Australia able to be rendered ‘insolvent' by China through targeting of deep sea cables
Australia relies on 15 known undersea cables to stay online, and it is vital for connecting to defence allies, global markets, and financial systems.
In the Taiwan Strait, Chinese vessels are suspected of sabotaging subsea infrastructure, which raises national security concerns.
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Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Russian, Chinese navies hold drills in Sea of Japan
The Russian and Chinese navies are carrying out artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan as part of scheduled joint exercises, the Russian Pacific Fleet says. The drills are taking place two days after US President Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. However, they were scheduled well before Trump's action. Interfax news agency quoted the Pacific Fleet as saying Russian and Chinese vessels were moving in a joint detachment including a large Russian anti-submarine ship and two Chinese destroyers. It said diesel-electric submarines from the two countries were also involved, as well as a Chinese submarine rescue ship. The manoeuvres are part of exercises titled "Maritime Interaction-2025" which are scheduled to end on Tuesday. Interfax said Russian and Chinese sailors would conduct artillery firing, practise anti-submarine and air defence missions, and improve joint search and rescue operations at sea. Russia and China, which signed a "no-limits" strategic partnership shortly before Russia went to war in Ukraine in 2022, conduct regular military exercises to rehearse co-ordination between their armed forces and send a deterrent signal to adversaries. Trump said his submarine order on Friday was made in response to what he called "highly provocative" remarks by Russia's Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries. Russia and the United States have by far the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world. It is extremely rare for either country to discuss the deployment and location of its nuclear submarines. Trump's comments came at a time of mounting tension with Moscow as he grows frustrated at the lack of progress towards ending the Ukraine war.
Sydney Morning Herald
9 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Day was accepted into a prestigious US art school. Then the social media rules changed
He said his accounts did not contain anything controversial: 'Just my art.' Dang, 19, is already a highly accomplished painter and drawer. At age 15 he was a finalist in the Lester Prize Youth Competition, and at 17 he made the shortlist for the Brisbane Portrait Prize Next Gen category. A watercolour painting of a white rabbit won him a prize from US Artist Magazine. His art often portrays family members and friends of different ethnic backgrounds that he met while a student at Brisbane State High School. With his four-year course in Providence commencing in August, Dang now faces the possibility of commencing late, or not at all. Associate Professor Anna Boucher, a University of Sydney expert in immigration policy, said any complexity added to the visa process, such as social media vetting, would slow down an already slow process. 'America has very high backlogs,' she said. Often with backlogs, it was 'simply not enough people in an immigration department compared to the pressures on the system. 'And it's also against the broader context of administrative cuts in the United States.' A spokesperson for the US Consulate General in Sydney said there were many potential students applying in the run-up to the start of the academic school year. 'In every case, consular officers will take the time necessary to ensure an applicant does not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States and that he or she has credibly established his or her eligibility for the visa sought,' they said. The US State Department website has a guide to visa appointment wait times at all embassies. When this masthead checked, the next available appointment in Sydney for an F visa was in one month's time. Complicating matters for Tianzheng is the fact he is not yet an Australian citizen and had to apply for the F-1 on a Chinese passport. Tianzheng was born in Shanghai and moved to Brisbane with his family in 2018 at the age of 12. In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the US was revoking student visas for Chinese students and would enhance its scrutiny of future applications. However, that directive appeared to be walked back two weeks later when President Trump announced a trade agreement with China. In April, Rhode Island School of Design president Crystal Williams announced in a public letter to the campus community that an international student already enrolled at RISD had had their visa terminated. However, Williams later advised this termination had been reversed. Its website advises: 'In recent weeks, the US federal administration has enacted a series of executive orders and policy changes that may impact the RISD community and our work.' '… We anticipate visa applicants may face more rigorous vetting, which could result in longer processing times including administrative processing delays by the US State Department.' Loading Boucher said it would be unclear if Chinese students hoping to study in the US were being disadvantaged until the data was available. 'For all the crackdown on international students, I think the Trump administration would realise that it would not be rational in terms of the profit losses from the international student market,' she said. In the meantime, Dang is awaiting a final decision on his visa application.
The Age
9 hours ago
- The Age
Day was accepted into a prestigious US art school. Then the social media rules changed
He said his accounts did not contain anything controversial: 'Just my art.' Dang, 19, is already a highly accomplished painter and drawer. At age 15 he was a finalist in the Lester Prize Youth Competition, and at 17 he made the shortlist for the Brisbane Portrait Prize Next Gen category. A watercolour painting of a white rabbit won him a prize from US Artist Magazine. His art often portrays family members and friends of different ethnic backgrounds that he met while a student at Brisbane State High School. With his four-year course in Providence commencing in August, Dang now faces the possibility of commencing late, or not at all. Associate Professor Anna Boucher, a University of Sydney expert in immigration policy, said any complexity added to the visa process, such as social media vetting, would slow down an already slow process. 'America has very high backlogs,' she said. Often with backlogs, it was 'simply not enough people in an immigration department compared to the pressures on the system. 'And it's also against the broader context of administrative cuts in the United States.' A spokesperson for the US Consulate General in Sydney said there were many potential students applying in the run-up to the start of the academic school year. 'In every case, consular officers will take the time necessary to ensure an applicant does not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States and that he or she has credibly established his or her eligibility for the visa sought,' they said. The US State Department website has a guide to visa appointment wait times at all embassies. When this masthead checked, the next available appointment in Sydney for an F visa was in one month's time. Complicating matters for Tianzheng is the fact he is not yet an Australian citizen and had to apply for the F-1 on a Chinese passport. Tianzheng was born in Shanghai and moved to Brisbane with his family in 2018 at the age of 12. In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the US was revoking student visas for Chinese students and would enhance its scrutiny of future applications. However, that directive appeared to be walked back two weeks later when President Trump announced a trade agreement with China. In April, Rhode Island School of Design president Crystal Williams announced in a public letter to the campus community that an international student already enrolled at RISD had had their visa terminated. However, Williams later advised this termination had been reversed. Its website advises: 'In recent weeks, the US federal administration has enacted a series of executive orders and policy changes that may impact the RISD community and our work.' '… We anticipate visa applicants may face more rigorous vetting, which could result in longer processing times including administrative processing delays by the US State Department.' Loading Boucher said it would be unclear if Chinese students hoping to study in the US were being disadvantaged until the data was available. 'For all the crackdown on international students, I think the Trump administration would realise that it would not be rational in terms of the profit losses from the international student market,' she said. In the meantime, Dang is awaiting a final decision on his visa application.
