Over 300 doctors from around the world have today written to the Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, imploring him to seek Julian Assange’s immediate release from prison in the U.K. on medical grounds. The letter begins by commending Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce for his recent statements calling for the U.S. extradition request against Julian Assange to be dropped. It continues: “We are concerned that Mr. Assange’s apparent mini stroke [reported in the Daily Mail on 11 December] may be the tip of a medical iceberg. Indeed his symptoms suggest as much. It is therefore imperative that Mr. Assange be released from prison, where his […]
Australia
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Above Photo: Jinhwa Oh The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have come together to sign an agreement called AUKUS. According to the creators of this agreement, it is a pact to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Through the unveiling last week of the new Australia-UK U.S. trilateral military alliance, Australia will enter into an undefined arrangement with the USA and the United Kingdom for “regional security” in the Indo-Pacific Region. The pact binds Australia decisively to the United States and Great Britain for generations. It involves Australia purchasing nuclear-powered submarines, the “basing” of American troops, and storing […]
Above Photo: UK nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard arrives back at HM Naval Base Clyde, Faslane, Scotland following a patrol. Tam McDonald/MOD. A Terrible Decision For The Nonproliferation Regime. On September 15, US President Joe Biden, United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison launched a new major strategic partnership to meet the “imperative of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term.” Named AUKUS, the partnership was announced together with a bombshell decision: The United States and UK will transfer naval nuclear-propulsion technology to Australia. Such a decision is a fundamental policy reversal for […]
Australia has joined the US and UK in an “enhanced trilateral security partnership” called AUKUS with the unspoken-yet-obvious goal of coordinating escalations against China. Antiwar reports: President Biden and the leaders of Australia and the UK announced a new military agreement on Wednesday aimed at countering China. The pact, known as AUKUS, will focus on the sharing of sensitive military technologies, and the first initiative will focus on getting Australia nuclear-powered submarines. US officials speaking to CNN described the effort to share nuclear propulsion with another country as an “exceedingly rare step” due to the sensitivity of the technology. “This technology is extremely sensitive. This is, frankly, an […]
The U.S. Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced that the U.S. State Department had approved the sale of four CH-47F Chinook helicopters to Australia. The announcements say that the Government of Australia has requested to buy four CH-47F helicopters with customer-unique modifications; eight T55-GA-714A aircraft turbine engines, five AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS); eight Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS/EGI) +429; and two EAGLE+429 Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS/EGI). “The total estimated value is $259 million,” the DSCA notice says. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Also noted that the proposed sale of this […]
The U.S. State Department recently approved the potential sale to Australia of the latest version of the Abrams tank, according to Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). On April 29, 2021, the DSCA, the Pentagon’s top arms broker, announced that the U.S. State Department has cleared a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of Heavy Armored Combat Systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.685 billion. According to the DSCA, the complete package includes 75 M1A2 tanks in the latest System Enhancement Program Version 3 (SEPv3) configuration, 29 M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles, 18 M1074 Joint Assault Bridges, […]
Just this week, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to Australia, in a deal that could be worth about $1.651 billion. The potential sale, announced on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, involves up to twelve MQ-9B aircraft, precision-guided munitions, and related equipment. According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the complete package includes six KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) tail kits for 500lb bombs; four MXU-650 Airfoil Groups for 500lb Paveway II GBU-12; seven MXU-1006 Airfoil Groups for 250lb Paveway II GBU-58; four […]
Hanwha Defense, a leading defense company in South Korea, has announced that it unveiled the fully integrated Redback infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in Australia ahead of tests and evaluations by the Australian Army starting February. According to a company news release, Hanwha Defense Australia and Team Redback has today officially launched the Redback Infantry Fighting vehicle ahead of delivering three Redback vehicles to compete in the test and evaluation trials being conducted as part of the Risk Mitigation Activity for project Land 400 Phase 3. Land 400 Phase 3 is an $18 to $27 billion project tasked to acquire a fleet […]
