Category Archives: Australia news

Marcus Stoinis’ spontaneous New York photoshoot goes viral after fans recognise ‘world famous’ athlete

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Street photographer known for ‘ordinary people’ portraits snaps Australian cricketer and partner without realising ‘he’s photographing royalty’

Australian cricket all-rounder Marcus Stoinis is causing a stir on and off the field after an impromptu Instagram video, shot recently on a New York street, went viral.

Stoinis helped Australia thrash Pakistan in the World Cup on Friday night. In a crucial match for Australia’s finals hopes in the international one day series, Stoinis helped Australia thump Pakistan and secure a 62-run win in Bengaluru.

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Thousands attend pro-Palestine protests across Australia

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Protesters marched through the Sydney CBD on Saturday after police green-lit the event, with similar rallies held in Perth, Hobart and Brisbane

Pro-Palestine protesters declared they were standing on the right side of history, marching for justice and humanity, as they turned out in their thousands at rallies across Australia on Saturday.

Thousands marched through the Sydney CBD on Saturday after police green-lit the event, with rallies also held in Perth, Hobart and Brisbane as more information emerges from conflict-stricken Gaza.

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Victorian Liberals’ moderate credentials looking shaky as commitment to treaty wavers

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After the voice referendum, John Pesutto appears non-committal on treaty – but it’s unclear whether an about-face will be well-received in the ‘Massachusetts of Australia’

It was not even 18 months ago that the Victorian Coalition was seeking to dispel the “myth” that only the Labor party supported a treaty with the state’s First Nations people.

“This side of the house, both the Liberal and the National parties, are committed to working with the Indigenous community on treaty,” the Nationals leader, Peter Walsh, told parliament last year when he spoke in support of a bill establishing a Treaty Authority.

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Santos angers Tiwi people as it pushes ahead with plans to lay pipeline in Barossa offshore gas project

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Community says company has not been in contact about plans for drilling operation ‘threatening our environment and our cultural way of life’

Tiwi people have expressed anger at a Santos announcement that the company plans to commence laying one of the pipelines for its Barossa offshore gas project, which they say threatens burial grounds and sacred sites.

In its quarterly report, the fossil fuel company said it had notified Australia’s offshore petroleum regulator Nopsema that it had complied with a direction issued earlier this year to survey for underwater cultural heritage sites.

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Jewish and Arab Australians channel hopes and fears into help amid Israel-Hamas war

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Some put efforts into humanitarian work while others believe political pressure can limit loss of life

As Arab and Jewish communities in Australia watch Israel prepare to embark on a ground offensive in Gaza they are both fearful and determined to help in any way they can.

For some, the response is humanitarian, supporting volunteer efforts in the Middle East or helping to organise and fund repatriation flights.

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Sydney businessman accused of foreign interference tells court police evidence contains ‘exaggerations’

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Judge denies Alexander Csergo bail during hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre on Friday

A Sydney businessman alleged to have been an agent for Chinese state intelligence has told a court there are “numerous exaggerations” in the police version of evidence presented against him.

Alexander Csergo, charged with one count of reckless foreign interference, is alleged to have swapped reports on business and politics with two Chinese handlers, known to him only by the anglicised names “Ken” and “Evelyn”, in exchange for envelopes of cash.

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Queensland treaty is going ahead, assures interim body charged with implementing it

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Co-chair of truth and treaty group, Aaron Fa’Aoso, says he remains confident after meeting government representatives on Friday

The co-chair of Queensland’s interim truth and treaty body, Aaron Fa’Aoso, says the state government has given assurances that its treaty process will proceed, after the opposition Liberal National party withdrew its support.

Fa’Aoso, a descendant of the Saibai region in the Torres Strait, said board members of the truth and treaty body met government representatives on Friday.

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PwC partner at centre of tax advice scandal banned by Asic for eight years

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Financial regulator finds Peter John Collins is ‘not a fit and proper person to provide financial services’

Australia’s financial watchdog has issued an eight-year ban to a former PwC partner at the heart of a confidentiality scandal that triggered a reputation crisis at the firm and a costly sell-off.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has been investigating the conduct of Peter John Collins, of Sandringham in Victoria, who has been accused of sharing confidential government information about multinational tax avoidance with colleagues.

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Australia rules out cancelling Chinese company’s lease over Port of Darwin

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Government also presses for removal of imposts on wine ahead of Anthony Albanese’s visit to Beijing next month

Australia is moving to repair ties with China ahead of Anthony Albanese’s trip to Beijing, ruling out cancelling a Chinese company’s lease over the strategically important Port of Darwin.

The move, which is likely to be welcomed by the Chinese government, comes as Australia also prepares to scrap tariffs on imports of Chinese wind towers, potentially defusing one of Beijing’s trade complaints.

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Russian, South African and US athletes get rushed Australian citizenships ahead of 2024 Olympics

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Exclusive: Government fast-tracked applications of canoeist, wrestler and water polo player backed by AOC

The Australian government has fast-tracked the citizenship of three athletes from South Africa, Russia and the US, in an effort to boost the nation’s chances of winning gold medals at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

With the support of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), South African canoeist Pierre Van der Westhuyzen, Russian wrestler Georgii Okorokov and US water polo player Sam Slobodien, will receive citizenships ahead of the games after having their applications fast-tracked.

