Singapore-born allrounder Tim David has been named in Australia's Twenty20 World Cup squad for the host country's defense of its title beginning in late October. After being bought by the Mumbai Indians for more than a million dollars in this year’s Indian Premier League auction, David decided to be part of Australia’s squad. The 26-year-old David played 14 T20 matches for Singapore in 2019 and 2020, averaging 46.5 with the bat. David was raised in Perth but moved back to Australia with his Australian family when he was 2. The Australian side will travel to India for three T20 Internationals in September before returning home to play the West Indies, England and India leading into the World Cup which Australia opens against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Oct. 22. Legspinner Mitchell Swepson has been overlooked after heading to the United Arab Emirates last year when Australia won its first T20 World Cup. “This is a similar squad to that which became the first Australian’s men’s team to win a T20 World Cup who are now very excited about playing the tournament at home,” chairman of selectors George Bailey said Thursday. “Tim (David) continues to establish himself with some quality performances in leagues around the world, earning a place in the squad. He is a highly gifted, natural ball striker who will add extra batting depth to the group which has had a lot of success in T20 cricket." Read: Andrew McDonald named head coach of Australian cricket team Veteran opener David Warner will miss the three T20s in India in preparation for a busy summer of cricket, with young allrounder Cameron Green replacing him. The T20 World Cup final is scheduled for Nov. 13 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Afghanistan, Australia, England and New Zealand are set to play in Group 1 with two qualifiers to be determined, while Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and South Africa and two qualifiers will make up Group 2. An eight-team qualifying tournament precedes the main event and is also being played in Australia. Namibia, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka make up one qualifying group, while Ireland, Scotland. West Indies and Zimbabwe are in the other, with the top two teams in each advancing to the main tournament. Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Cameron Green claimed his maiden five-wicket haul before David Warner and Steve Smith made light work of the run chase to set up a five-wicket victory for Australia over Zimbabwe in the first ond-day match of a three-match series, the African nation's first one-day international series in the country since 2004. After Zimbabwe were sent in by Australian skipper Aaron Finch on Sunday, Green, took 5-33 as the tourists lost its last six wickets for 15 runs and was bowled out for 200 in the tropical north Queensland city of Townsville. Australia then made light work of the run chase, as Warner scored 57 off 66 balls and Steve Smith played the anchor role of the innings to make an unbeaten 48 off 80 balls to set up the victory. Glenn Maxwell finished the match with consecutive sixes off Richard Ngarava in the 34th over. Green, who had only one ODI wicket prior to Sunday's match, removed Sikander Raza and stand-in skipper Regis Chakabva cheaply and then returned to clean up the tail as Zimbabwe's hopes of posting a defendable total fell away in the final overs. Also read: Asia Cup: Afghanistan make flying start beating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in opener ”(We) just had a really clear gameplan, got a bit lucky at the end there, was just the right place at the right time trying to bowl back of a length on a wicket that was kind of going up and down," Green said. “I was luckily the one who got the rewards, but I think the rest of the team bowled really well and basically gave me the opportunity to be in that position.” Wessly Madhevere scored a career-high 72 runs and opener Tadiwanashe Marumani added 45 as Zimbabwe started watchfully against Australia's bowlers. But, when Adam Zampa got Madhevere caught and bowled and Chakabva was caught by Starc following a Green delivery, Zimbabwe’s tail quickly collapsed chasing quick runs. Also read: Afif named vice captain of Bangladesh cricket team for Asia Cup Australia lost Finch for 15 in the eighth over, before Warner and Smith combined for 65-run stand to have Australia's chase looking comfortable. Alex Carey, Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis all fell cheaply to spinner Ryan Burl (3-60) to stall the hosts' progress but Maxwell blasted 32 off nine deliveries to seal the victory for Australia in their first of 17 ODIs before next year’s World Cup in India.. Zimbabwe is making its first appearance for a one-day international series in the country since 2004 with the teams set to play three ODIs in seven days at the 10,000-seat Riverway Stadium. The second game of the three-match series is on Wednesday also at Townsville. The match also held tributes for local hero and former Australia test player Andrew Symonds who died in an auto-accident in May near Townsville. Fans, players, family and friends stood in silence before the match before further tributes to the charismatic allrounder were held at the innings break.

