russia's reigning world champion sprinter Denis Dmitriev, who took bronze in the sprint at Rio, began seriously considering defecting less than a year ago, frustrated at being shut out of Australia's high performance programme, he told local media. Perkins' father Daryl, a former national champion, raced in the now defunct tandem sprint with Ian Browne at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. They were beaten by the silver medal-winning Soviet Union pair of Imants Bodnieks and Viktor Logunov in the quarter-finals. Australia has granted citizenship to a number of top Russian athletes over the years, including women's tennis player Daria Gavrilova, the world number 26, and former European champion speed skater Tatiana Borodulina.

Cyclist Perkins gets nod from Putin for Russia switch

Former Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has joined the Australian team support staff as fielding coach until the end of 2019, Cricket Australia said Thursday.

Haddin replaces former Australia batsman Greg Blewett, who has taken up a position with the South Australian Cricket Association.

Haddin, 39, has coached the Australia A side and was an assistant coach during Australia&#39;s tour of New Zealand earlier this year.

He also had a stint with Islamabad in the Pakistan Premier League.

His first assignment will be Australia&#39;s two-Test tour to Bangladesh later this month.

&quot;I grew up in an era of players like Andrew Symonds and Ricky Ponting who gave Australian cricket a real identity in the standards of world-class fielding,&quot; Haddin said in a statement.

&quot;I want to hold this group accountable to that kind of standard and I believe we have the talent to do that and I am looking forward to the challenge.&quot;&nbsp;

Haddin played 66 Tests, taking 262 catches, and playing 126 one-day internationals, and 34 T20 Internationals for Australia before retiring in 2015.

Haddin replaces former Australia batsman Greg Blewett, who has taken up a position with the South Australian Cricket Association

Former Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has joined the Australian team support staff as fielding coach until the end of 2019, Cricket Australia said Thursday. Haddin replaces former Australia batsman Greg Blewett, who has taken up a position with the South Australian Cricket Association. Haddin, 39, has coached the Australia A side and was an assistant coach during Australia's tour of New Zealand earlier this year. He also had a stint with Islamabad in the Pakistan Premier League. His first assignment will be Australia's two-Test tour to Bangladesh later this month. "I grew up in an era of players like Andrew Symonds and Ricky Ponting who gave Australian cricket a real identity in the standards of world-class fielding," Haddin said in a statement. "I want to hold this group accountable to that kind of standard and I believe we have the talent to do that and I am looking forward to the challenge." Haddin played 66 Tests, taking 262 catches, and playing 126 one-day internationals, and 34 T20 Internationals for Australia before retiring in 2015.

Brad Haddin joins Australia's coaching staff

The painstaking search for missing flight MH370 has uncovered a previously unknown undersea world of volcanoes, deep valleys and soaring ridges, according to detailed maps released by Australia.

Although no trace of the Malaysia Airlines plane was found during the search in the southern Indian Ocean -- the most expensive ever of its kind -- large volumes of data showing a detailed picture of the sea floor had to be collected to guide the probe.

Scientists are hopeful the new maps will give their community greater insight into oceans.

&quot;It is estimated that only 10 to 15 percent of the world&#39;s oceans have been surveyed with the kind of technology used in the search for MH370,&quot; Geoscience Australia&#39;s environmental geoscience chief Stuart Minchin said late Wednesday.

&quot;(That makes) this remote part of the Indian Ocean among the most thoroughly mapped regions of the deep ocean on the planet.&nbsp;

&quot;So this data is unique both because of the remote location of the search area, and because of the sheer scale of the area surveyed.&quot;

Minchin said the maps would also be useful for future scientific research, such as oceanographic and habitat modelling.

Australia, Malaysia and China suspended the deep sea hunt in January, almost three years after the Boeing 777 disappeared with 239 people on board.

The hunt -- based on satellite analysis of the jet&#39;s likely trajectory after it diverted from its flight path -- covered a 120,000 square-kilometre (46,000 square mile) designated zone, an area slightly smaller than England.

Two shipwrecks were discovered during the search but no trace of the plane, deepening one the most enduring mysteries of the aviation age.

However, the data revealed ridges six kilometres (3.73 miles) wide and 15 kilometres long that rise 1,500 metres above the sea floor, as well as fault valleys 1,200 metres deep and five kilometres wide.

A second set of data will be released in mid-2018.

While the search for the missing plane has been called off, Canberra has said it could be restarted if new evidence about the specific location&nbsp;of the aircraft emerges.

&quot;We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located,&quot; Australia&#39;s Transport Minister Darren Chester said.

Australia&#39;s&nbsp;national science body CSIRO released a report in April confirming that MH370 was &quot;most likely&quot; north of the former search zone.

Three fragments from the plane have been recovered washed up on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon found on La Reunion island.

Speculation on the cause of the plane&#39;s disappearance has focused primarily on possible hijacking, rogue pilot action or mechanical failure, but nothing has yet been proved.&nbsp;

The data revealed ridges six kilometres (3.73 miles) wide and 15 kilometres long that rise 1,500 metres above the sea floor, as well as fault valleys 1,200 metres deep and five kilometres wide

The painstaking search for missing flight MH370 has uncovered a previously unknown undersea world of volcanoes, deep valleys and soaring ridges, according to detailed maps released by Australia. Although no trace of the Malaysia Airlines plane was found during the search in the southern Indian Ocean -- the most expensive ever of its kind -- large volumes of data showing a detailed picture of the sea floor had to be collected to guide the probe. Scientists are hopeful the new maps will give their community greater insight into oceans. "It is estimated that only 10 to 15 percent of the world's oceans have been surveyed with the kind of technology used in the search for MH370," Geoscience Australia's environmental geoscience chief Stuart Minchin said late Wednesday. "(That makes) this remote part of the Indian Ocean among the most thoroughly mapped regions of the deep ocean on the planet. "So this data is unique both because of the remote location of the search area, and because of the sheer scale of the area surveyed." Minchin said the maps would also be useful for future scientific research, such as oceanographic and habitat modelling. Australia, Malaysia and China suspended the deep sea hunt in January, almost three years after the Boeing 777 disappeared with 239 people on board. The hunt -- based on satellite analysis of the jet's likely trajectory after it diverted from its flight path -- covered a 120,000 square-kilometre (46,000 square mile) designated zone, an area slightly smaller than England. Two shipwrecks were discovered during the search but no trace of the plane, deepening one the most enduring mysteries of the aviation age. However, the data revealed ridges six kilometres (3.73 miles) wide and 15 kilometres long that rise 1,500 metres above the sea floor, as well as fault valleys 1,200 metres deep and five kilometres wide. A second set of data will be released in mid-2018. While the search for the missing plane has been called off, Canberra has said it could be restarted if new evidence about the specific location of the aircraft emerges. "We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located," Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester said. Australia's national science body CSIRO released a report in April confirming that MH370 was "most likely" north of the former search zone. Three fragments from the plane have been recovered washed up on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon found on La Reunion island. Speculation on the cause of the plane's disappearance has focused primarily on possible hijacking, rogue pilot action or mechanical failure, but nothing has yet been proved.

MH370 search reveals hidden undersea world

Australia will join Sri Lanka in its war on dengue fever, foreign minister Julie Bishop said Wednesday, as the virus has claimed a record 250 lives and infected nearly 100,000 people in the South Asian country this year.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka has deployed hundreds of troops to destroy mosquito breeding grounds as it battles to control the spread of the mosquito-borne virus, which has been unprecedented and caught authorities off guard.

Humid monsoon weather, stagnant water from recent flooding, as well as mounting piles of rotting garbage accumulating in the capital, have combined to create abundant areas for mosquitoes to multiply.

Official figures show about 250 deaths so far this year compared to 78 for the whole of last year, when only about 55,000 infections were reported.

Bishop said Canberra would provide AUS$500,000 (US$400,000) to fund the World Health Organization&#39;s dengue prevention and control measures in Sri Lanka.

It would also fund a AUS$1 million research partnership between Australia&#39;s Monash University and Sri Lanka&#39;s health ministry.

She said Sri Lanka could benefit from Monash University&#39;s groundbreaking research to trial the introduction of naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria to Sri Lanka&#39;s mosquito populations.

&quot;It prevents the dengue virus from being transmitted between people,&quot; she said. &quot;It also has the ability to block other mosquito-borne diseases such as zika and chikumgunya.&quot;

Bishop made the announcement after talks with her Sri Lankan counterpart Ravi Karunanayake.

Authorities have blamed a garbage disposal crisis in Colombo for the unusually large infections.

The country&#39;s main rubbish tip collapsed in April, crushing dozens of homes and killing 32 people.

Stagnant water left behind after last month&#39;s flooding was also seen as contributing to the spread of dengue.

Canberra would provide AUS$500,000 (US$400,000) to fund the World Health Organization's dengue prevention and control measures in Sri Lanka

Australia will join Sri Lanka in its war on dengue fever, foreign minister Julie Bishop said Wednesday, as the virus has claimed a record 250 lives and infected nearly 100,000 people in the South Asian country this year. Sri Lanka has deployed hundreds of troops to destroy mosquito breeding grounds as it battles to control the spread of the mosquito-borne virus, which has been unprecedented and caught authorities off guard. Humid monsoon weather, stagnant water from recent flooding, as well as mounting piles of rotting garbage accumulating in the capital, have combined to create abundant areas for mosquitoes to multiply. Official figures show about 250 deaths so far this year compared to 78 for the whole of last year, when only about 55,000 infections were reported. Bishop said Canberra would provide AUS$500,000 (US$400,000) to fund the World Health Organization's dengue prevention and control measures in Sri Lanka. It would also fund a AUS$1 million research partnership between Australia's Monash University and Sri Lanka's health ministry. She said Sri Lanka could benefit from Monash University's groundbreaking research to trial the introduction of naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria to Sri Lanka's mosquito populations. "It prevents the dengue virus from being transmitted between people," she said. "It also has the ability to block other mosquito-borne diseases such as zika and chikumgunya." Bishop made the announcement after talks with her Sri Lankan counterpart Ravi Karunanayake. Authorities have blamed a garbage disposal crisis in Colombo for the unusually large infections. The country's main rubbish tip collapsed in April, crushing dozens of homes and killing 32 people. Stagnant water left behind after last month's flooding was also seen as contributing to the spread of dengue.

