Australian News
- www.abc.net.au Children suffered 'burning stomachs' and 'tingling hands' after restaurant allegedly served insect repellent, not juice
Health authorities are investigating claims two Perth sisters were served insect repellent instead of juice at a western suburbs restaurant.
> - In short: Sisters Olivia and Hannah Lemin were treated for "burning" and "tingling" sensations after they were allegedly served insect repellent instead of juice at a Perth restaurant. > - The family says they have made a complaint to the Department of Health. > - What's next? The restaurant said it was investigating the incident, but declined to comment further.
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'You must leave': brave [Newcastle] museum worker stands up to armed alleged terrorist [FULL TEXT IN POST]
www.newcastleherald.com.au 'You must leave': brave museum worker stands up to armed alleged terroristA teenager has now been charged with a terrorism offence.
> # 'You must leave': brave museum worker stands up to armed alleged terrorist > > By Jessica Brown > > Updated June 27 2024 - 10:42am, first published 8:00am > > ! > > 📷 The incident was livestreamed online and what has come to light has painted a terrifying picture of what could have been. > > A BRAVE museum worker could have made the difference between an armed assailant choosing to carry out a pre-planned alleged terrorist attack in Newcastle on Wednesday and deciding to walk away. Police, including the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, are investigating after emergency services were called to Newcastle Museum in Honeysuckle about 12.30pm to reports a man was dressed in tactical equipment and was brandishing a knife. > > The incident was livestreamed online and what has come to light has painted a terrifying picture of what could have been. > > A man can be seen in a bathroom toilet cubicle at the Civic Theatre preparing for his attack. It is understood he had circulated a manifesto detailing the reasons behind his plans. > > ! > > 📷 The man livestreamed his attempted attack online. Picture is a screenshot from that video. > > He can then be seen walking across the road, in front of the light rail, before entering the office of Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp. > > He quickly vacates the building and heads towards the museum. When he enters wearing the tactical equipment alerts were raised and one brave museum worker verbally confronts him saying "you can't walk around like that". > > As the assailant decides on his next move, museum-goers including children can be seen entering the main lobby then jumping in shock and fear. > > Again the museum worker addresses the man, "back to outside...you must leave" and a second worker can be heard saying "no knives in public spaces". > > ! > > 📷 An image from the feed that was distributing the live video of the alleged assailant. > > In the end the man chooses to leave the museum and puts down his knife as the workers lock the doors and police are called. > > Newcastle Police District officers went to the premises on Workshop Way where they arrested a 19-year-old male. > > A subsequent search saw police find a number of items which have now been seized. > > The man was taken to Newcastle police station and has now been charged with one count of other acts done in preparation for, or planning, for terrorist act, contrary to Section 101.6 of the Criminal Code Act (CTH). > > Following further inquiries, police have confirmed the existence of the document that had been circulated to a number of public figures and media outlets. > > The man, from Raymond Terrace, has been refused bail to appear before Newcastle Local Court on Thursday June 27. > > There is no ongoing threat to the community relation to this investigation. > > Inquiries are continuing. > > The Joint Counter Terrorism Team Sydney is comprised of members from the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and NSW Crime Commission. > > Anyone with information about extremist activity or possible threats to the community should come forward, no matter how small or insignificant you think the information may be. The National Security Hotline is 1800 123 400.
- www.abc.net.au Bonza’s directors accused of trading while insolvent, creditors may walk away with nothing
Administrators for collapsed airline Bonza say the company likely traded while insolvent, with the company's directors to be referred to the corporate regulator for investigation.
- theintercept.com Julian Assange Strikes Plea Deal, Will Return to Australia
After years of fighting extradition to the U.S. for revealing secret cables, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors.
- www.abc.net.au Picasso artworks put in female toilet as part of art gallery response to court ruling
Multiple artworks by Pablo Picasso have been relocated to a female toilet at Hobart's Mona, following an adverse court ruling which found a man was discriminated against when he was turned away from the women-only 'Ladies Lounge'.
> - In short: Tasmanian art gallery Mona has hung artworks by Pablo Picasso in a female toilet cubicle in response to a failed court bid to exclude men from a women-only art installation. > - In April, a court ruling found Mona discriminated when it refused a New South Wales man entry to its Ladies Lounge. > - What's next? Mona curator Kirsha Kaechele is appealing the discrimination ruling in the Supreme Court.
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Government waters down vaping ban to win support of Greens
www.abc.net.au Pharmacist fury at deal for vapes to be restricted to pharmacies-only, without adults needing prescriptionVapes will be banned from sale outside pharmacies, but adults will not need a prescription to buy them, as the federal government agrees to water down its proposed ban to win over the Greens.