Soldiers from the U.S., Indonesia and Australia joined a live-fire drill on Friday, part of annual joint combat exercises on Sumatra island amid growing Chinese maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific region. A total of more than 5,000 personnel from the U.S., Indonesia, Australia, Japan and Singapore are participating in this year’s exercises, making them the largest since they began in 2009. The expanded drills are seen by China as a threat. Chinese state media have accused the U.S. of building an Indo-Pacific alliance similar to NATO to limit China’s growing military and diplomatic influence in the region. The United Kingdom, Canada, France, India, Malaysia, South Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and East Timor also sent observers to the exercises, which began early this month. The U.S. Indo-Pacific commander, Adm. John C. Aquilino Aquilino, said the 14 nations involved in the training are signaling their stronger ties as China grows increasingly assertive in claiming virtually the entire South China Sea and holds exercises threatening self-ruled Taiwan. “The destabilizing actions by the People’s Republic of China as it applied to the threatening activities and actions against Taiwan is exactly what we are trying to avoid,” he said at a joint news conference with Indonesian military chief Gen. Andika Perkasa in Baturaja, a coastal town in South Sumatra province. “We’ll continue to help deliver a free and open Indo-Pacific and be ready when we need to respond to any contingency,” Aquilino said. Read: Taiwan says China military drills appear to simulate attack Indonesia and China enjoy generally positive ties, but Jakarta has expressed concern about what it sees as Chinese encroachment in its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. Despite its official position as a non-claimant state in the contested South China Sea, Indonesia has been “dragged along” in the territorial dispute since 2010 after China claimed part of Indonesia's exclusive economic zone in the northern region of the Natuna Islands, said Connie Rahakundini Bakrie, a security analyst at the University of Indonesia. The edge of the exclusive economic zone overlaps with Beijing’s unilaterally declared “nine-dash line” demarking its claims in the South China Sea. Increased activities by Chinese coast guard vessels and fishing boats in the area have unnerved Jakarta, prompting Indonesia's navy to conduct a large drill in July 2020 in waters around Natuna at the southern portion of the South China Sea. Indonesia sees the current exercises with the U.S. as a deterrent in defense of the Natuna Islands, while for Washington, the drills are part of efforts to forge a united front against China’s military buildup in the South China Sea, Bakrie said. "Indonesia wants to send the message that it is fully prepared for any high-intensity conflict in the South China Sea area,” she said. The joint combat exercises end Sunday.

 Australia will continue to provide Bangladesh with duty-free access in its market after the country’s graduation from the LDC category. High Commissioner of Australia to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer informed BGMEA President Faruque Hassan about the Australian government’s decision when he paid a courtesy call on the envoy at the High Commission in Dhaka recently. BGMEA First Vice President Syed Nazrul Islam, Vice President Miran Ali, Directors Asif Ashraf, Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan and Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Foreign Mission Cell Shams Mahmud accompanied the President during the visit. Read Bangladesh Missions in Australia, Denmark & Switzerland get new envoys Duncan McCullough, Second Secretary (Commercial and Economic Diplomacy) at the Australian High Commission in Dhaka was also present on the occasion. BGMEA President Faruque Hassan hailed the Australian government’s decision of continuing duty-free market access for Bangladesh, saying that it would support Bangladesh in maintaining the momentum of its economic growth after the LDC graduation. He hoped that the friendly support of Australian for the development of Bangladesh would continue in the coming years. Also read: Envoy urges BGMEA to consider setting up joint ventures in Egypt Different issues, especially potential areas of expanding trade and investment between Australia and Bangladesh were discussed at the meeting. They opined that huge opportunities lie ahead of both countries in reaping mutual trade benefits by further deepening collaboration and cooperation. The BGMEA leaders expressed Bangladesh’s interest in importing more cotton and wool from Australia to meet the growing demand of the RMG and textile industry. Also read: BGMEA seeks govt support in implementing RMG industry's sustainable dev vision They sought cooperation of Australia in developing knowledge and skills of the students of BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) in textile, apparel, fashion, design and business through collaboration with leading Australian universities and fashion institutes.

Australia is likely to get the competition points from a cancelled three-game limited-overs international series after South Africa withdrew because of a crammed schedule and the launch of its domestic Twenty20 competition. Cricket Australia on Wednesday said the scheduled ODIs in January in Hobart, Sydney and Perth against South Africa had been scrapped and dates and venues for other international matches were revised. The ODI series was to be part of the International Cricket Council’s Super League which determines direct qualification for the 50-over World Cup in 2023. “Given these games will not be played before the qualification cut-off date in May, (South Africa) has agreed that Australia will be awarded the competition points pending ICC approval,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. Read: WI vs BAN ODI Series 2022: Bangladesh have highest winning percentage in Guyana Cricket South Africa is set to launch at new domestic Twenty20 league in January and wanted its leading players available for the tournament. Australia will host South Africa in a three-test series starting in Brisbane on Dec. 17 and scheduled to end in Sydney on Jan. 8. Before then, Australia will host Zimbabwe, New Zealand, West Indies and England in white-ball series from late August ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup from Oct. 16-Nov. 13. The Australians will then play England in a three-game ODI series and West Indies in a two-test series in Perth and Adelaide. Australia’s men’s team returned this week from a tour to Sri Lanka that included Twenty20 and one-day international series and two test matches.