Australia helps Sri Lanka in battling dengue outbreak as death toll hits 250

Australia looks set to fill one of two vacancies on the United Nations Human Rights Council following France&#39;s withdrawal from the process, the Herald Sun newspaper said on Saturday, quoting remarks by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

The appointment would be Australia&#39;s first to the powerful body, coming amid criticism of its own human rights record against indigenous people and asylum seekers in offshore detention centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea&#39;s Manus Island.

&quot;We didn&rsquo;t use our aid budget, we didn&#39;t make promises we couldn&rsquo;t keep,&quot; the paper quoted Bishop as saying on Friday in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. &quot;We very much campaigned on our record and how we would act on the Human Rights Council.&quot;

Australia secured 141 written pledges and more than 20 verbal pledges from 192 UN&nbsp;members to back its bid, the paper said.

On Saturday, Bishop&#39;s office said it could not confirm Australia had been guaranteed a spot, but added, &quot;We are looking forward to making a positive contribution,&quot; ahead of October&#39;s announcement of the council&#39;s composition.

The UN&nbsp;has previously criticised Australia&#39;s treatment of its indigenous peoples, with a report from its special rapporteur, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, due in September.

The report, on her 15-day visit in March, reviewed the impact of laws surrounding the government&#39;s 2007 intervention aimed at curbing alcohol abuse, domestic violence and improving the health of indigenous Australians in remote communities.

France&#39;s foreign ministry announced its withdrawal in a statement on Thursday that backed Spain&#39;s bid for the second vacancy.

It would be Australia's first to the powerful body, coming amid criticism of its own human rights record against indigenous people and asylum seekers

Australia looks set to fill one of two vacancies on the United Nations Human Rights Council following France's withdrawal from the process, the Herald Sun newspaper said on Saturday, quoting remarks by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. The appointment would be Australia's first to the powerful body, coming amid criticism of its own human rights record against indigenous people and asylum seekers in offshore detention centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island. "We didn’t use our aid budget, we didn't make promises we couldn’t keep," the paper quoted Bishop as saying on Friday in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. "We very much campaigned on our record and how we would act on the Human Rights Council." Australia secured 141 written pledges and more than 20 verbal pledges from 192 UN members to back its bid, the paper said. On Saturday, Bishop's office said it could not confirm Australia had been guaranteed a spot, but added, "We are looking forward to making a positive contribution," ahead of October's announcement of the council's composition. The UN has previously criticised Australia's treatment of its indigenous peoples, with a report from its special rapporteur, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, due in September. The report, on her 15-day visit in March, reviewed the impact of laws surrounding the government's 2007 intervention aimed at curbing alcohol abuse, domestic violence and improving the health of indigenous Australians in remote communities. France's foreign ministry announced its withdrawal in a statement on Thursday that backed Spain's bid for the second vacancy.

Australia set to join UN Human Rights Council: Report

India&#39;s semifinal prospects suffered a massive setback after Australia cantered to a convincing eight-wicket win, riding on a superb batting show by their top-order in the ICC Women&#39;s World Cup here today.

Put into bat, opener Punam Raut&#39;s fighting century and a 69 from record-breaking skipper Mithali Raj enabled India to post a decent 226 for seven in their sixth group league encounter.

Australia overhauled the target with 29 balls to spare, scoring 227 for two, courtesy some fine batting by skipper Meg Lanning (76 not out) and Ellyse Perry (60 not out).

Beth Mooney (45) and Nicole Bolton (36) laid the foundation with a 62-run opening partnership in 15.4 overs.

Mithali said at the post-match presentation ceremony, &quot;It was a decent total after losing our first wicket in the first couple of overs. We should have got more runs in the middle overs, but it was still a competitive total. But the bowlers didn&#39;t look penetrative, it was a slow wicket.&quot;

After this loss, India are now placed at the fourth spot with eight points. They will have to win its next and final league match against New Zealand to make the knockout stage.

&quot;Even for New Zealand, probably, it will be a do-or-die match. If we look forward to qualifying, we really need to upgrade our quality of cricket.&quot;

Mooney and Bolton made a watchful start to their innings as Indian pacers Jhulan Goswami and Deepti Sharma bowled maiden overs first up.

Left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht was introduced into the attack and Bolton exploded with three back-to-back fours.

Mooney and Bolton helped Australia score 57 in the first 15 overs before the latter was sent packing by Poonam Yadav in the next over.

Mooney then blasted a couple of fours off Sharma in the next over, while new batswoman Lanning too joined the party with a clean strike over Yadav&#39;s head and then hitting one over mid-off as Australia reached 82 for one.

The duo brought up the hundred in the 23rd over, but Mooney was run-out with Deepti producing a brilliant fielding at short extra-cover.

Perry then joined Lanning and the took the ones and twos and occasional boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. They brought up the 150 when Perry bisected the deep mid-wicket and long-on with a boundary in the 32nd over.

In the first ball of the 35th over, Lanning picked up a single off Goswami to complete her fifty. The duo continued to rotate the strike and crossed the 200-mark in the 41st over.

Perry, who completed her 22nd ODI fifty, cracked a straight drive off Goswami to bring up the winning runs.

&quot;We&#39;ve come into this World Cup looking to win it, just like every other team. There&#39;s been some very good cricket played, and every game from here on is going to be high- quality,&quot; Lanning said.

Earlier, Raut (106, 136 balls) and Mithali (69, 114 balls) added 157 runs for the second wicket but they consumed more than 37 overs in the process.

The highlight of India innings was Mithali surpassing former England captain Charlotte Edwards&#39; aggregate of 5992 runs to become the highest run-getter in the history of women&#39;s ODI.

En route her 49th ODI half-century, she also became the first batswoman to reach the individual milestone of 6000 runs.

Talking about the milestone, Mithali said: &quot;I think that since I&#39;ve had a long career, (the milestone) is part of it.

It&#39;s very important for me to get runs for my country from my bat. I can say I&#39;m happy even though I&#39;m not happy in terms of the result or the way I scored them today.&quot;

Punam, who hit 11 fours, played confidently against the spinners. Mithali, however, was very slow off the blocks even though her innings had four boundaries and a six.

She simply couldn&#39;t find the gaps as the dot balls kept on piling. The only time she tried chancing her arms was when she lofted Beans for a six to complete 6000 runs.

Once Mithali was out, Harmanpreet Kaur (23, 22 balls) tried to get to move on but after she was dismissed, the Indians couldn&#39;t accelerate in the final overs.

After this loss, India are now placed at the fourth spot with eight points. They will have to win its next and final league match against New Zealand to make the knockout stage

India's semifinal prospects suffered a massive setback after Australia cantered to a convincing eight-wicket win, riding on a superb batting show by their top-order in the ICC Women's World Cup here today. Put into bat, opener Punam Raut's fighting century and a 69 from record-breaking skipper Mithali Raj enabled India to post a decent 226 for seven in their sixth group league encounter. Australia overhauled the target with 29 balls to spare, scoring 227 for two, courtesy some fine batting by skipper Meg Lanning (76 not out) and Ellyse Perry (60 not out). Beth Mooney (45) and Nicole Bolton (36) laid the foundation with a 62-run opening partnership in 15.4 overs. Mithali said at the post-match presentation ceremony, "It was a decent total after losing our first wicket in the first couple of overs. We should have got more runs in the middle overs, but it was still a competitive total. But the bowlers didn't look penetrative, it was a slow wicket." After this loss, India are now placed at the fourth spot with eight points. They will have to win its next and final league match against New Zealand to make the knockout stage. "Even for New Zealand, probably, it will be a do-or-die match. If we look forward to qualifying, we really need to upgrade our quality of cricket." Mooney and Bolton made a watchful start to their innings as Indian pacers Jhulan Goswami and Deepti Sharma bowled maiden overs first up. Left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht was introduced into the attack and Bolton exploded with three back-to-back fours. Mooney and Bolton helped Australia score 57 in the first 15 overs before the latter was sent packing by Poonam Yadav in the next over. Mooney then blasted a couple of fours off Sharma in the next over, while new batswoman Lanning too joined the party with a clean strike over Yadav's head and then hitting one over mid-off as Australia reached 82 for one. The duo brought up the hundred in the 23rd over, but Mooney was run-out with Deepti producing a brilliant fielding at short extra-cover. Perry then joined Lanning and the took the ones and twos and occasional boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. They brought up the 150 when Perry bisected the deep mid-wicket and long-on with a boundary in the 32nd over. In the first ball of the 35th over, Lanning picked up a single off Goswami to complete her fifty. The duo continued to rotate the strike and crossed the 200-mark in the 41st over. Perry, who completed her 22nd ODI fifty, cracked a straight drive off Goswami to bring up the winning runs. "We've come into this World Cup looking to win it, just like every other team. There's been some very good cricket played, and every game from here on is going to be high- quality," Lanning said. Earlier, Raut (106, 136 balls) and Mithali (69, 114 balls) added 157 runs for the second wicket but they consumed more than 37 overs in the process. The highlight of India innings was Mithali surpassing former England captain Charlotte Edwards' aggregate of 5992 runs to become the highest run-getter in the history of women's ODI. En route her 49th ODI half-century, she also became the first batswoman to reach the individual milestone of 6000 runs. Talking about the milestone, Mithali said: "I think that since I've had a long career, (the milestone) is part of it. It's very important for me to get runs for my country from my bat. I can say I'm happy even though I'm not happy in terms of the result or the way I scored them today." Punam, who hit 11 fours, played confidently against the spinners. Mithali, however, was very slow off the blocks even though her innings had four boundaries and a six. She simply couldn't find the gaps as the dot balls kept on piling. The only time she tried chancing her arms was when she lofted Beans for a six to complete 6000 runs. Once Mithali was out, Harmanpreet Kaur (23, 22 balls) tried to get to move on but after she was dismissed, the Indians couldn't accelerate in the final overs.