Royal Australian Air Force will expand its P-8A Poseidon fleet with two new multi-mission maritime aircraft, according to Minister for Defense, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC. Air Force’s maritime patrol capability will be boosted with Australia set to acquire two more P-8A Poseidon surveillance and response aircraft, bringing the total fleet size to 14, according to Minister Reynolds. “Together, the Poseidon and the Triton will provide Australia with one of the most advanced maritime patrol and response capabilities in the world,” Minister Reynolds said. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – “The Poseidon is a proven capability that will conduct […]
Australia Sabotaged Its Own Interests In China Relations By Tony Kevin, Consortium News. December 9, 2020 Australia Sabotaged Its Own Interests In China Relations2020-12-092020-12-09https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/popres-shorter.pngPopularResistance.Orghttps://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2020/12/hongkong.jpg200px200px Above photo: Hong Kong protester throws egg at President Xi Jinping’s portrait on China’s National Day, Oct. 1, 2019. Studio Incendo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The destruction over the past five years of Australia’s mutually beneficial diplomatic and trade relationship with China was probably a successful “Five Eyes” information warfare operation, writes Tony Kevin. The address to Federal Parliament by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov. 17, 2014, marked a highwater mark in bilateral relations. Xi […]
The Pentagon’s top arms broker, Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that the U.S. State Department has cleared a possible of $132.2 million sale of 155mm artillery rounds to Australia, including White Phosphorous projectile munitions. On December 4, 2020, the U.S. Military’s Agency reported that the U.S. State Department had approved the sale of 155mm Ammunition and Accessories, and related equipment to Australia. The proposed sale package includes the following according to the DSCA notice: M825A1 155mm White Phosphorous projectile munitions, M782 Multi-Option Fuze for Artillery, M762A1 electronic-timed fuzes, M231 and M232A2 propelling charges, percussion primers, technical publications and books, technical data […]
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced this week that the U.S. State Department recently approved the potential sale to Australia of more than $46 million worth of Javelin anti-tank guided missiles. On October 30, the DSCA, the Pentagon’s top arms broker, has released a statement saying that the State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of Javelin missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $46 million. According to the DSCA, the complete package includes two hundred Javelin FGM-148E missiles with U.S. Government technical assistance and other related elements […]
Free Speech Under Attack In Australia By Daniel Hurst, The Guardian. October 21, 2020 Free Speech Under Attack In Australia2020-10-212020-10-21https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/popres-shorter.pngPopularResistance.Orghttps://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2020/10/aus-e1603284841861.jpg200px200px Above photo: Darren England/EPA. ‘Chilling attack on democracy’: proposed Asio powers could be used against journalists. Environmental and human rights groups could also be targeted under a new government bill, legal experts argue. Journalists and advocacy groups could face compulsory questioning by Asio as part of a proposed expansion of the spy agency’s powers, according to external legal advice prepared by leading barristers. With senior officials of Asio due to give evidence to Senate estimates hearings on Tuesday, the new advice […]
At least one person has been killed after a roof collapsed on the campus of Curtin University in Western Australia. Several injuries have been reported as emergency workers search through the rubble for survivors. A glass ceiling caved in at a construction site located on the premises of the Perth university on Tuesday. Firefighters and paramedics are at the scene and have begun to look for victims. At least one person was killed in the collapse, with several others reportedly injured, one critically, local media reported. An ambulance service confirmed that it had transported two men in their 20s who sustained […]
youtube.com Return of the Tasmanian Devils It’s been 3,000 years since the Tasmanian devil’s raspy shriek rang through the forests of mainland Australia. But now, thanks to a dogged reintroduction effort, 26 of these tiny terrors have returned. https://t.co/B1XDa1R7eM — National Geographic Magazine (@NatGeoMag) October 5, 2020 Conservation groups released Tasmanian devils in mainland Australia earlier this month, marking a major milestone in the process of restoring a species that has been missing for thousands of years. https://t.co/LPIvkOdlqc — Smithsonian Magazine (@SmithsonianMag) October 6, 2020 Health Editor’s Note: Happy news for everyone that they are not going to eat!….Carol Carol graduated […]