> - In short: Australia will restrict the sale of vapes to pharmacies from next week, as the Greens agree to pass a proposed ban. > - The government has agreed however to water down restrictions that would have required adults to obtain a prescription. > - What's next? The laws will be debated and put to a vote in parliament later this week.
- www.abc.net.au Cash crisis averted by $50 million bailout to keep Armaguard afloat
Armaguard's biggest customers will pour up to $50 million into the troubled cash transporter to keep it afloat for the next 12 months.
- www.abc.net.au Animal welfare concerns as reports of starving livestock soar in South Australia after record dry autumn
The South Australian RSPCA receives an influx of livestock welfare reports, with some animals starving to death.
>South Australia has been suffering through one of the driest starts to the year on record, leaving little for livestock to graze on in most agricultural regions.
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The Guardian Australia: Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan could cost as much as $600bn and supply just 3.7% of Australia’s energy by 2050, experts say
www.theguardian.com Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan could cost as much as $600bn and supply just 3.7% of Australia’s energy by 2050, experts sayCoalition proposal would cost a minimum of $116bn – the same as Labor’s plan for almost 100% renewables by 2050, the Smart Energy Council says
- www.abc.net.au 'We got breadcrumbs': One of Australia's biggest unions accused of pushing a bad deal for Woolworths workers
Store workers at supermarket giant Woolworths have voted in favour of a new pay and entitlements package, after a union campaign plagued by allegations of "misinformation" and "bad faith bargaining".
- www.theguardian.com Melbourne Black Star Pastry employees sacked after wearing the keffiyeh at work
Pair launch discrimination case over dismissal for wearing scarf in support of Palestine at Chadstone shop, an act the bakery described as ‘divisive and inflammatory’ and against its ‘vision to create a place of inclusivity’
- www.sbs.com.au Coles has introduced national egg buying limits. Here's what we know
The supermarket giant has restricted the number of cartons sold to each customer after bird flu was detected on another Victorian farm.
> > > Coles has introduced national limits on egg purchases due to a growing bird flu outbreak in Victoria. > > > > The highly pathogenic H7N3 strain of bird flu has been detected on five farms in the state's southwest, with more than half a million chickens euthanised > in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. > > > > The supermarket giant's customers in every state and territory can now only buy a maximum of two egg cartons, with the exception of Western Australia. > > > > Coles says the limit is temporary but has not revealed how long it is expected to last. > >
- www.theguardian.com Hundreds of CSIRO jobs under threat as union warns against ‘gutting’ of Australia’s science agency
Public sector union says overhaul could ‘have very real consequences for the future of science in our country’
- www.abc.net.au eSafety drops case against Elon Musk's X over church stabbing videos
The eSafety commissioner will abandon its legal case against Elon Musk's X to have graphic footage of a terrorist stabbing removed from the social media platform.
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Long-awaited industrial manslaughter legislation to protect workers to be introduced in NSW
www.abc.net.au Patrizia's son died calling her name. Now she's getting justice for victims of workplace accidentsPatrizia Cassaniti will carry her son's ashes inside a toy bear at parliament today, with long-awaited industrial manslaughter legislation to be introduced.
> - In short: Advocates who have lost loved ones to industrial manslaughter await legislation changes to address "gross negligence". > - The state government also announced a special prosecution unit responsible for prosecuting industrial manslaughter cases. > - What's next? The proposed penalties of 25-year jail terms and $20 million in fines will be introduced in parliament today.
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Australia's minimum and award wages to increase by 3.75 per cent after Fair Work Commission ruling
www.abc.net.au Danielle is one of 2.6 million workers who will receive a pay rise next monthThe Fair Work Commission has announced Australia's minimum wage and award wages will increase by 3.75 per cent, taking the national minimum wage to $24.10 per hour or $915.91 per week from July 1.
> > > * In short: The Fair Work Commission has increased both the minimum and award wages by 3.75 per cent. > * The decision means the national minimum wage will be $24.10 per hour or $913.91 per week, based on a 38-hour week. > * What's next? The increase to minimum and award wages will take effect from July 1. > >
Additional coverage:
- The Conversation: Low-paid wages up 3.75%, with more to come for childcare and health professionals
- SBS (audio): Australia's trade unions disappointed by minimum wage changes
- The Business Times: Australia raises minimum wage 3.75%, aiding inflation fight
- ABC: Fair Work's wage rise may keep the economy on its 'narrow path' but leaves many households teetering on the edge
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More stellar reporting from the abc on 1,4 butanediol smuggling.
www.abc.net.au Thousands of litres of date rape drug 'bute' found concealed in body oil bottles in SydneyThe AFP are warning importers of the date rape drug known as 'bute' will face heavy penalties after more than 4,000 litres of the substance have been seized in Sydney since a change in legislation in March made it a border-controlled drug.