ICC Women's World Cup: India suffer 8-wicket loss to Australia

The G-20 (Group of 20)&nbsp;is an international forum which was formed with the purpose of establishing international cooperation on global economic and financial&nbsp;issues. The forum plays an important role in decision making on issues of international relevance.

G20 countries account for three-quarters of global trade. The G-20 countries produce more than&nbsp;80 per cent of the global economic&nbsp;output.&nbsp;

Around two-third&nbsp;of the global population lives in G-20 member countries.&nbsp;

The G-20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis that sent shockwaves through the global economic community.

In 2008, the first G-20 Leaders&rsquo; Summit was held, and the group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis that rattled world markets causing massive financial instabilty and leading to the collapse of financial institutions.&nbsp;Its decisive and coordinated actions boosted consumer and business confidence and supported the global&nbsp;economic recovery.&nbsp;

How it works 
Each year in December&nbsp;a different G-20 member country assumes presidency of the forum. To ensure continuity, the presidency is supported by a &ldquo;troika&rdquo; (Trio) made up of the current, immediate past and next host countries. Being an informal group, the group has no permanent secretariat.&nbsp;

The G-20 president is responsible for bringing together the G-20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy. The summit and the preparatory processes &ndash; often including more than 60 ministerial and working group meetings per year &ndash; are coordinated by the respective host country.

Members of G20 
The twenty members of the forum are :

<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Argentina</li>
				<li>Australia</li>
				<li>Brazil</li>
				<li>Canada</li>
				<li>China</li>
				<li>France</li>
				<li>Germany</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>India</li>
				<li>Indonesia</li>
				<li>Italy</li>
				<li>Japan</li>
				<li>Republic of Korea</li>
				<li>Mexico</li>
				<li>Russia</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
			<td>
			<ul>
				<li>Saudi Arabia</li>
				<li>South Africa</li>
				<li>Turkey</li>
				<li>The United Kingdom</li>
				<li>The united States</li>
				<li>The European Union</li>
			</ul>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

 
&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/1-20170707014700.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
The map displays the member countries, which represent two-thirds of the world population (Image source: g20.org) (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

At the invitation of each Presidency, international organisations also regularly attend the G20 meetings. These organisations include the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the World Bank (WB), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN). The German G20 Presidency has also invited the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017.

Spain attends the G-20 Summits as a permanent guest. The Presidency can also invite representatives of regional organisations and guests to the G-20 Summit.&nbsp;

India and G20

India has enacted a number of legislations and taken steps to tackle issues like black money, terror financing and food security which can be traced back to G-20. &nbsp;

For instance, India enacted the&nbsp;National Food Security Act with the objective to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of food at affordable prices to people.&nbsp;

India stands to gain from G-20 knowledge sharing and best practices of improving food security without increasing water consumption to unsustainable levels. The same can then also form part of implementation under the National Water Policy of India.

G-20 has emerged as an important forum where global leaders come together to discuss issues of international significance. At a time, when countries like US are turning inwards and showing signs of protectionism, forums like G-20 have assumed all the more importance to steer the global economic community.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

G20 is an international informal forum where India has made the mark of an emerging economy which aspires to take the world along with it towards development

The G-20 (Group of 20) is an international forum which was formed with the purpose of establishing international cooperation on global economic and financial issues. The forum plays an important role in decision making on issues of international relevance. G20 countries account for three-quarters of global trade. The G-20 countries produce more than 80 per cent of the global economic output. Around two-third of the global population lives in G-20 member countries. The G-20 started in 1999 as a meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis that sent shockwaves through the global economic community. In 2008, the first G-20 Leaders’ Summit was held, and the group played a key role in responding to the global financial crisis that rattled world markets causing massive financial instabilty and leading to the collapse of financial institutions. Its decisive and coordinated actions boosted consumer and business confidence and supported the global economic recovery. How it works Each year in December a different G-20 member country assumes presidency of the forum. To ensure continuity, the presidency is supported by a “troika” (Trio) made up of the current, immediate past and next host countries. Being an informal group, the group has no permanent secretariat. The G-20 president is responsible for bringing together the G-20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy. The summit and the preparatory processes – often including more than 60 ministerial and working group meetings per year – are coordinated by the respective host country. Members of G20 The twenty members of the forum are : Argentina Australia Brazil Canada China France Germany India Indonesia Italy Japan Republic of Korea Mexico Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa Turkey The United Kingdom The united States The European Union The map displays the member countries, which represent two-thirds of the world population (Image source: g20.org) (Others) × At the invitation of each Presidency, international organisations also regularly attend the G20 meetings. These organisations include the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the World Bank (WB), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations (UN). The German G20 Presidency has also invited the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017. Spain attends the G-20 Summits as a permanent guest. The Presidency can also invite representatives of regional organisations and guests to the G-20 Summit. India and G20 India has enacted a number of legislations and taken steps to tackle issues like black money, terror financing and food security which can be traced back to G-20. For instance, India enacted the National Food Security Act with the objective to provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of food at affordable prices to people. India stands to gain from G-20 knowledge sharing and best practices of improving food security without increasing water consumption to unsustainable levels. The same can then also form part of implementation under the National Water Policy of India. G-20 has emerged as an important forum where global leaders come together to discuss issues of international significance. At a time, when countries like US are turning inwards and showing signs of protectionism, forums like G-20 have assumed all the more importance to steer the global economic community.

All you need to know about G-20

Australia will push for greater powers to tackle the use of encrypted messaging services used by terrorists and criminals at an upcoming meeting of ministers from the &quot;Five Eyes&quot; intelligence network.&nbsp;

The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, will meet in the Canadian city of Ottawa next week, where they will discuss tactics to combat terrorism and border protection, two senior Australian ministers said.

Australia has made it clear it wants tech companies to do much more to give intelligence and law enforcement agencies access to encrypted communications.

&ldquo;I will raise the need to address ongoing challenges posed by terrorists and criminals using encryption,&rdquo; Australian Attorney-General Senator Brandis said in a joint statement. &ldquo;These discussions will focus on the need to cooperate with service providers to ensure reasonable assistance is provided to law enforcement and security agencies.&rdquo;

Tech firms such as Apple and Facebook, which owns encrypted messaging service Whatsapp, have been criticised in the United Kingdom and the United States for not doing enough to crack down on so-called dark spaces where extremists can communicate.

Industry involvement in thwarting the encryption of terrorist messaging will be a priority for Australia at the gathering, Senator Brandis said.

The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, will meet in the Canadian city of Ottawa to discuss tactics for combating terrorism and border protection

Australia will push for greater powers to tackle the use of encrypted messaging services used by terrorists and criminals at an upcoming meeting of ministers from the "Five Eyes" intelligence network. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, will meet in the Canadian city of Ottawa next week, where they will discuss tactics to combat terrorism and border protection, two senior Australian ministers said. Australia has made it clear it wants tech companies to do much more to give intelligence and law enforcement agencies access to encrypted communications. “I will raise the need to address ongoing challenges posed by terrorists and criminals using encryption,” Australian Attorney-General Senator Brandis said in a joint statement. “These discussions will focus on the need to cooperate with service providers to ensure reasonable assistance is provided to law enforcement and security agencies.” Tech firms such as Apple and Facebook, which owns encrypted messaging service Whatsapp, have been criticised in the United Kingdom and the United States for not doing enough to crack down on so-called dark spaces where extremists can communicate. Industry involvement in thwarting the encryption of terrorist messaging will be a priority for Australia at the gathering, Senator Brandis said.

Australia to seek greater powers on encrypted messaging at 'Five Eyes' meeting

Australia Thursday lifted a suspension on military air missions over Syria imposed after the shooting down of a Syrian jet by US forces.

Canberra temporarily halted flights on Tuesday after a spike in tensions between the US and Russia, which warned it would track coalition aircraft in Syria as potential &quot;targets&quot;.

Moscow also halted a military hotline with Washington over the incident, intended to prevent confrontations in Syria&#39;s crowded air space.

Australia defence ministry said in a statement the suspension was &quot;a precautionary measure to allow the coalition to assess the operational risk&quot;.

&quot;The suspension has since been lifted,&quot; it added.

The United States moved quickly to contain an escalation of the situation after the jet was downed on Sunday evening when regime forces targeted the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters battling IS.

A top US general said the country would work to relaunch the &quot;deconfliction&quot; hotline established in 2015, after Russia said Washington had failed to use the line -- a vital incident-prevention tool -- before targeting the plane near Raqa.

Australia is part of the coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in late 2015 extended air operations into Syria, with a total of 780 defence personnel based in the Middle East.

The staunch US ally in September said it would widen the scope of targets in the air war against IS by allowing its pilots to strike jihadist support and logistics resources in Iraq and Syria.

Australia&#39;s Air Task Group consists of 300 personnel, six F/A-18 Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, and a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker and Transport plane.

