Seattle Daily Star

  The appeal comes before a national election on 21 May in which the role of coal, the nation’s second-biggest commodity export, is again the focus of debate. Billionaire Gautam Adani’s top executive in Australia is calling for more support for a coal sector that’s being shunned by banks and insurers in the shift away from fossil fuels. Lawmakers must protect the industry by “ensuring coal communities can access reasonably priced finance and insurance services,” Lucas Dow, chief executive officer of Adani Australia, said Thursday in a text of a Sydney speech. “It’s time for our political leaders of all colors to step in and act where the market has failed.” Dow’s appeal comes before a national election on May 21 in which the role of coal, the nation’s second-biggest commodity export, is again the focus of debate. A squeeze on international energy markets due to the war in Ukraine is lifting short-term demand for Australian coal, while legislators are also being pressed to acc...

  Documents reveal Canberra began seeking powers to crack encrypted communications nearly two years before unveiling law. The Australian government began seeking controversial powers to crack encrypted communications almost two years before unveiling landmark anti-encryption legislation branded “dangerous” by tech industry leaders , newly obtained documents reveal. Australia in 2018 passed world-first laws to force tech companies and service providers to build capabilities allowing law enforcement secret access to messages on platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook — such as push notifications that download malware to a target’s computer or phone. The legislation, which Canberra said was necessary to prevent “terrorists” and other serious criminals from hiding from the law, drew fierce opposition from privacy experts and tech industry players, who warned that undermining encryption could compromise the privacy and security of millions of people worldwide. Previously unseen documents o...