ROME—The strange case of a top Vatican cardinal who Pope Francis dismissed in September has just taken a Machiavellian turn that would make Dan Brown proud. Giovanni Angelo Becciu, the Vatican’s former secretary of state and, until recently, head of the Holy See’s saint-making wing, has been accused of funneling some $800,000 of the pope’s charity money to Australia to buy false testimony against his archrival, Cardinal George Pell, while he was on trial for sexually abusing choir boys in Australia more than 30 years ago. Becciu adamantly denies all wrongdoing, issuing a statement Monday in which he said, “I categorically […]
Aerospace giant Boeing was awarded a $2,2 billion contract by the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center on 24 September to manufacture and deliver Small Diameter Bombs under a multiyear buy contracting arrangement. The contract, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, is awadred under the Small Diameter Bomb Increment I weapon program. “This contract provides for a guaranteed minimum Lot 15 award and a five-year ordering period for Small Diameter Bomb Increment I, focused lethality munition, containers and carriages for the Department of Defense and Foreign Military Sales partner nations, according to a recent DoD statement. – ADVERTISEMENT – […]
380 pilot whales die after getting beached in Australia, 50 saved by rescuers in largest such incident in state’s history (PHOTOS) A total of 380 whales have died, local media reported, citing officials. Teams of rescuers managed to save 50 by towing them to deeper water, where they were released, while around 30 more remained beached and fighting for their lives as of Wednesday afternoon. Each animal weighs around three tons. “If they are still alive and in water, there is certainly hope for them, but as time goes on they get more fatigued and their chances of survival reduces,” Parks […]
Australia: Youth Sue To Stop Coal Mine Expansion By Michael Slezak and Penny Timms, ABC.au. September 11, 2020 Australia: Youth Sue To Stop Coal Mine Expansion2020-09-112020-09-11https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/popres-shorter.pngPopularResistance.Orghttps://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2020/09/aus-e1599858660920.jpg200px200px Above photo: Avav Princi, Izzy Raj-Seppings, Veronica Hester, Laura Kirwan and Ambrose Hayes are all part of the action. ABC News: Brendan Esposito. A class action launched on behalf of young people everywhere seeks an injunction to stop the Australian Government approving an extension to Whitehaven’s Vickery coal mine, arguing it will harm young people by exacerbating climate change. The injunction, filed in the Federal Court on Tuesday, is a first for Australia. An expert […]
In the latest verbal spat between Beijing and Canberra, China has accused Australia of oppressing its reporters as well as slamming its “blatant irrational behavior.” A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian, alleged that four Chinese journalists had been harassed in June this year, noting that the Australian authorities had searched their homes and seized items including laptops, cellphones and even a child’s toy tablet. Zhao, in a daily briefing, requested that Australia “immediately stop such blatant irrational behaviors, stop harassing and oppressing Chinese personnel in Australia under whatever pretext.” Beijing also claimed that, according to the Australian side, the journalists […]
Dozens of arrests have been reported amid a heated anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne, Australia, where hundreds gathered to demand an end to Covid-19 measures, meeting a heavy police presence and at times clashing with officers. A sizable crowd descended on Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday morning for the ‘Freedom Day’ rally, calling on state authorities to rescind Victoria’s stage four coronavirus restrictions, which include a nightly curfew. Chants of “scam!” erupted from the crowd at certain points, apparently led by an elderly man, who was also heard saying: “I can’t believe this is my country! This is my Australia. I was born and […]
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Barbijo penguins gather on South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, in 2019. But that’s probably not where their ancestors lived. Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images Barbijo penguins gather on South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, in 2019. But that’s probably not where their ancestors lived. Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images Penguins are known for huddling on Antarctic ice, or marching across windswept expanses of the frozen continent. But there are at least 18 species of penguins populating the Southern Hemisphere — and many don’t fit that frigid stereotype. There are actually only two species of penguin […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/0a/1080125823_0:0:1201:675_1200x675_80_0_0_4e1437735aaf552b002b9627fe8372f6.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/videoclub/202008101080125914-cool-rider-lax-lamb-hitches-ride-in-australia-/ There is always that one slow walker in the group who tends to get left behind. The same goes for animals, as a cute farm creature recently demonstrated. Footage shared on YouTube captures a fluffy lamb in Joel Joel, Victoria, Australia, hitching a ride, as he is too slow to keep up with the rest of his herd. The adorable farm animal sure looks mighty cute while donning some cool shades and a hat and riding shotgun in the car. “Me and my father were moving a mob of sheep and the lamb was […]