(AFP)

Canberra temporarily halted flights on Tuesday after a spike in tensions between the US and Russia

Australia Thursday lifted a suspension on military air missions over Syria imposed after the shooting down of a Syrian jet by US forces. Canberra temporarily halted flights on Tuesday after a spike in tensions between the US and Russia, which warned it would track coalition aircraft in Syria as potential "targets". Moscow also halted a military hotline with Washington over the incident, intended to prevent confrontations in Syria's crowded air space. Australia defence ministry said in a statement the suspension was "a precautionary measure to allow the coalition to assess the operational risk". "The suspension has since been lifted," it added. The United States moved quickly to contain an escalation of the situation after the jet was downed on Sunday evening when regime forces targeted the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters battling IS. A top US general said the country would work to relaunch the "deconfliction" hotline established in 2015, after Russia said Washington had failed to use the line -- a vital incident-prevention tool -- before targeting the plane near Raqa. Australia is part of the coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in late 2015 extended air operations into Syria, with a total of 780 defence personnel based in the Middle East. The staunch US ally in September said it would widen the scope of targets in the air war against IS by allowing its pilots to strike jihadist support and logistics resources in Iraq and Syria. Australia's Air Task Group consists of 300 personnel, six F/A-18 Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, and a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker and Transport plane. (AFP)

Australia's military resumes air operations over Syria

&nbsp;An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, which began in late May.

The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State&#39;s channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group`s official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer.&nbsp;

The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman.

&quot;O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man,&quot; said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi&#39;ite Muslims.

&quot;To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done.&quot;

&nbsp;

An unverified audio message distributed on?Islamic State's channel on Telegram called on followers to launch?attacks in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines

An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, which began in late May. The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State's channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group`s official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer. The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman. "O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man," said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi'ite Muslims. "To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done."

Islamic State calls for attacks in US, Europe, Middle East, Asia during Ramzan

US Vice President Mike Pence Thursday praised Indonesia&#39;s moderate form of Islam as &quot;an inspiration&quot; at the start of a visit to the Muslim-majority country seen as a bid by his administration to heal divisions with the Islamic world.

It came ahead of a visit by Pence to the largest mosque in Indonesia, which has the world&rsquo;s biggest Muslim population, where he will hold a multi-faith dialogue.

His visit represents the most high-profile outreach to Muslims by the Donald Trump administration since the brash billionaire came to office and echoes a similar trip by Barack and Michelle Obama in 2010.

Since becoming president almost 100 days ago, Trump has hosted leaders from majority-Muslim Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

But his administration has also tried to ban travellers from several Muslim-majority nations, citing concerns about terrorism -- an effort currently being challenged in US courts.&nbsp;

As a presidential candidate, Trump often appeared to flirt with the far right as he railed against &quot;radical Islamic terrorism&quot;.&nbsp;

Pence arrived at the presidential palace in Jakarta for talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to a colourful official welcome by hundreds of schoolchildren in regional dress.

Indonesia, where most practice a moderate form of Islam, has long been held up as an example of a successful Muslim democracy where followers of the faith live largely peacefully alongside religious minorities.

After talks with Widodo, Pence said: &quot;Indonesia&#39;s tradition of moderate Islam is frankly an inspiration to the world and we commend you and your people.&nbsp;

&quot;In your nation as in mine, religion unifies, it doesn&rsquo;t divide.&quot;

&nbsp;

Tolerant Islam under threat

But his optimistic words came as Indonesia&#39;s traditionally inclusive Islam is under threat from the rising influence of hardliners and an increasing trend towards more conservative forms of the faith.

On Wednesday Jakarta&#39;s Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama was defeated in a run-off election to lead the capital by a Muslim challenger who was accused of pandering to hardliners to win votes.

Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, lost after his once-unassailable lead in opinion polls was dented by allegations he committed blasphemy, claims that sparked mass protests led by radical groups but were seen by his supporters as unfair and politically motivated.

Pence is currently on a tour of South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Australia that is aimed at smoothing some of the rougher edges of Trump&#39;s rhetoric.

In South Korea and Japan, Pence played down protectionist declarations of &quot;America first&quot; and reaffirmed US treaty commitments to the security of the two countries as tensions rise over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear programme.

Pence&#39;s Muslim outreach in Indonesia has been welcomed locally, with Maruf Amin, the head of the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country&#39;s top Muslim clerical body, saying he hopes that it &quot;indicates a change in attitude&quot; towards Islam.

But it is unlikely to be enough to assuage fears that the Trump administration is anti-Islam.

&quot;President Trump&#39;s hostile pronouncements on Islam and Muslims have done considerable damage to his reputation in the Islamic world. It would take more than a visit to repair the damage,&quot; said Fawaz Gerges, an expert on the Middle East and Islam from the London School of Economics.

After his talks with Widodo, Pence also said that the US was committed to building a stronger defence partnership with Indonesia to combat the threat of terrorism.&nbsp;

Indonesia has long struggled with Islamic militancy, and in January last year suffered a suicide and gun attack claimed by the Islamic State group that left four assailants and four civilians dead.

He also pledged to uphold the &quot;fundamental freedom of navigation&quot; in the South China Sea. Indonesian and Chinese vessels have clashed repeatedly in recent times in waters near Indonesia&#39;s Natuna Islands, on the fringes of the disputed waters.&nbsp;

Widodo, who wants more foreign investment as he seeks to boost Southeast Asia&#39;s top economy, said the leaders had focused on &quot;the US commitment to enhance the strategic partnership with Indonesia, focusing on cooperation and investment&quot;.

(AFP)

Pence is currently on a tour of South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Australia to smooth some of the rougher edges of Trump's rhetoric

US Vice President Mike Pence Thursday praised Indonesia's moderate form of Islam as "an inspiration" at the start of a visit to the Muslim-majority country seen as a bid by his administration to heal divisions with the Islamic world. It came ahead of a visit by Pence to the largest mosque in Indonesia, which has the world’s biggest Muslim population, where he will hold a multi-faith dialogue. His visit represents the most high-profile outreach to Muslims by the Donald Trump administration since the brash billionaire came to office and echoes a similar trip by Barack and Michelle Obama in 2010. Since becoming president almost 100 days ago, Trump has hosted leaders from majority-Muslim Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. But his administration has also tried to ban travellers from several Muslim-majority nations, citing concerns about terrorism -- an effort currently being challenged in US courts. As a presidential candidate, Trump often appeared to flirt with the far right as he railed against "radical Islamic terrorism". Pence arrived at the presidential palace in Jakarta for talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to a colourful official welcome by hundreds of schoolchildren in regional dress. Indonesia, where most practice a moderate form of Islam, has long been held up as an example of a successful Muslim democracy where followers of the faith live largely peacefully alongside religious minorities. After talks with Widodo, Pence said: "Indonesia's tradition of moderate Islam is frankly an inspiration to the world and we commend you and your people. "In your nation as in mine, religion unifies, it doesn’t divide." Tolerant Islam under threat But his optimistic words came as Indonesia's traditionally inclusive Islam is under threat from the rising influence of hardliners and an increasing trend towards more conservative forms of the faith. On Wednesday Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama was defeated in a run-off election to lead the capital by a Muslim challenger who was accused of pandering to hardliners to win votes. Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, lost after his once-unassailable lead in opinion polls was dented by allegations he committed blasphemy, claims that sparked mass protests led by radical groups but were seen by his supporters as unfair and politically motivated. Pence is currently on a tour of South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Australia that is aimed at smoothing some of the rougher edges of Trump's rhetoric. In South Korea and Japan, Pence played down protectionist declarations of "America first" and reaffirmed US treaty commitments to the security of the two countries as tensions rise over Pyongyang's nuclear programme. Pence's Muslim outreach in Indonesia has been welcomed locally, with Maruf Amin, the head of the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country's top Muslim clerical body, saying he hopes that it "indicates a change in attitude" towards Islam. But it is unlikely to be enough to assuage fears that the Trump administration is anti-Islam. "President Trump's hostile pronouncements on Islam and Muslims have done considerable damage to his reputation in the Islamic world. It would take more than a visit to repair the damage," said Fawaz Gerges, an expert on the Middle East and Islam from the London School of Economics. After his talks with Widodo, Pence also said that the US was committed to building a stronger defence partnership with Indonesia to combat the threat of terrorism. Indonesia has long struggled with Islamic militancy, and in January last year suffered a suicide and gun attack claimed by the Islamic State group that left four assailants and four civilians dead. He also pledged to uphold the "fundamental freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea. Indonesian and Chinese vessels have clashed repeatedly in recent times in waters near Indonesia's Natuna Islands, on the fringes of the disputed waters. Widodo, who wants more foreign investment as he seeks to boost Southeast Asia's top economy, said the leaders had focused on "the US commitment to enhance the strategic partnership with Indonesia, focusing on cooperation and investment". (AFP)

Pence praises 'moderate Islam' in Indonesia in bid to heal divisions

India and Australia on Monday signed six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in different fields including combating terrorism, civil aviation security, sports, health and medicine and satellite navigation.

The MoUs were signed after the delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull in New Delhi.

The six MoUs signed between both nations are Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Organised Crime, Promotion and Development of Cooperation in Civil Aviation Security, Cooperation in the field of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Cooperation in Sports, Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine and Implementation arrangement between ISRO and Geoscience Australia on Cooperation in Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Turnbull said Australia will continue to ensure that they will provide outstanding opportunities for Indian students.

&quot;Not only cricket but commitment to democracy and rule of law connects the two nations. He appreciated the success as a largest democracy in the world. Research institutions of the two countries are collaborating in critical areas including health,&quot; he added.

Earlier in the day, the visiting dignitary was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhavan.&nbsp;

He also visited the Rajghat to pay floral tributes to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

The two Prime Ministers also inaugurated the Nano-Techhnology Centre at Gurugram through video conference.