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Controversial US dog trainer Dog Daddy says he cancelled Australian tour due to backlash

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YouTube star Augusto Deoliveira – who also cancelled trips to the UK and Italy – stands by his tough approach to training canines

The controversial US-based dog trainer known as the Dog Daddy says he cancelled his planned visit to Australia after a backlash from animal rights activists and is now taking a break from global touring.

But YouTube star Augusto Deoliveira insisted he would not be abandoning his tough approach to training. He said his techniques have worked for thousands of fans who wanted to curtail aggressive behaviour in their dogs.

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Labor MPs air clashing views over Israel-Hamas conflict – as it happened

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Abbott suggests ‘scaling back’ on ‘separatism’ after no referendum vote

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has some ... opinions ... on what the defeat of the voice referendum means the country should do next. It’s fair to say they’re not uncontroversial.

Flying the Aboriginal flag co-equally (as if Australia is a country of two nations) and the routine acknowledgement of country by all speakers at official events (as if those whose ancestry here stretches beyond 1788 are more Australian than anyone else).

The Department of Justice wishes to express deepest sympathies to the boy’s family, friends and community for their tragic loss. The department is continuing its investigation into all the circumstances of the incident.

The death will be subject to a mandatory inquest and the department will fully co-operate with the coronial process.

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NSW to review treaty consultation plan after voice referendum defeat

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Exclusive: With Indigenous leaders ‘shell-shocked’, sources say there are a ‘lot of conversations’ in the Minns government about next step

The New South Wales government will review part of its state treaty consultation plan, a key election promise, in the wake of the crushing federal referendum defeat on the voice to parliament.

The government isn’t confirming the appointment of three commissioners to oversee the process as planned – and previously outlined by the Aboriginal affairs and treaty minister, David Harris, in April. Sources say the consultation process and timeline will now be reviewed.

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Australia breaches WHO treaty with carbon neutral certification of big tobacco company

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Endorsement of British American Tobacco by Climate Active was revoked after complaint was made, FoI documents show

The government has been forced to revoke carbon neutral certification given to a big tobacco company after the endorsement was found to be in breach of a World Health Organization treaty to which Australia is a signatory.

Freedom of information documents show a complaint was made by the managing director of the Carbon Reduction Institute, Rob Cawthorne, to the health department in August 2022 about British American Tobacco (BAT) receiving the certification from Climate Active.

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Defence whistleblower David McBride makes last-ditch request to attorney general to end prosecution

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Former military lawyer’s legal team warns public has made its ‘disapproval of the continued prosecution abundantly clear’

David McBride’s legal team has made a last-ditch request to the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, to intervene and end his prosecution, warning the public had made their “disapproval of the continued prosecution abundantly clear”.

McBride, a former military lawyer, is facing trial in the ACT courts next month for his alleged leaking of documents to the ABC, which were used to produce a series of articles exposing alleged war crimes by Australian troops.

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Teal MPs call for national road-user charges after high court shuts down Victoria’s EV tax

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‘We need … to maintain our roads in a way that’s fair, and aimed at helping, not hindering, electrification of transport’, says Monique Ryan

Teal independent MPs have welcomed the high court’s decision to strike down Victoria’s electric vehicle tax, urging the federal government to instead legislate national road-user charges.

Zoe Daniel, Allegra Spender, Monique Ryan and Kylea Tink have all called for road use charges to apply fairly to all vehicles, with a nationally consistent scheme that does not target EVs.

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LNP’s cold political calculation dares Annastacia Palaszczuk to make treaty an election issue

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Iron-willed during Covid, it’s become harder to know what Queensland’s premier really stands for

In the Queensland parliament in May, Annastacia Palaszczuk spoke bluntly about “uncomfortable truths”.

“Each generation is called to make its mark on its age,” Palaszczuk said. “A treaty with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is ours.

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Australians told ‘do not travel’ to Lebanon – as it happened

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No move on paying super to people on paid parental leave

But so far, the government has not moved on paying superannuation to parents (mostly women) on paid parental leave.

Super, of course, is really important and it’s something we would very much like to look to in the future when the budget can afford it. But this is a very big step forward, the current arrangements, but we’ll continue to look around superannuation into the future and consider it in each budget context.

I think with the reserved period as well, we’re going to see an increase in shared care, both parents taking some time out, which is really, really important if we want to get a more equal burden of, you know, of that share of care.

So that is really important as well.

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Albanese government accused of ‘deep division’ and ‘confusion’ over Israel-Hamas conflict stance

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Sussan Ley’s comments come after Labor MPs including Ed Husic and Anne Aly break ranks to condemn Israel’s blockade on Gaza

Sussan Ley has accused the Albanese government of “deep division” and “confusion” over its official stance toward the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The science minister, Ed Husic, said on Thursday morning he was concerned Palestinians were being “collectively punished for Hamas’s barbarism” in the besieged Gaza Strip, with the death toll rising to more than 3,000.

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RBA’s top two executives saw 10% pay increase over past year, report reveals

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Annual report notes Philip Lowe and Michele Bullock’s remuneration increase was recommended by an independent committee

The Reserve Bank’s top two executives clocked up remuneration gains of more than 10% in the past year, or not far shy of twice the inflation rate.

During his final year as governor, Philip Lowe took home $1,147,465 in base pay, bonuses, superannuation and other payments. That sum was about 10.5% higher than a year earlier, according to the bank’s annual report, which released on Thursday.

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