Chris Minns says he hopes move will bring ‘some semblance of closure’ to those convicted
The New South Wales government will formally apologise to people convicted under laws criminalising homosexuality in a move the premier hopes will bring closure to those who have been affected.
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, NSW will become the last Australian state to issue an apology after all five others did last decade.
Continue reading...Loss of habitat and food sources driving fruit bats closer to urban centres, leading to bat deaths, power outages
It’s an increasingly frequent occurrence on Australia’s east coast – a fruit bat foraging for food lands on a power line to rest.
The flying fox (as it’s also known), spreading its wings before taking flight, touches a second power line and is electrocuted.
Continue reading...IEA chief urges Australia to prioritise ‘untapped potential in solar and wind’ as opposition pushes on with its nuclear policy
Coalition MPs have dismissed advice from the world’s international energy body urging Australia to ditch any nuclear plans in favour of the “untapped potential” of solar and wind power.
After the Albanese government’s announcement on Thursday that gas will remain key to the country’s energy and export sectors to “2050 and beyond”, the opposition has doubled down on its plans to unveil a nuclear energy policy before the next federal election.
Continue reading...But such a takeover of London-listed mining firm opposed by politicians and unions in South Africa
South African shareholders of the mining company Anglo American have signalled they are open to a revised takeover offer from BHP, despite warnings from South African politicians and unions that a deal could be bad for the country.
Investors, which collectively own more than 15% of the London-listed mining company, told the Financial Times that they were not opposed in principle to an acquisition by its Australian rival but said an improved and less complex offer would be needed.
Continue reading...Penny Wong reiterates support for eventual two-state solution after watered-down resolution passed by general assembly
Australia’s support of a UN vote on Palestinian membership is “the opposite of what Hamas wants”, and is not about recognising Palestine as a state, according to the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong.
The draft resolution was significantly watered down in last-minute negotiations and Australia was among 143 UN general assembly members to pass the resolution calling on the security council to reconsider granting full membership to Palestine.
Continue reading...More rain is expected to lash NSW as BoM issues severe weather and flash flood warnings
Another wet and stormy weekend is ahead for New South Wales with widespread rain and thunderstorms expected to batter much of the state.
The heaviest downpours of up to 200mm are forecast to hit the South Coast and Illawarra, prompting widespread flash flood warnings.
Continue reading...Administrators tell creditors meeting they are ‘moving heaven and earth’ to secure a future for grounded airline
The federal and Queensland governments have told the administrators determining the future of budget airline Bonza they’re unlikely to provide financial support to help save the carrier, as the search for aircraft and a new buyer continues.
During a first meeting of creditors on Friday administrators from the firm Hall Chadwick said “we’re moving heaven and earth” to secure a future for the grounded airline.
Continue reading...Lawyer for Elon Musk’s company tells federal court notice from watchdog was ‘manifestly inadequate’
Elon Musk’s X Corp has argued notices ordering the companyto remove tweets showing video of a stabbing attack at a Sydney church were invalid, and told a court it was not reasonable for Australia’s eSafety commissioner to expect the 65 posts to be taken down globally.
Last month, X was ordered to hide the posts of the stabbing attack on bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel while he was giving a livestreamed service at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church in the suburb of Wakeley.
Continue reading...Hunters reportedly find five Rwandan men in mangroves on Saibai Island, a known crocodile habitat
As the UK government continues its push to forcibly remove asylum seekers to Rwanda, a group of Rwandan nationals has claimed asylum in Australia after arriving by boat on a remote island.
The five men arrived in Australia by an unconventional route, reportedly flying into the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to be granted visas on arrival, before travelling thousands of kilometres east to Indonesia’s Papua province, where they crossed the land border it shares with Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Continue reading...High court delivers judgment in the case of ASF1. Follow the day’s news live
Penny Wong is speaking on RN Breakfast now. Right off the bat she was asked by Patricia Karvelas if the Australian government will support admitting Palestine as a full member of the UN at a vote later today.
Wong begins with a preamble about Australia’s support for a two-state solution, then says:
We will consider the final resolution that comes before the General Assembly. Obviously, countries are still negotiating texts.
I don’t want to speculate about our vote … I think an abstention generally means you can agree in part with the resolution but not with sufficient, not with all of it, or not with a sufficient extent of the resolution for you to vote for it, so it can send a message that whilst you don’t agree with it in full, you’re not going to stand in the way.
I understand that question … I understand questions from those who don’t want us to deal with it at this time. I think one of the things we are aware of, and thinking about, is the timing of the situation on the ground. We know Hamas is still holding hostages. We want to look at the wording of the resolution to make sure we are being responsible, that what we commit to we are obliged to and look to the UN Charter and the resolution would have to be consistent with the charter. And of course it was with our partners, but your listeners, what I would say to them is Australia does support a two-state solution.