Floodwaters were receding in Sydney and its surrounding area Thursday as heavy rain threatened to inundate towns north of Australia’s largest city. Evacuation orders and official warnings to prepare to abandon homes were given to 60,000 people by Thursday, down from 85,000 on Wednesday, New South Wales state Premier Dominic Perrottet said. Read:Sydney floods burden 50,000 around Australia’s largest city But towns including Maitland and Singleton in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, were still threatened by inundation, Perrottet said. Around 50 rescues were made in the past 24 hours, several of which involved people stranded in cars in floodwaters, he said. Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said record-breaking rain that began around Sydney on Friday last week was easing. “It is very pleasing to see that the weather situation is starting to ease after almost a week of relentless rain,” she said. The weather system that had brought heavy rain to a vast swath of New South Wales was moving further from the coast out to sea north of Sydney, Bureau of Meteorology manager Diana Eadie said. Read:After 3 feet of rain, 32,000 in Sydney area may need to flee Bulga, a town about 180 kilometers (110 miles) north of Sydney by road, experienced its highest flood level since 1952, she said. Taree, some 320 kilometers (200 miles) north of Sydney by road, was drenched by 305 millimeters (12 inches) of rain overnight — almost a third of the town’s annual rainfall average, Eadie said.

More than 30,000 residents of Sydney and its surrounds have been told to evacuate or prepare to abandon their homes on Monday as Australia’s largest city braces for what could be its worst flooding in 18 months. Parts of the city of 5 million people are facing a fourth flooding emergency in a year and a half after torrential rain since Friday caused dams to overflow and waterways to break their banks. “The latest information we have is that there’s a very good chance that the flooding will be worse than any of the other three floods that those areas had in the last 18 months,” Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Read: 500,000 people on flood alert as rain lashes Sydney The current flooding might affect areas that managed to stay dry during the previous floods, Watt added. New South Wales state Premier Dominic Perrottet said 32,000 people were impacted by evacuation orders and warnings. “You’d probably expect to see that number increase over the course of the week,” Perrottet said. Emergency services had made 116 flood rescues in recent days, 83 of them since 9 p.m. Sunday, he said. Hundreds more requests for help were made by Monday morning. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology manager Jane Golding said some areas between Newcastle, north of Sydney, and Wollongong, south of Sydney had received more than a meter (39 inches) of rain in the previous 24 hours. Some has received more than 1.5 meters (59 inches). “The system that has been generating this weather does show signs that it will ease tomorrow, but throughout today, expect more rain,” Golding said. Rain was forecast across New South Wales's coast, including Sydney, all week, she said. The flooding danger was highest along the Hawkesbury River, in northwest Sydney, and the Nepean River in Sydney’s west. “The water is flowing really quickly,” Golding said. “It’s dangerous out on the rivers and we do have some more rain to fall which means the flash-flood risk is not over yet.” State Emergency Services Commissioner Carlene York said strong winds had toppled trees, damaging rooves and blocking roads. She advised against unnecessary travel. Theresa Fedeli, mayor of the Camden municipality on the Nepean River southwest of Sydney, said the repeated flooding was taking a toll on members of her community. “It's just devastating. They just keep on saying ‘devastating, not again,'” Fedeli said. “I just keep on saying ... ‘We've got to be strong, we will get through this.” But you know deep down it's really hitting home hard to a lot of people," she added. Read:Australia commits to reducing greenhouse emissions by 43% Perrottet said government and communities needed to adapt to major flooding becoming more common across Australia’s most populous state. “We’re seeing these flood events more regularly, there’s no doubt about that,” Perrottet said. "To see what we’re seeing right across Sydney, there’s no doubt these events are becoming more common. And governments need to adjust and make sure that we respond to the changing environment that we find ourselves in,” he added.