(ANI)

The MoUs were signed after the delegation-level talks between the two sides

India and Australia on Monday signed six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in different fields including combating terrorism, civil aviation security, sports, health and medicine and satellite navigation. The MoUs were signed after the delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull in New Delhi. The six MoUs signed between both nations are Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Organised Crime, Promotion and Development of Cooperation in Civil Aviation Security, Cooperation in the field of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Cooperation in Sports, Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine and Implementation arrangement between ISRO and Geoscience Australia on Cooperation in Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Turnbull said Australia will continue to ensure that they will provide outstanding opportunities for Indian students. "Not only cricket but commitment to democracy and rule of law connects the two nations. He appreciated the success as a largest democracy in the world. Research institutions of the two countries are collaborating in critical areas including health," he added. Earlier in the day, the visiting dignitary was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhavan. He also visited the Rajghat to pay floral tributes to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. The two Prime Ministers also inaugurated the Nano-Techhnology Centre at Gurugram through video conference. (ANI)

India and Australia sign six pacts, to fight terror together

Rising floods continued to plague parts of eastern Australia as emergency workers battled to restore water and electricity in cyclone-hit areas Sunday, with the recovery efforts expected to last several months.

At least two people were dead and several missing after torrential rain inundated large areas of Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) states, flooding homes and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.&nbsp;

Category four Cyclone Debbie smashed into Queensland on Tuesday between Bowen and Airlie, ripping up trees and causing widespread damage that is still being assessed.

It was downgraded to a tropical low as it tracked southeast through the week, packing high winds and dumping huge amounts of rain all down the east coast to Sydney before blowing out over the Tasman Sea.

Even as skies began to clear, numerous towns were still on flood alert and some regions remain under water.

Logan just south of Brisbane reflected the varied situation, with rising floods affecting some areas while other parts swung into clean-up mode as waters receded.

&quot;This is unprecedented for us,&quot; Logan city mayor Luke Smith said Sunday, warning that his city was still &quot;in flux&quot; with one key river remaining at high levels.

&quot;The sky is the limit at this stage about what that means,&quot; he added about the potential damage bill.

In Rockhampton in central-east Queensland, residents were bracing for the biggest floods they have experienced since 1954, with peak levels set to be reached late Wednesday or early Thursday.

&quot;Debbie is not done with us yet,&quot; Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said when visiting Rockhampton Saturday.

The torrential rain also wrecked havoc south of the Queensland border in NSW, bringing severe floods to several towns.

The bodies of two women were found in the state on Friday. Another three people were confirmed dead -- two in NSW and one in Queensland -- on Saturday but police were still investigating whether their deaths were flood-related.&nbsp;

&quot;The water busted the door open and dad started to have a panic attack,&quot; the son of one of the victims, a 46-year-old man from Murwillumbah in northeastern NSW, told the Courier Mail newspaper.

&quot;He fell down and it sounded like he was snoring, but he stopped breathing.&quot;&nbsp;

There were also fears for three other people missing in flood-affected areas in Queensland, with police searching for them Sunday.

Meanwhile, the military and emergency personnel were working to restore essential services such as water and electricity in towns that were in the direct path of Debbie in northern Queensland.

In cyclone-hit Proserpine, Colin Ridgway&#39;s home of two decades was destroyed by Debbie.

&quot;Oh, it breaks your heart, really. But not much you can do about it. It&#39;s gone,&quot; he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Saturday.

The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the Queensland and northern NSW regions disaster zones, estimating the damage bill could reach Aus$1 billion (US $770 million).

&quot;The devastation across our state is huge, it is going to take months to repair,&quot; Palaszczuk told reporters in Logan Sunday.

(AFP)

Category four Cyclone Debbie smashed into Queensland on Tuesday between Bowen and Airlie causing widespread damage that is still being assessed

Rising floods continued to plague parts of eastern Australia as emergency workers battled to restore water and electricity in cyclone-hit areas Sunday, with the recovery efforts expected to last several months. At least two people were dead and several missing after torrential rain inundated large areas of Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) states, flooding homes and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. Category four Cyclone Debbie smashed into Queensland on Tuesday between Bowen and Airlie, ripping up trees and causing widespread damage that is still being assessed. It was downgraded to a tropical low as it tracked southeast through the week, packing high winds and dumping huge amounts of rain all down the east coast to Sydney before blowing out over the Tasman Sea. Even as skies began to clear, numerous towns were still on flood alert and some regions remain under water. Logan just south of Brisbane reflected the varied situation, with rising floods affecting some areas while other parts swung into clean-up mode as waters receded. "This is unprecedented for us," Logan city mayor Luke Smith said Sunday, warning that his city was still "in flux" with one key river remaining at high levels. "The sky is the limit at this stage about what that means," he added about the potential damage bill. In Rockhampton in central-east Queensland, residents were bracing for the biggest floods they have experienced since 1954, with peak levels set to be reached late Wednesday or early Thursday. "Debbie is not done with us yet," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said when visiting Rockhampton Saturday. The torrential rain also wrecked havoc south of the Queensland border in NSW, bringing severe floods to several towns. The bodies of two women were found in the state on Friday. Another three people were confirmed dead -- two in NSW and one in Queensland -- on Saturday but police were still investigating whether their deaths were flood-related. "The water busted the door open and dad started to have a panic attack," the son of one of the victims, a 46-year-old man from Murwillumbah in northeastern NSW, told the Courier Mail newspaper. "He fell down and it sounded like he was snoring, but he stopped breathing." There were also fears for three other people missing in flood-affected areas in Queensland, with police searching for them Sunday. Meanwhile, the military and emergency personnel were working to restore essential services such as water and electricity in towns that were in the direct path of Debbie in northern Queensland. In cyclone-hit Proserpine, Colin Ridgway's home of two decades was destroyed by Debbie. "Oh, it breaks your heart, really. But not much you can do about it. It's gone," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Saturday. The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the Queensland and northern NSW regions disaster zones, estimating the damage bill could reach Aus$1 billion (US $770 million). "The devastation across our state is huge, it is going to take months to repair," Palaszczuk told reporters in Logan Sunday. (AFP)

Floodwaters still rising in Australia, police search for missing

The Australian army headed into areas hardest hit by Cyclone Debbie and tens of thousands of homes remained without power as dawn broke on Wednesday amid reports of substantial damage in some areas.

Debbie ripped a trail of destruction through northeast Australia on Tuesday as a category four storm, one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level, before being gradually downgraded through the night to a tropical low.

Thousands of people took shelter as tourist resorts along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef and mainland coastal areas were belted with wind gusts stronger than 260 km per hour (160 mph).

There were early reports of significant structural damage to homes and public infrastructure after howling winds, heavy rain and huge seas. Two people were injured, one with serious head injuries after being hit by a falling wall, police said. More than 51,000 homes were without power.&nbsp;

Queensland state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it appeared the worst-hit areas were the tourist magnet of the Whitsunday Islands off the coast and Airlie Beach and Proserpine, some 900 km (560 miles) northwest of the Queensland capital, Brisbane.

&quot;It&#39;s been absolutely smashed. You can&#39;t get out or in there&#39;s so many trees down. There are boats all over the harbour,&quot; Jon Clements, who was holidaying on Hamilton Island when the storm hit, told Reuters.

Wind gusts of 262 kmh, the highest during the storm, were recorded on Hamilton Island, so it was expected to be hit hard, although its resorts were designed to withstand category 5 storms.

Palaszczuk said she would be briefed on damage at an imminent emergency services meeting. The storm was declared catastrophic by the Insurance Council of Australia.

She said the defence force would fly over the area for an assessment as soon as it was safe to do so. The tropical low continues to bring winds and heavy rain and flood warnings are in place in several areas.&nbsp;

&quot;Our main priority is to get that level of assessment done and then to pinpoint where our emergency services personnel need to get in there and fix things as quickly as possible,&quot; she told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.&nbsp;

Cyclone Debbie made landfall at Airlie Beach, north of Proserpine, shortly after midday local time (0200 GMT) on Tuesday, knocking out telephone services.

Authorities had urged thousands of people in threatened areas to flee their homes on Monday, in what would have been the biggest evacuation seen in Australia since Cyclone Tracy devastated the northern city of Darwin on Christmas Day, 1974.

(Reuters)

There were reports of significant structural damage to homes and public infrastructure after howling winds and heavy rain

The Australian army headed into areas hardest hit by Cyclone Debbie and tens of thousands of homes remained without power as dawn broke on Wednesday amid reports of substantial damage in some areas. Debbie ripped a trail of destruction through northeast Australia on Tuesday as a category four storm, one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level, before being gradually downgraded through the night to a tropical low. Thousands of people took shelter as tourist resorts along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef and mainland coastal areas were belted with wind gusts stronger than 260 km per hour (160 mph). There were early reports of significant structural damage to homes and public infrastructure after howling winds, heavy rain and huge seas. Two people were injured, one with serious head injuries after being hit by a falling wall, police said. More than 51,000 homes were without power. Queensland state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it appeared the worst-hit areas were the tourist magnet of the Whitsunday Islands off the coast and Airlie Beach and Proserpine, some 900 km (560 miles) northwest of the Queensland capital, Brisbane. "It's been absolutely smashed. You can't get out or in there's so many trees down. There are boats all over the harbour," Jon Clements, who was holidaying on Hamilton Island when the storm hit, told Reuters. Wind gusts of 262 kmh, the highest during the storm, were recorded on Hamilton Island, so it was expected to be hit hard, although its resorts were designed to withstand category 5 storms. Palaszczuk said she would be briefed on damage at an imminent emergency services meeting. The storm was declared catastrophic by the Insurance Council of Australia. She said the defence force would fly over the area for an assessment as soon as it was safe to do so. The tropical low continues to bring winds and heavy rain and flood warnings are in place in several areas. "Our main priority is to get that level of assessment done and then to pinpoint where our emergency services personnel need to get in there and fix things as quickly as possible," she told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio. Cyclone Debbie made landfall at Airlie Beach, north of Proserpine, shortly after midday local time (0200 GMT) on Tuesday, knocking out telephone services. Authorities had urged thousands of people in threatened areas to flee their homes on Monday, in what would have been the biggest evacuation seen in Australia since Cyclone Tracy devastated the northern city of Darwin on Christmas Day, 1974. (Reuters)

Australia: Early reports of damage in wake of  Cyclone Debbie

Coastal areas in northeast Australia were battered by high winds and heavy rainfall on Tuesday as a powerful cyclone, which prompted authorities to urge some 30,000 people to evacuate, hit island resorts along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef.

