Percy Lovett alleges a breach of human rights in a civil claim filed in state’s supreme court
Veronica Nelson’s long-term partner has launched a wrongful death lawsuit against the state of Victoria and four others, alleging her death in custody breached human rights.
The Indigenous woman, 37, was found dead in her cell at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in January 2020 after making repeated calls for help, an inquest has heard.
Continue reading...Titan arum emits a foul smell to lure pollinators, but at the botanic gardens it attracts thousands of visitors to witness the rare flowering
A corpse flower, which emits a stench that can travel for kilometres to lure flesh flies, sweat bees and carrion beetles, has just bloomed in the Adelaide Botanic gardens.
It only blooms once every few years, and only for about 48 hours, to attract insects that have already wallowed in the pollen of another corpse flower.
Continue reading...UK advertising authority’s ruling that crypto exchange breached standards invites scrutiny of its Australian promotions
The AFL’s crypto exchange partner, Crypto.com, has breached UK advertising standards on multiple occasions and been accused of “misleading” and “irresponsible” behaviour.
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (Asa) rulings may invite further scrutiny of Crypto.com promotions in Australia.
Continue reading...Sufferers may be driven online because of the difficulty in accessing affordable GP appointments, professor says
There is an “urgent need” to investigate the increasing number of children and teenagers self-diagnosing with neurological conditions, mental illnesses, and personality disorders, a trend being driven by social media and difficulty accessing healthcare, psychiatrists and paediatricians say.
A paper published in January in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry describes how prolonged social media use, especially on video-sharing platforms like TikTok, is exposing young people to a growing number of content creators making videos about their self-described tics, Tourette syndrome and other self-diagnosed disorders.
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Continue reading...Properties worth up to $800,000 will incur no tax and a concession rate will apply to those up to $1m if opposition wins election, Chris Minns says
New South Wales Labor has pledged to eliminate stamp duty for first home buyers purchasing properties worth up to $800,000 if it wins the March state election, in a bid to counter the Perrottet government’s recent tax reforms.
Labor’s proposal, announced on Monday, would also apply a concession rate to homebuyers paying between $800,000 and $1m for their first property.
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Continue reading...Federal opposition leader wants Labor to legislate its preferred model before referendum is held this year. This blog is now closed
‘I’m genuinely interested in advancing the cause of reconciliation’
Peter Dutton is asked about whether the prime minister has been given a copy of his letter – Anthony Albanese has said he has not received it – and Dutton says a copy has been provided to the prime minister’s office and he expects “he will respond in due course”.
I don’t think that’s unreasonable. Certainly not racist. It’s not being opposed to reconciliation. It’s all about, frankly, just being informed about what it is they’re being asked to vote on. I don’t think that is unreasonable to ask the prime minister to provide that.
I’ve met with the prime minister and I’m grateful for the meetings that we’ve had and he knows that I’m genuinely interested in advancing the cause of reconciliation.
I’m speaking of millions of Australians, we’re asking you the reasonable questions.
Continue reading...‘I did not kill the woman,’ suspect says outside Delhi hearing, adding that he wants to reveal all to a court in Australia
The man accused of murdering 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley on a Queensland beach four years ago has told an Indian court he wants to return to Australia as soon as possible to face trial.
Rajwinder Singh, 38, swore in a “willingness statement” submitted to a Delhi court magistrate that he wished to formally waive his right to challenge extradition.
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Continue reading...Opposition leader has demanded more detail, saying lack of clear information will condemn referendum to failure and damage reconciliation efforts
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has accused the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, of engaging in “cheap culture war stunts” over the Indigenous voice to parliament.
Dutton on Sunday demanded – in a letter to Albanese also released to the media – more detail on the proposed body which will be voted on at a referendum by the end of 2023.
Continue reading...Bipartisan recommendation that would bring Australia in line with UN standards and is backed by advocates ‘noted’, but not supported
The New South Wales government says it will “review” a bipartisan recommendation to force judges to consider whether refusing bail to a parent accused of a crime would harm their children.
A NSW parliamentary inquiry last year called for the attorney general to change the law and “mandate” judges and magistrates to consider “parenting and caregiving responsibilities” when making bail decisions.
Continue reading...With songs and movies readily available on streaming services, illegal downloads have moved to less-available media
A growing demand for pirated Japanese manga in Australia has coincided with a decline in the piracy of TV shows, movies and music over the last five years.
Last month, the attorney general’s department released a review of Australia’s copyright enforcement, which included an analysis of trends in online copyright infringement.