Pathum Nissanka hit a match-winning 137 as Sri Lanka pulled off its highest-ever successful run chase against Australia and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match limited overs series. Sri Lanka reached their daunting target of 292 to win Sunday with six wickets and nine balls to spare. Australia chose to bat first and scored 291-6. Sri Lanka finished on 292-4 in 48.3 overs, surpassing 281 — set in 2012 — as its highest successful run chase against Australia. Also read:IND vs SA 2022: India, South Africa Gear Up for T20I Series Decider Nissanka shared a 170-run stand for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis (87) before Mendis had to retire with a hamstring injury. “We knew it was going to be a difficult chase and we needed to keep wickets in hand,” Nissanka said. “That big partnership with Kusal was crucial.” Mendis played spin expertly with clever use of his feet and bisected the field brilliantly. He posted his half-century in just 39 deliveries, reaching the milestone by pulling Josh Hazlewood for four. Mendis had raced to 87 off 85 balls with seven fours when he had to be carried off the field. Nissanka also was limping while running between the wickets, but there was no stopping him as he posted his career-best score before going on to complete his first hundred. His 137 came off 147 deliveries and included 11 boundaries and two sixes. Nissanka was playing the anchor role and needed 63 deliveries for his half-century. He reached his hundred in 123 balls before upping the tempo with some elegant strokes. By the time he was dismissed, the job was almost done as Sri Lanka just needed eight runs. It was only the second hundred by a Sri Lankan in an ODI this year. Earlier, Travis Head posted 70 not out off 65 deliveries, including three fours and three sixes. Australia scored 34 runs in the last two overs, including three sixes off Dunith Wellalage’s penultimate over. Head, who batted at No. 6, added 72 runs with Alex Carey (49) for the fifth wicket. "Credit to Sri Lanka for the way they batted," Australian skipper Aaron Finch said. “I thought the wicket got better under lights.” Also read:WI vs BAN 1st Test 2022: Shakib-Nurul's record partnership help Bangladesh avoid innings defeat Sri Lanka left out opening batter Danushka Gunatilleke, who had a hamstring injury and recalled Niroshan Dickwella. Australia made three changes to the side that lost the second ODI at Pallekele, with its injury toll worsening when former skipper Steve Smith was ruled out with a left quadriceps injury. Mitchell Marsh was declared fit, and Australia also brought in Jhye Richardson and Cameron Green in place of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Swepson.

Australia has reported its highest number of influenza infections in May on record. According to the latest data from the national disease surveillance system, 65,770 flu cases were recorded across Australia in May. It marks an increase of more than 100 percent from the previous May record set in 2019. As of June 5, 87,989 total influenza cases have been logged in Australia in 2022, according to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). Of those, 47,860, or 54 percent, were reported in the two weeks leading up to June 5 as winter set in. "From mid-April 2022, the weekly number of notifications of laboratory-confirmed influenza reported in Australia has exceeded the five year average," the NNDSS update said. There have been 27 influenza-associated deaths in Australia in 2022 and 733 cases have been treated in hospital, 6 percent of whom were admitted directly to intensive care. By comparison, there were fewer than 1,000 influenza cases in Australia in 2021 and more than 21,000 in 2020 as a result of restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19. READ: Federal officials confirm bird flu detected in New York Experts have warned that, with restrictions now lifted, Australia is facing an influenza resurgence over winter which, paired with a spike in COVID cases, could put significant pressure on the health system. Jonathan Anderson, head of Medical Affairs at pharmaceutical company Seqirus, told an industry forum that the rest of the world will be watching how Australia copes with the spike. "Australia is in a unique position in that we are one of the first countries to face COVID and a simultaneous flu season that is similar to pre-COVID levels," he was quoted by the Australian Associated Press (AAP) as saying on Saturday. "It's clear that the rest of the world will be watching our flu season closely and learning from our successes or failures."

Australia’s new government sworn in Wednesday includes a record 13 women, including the first female Muslim to serve in the role and the second Indigenous person named Indigenous Affairs minister. The ceremony conducted by Governor-General David Hurley in the capital, Canberra, came 11 days after new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led the center-left Labor Party to an election victory over the incumbent conservatives. “Proud to lead an inclusive government that is as diverse as Australia itself,” Albanese wrote on Twitter. “Welcome to all these new Labor members.” Youth Minister Anne Aly is Australia’s first female Muslim minister, while Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic is the first Muslim to serve in Cabinet. Linda Burney became the first woman, and only the second Indigenous person, to serve as Indigenous Affairs minister. Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong were sworn in early last week so they could fly to Tokyo for a summit with President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Read: Lights of Vivid to return to Australia in COVID-19 revival Of the 30 ministers appointed to the new government, nearly half are women. Women also hold a record 10 spots out of 23 in core Cabinet roles. With some votes still to be counted from last month’s election, the Labor Party has secured enough seats to hold an outright majority in the 150-seat House. Albanese’s Cabinet includes some new faces as well as some lawmakers who served in the previous Labor government that last held power nine years ago. “We have an overflow of talent on our side of the parliament,” Albanese said, adding that “it’s the most experienced incoming Labor government in our history since federation.” Read: New Australian leader Albanese makes whirlwind world debut Albanese has been getting support from an unusual source: British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg. Bragg wrote on Twitter that he’d awoken to find that “the new prime minister of Australia had quoted my lyrics in his first press conference.” Bragg went on to say he wasn’t surprised as he’s been friends with Albanese for more than 20 years after they met at a theater in Sydney and bonded over a shared love of music and compassionate politics. “The challenges he faces are daunting and I don’t envy him his success,” Bragg wrote. “Some of us just sing about making the world a better place — he now has the responsibility of delivering on that promise.