BEIJING (Sputnik) – The joint statement of the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States on Hong Kong is yet another instance of interference in China’s domestic affairs, the Chinese embassy in Canada said in a statement on Monday. “On 9 August, the foreign ministers of Canada and other countries made a statement which once again contained irresponsible comments on the Hong Kong affairs and amounted to gross interference in China’s domestic affairs. China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this,” the Chinese embassy said. Postponing the elections was out of public […]
Police officers and soldiers patrol a popular running track in Melbourne on August 4, 2020 after the state announced new restrictions as the city battles fresh outbreaks of the COVID-19 coronavirus. – Melbourne is now enduring the country’s most restrictive virus-control measures, including an overnight curfew, forced closure of non-essential businesses and mandatory mask-wearing as hundreds of new cases are recorded daily. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) _________Asia TimesFines triple for infected Victoria state scofflaws Hundreds of coronavirus-infected people in Australia’s worst-hit state have been caught flouting stay-at-home orders, authorities said Tuesday, prompting tougher fines. The southern state of Victoria […]
On Wall Street, the major stock indexes rose on Monday evening, as Congress remained deadlocked over the next coronavirus pandemic legislation. Asia-Pacific stocks were higher in Tuesday morning trade, according to CNBC News. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 added 1.04 percent, while the Topix index gained 1.34 percent. Overall, Japanese major markets were higher on Tuesday morning. In South Korea, the Kospi also advanced 1.03 percent. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 went 1.01 percent up. Investors are now awaiting the Australian Reserve Bank’s decision on interest rates, as coronavirus-induced measures have been reinforced in the state of Victoria, where virus cases have been on […]
Australia has registered 10 new coronavirus-related deaths over the past 24 hours, marking the deadliest single-day toll for the country since the pandemic began. The latest victims were aged between their 40s and 80s, with seven of the deaths occurring in care homes. The fatalities bring the cumulative death count to 155. All 10 deaths occurred in the state of Victoria, which also recorded 459 new Covid-19 cases. Australia has seen around 14,000 confirmed cases in total. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, has spent the last two weeks under strict lockdown. Masks are mandatory and movement in and out of the […]
Drug use in Australia is at the highest level since 2001, according to a new report issued by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – and the media and Covid-19 could be to blame. Over 11 percent of Aussies aged 14 and older use cocaine regularly, most of them male, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) study found. The proportion of people who think it’s OK for adults to use cocaine regularly has grown in the recent decade, the study says. Accordingly, the number of people who admitted to using cocaine in the course of a year has […]
Buckingham Palace declared victory Tuesday in a 45 year battle over whether the queen ordered a radical Australian prime minister to be fired. Secret letters from 1975, which have been made public for the first time, showed that the monarch was not tipped off directly before the controversial sacking. Republicans were swift to argue, however, that the documents prove she was “aware of what was happening in Australia.” They say she knew her representative was considering dismissing the prime minister—an incredibly provocative move—even if she did not intervene directly. The 1975 sacking of Gough Whitlam by the queen’s representative in the […]
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand—If this country’s spectacular nature reserves are the peaceful Shire of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Hobbits in Middle Earth, its notorious ganglands are our Mordor. “Police documents showed that there were over 7,000 gang members in New Zealand as of December 2019, up 50 percent in three years. ” The Bay of Plenty’s official tourism website gushes about the region’s “breathtaking views, beachside relaxation and year-round sun.” And New Zealand often is seen as an oasis of heavenly peace in a troubled world, its gorgeous sweeping mountain vistas made famous by Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings movies. But an influx […]
Athletes and fans have expressed their shock and heartache after hugely popular two-time snowboarding world champion and Olympian Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin, who was just 32, died in the water off the Gold Coast of his native Australia. Surfers and lifeguards rushed to rescue three-time Winter Olympics star Pullin after he was found drowning on the ocean floor by a fellow diver during a morning session at Palm Beach, where his family, including model girlfriend Ellidy Vlug, were reportedly on the sand. Paramedics were unable to save Australia’s best-known boardercross athlete, who had been freediving while wearing a weight belt without oxygen. “They performed CPR […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107981/35/1079813513_0:0:3090:1739_1200x675_80_0_0_5bedd394a9765bf1c76a4762b7ead445.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/world/202007081079824691-us-defence-secretary-japanese-australia-ministers-urge-north-korea-to-return-to-negotiations/ WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Japanese and Australian defence ministers Taro Kono and Linda Reynolds urged North Korea to return to the negotiating table on denuclearization, according to their joint statement circulated by the Pentagon. “Australian Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds, Japanese Minister of Defence KONO Taro, and US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper convened a virtual trilateral defence ministerial meeting on 7 July (Washington)”, the statement said. “The ministers shared their strong concern that North Korea’s series of ballistic missile launches pose a serious threat to international security and […]