Cyclone Debbie was upgraded overnight to a category four storm, just one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level. Authorities warned it could reach level five by the time it makes landfall around 2 pm&nbsp;local time (0300 GMT).

Wind gusts of more than 220 km per hour (135 mph) lashed resorts in the Whitsunday Islands, where tourists waited out the storm in hotel rooms.

&quot;We&#39;re getting some reports already of roofs starting to lift, including at some of our own facilities in the Whitsundays,&quot; Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television.

Authorities stockpiled food and fuel, and the army was on standby to deal with the aftermath. However, as winds cut power to about 23,000 people, emergency response crews were also hunkered down until the storm blew over.

It was expected more would lose power as the storm moved slowly across populated areas.

Although the storm was moving slower than first predicted, it is still the most powerful to hit the tropical state of Queensland since Cyclone Yasi destroyed homes and crops and devastated island resorts in 2011.

&quot;The eye itself is probably 50 km (30 miles) across,&quot; said senior forecaster Adam Blazak.

Authorities urged thousands of people in low-lying areas at risk from tidal surges and winds of up to 300 kph (185 mph) to flee their homes on Monday, in what would be the biggest evacuation seen in Australia since Cyclone Tracy devastated the northern city of Darwin in 1974.

However, police told Reuters they were not sure how many people had heeded that advice. Only about 400 people came to cyclone shelters as the winds gathered strength and made venturing outside dangerous.

Police blamed the wild weather associated with the storm for a traffic accident on Monday in which a 31-year-old female tourist was killed.

Ports at Abbot Point, Mackay and Hay Point were shut, Townsville airport was closed and airlines Qantas, Jetstar, Rex and Virgin Australia cancelled several flights to and from the region.

BHP Billiton and Glencore halted work at their coal mines in the storm&#39;s path.

Jan Clifford, who plans to ride out the storm at her home in Airlie Beach, said the power was out, her fence had blown away and huge trees had been uprooted.

&quot;Our houses are built to take this stuff, it&#39;s just what you do,&quot; she told Reuters by telephone. &quot;It&#39;s where you live and it is what it is.&quot;

(Reuters)

Cyclone Debbie is expected to cross the Queensland state coast as a category four storm

Coastal areas in northeast Australia were battered by high winds and heavy rainfall on Tuesday as a powerful cyclone, which prompted authorities to urge some 30,000 people to evacuate, hit island resorts along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef. Cyclone Debbie was upgraded overnight to a category four storm, just one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level. Authorities warned it could reach level five by the time it makes landfall around 2 pm local time (0300 GMT). Wind gusts of more than 220 km per hour (135 mph) lashed resorts in the Whitsunday Islands, where tourists waited out the storm in hotel rooms. "We're getting some reports already of roofs starting to lift, including at some of our own facilities in the Whitsundays," Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television. Authorities stockpiled food and fuel, and the army was on standby to deal with the aftermath. However, as winds cut power to about 23,000 people, emergency response crews were also hunkered down until the storm blew over. It was expected more would lose power as the storm moved slowly across populated areas. Although the storm was moving slower than first predicted, it is still the most powerful to hit the tropical state of Queensland since Cyclone Yasi destroyed homes and crops and devastated island resorts in 2011. "The eye itself is probably 50 km (30 miles) across," said senior forecaster Adam Blazak. Authorities urged thousands of people in low-lying areas at risk from tidal surges and winds of up to 300 kph (185 mph) to flee their homes on Monday, in what would be the biggest evacuation seen in Australia since Cyclone Tracy devastated the northern city of Darwin in 1974. However, police told Reuters they were not sure how many people had heeded that advice. Only about 400 people came to cyclone shelters as the winds gathered strength and made venturing outside dangerous. Police blamed the wild weather associated with the storm for a traffic accident on Monday in which a 31-year-old female tourist was killed. Ports at Abbot Point, Mackay and Hay Point were shut, Townsville airport was closed and airlines Qantas, Jetstar, Rex and Virgin Australia cancelled several flights to and from the region. BHP Billiton and Glencore halted work at their coal mines in the storm's path. Jan Clifford, who plans to ride out the storm at her home in Airlie Beach, said the power was out, her fence had blown away and huge trees had been uprooted. "Our houses are built to take this stuff, it's just what you do," she told Reuters by telephone. "It's where you live and it is what it is." (Reuters)

Thousands take shelter as Cyclone Debbie lashes Australian coastal resorts

Steve Smith and his men have compatriot Shane Warne to blame for the trouble they endured against India&#39;s tricky left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav on the opening day of the fourth and final test on Saturday.

A left-field selection for the most important match of the series currently level at 1-1, Kuldeep made a memorable test debut claiming 4-68 as Australia could not capitalise on a strong start and were all out for 300 in their first innings.

Smith and David Warner were past their individual fifties and the century-plus partnership was looking ominous for India when Kuldeep employed the trick he had learnt from Warne to lead India&#39;s second session fightback.

The 22-year-old sent down a delivery which pitched around the off-stump, kicked off and kissed the shoulder of Warner&#39;s bat before reaching Ajinkya Rahane in the slip.

&quot;My first wicket was not a Chinaman delivery but a flipper which I learnt from him (Warne),&quot; a beaming Kuldeep told reporters at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.

&quot;It&#39;s obviously good to learn from them and use against them,&quot; quipped the Uttar Pradesh spinner who met Australian spin great Warne in Pune last month.

&quot;Warne is my idol. I still watch his videos. It was a dream to meet him and discuss my bowling. I followed his advice. We&#39;d meet soon for another session.&quot;

With regular skipper Virat Kohli missing the match with a shoulder injury, the Rahane-led team took a bold decision to go with five bowlers.

Kuldeep was told about his much-awaited test debut early in the morning and the spinner showed no nerves - though looked emotional after getting his first test wicket - in a brilliant display of wrist-spin bowling.

His craft was in full display as he outfoxed Glenn Maxwell with a googly after being hit for a four two balls previously.

&quot;From childhood, I&#39;ve been taught that a true spinner would concede runs but will also take wickets. That remains my theory,&quot; he said.

Talking about his craft, Kuldeep said left-arm wrist spin came naturally to him.

&quot;I was not even aware that this is called Chinaman bowling. I was initially not happy but then focused on getting better at it.

&quot;Today, I was backing my skills and the variations I have.&quot;

Matthew Wade, who made a fighting half-century for Australia, was impressed with Kuldeep&#39;s bag of tricks. &quot;He bowled a lot of different deliveries,&quot; the stumper-batsman said. &quot;He bowled a lot of leg-spinners with scrambled seam, his wrong&#39;un with the scramble seam as well. It took a few balls to get used to it,&quot; Wade added.

(Reuters)

'My first wicket was not a Chinaman delivery but a flipper which I learnt from him (Warne),' a beaming Kuldeep told reporters

Steve Smith and his men have compatriot Shane Warne to blame for the trouble they endured against India's tricky left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav on the opening day of the fourth and final test on Saturday. A left-field selection for the most important match of the series currently level at 1-1, Kuldeep made a memorable test debut claiming 4-68 as Australia could not capitalise on a strong start and were all out for 300 in their first innings. Smith and David Warner were past their individual fifties and the century-plus partnership was looking ominous for India when Kuldeep employed the trick he had learnt from Warne to lead India's second session fightback. The 22-year-old sent down a delivery which pitched around the off-stump, kicked off and kissed the shoulder of Warner's bat before reaching Ajinkya Rahane in the slip. "My first wicket was not a Chinaman delivery but a flipper which I learnt from him (Warne)," a beaming Kuldeep told reporters at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. "It's obviously good to learn from them and use against them," quipped the Uttar Pradesh spinner who met Australian spin great Warne in Pune last month. "Warne is my idol. I still watch his videos. It was a dream to meet him and discuss my bowling. I followed his advice. We'd meet soon for another session." With regular skipper Virat Kohli missing the match with a shoulder injury, the Rahane-led team took a bold decision to go with five bowlers. Kuldeep was told about his much-awaited test debut early in the morning and the spinner showed no nerves - though looked emotional after getting his first test wicket - in a brilliant display of wrist-spin bowling. His craft was in full display as he outfoxed Glenn Maxwell with a googly after being hit for a four two balls previously. "From childhood, I've been taught that a true spinner would concede runs but will also take wickets. That remains my theory," he said. Talking about his craft, Kuldeep said left-arm wrist spin came naturally to him. "I was not even aware that this is called Chinaman bowling. I was initially not happy but then focused on getting better at it. "Today, I was backing my skills and the variations I have." Matthew Wade, who made a fighting half-century for Australia, was impressed with Kuldeep's bag of tricks. "He bowled a lot of different deliveries," the stumper-batsman said. "He bowled a lot of leg-spinners with scrambled seam, his wrong'un with the scramble seam as well. It took a few balls to get used to it," Wade added. (Reuters)

Debutant Kuldeep used Warne advice to torment Australia

An Indian man was allegedly assaulted by a group of teenagers who hurled racial abuses at him at a restaurant in Australia&#39;s Hobart.