I read this while enjoying a glass of the date rape drug known as Shiraz which some users consume to the point of death.
You could power a city on my eyerolls. My message to the community is to demand reasonable and measured reporting on drugs, and sensible drug policy with a harm minimisation orientation.
Or you know, let's get hysterical about people taking a ghb prodrug that's harder to dose and more likely to be contaminated because it's easier to import than GHB. That'll keep the kids safe.
- www.abc.net.au ABC says Laura Tingle's Sydney Writers' Festival comments did not meet editorial standards
ABC News director Justin Stevens says comments made by political journalist Laura Tingle at Sydney Writers' Festival did not meet the organisation's editorial standards.
- www.railexpress.com.au Pacific National CEO announces resignation - Rail Express
Pacific National’s managing director and CEO Paul Scurrah has announced his impending resignation from the freight rail company “with mixed emotions”
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Police tell students at Australian National University pro-Palestine encampment to leave by midday tomorrow
www.abc.net.au Students given deadline to leave pro-Palestine encampment at Australian National UniversityProtesters at a pro-Palestine encampment are given a deadline of midday tomorrow to leave or risk facing further police involvement.
> - In short: Police have given university students at an on-campus Gaza solidarity encampment a deadline of midday tomorrow to leave or risk further action, including arrests. > - The Australian National University also issued a directive to students to leave, saying the encampment posed "serious safety concerns". > - What's next? Protest activity has died down and students are considering the deadline.
- www.abc.net.au Perth mother and daughter shot dead by friend's ex-partner in double murder-suicide
The gunman who shot and killed a mother and her teenage daughter in Perth's affluent western suburbs did so because he thought his ex-partner was at the property.
- www.abc.net.au Art world mourns death of 'superstar' Aboriginal artist
Tributes are flowing from friends and the art world for a trailblazing contemporary Aboriginal Australian artist.
Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name of a person who has died.
- www.abc.net.au Three Australians in intensive care in Thai hospitals as more Singapore Airlines passengers begin journeys home
Up to 12 Australians who were on the London-to-Singapore flight that suffered extreme turbulence this week remain in two hospitals in Bangkok.
Not quite Australia, but I thought it was worth sharing anyway
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Dutton threatens to pull Australia from [international] criminal court
www.aap.com.au Dutton threatens to pull Australia from criminal courtThe opposition leader has floated withdrawing Australia from the world's top criminal court after taking issue with prosecutors pursuing Israeli leaders.
> Mr Dutton says the Albanese government should pressure the court “to make sure that they reverse this terrible decision”. > > The opposition leader says a coalition government could cut ties with the court if it failed to bow to pressure. > > “I don’t rule it out,” he said on Wednesday. > > “But I think the pressure at the moment needs to be for like-minded countries that share our values, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder … to make sure that this anti-Semitic stance that they’ve taken does not advance.” > > Only a handful of state parties have withdrawn from the court and two of those countries rescinded their withdrawal before it came into effect.
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[Australia's] First ever human case of bird flu detected in Victorian child returning to Australia
www.abc.net.au First ever human case of bird flu detected in Victorian child returning to AustraliaA Victorian child has tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza after returning to the country from overseas earlier this year. The Department of Health says transmission to humans is rare.
> - In short: Bird flu or avian influenza has been detected in a Victorian child after they returned from overseas. > - There is a current global outbreak of the infectious viral disease in birds and animals. > - What's next? The Department of Health says there is no evidence of transmission in Victoria.
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Bird flu detected at Vic poultry farm - strain not confirmed yet
www.abc.net.au Bird flu detected at Victorian poultry farm, authorities confirmAgriculture Victoria says it is investigating a number of poultry deaths at an egg farm near Meredith, south of Ballarat.
Fingers crossed its not H5N1.
- www.abc.net.au Two by Two sect survivors wait years to access National Redress Scheme
A survivor of a fundamentalist Christian sect says getting access to the scheme will provide "closure" for what happened to her.
- www.sbs.com.au Senate condemns 'from the river to the sea' chant after Labor MP broke ranks
Labor has backed a motion introduced by the Opposition that condemned the pro-Palestinian "from the river to the sea" chant a day after it was repeated by one of its senators as she accused Israel of genocide.
