Alfred Bui

20 hours ago | theepochtimes.com | Alfred Bui

Jane Hume said her comments were genuine concerns about foreign interference in Australia’s federal election. 5/14/2025Updated: 5/14/2025Liberal Senator Jane Hume has defended her “Chinese spies” comments in the lead-up to the May 3 election day, criticising the Labor Party for weaponising it. A week before election day, Hume made headlines when she claimed “Chinese spies” were handing out flyers for Labor Housing Minister Clare O’Neil.

1 day ago | theepochtimes.com | Alfred Bui

An increasing number of Australian homeowners are having difficulty repaying their mortgages despite the recent interest rate cut in February. New data (pdf) from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the country’s largest retail lender, indicated that there had been a notable increase in mortgage arrears among its customers. Specifically, the percentage of CBA borrowers who were over 90 days behind their mortgage payments reached 0.71 percent in the March quarter of 2025.

2 days ago | theepochtimes.com | Alfred Bui

Victoria will spend over $700 million (US$446 million) to expand the capacity of the state’s prison and justice system. On May 13, the Victorian government said $727 million would be allocated in the upcoming 2025 state budget to address the ongoing crime issue. The funding will be used to add 1,000 adult prison beds across detention facilities in the state, as well as another 88 beds in youth justice centres at Cherry Creek and Parkville.

2 days ago | theepochtimes.com | Alfred Bui

Australian consumers could benefit from lower grocery prices as supermarket giant Woolworths launches a major discount program this week. On May 12, Woolworths said it would lower the shelf prices of 400 products in store and online with an average price reduction of 10 percent. The supermarket said a family spending $150 (US$96) a week could save around $15 when buying these products, which include cereal, yogurt, soft drinks, and daily necessities.

2 days ago | theepochtimes.com | Alfred Bui

Australian beef exports hit a new record in April amid the ongoing tariff war between the United States and China. According to new data from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), a marketing and research service provider, the total volume of Australian beef exports in April 2025 was 127,172 tonnes. This was an increase of 21 percent compared to the same period last year and the highest volume for April on record.