Li Max Joy, who is pursuing a nursing course and working as a part time taxi driver in Australia, alleged that five people including a girl hurled racial abuses like &quot;you bloody black Indians&quot; at him and assaulted him up at the McDonald&#39;s restaurant at North Hobart.

33-year-old Joy, who hails from Puthuppally in Kottayam district in Kerala, told PTI that the incident took place when he went to the restaurant for a coffee after returning from a trip.

He alleged that the five accused were arguing with a worker inside the store but soon turned their attention to him the moment they noticed him.

When others in the restaurant telephoned police, the attackers left, but they returned later and assaulted him again.

Joy was admitted to Royal Hobart Hospital with bleeding wounds and a CAT scan and X-rays were carried out to see if he had suffered any internal injuries.

He was later discharged from hospital and he reported the incident to police.

&quot;They were angry at the McDonald&#39;s staff but turned their anger on me in the car park and then inside the store,&quot; he said.

Joy, who has been living in Hobart for last eight years, was quoted as saying by Australian media that &quot;the racial mood is definitely changing. It is continuous now. Many other drivers have been abused but not everyone reports it to the police.&quot;

Joy has sought intervention of External Affairs Ministry to ensure punishment to the accused.

He alleged that there was no serious efforts from the authorities to bring the accused before justice.

Meanwhile, Kottayam Lok Sabha MP Jose K Mani condemned the incident and said he will raise the issue with the External Affairs Ministry tomorrow.

(PTI)

He alleged that five people including a girl hurled racial abuses at him

An Indian man was allegedly assaulted by a group of teenagers who hurled racial abuses at him at a restaurant in Australia's Hobart. Li Max Joy, who is pursuing a nursing course and working as a part time taxi driver in Australia, alleged that five people including a girl hurled racial abuses like "you bloody black Indians" at him and assaulted him up at the McDonald's restaurant at North Hobart. 33-year-old Joy, who hails from Puthuppally in Kottayam district in Kerala, told PTI that the incident took place when he went to the restaurant for a coffee after returning from a trip. He alleged that the five accused were arguing with a worker inside the store but soon turned their attention to him the moment they noticed him. When others in the restaurant telephoned police, the attackers left, but they returned later and assaulted him again. Joy was admitted to Royal Hobart Hospital with bleeding wounds and a CAT scan and X-rays were carried out to see if he had suffered any internal injuries. He was later discharged from hospital and he reported the incident to police. "They were angry at the McDonald's staff but turned their anger on me in the car park and then inside the store," he said. Joy, who has been living in Hobart for last eight years, was quoted as saying by Australian media that "the racial mood is definitely changing. It is continuous now. Many other drivers have been abused but not everyone reports it to the police." Joy has sought intervention of External Affairs Ministry to ensure punishment to the accused. He alleged that there was no serious efforts from the authorities to bring the accused before justice. Meanwhile, Kottayam Lok Sabha MP Jose K Mani condemned the incident and said he will raise the issue with the External Affairs Ministry tomorrow. (PTI)

Indian man racially abused in Australia

A day after the Australian tabloid the Daily Telegraph called Virat Kohli the &quot;Donald Trump of world sport&quot;, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan came to the cricketer&#39;s defence. .

&quot;... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT,&quot; Bachchan tweeted.&nbsp;

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T 2471 - Aussi media calls Virat, Donald Trump of sports !! ... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT !! <a href="https://t.co/ZOoNtuhtC2">pic.twitter.com/ZOoNtuhtC2</a>
&mdash; Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/844266813961596929">March 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Virat Kohli has become the Donald Trump of world sport,&quot;&nbsp;the Australian newspaper the Daily Telegraph had said on Tuesday.

&quot;The Indian captain is a law unto himself with no one &ndash; not even the ICC or his own board &ndash; holding him accountable for his continual perpetuation of fake news,&quot; it added.&nbsp;

The newspaper had taken umbrage to Kohli accusing the Australian captain Steve Smith of mocking him after he was given out.&nbsp;

Kohli said Smith clutched his shoulder when he (Kohli) was given out.

Kohli had hurt his shoulder earlier.

The Telegraph went on to say &quot;television footage clearly showed it was a teammate&rsquo;s hand on Smith&rsquo;s shoulder as players embraced to celebrate the fall of Kohli&rsquo;s wicket.&quot;

There often tends to be bad blood between Australia and India but thankfully, cooler heads prevail too.&nbsp;

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Friends in Australia tell me they are perturbed by the toxicity this series has generated. Cricket lovers in India saying so too.
&mdash; Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/844055451247427584">March 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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If we have to use toxicity and divisiveness to spread our game, we are using a short-term approach that can only be harmful.
&mdash; Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/844055698929467392">March 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I am particularly perturbed by the fact that some of us in the media are promoting this divisiveness and taking sides to spread ill-will.
&mdash; Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/844056018292105216">March 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle had this to say: &quot;If we have to use toxicity and divisiveness to spread our game, we are using a short-term approach that can only be harmful.&quot; &nbsp;

Plus, it might also help to remember the Daily Telegraph is a tabloid.&nbsp;

(WION)

'... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT,' Bachchan tweeted

A day after the Australian tabloid the Daily Telegraph called Virat Kohli the "Donald Trump of world sport", Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan came to the cricketer's defence. . "... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT," Bachchan tweeted. T 2471 - Aussi media calls Virat, Donald Trump of sports !! ... thank you Aussi media for accepting that he is a winner and the PRESIDENT !! pic.twitter.com/ZOoNtuhtC2 — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) March 21, 2017 × "Virat Kohli has become the Donald Trump of world sport," the Australian newspaper the Daily Telegraph had said on Tuesday. "The Indian captain is a law unto himself with no one – not even the ICC or his own board – holding him accountable for his continual perpetuation of fake news," it added. The newspaper had taken umbrage to Kohli accusing the Australian captain Steve Smith of mocking him after he was given out. Kohli said Smith clutched his shoulder when he (Kohli) was given out. Kohli had hurt his shoulder earlier. The Telegraph went on to say "television footage clearly showed it was a teammate’s hand on Smith’s shoulder as players embraced to celebrate the fall of Kohli’s wicket." There often tends to be bad blood between Australia and India but thankfully, cooler heads prevail too. Friends in Australia tell me they are perturbed by the toxicity this series has generated. Cricket lovers in India saying so too. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 21, 2017 × If we have to use toxicity and divisiveness to spread our game, we are using a short-term approach that can only be harmful. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 21, 2017 × I am particularly perturbed by the fact that some of us in the media are promoting this divisiveness and taking sides to spread ill-will. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 21, 2017 × Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle had this to say: "If we have to use toxicity and divisiveness to spread our game, we are using a short-term approach that can only be harmful." Plus, it might also help to remember the Daily Telegraph is a tabloid. (WION)

Bachchan to rescue after Oz tabloid calls Virat 'Trump of world sport'

The World Heritage Site has again come under threat from a spike in sea temperatures caused by global warming

Parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef will never recover from the impact of unseasonably warm waters, scientists warned on Thursday. Huge sections of the reef, stretching across hundreds of miles of its most pristine northern sector, were recently found to be dead, killed last year by overheated seawater. Warm water caused the coral to expel living algae, triggering it to calcify and turn white, a process known as bleaching. The bleaching in 2016 was the worst on record. The research, published in the journal Nature, said bleaching events should no longer be studied individually, but as threats to the reef's survival. "Given time, coral can recover from bleaching but the problem comes when you get repeated events. With less time between them, capacity for the coral reef community to recover diminishes rapidly," Janice Lough, senior principal research scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, told Reuters. Scientists described the recent disaster as the third worldwide mass bleaching of coral reefs since 1998, but by far the most widespread and damaging. The conclusion is a major blow for Australia's tourism industry, with the reef attracting A$5.2 billion ($3.9 billion) in spending each year, a 2013 Deloitte Access Economics report estimated. The outlook for the Great Barrier Reef has further darkened with evidence of an unprecedented second consecutive bleaching event this year, researchers at James Cook University said. "We're hoping that the next two to three weeks will cool off quickly, and this year's bleaching won't be anything like last year," said Terry Hughes, director of ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. The reef was given World Heritage status in 1981. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Great Barrier Reef will never be as pristine as it once was: Scientists

Middle order batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 93 to keep India&#39;s hopes alive of a series-levelling win over Australia, giving the hosts a lead of 126-run lead on a see-saw third day of the second Test on Monday.

India&#39;s chances appeared slim when paceman Josh Hazlewood&#39;s triple strike helped Australia reduce them to 120 for four before tea and the touring side looked favourites to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

But Pujara and Rahane batted through the final session to ensure India will set them a decent target to chase on a difficult pitch.&nbsp;At close of play, Pujara was unbeaten on 79 with Rahane on 40 to take India, who lost the opening Test of the four-match series by 333 runs, to 213 for four.

Earlier, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took six for 63 as India fought back to dismiss the tourists for 276 in the morning session before Hazlewood&#39;s haul swung the Test back in Australia&#39;s favour.

&nbsp;

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Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood celebrates after dismissing Jadeja during the 2nd Test against India. (AFP)
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The paceman struck in the first over after lunch to send back opener Abhinav Mukund and returned late in the session to dismiss India captain Virat Kohli in a huge setback for the home side.

India promoted Jadeja up the order to make a left-right batting combination but he scored just two before the 26-year-old Hazlewood clean bowled him.

India&#39;s poor run

Mukund&#39;s first Test in almost six years ended on a sorry note as his off-stump was uprooted for 16 following a first- innings duck.

Fellow opener Lokesh Rahul completed his second fifty of the match before he fell for 51 to left-arm spinner Steve O&#39;Keefe, Australia captain Steve Smith completing a flying, one-handed grab at slip.

Pujara, who was dropped on four by Smith off Nathan Lyon, and Kohli initially batted without much trouble before the&nbsp;latter was given&nbsp;out lbw for 15.

