NSW govt hands down budget 19/06/2019 The NSW government has handed down its first budget since being re-elected, and it includes a major review of federal funding arrangements for the state. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet announced that an expert panel will undertake a federal financial relations review to identify ways to improve the federal funding arrangements for the state. The budget also includes a record $93 billion to spend on infrastructure, with $1 billion for Western Sydney road projects and $800 million for drought assistance. No new taxes were introduced to fund the state's big-ticket items, which include record spending on education and health, but there will be large cuts to the public service. The $1 billion surplus came in below expectations, with the property slump causing a fall in revenue from stamp duty.
 Vic union leaders declare support for John Setka 19/06/2019 Five union leaders in Victoria have publicly declared support for John Setka, amid deepening tensions regarding the embattled union leader's future. The Victorian branch of the AMWU is among the unions supporting Setka as his own branch calls on the CFMMEU's national executive to condemn moves to expel him from the Labor Party. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese declared his move to have Mr Setka expelled from the party was based on 'his long history of bringing the Labor Party into disrepute'.
Kuwait information ministry launches 5G tech 18/06/2019 KUWAIT-- Kuwait's Ministry of Information has become the first government body to employ 5G wireless technology, touted as the "next generation" of mobile communication, in conjunction with local telecom operator VIVA. The initiative supports His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's vision to build a new Kuwait, where high-tech infrastructure abounds, Information Minister Mohammad Al-Jabri said in a statement on Tuesday. He described the measure as an effort to embrace cutting-edge technology, citing an ongoing 5G trial period as per the instructions of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. On the joint endeavor, VIVA CEO Mazaid Al-Harbi said the company is proud to join forces with a prominent government body, helping equip the ministry of information with dazzling technology. The 5G wireless technology will be a useful tool for the ministry of information as it continues its extensive coverage of local events, he added.
Aust first peoples migration was planned June 19, 2019 The first arrival of Indigenous Australians to the continent more than 50,000 years ago was deliberately planned using complex technologies as they migrated in large groups, a scientific study has revealed. The ancestors of Aboriginal people in Australia arrived in several large and deliberate migrations by island-hopping to reach West Papua more than 50,000 years ago, according to research published in journals Scientific Reports, and Nature Ecology and Evolution. "It took more than 1,000 people to form a viable population. But this was no accidental migration, as our work shows the first arrivals must have been planned," the Australian experts said in a statement on Tuesday. "Our data suggests the ancestors of the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Melanesian peoples first made it to Australia as part of an organised, technologically advanced migration to start a new life."
Boris Johnson closes on Britain's top job Reuters June 19, 2019 Former London mayor Boris Johnson is a step closer to becoming Britain's next prime minister, winning 40 per cent of votes in the second round of a contest on a firm promise to leave the EU by October 31. Johnson, the face of the official Brexit campaign in the 2016 referendum, won 126 out of 313 votes and so goes through to a third ballot on Wednesday with four other candidates who won 33 votes or more. The former foreign minister was far ahead of the rest of the pack, stretching a lead which, for many, makes Johnson the all-but-inevitable victor to replace Prime Minister Theresa May. At a sometimes ill-tempered BBC debate, Johnson repeated his pledge that he would take Britain out of the EU by October 31.
Trump won't rule out force to protect oil Reuters June 19, 2019 US President Donald Trump says he is prepared to take military action to stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb but left open whether he would back the use of force to protect Gulf oil supplies. Worries about a confrontation between Iran and the US have mounted since attacks last week on two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping lane at the entrance to the Gulf. Washington blamed long-time foe Iran for the incidents but Tehran denies responsibility. However the attacks, and similar ones in May, have further soured relations that have plummeted since Trump pulled the US out of a landmark international nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018.
US, China to restart talks ahead of G20 Reuters June 19, 2019 US President Donald Trump says he has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the two leaders' teams will restart trade talks after a long lull in order to prepare for a meeting at the G20 summit later this month. The US and China are in the middle of a costly trade war that has pressured financial markets and damaged the world economy. Talks between the two sides to reach a broad deal broke down last month and interaction since then has been limited. Trump has made no secret that, despite his threat to escalate the dispute with more US tariffs on Chinese goods, he would like to meet with Xi at the Group of 20 meeting in Japan next week. In a Twitter post on Tuesday, Trump said he and his Chinese counterpart had agreed to start preparations during a phone call. |