New South Wales health officials interview passengers as they arrive from a Qantas flight that flew from Melbourne at Sydney Airport in July. James D. Morgan/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption James D. Morgan/Getty Images New South Wales health officials interview passengers as they arrive from a Qantas flight that flew from Melbourne at Sydney Airport in July. James D. Morgan/Getty Images The border between Australian states Victoria and New South Wales will close because of a spike in coronavirus cases, officials announced on Monday. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the closure is for an undetermined period. Victoria, whose capital city […]
There’s horror in old age—the sort no one wants to think about, or look at, or discuss. It’s in that uncomfortable truth that Relic locates its greatest terror and, in doing so, delivers deep, gnawing dread that lingers long after its credits have rolled. The feature debut of Japanese-Australian filmmaker Natalie Erika James, who co-wrote the script with Christian White, Relic (premiering at drive-in theaters on July 3, and on VOD July 10) concerns three generations of women in an Australian family who are brought together by a puzzling crisis. Matriarch Edna (Robyn Nevin) has gone missing from her long-time rural […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107959/53/1079595378_0:0:3072:1728_1200x675_80_0_0_68aaf9501ef1ef67494cde4e8e4e8d80.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/asia/202007011079765842-australia-to-boost-defense-budget-by-about-52bln-in-next-10-years—prime-minister/ MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Australian government will increase the country’s defence budget by approximately $51.8 billion within the next 10 years due to rising strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday. “An updated 10-year funding model that will enable defence to deliver the strategy and the complex capabilities it requires to keep us safe. This will see capability investment grow to [AU] $270 billion [US $186.5 billion] over the next decade. Now, that’s up from [AU] $195 billion [US $134.7 billion] we committed in the decade following the […]
Australia will spend A$1.35 billion ($926.1 million) over the next 10 years to boost its cyber security defenses, PM Scott Morrison said on Tuesday. The statement came weeks after Australia said that a “sophisticated state-based actor” has been attacking all levels of the government, political bodies, essential service providers and operators of critical infrastructure. The government’s top priority is “protecting our nation’s economy, national security and sovereignty,” Morrison said in a statement. “Malicious cyber activity undermines that.” The package will include A$470 million to hire an extra 500 security experts in the Australian Signals Directorate, the country’s cyber intelligence agency. Australia […]
Australians can now purchase bitcoin at outlets of one of the country’s oldest organizations, its postal service. In a collaborative effort between Australia Post and Bitcoin.com.au, customers will now be able to use the Post Billpay feature to purchase bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies at over 3,500 post office shops across the country. AusPost confirmed the news to CoinDesk via email on Friday. The post service will accept cash and card payments for digital currency purchases made via Bitcoin.com.au, a cryptocurrency exchange based in Cremorne, Victoria. “This is a major milestone for digital currency in Australia and around the world. It proves […]
Researchers in Australia have identified a bug that caused that country’s contact tracing app to malfunction, it was announced Monday. Governments around the world have introduced contact tracing apps to track the spread of the coronavirus. But, as in Australia, so far it’s unclear how much of a benefit these systems are having. Critics complain about risks to privacy and centralization of sensitive data, and note that intrusive technologies rarely work as expected. COVIDSafe, Australia’s contact tracing app, was rolled out in April. But its latest version has not been working properly due to a bug, Richard Nelson, a software engineer, […]
Large anti-racism protests continued across Australian cities despite advice from the government to avoid mass gatherings. The prime minister earlier said that protesters should be charged for violating public health orders. Demonstrators held signs saying “Black Lives Matters” and “No Justice, No Peace,” denouncing racism and drawing attention to police violence against blacks and indigenous people. Some marched carrying Australian Aboriginal flags. Around 7,000 showed up for a rally in Perth, with many following social distancing rules while staying meters away from each other. Hand sanitizers and more than 10,000 masks were available at the venue. Smaller rallies and marches also […]