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Pujara, who was dropped on four by Smith off Nathan Lyon, batted without much trouble on Day-3 of the Bengaluru Test match. (AFP)
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Kohli reviewed the decision immediately and despite several replays, it could not be determined if he had hit the ball before it struck his pad and the umpire&#39;s decision was upheld.

The day started with Australia resuming on 237-6, a lead of 48, and the tourists added 32 runs before losing their last four wickets for seven runs.

India were looking to race through Australia&#39;s lower order but left-handers Matthew Wade and Mitchell Starc kept them at bay for the first 45 minutes.

The Australians dealt well with the threat of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin before Starc perished for 26, holing out to a brilliant catch from Jadeja on the deep mid-wicket boundary to trigger a collapse.

Kohli finally brought on Jadeja in the ninth over of the day and the left-armer Jadeja trapped Wade leg before for 40 and repeated the feat with his next ball to Lyon to complete his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests.

Hazlewood denied Jadeja (6-63) his hat-trick but soon became the 28-year-old&#39;s sixth victim.

(Reuters)

Pujara and Rahane batted through the final session to ensure India will set Australia a decent target to chase on a difficult pitch

Middle order batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 93 to keep India's hopes alive of a series-levelling win over Australia, giving the hosts a lead of 126-run lead on a see-saw third day of the second Test on Monday. India's chances appeared slim when paceman Josh Hazlewood's triple strike helped Australia reduce them to 120 for four before tea and the touring side looked favourites to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series. But Pujara and Rahane batted through the final session to ensure India will set them a decent target to chase on a difficult pitch. At close of play, Pujara was unbeaten on 79 with Rahane on 40 to take India, who lost the opening Test of the four-match series by 333 runs, to 213 for four. Earlier, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took six for 63 as India fought back to dismiss the tourists for 276 in the morning session before Hazlewood's haul swung the Test back in Australia's favour. Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood celebrates after dismissing Jadeja during the 2nd Test against India. (AFP) × The paceman struck in the first over after lunch to send back opener Abhinav Mukund and returned late in the session to dismiss India captain Virat Kohli in a huge setback for the home side. India promoted Jadeja up the order to make a left-right batting combination but he scored just two before the 26-year-old Hazlewood clean bowled him. India's poor run Mukund's first Test in almost six years ended on a sorry note as his off-stump was uprooted for 16 following a first- innings duck. Fellow opener Lokesh Rahul completed his second fifty of the match before he fell for 51 to left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe, Australia captain Steve Smith completing a flying, one-handed grab at slip. Pujara, who was dropped on four by Smith off Nathan Lyon, and Kohli initially batted without much trouble before the latter was given out lbw for 15. Pujara, who was dropped on four by Smith off Nathan Lyon, batted without much trouble on Day-3 of the Bengaluru Test match. (AFP) × Kohli reviewed the decision immediately and despite several replays, it could not be determined if he had hit the ball before it struck his pad and the umpire's decision was upheld. The day started with Australia resuming on 237-6, a lead of 48, and the tourists added 32 runs before losing their last four wickets for seven runs. India were looking to race through Australia's lower order but left-handers Matthew Wade and Mitchell Starc kept them at bay for the first 45 minutes. The Australians dealt well with the threat of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin before Starc perished for 26, holing out to a brilliant catch from Jadeja on the deep mid-wicket boundary to trigger a collapse. Kohli finally brought on Jadeja in the ninth over of the day and the left-armer Jadeja trapped Wade leg before for 40 and repeated the feat with his next ball to Lyon to complete his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests. Hazlewood denied Jadeja (6-63) his hat-trick but soon became the 28-year-old's sixth victim. (Reuters)

2nd Test match: Pujara keeps Australia at bay on Day-3

Counter-terror police in Australia arrested an unidentified man Tuesday for&nbsp;allegedly helping the Islamic State develop missile technology.&nbsp;This is the first arrest of its kind in Australia.

A contingent of police personnel along with sniffer dogs and metal detectors raided a property of the alleged IS man in Young, about 270 km (170 miles) southwest of Sydney, earlier on Tuesday, Australian media reported.

The police allege the 42-year-old man had been advising the radical Islamic group on how to develop the capability to detect a guided missile and also to build its&nbsp;own missile.

&quot;We will also allege that he has been researching, designing and modelling systems to assist Islamic State&#39;s efforts to develop their own long-range guided missile capabilities,&quot; Ian McCartney, assistant commissioner of counter-terrorism for Australian Federal Police told Reuters.

Other police officials alleged the man was attempting to research and design a laser missile-warning device, Reuters reported.&nbsp;Trained as an electrician, the man is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, police said.

Australia has seen several &quot;lone wolf&quot; attacks including the&nbsp;Sydney cafe siege in 2014 in which two hostages and a gunman were&nbsp;killed.&nbsp;About 100 people have left Australia to join the radical Islamic groups such as IS, Australia&#39;s immigration minister had said last year.

The Islamic State group has come under sustained attack in recent weeks from coalition air strikes, which have seen the group lose much of its foothold in Syria and Iraq.&nbsp;Australian Air Force planes have been involved in some of those strikes against the group in Syria.

(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Police claimed he was advising the group on how to develop the capability to detect a guided missile and also to build its?own missile.

Counter-terror police in Australia arrested an unidentified man Tuesday for allegedly helping the Islamic State develop missile technology. This is the first arrest of its kind in Australia. A contingent of police personnel along with sniffer dogs and metal detectors raided a property of the alleged IS man in Young, about 270 km (170 miles) southwest of Sydney, earlier on Tuesday, Australian media reported. The police allege the 42-year-old man had been advising the radical Islamic group on how to develop the capability to detect a guided missile and also to build its own missile. "We will also allege that he has been researching, designing and modelling systems to assist Islamic State's efforts to develop their own long-range guided missile capabilities," Ian McCartney, assistant commissioner of counter-terrorism for Australian Federal Police told Reuters. Other police officials alleged the man was attempting to research and design a laser missile-warning device, Reuters reported. Trained as an electrician, the man is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, police said. Australia has seen several "lone wolf" attacks including the Sydney cafe siege in 2014 in which two hostages and a gunman were killed. About 100 people have left Australia to join the radical Islamic groups such as IS, Australia's immigration minister had said last year. The Islamic State group has come under sustained attack in recent weeks from coalition air strikes, which have seen the group lose much of its foothold in Syria and Iraq. Australian Air Force planes have been involved in some of those strikes against the group in Syria. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Australia: Man accused of helping Islamic State build missile tech held

Australia hopes to bring a full delegation of athletes to the 2022 Asian Summer Games in China and is seeking approval from the continent&#39;s Olympic council, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President John Coates has said.

Australia, a member of the Oceania Olympic federation, has sent 30 athletes to the ongoing Asian Winter Games in Japan&#39;s northern city of Sapporo as a &quot;guest&quot; delegation following an invitation from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Coates said it was too late for Australia to compete in next year&#39;s Summer Games in Indonesia but their bid for inclusion at the 2022 event in China&#39;s eastern city of Hangzhou would be tabled at an OCA meeting in September.

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<h5>&#39;I believe participating in the Asian Games would be very good for us,&#39; said Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates</h5>
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&ldquo;Discussions are underway and I believe there would be great interest in the Asian Games amongst our member sports,&rdquo; Coates told News Ltd media.

&ldquo;Particularly in sports where the Asian countries are strong (such as) gymnastics, badminton and table tennis.

&quot;I believe participating in the Asian Games would be very good for us.&quot;

The Asian Games, the biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics, will have 45 OCA member countries competing in 2018.

Australia participates in the quadrennial Commonwealth Games and will host the 2018 event in the Gold Coast.

Both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are scheduled for 2022, presenting a logistical challenge should Australia hope to send athletes to both.

Australia has long sought closer sporting ties with Asia to expose their athletes to stiffer competition from the likes of China, Japan and South Korea.

In 2006, Australia&#39;s national soccer body left Oceania to join the Asian Football Confederation, a move that has helped generate interest in the game Down Under.

Australia qualified for the 2010 and 2014 soccer World Cups through Asian qualifying and hosted the 2015 Asian Cup.

(Reuters)

It has sent 30 athletes to the ongoing Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan as a 'guest' delegation

Australia hopes to bring a full delegation of athletes to the 2022 Asian Summer Games in China and is seeking approval from the continent's Olympic council, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President John Coates has said. Australia, a member of the Oceania Olympic federation, has sent 30 athletes to the ongoing Asian Winter Games in Japan's northern city of Sapporo as a "guest" delegation following an invitation from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Coates said it was too late for Australia to compete in next year's Summer Games in Indonesia but their bid for inclusion at the 2022 event in China's eastern city of Hangzhou would be tabled at an OCA meeting in September. 'I believe participating in the Asian Games would be very good for us,' said Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates × “Discussions are underway and I believe there would be great interest in the Asian Games amongst our member sports,” Coates told News Ltd media. “Particularly in sports where the Asian countries are strong (such as) gymnastics, badminton and table tennis. "I believe participating in the Asian Games would be very good for us." The Asian Games, the biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics, will have 45 OCA member countries competing in 2018. Australia participates in the quadrennial Commonwealth Games and will host the 2018 event in the Gold Coast. Both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are scheduled for 2022, presenting a logistical challenge should Australia hope to send athletes to both. Australia has long sought closer sporting ties with Asia to expose their athletes to stiffer competition from the likes of China, Japan and South Korea. In 2006, Australia's national soccer body left Oceania to join the Asian Football Confederation, a move that has helped generate interest in the game Down Under. Australia qualified for the 2010 and 2014 soccer World Cups through Asian qualifying and hosted the 2015 Asian Cup. (Reuters)

Australia seeks full inclusion in Asian Summer Games

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