- www.theguardian.com No increase to base jobseeker rate in budget means Centrelink payment remains below poverty line
There will be no change to unemployment payments despite a government committee and several social services groups calling for an increase
(I originally posted this in c/Australia, but I realised this is essentially just another take on an ABC article that was posted a week ago so moved it here)
- www.abc.net.au Families face 'loss, guilt and anger' as they deal with a genetic disease that has no cure or treatment
For years now, Natalia Rossiter has provided 24-hour care for her husband who has Huntington's disease, but she wonders how she can continue without psychological support.
- www.sbs.com.au 'From the river to the sea': Labor senator breaks ranks to accuse Israel of genocide
Labor senator Fatima Payman has directly addressed Anthony Albanese in a speech criticising Israel over the war in Gaza, asking for sanctions to be imposed.
> She directly addressed Albanese: "I ask our prime minister and our fellow parliamentarians, how many international rights laws must Israel break for us to say enough? What is the magic number? How many mass graves need to be uncovered before we say enough? How many images of bloody limbs of murdered children must we see?" > > Payman called on her colleagues to "stand up for what is right" and said Australia should impose sanctions, engage in divestments, stop trade with Israel, and call for a permanent ceasefire.
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Mortgage lender Firstmac suffers cyberattack, customer data including driver's license numbers and banking details leaked
www.abc.net.au Firstmac customer data including driver's license numbers and banking details exposed in cyber attackA spokesperson for Firstmac said the company was aware of the incident and was urgently investigating it with cyber security experts, but the investigation would take some time due to its complexity.
- www.theguardian.com David McBride: former army lawyer sentenced to five years for stealing and leaking Afghanistan war documents
McBride, who had pleaded guilty to stealing commonwealth information and passing it to the ABC, receives non-parole jail term of 27 months
Complete bullshit. Regimes that punish whistleblowers harder than war criminals reveal themselves as dreaming of tyranny.
The entire trial was cooked, and I'm furious :(
That non parole period is nuts too, pure revenge. What danger does this man represent? If he's out on the streets some war criminals better watch their backs?
edit: I should add, it's also quite frustrating that at the end of all this top brass has had no light shone on them, which was his initial goal on leaking. He thought the SAS was being investigated overmuch as a distraction from leadership failures. I guess we'll never know. A slap on the wrist for the executioners, no systematic investigation, and an inconvenient man in gaol.
- www.theguardian.com Australian man says border force made him hand over phone passcode by threatening to keep device indefinitely
Tech entrepreneur who lives in the US says he has been held up at Sydney airport for hours three times in the past year
- www.abc.net.au Homeless family says farmer exploited them for labour after 4,000km cross-country journey
A farmer's offer of a place to settle in return for work came as a huge relief to a mother of six after a desperate search for housing — until his demands escalated. Advocates worry more property owners are taking advantage of vulnerable people.
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Government moves to fund students on university placements for teaching, nursing and social work
www.abc.net.au Government unveils funding lifeline for cash-strapped uni students doing mandatory unpaid placementsThe government announces a new $319 weekly practical payment to ease the financial strain of unpaid student placements.
Fucking finally, but it's disappointing it isn't more.
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HECS indexation to be overhauled in budget with $3 billion in student debt 'wiped out'
www.abc.net.au HECS changes to see $3 billion in student debt 'wiped out'Millions of Australians with student loans will have hundreds of dollars wiped from their HECS debts as the federal government rolls out its plans for cost-of-living relief in the upcoming budget.
Student debts will be lowered for more than three million Australians under reforms designed to stop HECS loans growing faster than wages.
Loan indexation will now match whichever is lower out of the Consumer Price Index or the Wage Price Index — which the government says will prevent another shock increase like last year's 7.1 per cent increase.
The changes will be introduced in the 2024 budget and, pending getting through parliament, will take effect from June.
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Bonza staff queue at Centrelink for emergency payments as airline administrators confirm April wages will not be paid
www.abc.net.au Bonza staff 'screaming and crying' after being told they won't be paid for AprilEmployees say they have been told to seek emergency payments from Centrelink as the troubled airline can't afford to pay them.
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Federal government commits $160 million for creation of national firearms register
www.abc.net.au A national firearms register was floated in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre. Three decades on, it will be a realityPolice officers will soon be able to access near real-time information on firearms and who owns them after the federal government committed hundreds of millions of dollars to implement a national firearms register.
> > > * In short: The federal government has committed $160 million to implement a national firearms register after state and territory leaders agreed to the idea last year. > * The register will be a central hub of data from each state and territory, allowing near real-time information sharing across the country. > * What's next? States and territories now need to reform their firearms management systems, with the aim to have the register fully operational within four years. > >