Black Lives Matter’s anti-racism protests have brought the African community’s ire and aspirations to the forefront, overshadowing the issue of growing anti-Chinese sentiment in the US and Australia. International observers have looked into the trend, and are trying to explain why Asians remain unheard amid the George Floyd demonstrations. The racial dilemma goes far beyond the discrimination against blacks in the US and worldwide: Beijing is sounding the alarm over allegedly growing racism against the Chinese in Australia and the US. China’s Ministry of Education warned about an increased discrimination against Asians following the COVID-19 pandemic which was first reported by […]
At least 11 people have been injured after a car smashed into a hijab store in Greenacre, New South Wales. The driver of the vehicle crashed into another car before aggressively revving the engine and plowing into the shopfront. Police immediately responded to the scene following reports of a driver behaving erratically, but were too late to prevent the incident from happening. Dramatic eyewitness footage shows the driver appearing to perform a burnout prior to speeding off from the traffic lights and into the unsuspecting shoppers. The crash took place at approximately 3:15pm local time. Police immediately set up a security […]
Beijing’s recent decisions come against the backdrop of heightened diplomatic tension between China and Australia, following a push by Prime Minister Scott Morrison for an independent COVID-19 investigation amid allegations the Asian country had downplayed the seriousness of the virus. China has announced huge five-year duties on Australian barley exports, with a 73.6 percent anti-dumping tariff and a 6.9 percent anti-subsidy tariff to be applied from Tuesday, 19 May, reported ABC news. China’s Ministry of Commerce announced the move on Monday, after completing a 16-month investigation into an anti-dumping complaint. “The Ministry of Commerce conducted an investigation in strict accordance with […]
New Delhi (Sputnik): The South China Sea remains a strategically important route for access to Southeast Asia. While China claims that it enjoys sovereign rights over much of the relevant waters, the tensions continue to grow as the White House accuses Beijing of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic in order to strengthen its presence in the region. Following the US, now Australia has raised concerns over the presence of Chinese military vessels in the disputed South China Sea. Referring to the increasing presence of Chinese vessels in the area, the Indian website The Economic Times quoted Australia’s High Commissioner to India Barry […]
A mother was arrested and separated from her crying child in Sydney, Australia for protesting ‘for her rights’ during the coronavirus pandemic. The mother was arrested for violating Australia’s coronavirus social distancing regulations that require all Australians to keep a distance of 1.5 meters away from each other at all times. ‘I don’t know how you guys are going home in honor tonight and trying to infringe me with a notice which I don’t consent to because we’re doing nothing wrong,’ she told the group of officers. ‘You guys should be here holding the signs with us, defending us. I don’t […]
Police in Australia have arrested a 49-year-old man for the alleged homophobic killing of American mathematician Scott Johnson, who fell to his death from a cliff near Manly’s North Head on the coast off Sydney 32 years ago. Scott Phillip White, who was a teenager at the time of the killing, was taken into custody and charged with Johnson’s murder Tuesday morning. He was denied bail and will appear in court on Wednesday. Johnson’s family had never believed an initial coroner report that their brother and son had committed suicide in December 1988 when his body was found at Blue Fish […]
The global suicide rate is accelerating as coronavirus-triggered lockdowns supercharge depression and mass job losses push people over the edge. Australian and US researchers have highlighted the threat to their countries. A spike in suicides triggered by Covid-19 lockdowns is expected to exceed deaths from the actual virus by a factor of 10 in Australia, according to researchers from Sydney University’s Brain and Mind Center, who published their findings on Thursday. Also on rt.com ‘I’m being treated like a leper’: Covid-19 survivors are shunned & abused by people who fear they’re still contagious In the best-case scenario, suicide rates will increase […]
Cardinal George Pell, the former Vatican treasurer who was released from prison in April after winning an appeal on his clerical sex-abuse conviction, lied about what he knew about abusive priests, according to unredacted parts of a report by an Australian commission investigating the matter. The lengthy Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Assault report—produced during the investigation of the Diocese of Ballarat, the Archdiocese of Melbourne, and the Australian church’s protocols to address assault claims—was released in 2017, but all segments pertaining to Pell had been blacked out to protect the cardinal against prejudice in his own clerical […]