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China to suspend economic accord with Australia

China said on Thursday it had suspended an economic agreement with Australia, in an apparent tit-for-tat response to Canberra’s scrapping of a Belt and Road infrastructure pact and threat to undo a deal leasing Darwin Port to a Chinese company.
Relations between the two sides have collapsed into acrimony after Canberra called for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and banned telecoms giant Huawei from building Australia’s 5G network.
China -- Australia’s biggest trading partner -- has already imposed tariffs on more than a dozen key industries, including wine, barley and coal, decimating exports.
In the latest recrimination, the China-Australia Strategic Economic dialog was pulled “based on the current attitude” of the Australian government, China’s National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement Thursday, blaming some officials of a “Cold War mindset” and “ideological discrimination”.
Beijing will “indefinitely suspend all activities under the framework” of the agreement, the statement added.
The Australian dollar sank 0.6 percent soon after the news.
Canberra has previously described the accord -- designed to boost trade between both sides and introduce large Chinese investors -- as one of the “premier bilateral economic meetings with China”.
The first meeting in 2014 was called a chance for “closer economic ties” by Canberra.
But relations between the two have sunk into the deep freeze.
Last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government scrapped a Belt and Road deal between Beijing and the state of Victoria.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative is a vast, trillion-dollar plan for a network of investments and infrastructure across Asia and the world.
Beijing reacted with anger to the Victoria state announcement, warning that taking the ax to the deal would cause “serious harm” to relations.
But critics have claimed the stand-off between the two sides is cover for Beijing to create geopolitical and financial leverage.
This week Australia doubled-down by saying a Chinese company’s controversial 99-year-lease on Darwin Port was also under review and could be scrapped.
Darwin is the most important port on Australia’s north coast, the closest to Asia and a base for US Marines who rotate in and out of the country.
defense minister Peter Dutton told the Sydney Morning Herald his department had been asked to “come back with some advice” about the 2015 deal and refused to rule out forcing Chinese firm Landbridge to divest on national security grounds.
The deal -- brokered by local authorities in Australia’s Northern Territory -- had raised serious concern in Canberra and Washington, where it was seen as a strategic liability.
It was not immediately clear if the row would impact on a free trade agreement between China and Australia that came into effect in 2015.
source: The Associated Press
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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