A third of employees in Australia’s federal parliament have been sexually harassed, a landmark report has found. The report was commissioned after a former staffer, Brittany Higgins, said she had been raped by a colleague in a minister’s office. Her story earlier this year triggered a wave of wide-ranging allegations of misconduct in Canberra. The...
Category: <span>National</span>
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Australia to ease border ban on some foreign citizens
The Australian government says it will begin significantly relaxing bans on foreigners entering the country, prioritising certain groups. Skilled migrants and international students, as well as Japan and South Korean citizens, will be among those allowed entry from 1 December. All must be fully vaccinated. Australia has implemented some of the world’s tightest border controls...
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Mark McGowan’s Rockingham office staff subjected to rape threats from antivaxxers
WA Premier Mark McGowan’s electoral office has been closed due to ongoing security risks. In a doorstop interview on Wednesday, McGowan revealed that his Rockingham office had been the target of death threats and bomb threats ever since the state government announced mandatory vaccination for much of the state’s workforce. A week after an armoured...
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Queensland hands back Daintree rainforest back to Aboriginal owners
Australia’s Daintree – the world’s oldest tropical rainforest – has been returned to its Aboriginal custodians in a historic deal. The Unesco World Heritage site is over 180 million years old and has been home to generations of Aboriginal people. The Eastern Kuku Yalanji people will now manage the national park with Queensland’s state government....
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Melbourne earthquake rattles southeast Australia
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake has rattled southeast Australia, damaging buildings in the city of Melbourne. The earthquake happened about 09:15 local time on Wednesday at Mansfield, not far from the Victorian state capital. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said “we have had no reports of serious injuries and that is very good news”. The earthquake was...
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Barrier Reef stays off UN ‘in danger’ list
The Great Barrier Reef will not be listed as a World Heritage site “in danger” after a UNESCO committee agreed to delay any decision until 2023. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee met both virtually and in the Chinese city of Fuzhou to vote on the draft decision on Friday night. Federal politicians have lobbied against...
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Sydney Airport rejects $22bln takeover bid
Sydney Airport has rejected a $22.3 billion takeover offer because it undervalues the business, which runs the nation’s biggest aviation hub. The airport was earlier this month approached by a consortium of infrastructure investors with an offer of $8.25 per stapled security. “The boards have concluded that the indicative proposal undervalues Sydney Airport and is...
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Waiting for vaccine slows virus response
Health experts warn Australia’s vaccine coverage is so low that more lockdowns are inevitable. Many older Australians are waiting for an alternative to AstraZeneca before getting a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a government survey. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported 35 per cent of 50 to 69 year olds and 26 per cent of people...
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Indoor masks back in Victoria as virus spreads
Masks are again compulsory indoors in Victoria, as the state’s number of new COVID-19 infections continues to grow. From Thursday, anyone aged over 12 will be required to wear a mask in all indoor settings, including schools and workplaces, unless an exception applies. Masks must also be worn outdoors when social distancing isn’t possible. AAP...
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Tropical Cyclone Seroja wreaks havoc along WA’s mid north coast, rips apart historic One Mile Jetty
Tropical Cyclone Seroja has now weakened after leaving a trail of destruction and thousands of residents without power as it hit Western Australia’s coast overnight. Seroja made landfall south of Kalbarri at 8pm on Sunday as a category three storm, bringing wind gusts of up to 170 kilometres per hour. The fast-moving storm tore roofs...