You’ve spoken to me many times over the years, Patricia, and you know I always try and bring a more nuanced discussion about what is really happening rather than getting drawn into the end the hard edges of the debate. Unfortunately, in this country, we seem, we see too much of this discussion, which is looked at by those who basically say you’re either with us or against us. And everything is black and white and simple. Regrettably, that is not what is happening in the Middle East. And regrettably, that is not how we should be looking at this.
The board finds that both posts violated the Coordinating Harms and Promoting Crime rule that prohibits content “advocating, providing instructions for, or demonstrating explicit intent to illegally participate in a voting or census process.
Continue reading...High court dismisses challenge from Iranian asylum seeker, ruling that detention is lawful if non-citizens refuse to cooperate in deportation process
Indefinite immigration detention is lawful if non-citizens’ lack of cooperation has frustrated efforts to deport them, the high court has held in a major win for the Albanese government.
On Friday the high court delivered judgment in the case of ASF17, an Iranian asylum seeker who refused to cooperate with efforts to deport him because he “fears for his life” because he is bisexual, Christian, and a Faili Kurd.
Continue reading...Senate inquiry finds axed scientific programs, toxic workplace culture and a trouble-plagued icebreaker among problems
The Australian government should consider introducing a second ship to increase the number of voyages to the southern continent to significantly boost Antarctic science, a cross-party parliamentary committee has recommended.
The Senate inquiry into the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) found axed scientific programs, a toxic workplace culture and a trouble-plagued icebreaker were some of problems stemming from failures in the division’s funding and governance model.
Continue reading...Exclusive: One detainee recorded as being involved in ‘over 3,000 incidents’ in a year – an ‘incredibly unfeasible’ scenario, FOI documents say
The secretive risk assessment tool used in Australia’s immigration detention centres could not be replaced by a better model due to insufficient data collection by Australian Border Force, documents reveal.
The security risk assessment tool is meant to determine whether someone is low, medium, high or extreme risk for escape or violence. It calculates risk ratings based on factors including pre-detention history and episodes that can occur in detention, such as possessing contraband or refusing food or fluids.
Continue reading...Lawyers to open their case after Lynn, 57, pleaded not guilty to murdering Russell Hill and Carol Clay
Prosecutors will outline their case against an airline captain accused of the double murder of Russell Hill and Carol Clay at a campsite in Victoria’s alpine region.
Greg Lynn, 57, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and a jury has been empanelled in Melbourne’s supreme court ahead of trial openings on Friday.
Continue reading...‘There is more than one way to help people who are on income support,’ treasurer says when suggesting rebates and concessions could be boosted
The federal government is poised to expand rebates and concessions available to job seekers in next week’s federal budget, which is also expected to increase rent assistance.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has confirmed that Tuesday’s budget will not increase the jobseeker payment but suggested it would boost concessions linked to social security payments, among a suite of measures designed to offer cost-of-living relief without pushing up inflation.
Continue reading...Resource minister Madeleine King released party’s future gas strategy, which says new sources will be needed ‘to 2050 and beyond’
Anthony Albanese is facing an internal revolt with Labor backbenchers pushing back against the government’s support for new gas production.
Five inner-city MPs have criticised the government’s gas strategy, arguing it will overshadow progress on clean energy.
Continue reading...Opposition leader’s comments ‘a very bad faith’ reading of protestors’ chant, Jewish Council of Australia says
The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has compared chants at pro-Palestine university protests to the ideology of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, in comments labelled “deeply offensive” by a prominent Jewish group.
Tensions are brewing over pro-Palestine encampments at universities across Australia, with leading universities writing to the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, for legal advice on whether protesters’ chants were in breach of federal law.
Continue reading...NSW premier condemns western Sydney council’s ban on Holly Duhig’s children’s book as motion to rescind it lodged
The ban on same-sex parenting books at libraries in a western Sydney council area could be rescinded after widespread backlash and a warning from the premier, Chris Minns, that LGBTQ+ people were being used as a “political football”.
Four Labor councillors on Cumberland city council have lodged a rescission motion to overturn the ban, which they expect will be debated at the next council meeting on 15 May. The vote is expected to be tight.
Continue reading...Sky News podcast casts doubt on One Nation leader’s claim she did not know Faruqi was a Muslim when she sent ‘piss off back to Pakistan’ tweet, court told
The Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has applied to the federal court to reopen her racial discrimination case against Pauline Hanson, in a bid to air new evidence alleging that the One Nation leader knew Faruqi was a Muslim when she tweeted for her to “piss off back to Pakistan”.
Faruqi has alleged she had been racially discriminated against and vilified by Hanson under section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act and last week the federal court spent four days hearing evidence from both senators.
Continue reading...Seven says decision purely commercial but Financial Review editor accuses rival company of ‘abuse of market power’
The print edition of Nine’s Australian Financial Review will no longer be available in Western Australia after the Seven-owned printing facility doubled the price of producing the newspaper.
Billionaire media mogul Kerry Stokes owns the only major newspaper printing press in the state and has contracts to print competitors’ products, including the financial daily for Nine as well as The Australian for News Corp.
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