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Continue reading...Experts call for a multidisciplinary approach, with climate-related disasters to continue disrupting freight delivery
Western Australia’s “worst ever” flood has further highlighted the vulnerability of Australia’s supply chains, experts say.
On Saturday, record levels of water were pouring down the Fitzroy River, which had created a 50km-wide inland sea. The water across the Kimberley region had shut down parts of the crucial Great Northern Highway, damaged the bridge at Fitzroy Crossing and inundated the airstrip. And 105 people had been relocated from the region, with more expected to be airlifted out in the coming days.
Continue reading...Australian Defence Force planes now able to use the airstrip at Fitzroy Crossing as weather improves. This blog is now closed
“Bonza the bogan airline” sounds like a crap children’s book, but it’s an interesting story about another moving part in Australia’s turbulent air transport industry. Also, Elias Visontay managed to get budgie smugglers into it, making the skimpy swimwear somewhat of a sub theme on the blog today:
Waters at Menindee expected to peak
Continue reading...Defence minister Richard Marles says Australia will need to make its own industrial contribution for the US and UK deal
Australia is on track to announce plans to buy new nuclear-powered submarines from the US and UK, despite scepticism in Washington, the Albanese government says.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the defence minister, Richard Marles, said Australia’s relationship with the US remained strong after revelations two US senators raised concerns to the president, Joe Biden, the Aukus deal between the three countries could kill off America’s submarine-building industry.
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Continue reading...Footage posted to social media showed passengers disembarking via emergency slides and walking across tarmac
A Jetstar flight has been forced to make an emergency landing in central Japan after receiving a bomb threat, according to local media.
The aircraft was reportedly travelling from Narita airport near Tokyo to Fukuoka on Saturday, when it was forced to divert to Aichi prefecture, public broadcaster NHK said.
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Continue reading...Australian Transport Safety Bureau says anticipated date for completing its investigation is between July and September 2024
The Glenmore Park community in western Sydney has attended a Catholic mass to pray for the survival of Nicholas Tadros, 10, who is on life support after the fatal Gold Coast helicopter crash.
An estimated 200 family and friends attended the mass at St Padre Pio church, where Nicholas received his first holy communion. Nicholas’s mother, Vanessa Tadros, 36, was killed when the two Sea World helicopters crashed into one another on Monday afternoon.
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Continue reading...Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko says he is a victim of a ‘telephone harassment campaign’ but Simeon Boikov denies inciting followers
The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia claims a controversial pro-Putin YouTuber who broadcast his personal phone number – which had been included in a press release – to more than 160,000 subscribers has enabled a campaign of harassment and intimidation.
Australian federal police have been made aware of Vasyl Myroshnychenko’s complaint that Simeon Boikov, who goes by the nickname “Aussie Cossack”, made a prank call on Thursday which was filmed and published on social media.
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Continue reading...Health department data shows deaths have progressively increased from October, with 738 outbreaks now active in facilities
The number of Covid deaths in residential aged care has again surpassed 100 a week, spiking to levels not seen in months.
Health department data, published late on Friday, shows 738 outbreaks are now active in residential aged care facilities, down from 915 outbreaks in the week to 23 December.
Continue reading...Trucks normally travel direct from Perth to Fitzroy Crossing but new return trip halfway across Australia is ‘equal to a one-way trip from Paris to Vladivostok’
Triple road trains delivering essential supplies to Western Australia’s flood-stricken Kimberley communities face week-long 12,000km return trips from Perth as they are forced to detour halfway across the country due to washed-out roads and bridges.
Instead of travelling directly from Perth to the Kimberley region – a 4,600km return trip – trucks will be forced east to Port Augusta in South Australia, before travelling the length of Australia to Katherine in the Northern Territory, then heading back west to WA.
Continue reading...David Elliott says Nationals MPs also ‘sceptical’ and warns against ‘demonising one sort of gambling’
Dominic Perrottet is facing pushback from within his own ministerial ranks over his support for a cashless gambling card on poker machines in New South Wales after his transport minister, David Elliott, questioned whether the policy would work.
While admitting Nationals colleagues were “very sceptical” about the proposal, Elliott said he had cautioned the premier against “demonising one sort of gambling” in poker machines.
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Continue reading...Democrat and Republican lawmakers reportedly warned president that Aukus security pact could stress US submarine industrial base ‘to breaking point’
Two top US senators have urged president Joe Biden not to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, warning it would diminish US national security given the vessels are “scarce”.
The intervention confirms the US is under pressure not to sell its submarines before Australia is able to build its own as part of the Aukus alliance – meaning it could be decades before Australia gains nuclear submarines.
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