Criticism of Israel or the war in Gaza doesn’t amount to anti-Semitism, the foreign minister says, as Australia grapples with an increase in the vile sentiment. Many in Australia’s Jewish community are feeling scared and unsafe and anti-Semitism must be rejected at every turn, Penny Wong says. “We know that cruel acts of anti-Semitism evoke … Read more
A school bus belonging to an Islamic college has been set alight in Adelaide, engulfing the vehicle in flames. The school bus, which belongs to IQRA College in the city’s south, was parked on Matheson Rd outside the bus driver’s home in Reynella shortly before midnight on Sunday when arsonists set fire to the vehicle. … Read more
Swimmers have been warned to stay away from a popular dam after an organism closely related to a brain-eating amoeba was found during routine water checks. With temperatures steadily reaching the 30s in the next few days, some may have intended to cool off at Drakesbrook Weir, a popular swimming spot 100 kilometres south of … Read more
Peter Dutton has pledged to never address the country as prime minister while flanked by the Indigenous flags because he believes it “divides people unnecessarily”. The Opposition Leader has long appeared publicly without the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags behind him. On Monday night he said Australians should “respect” the flags, but that ultimately … Read more
Safety for tens of thousands of Pacific islander workers in Australia as part of a labour scheme is a major issue with road accidents and exploitation key concerns. The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme benefited Australia and its participants but it could be improved, Employment Minister Murray Watt said as he convened a roundtable … Read more
Remote communities across the country will have free public wi-fi available under a federal government plan aimed at ensuring digital inclusion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Twenty-three communities in the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia have signed up for the $20 million program, which Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said … Read more
Law and order across the Pacific will be bolstered as Australia launches a state-of-the-art training and education facility. The new Australian Federal Police-led centre in Brisbane will be opened on Tuesday by Pacific leaders and Attorney General Mark Dreyfus. The centre will train new police and act as a coordination hub when Pacific nations require … Read more
The improved energy efficiency of new homes has been revealed, sparking calls for politicians not to water down building standards that would result in steeper electricity bills for residents. The typical house built in 2010 or later is twice as energy efficient as one built before then, when new minimum standards in the National Construction … Read more
A trio wanted over the likely terror attack on a synagogue while people were inside remain on the run. The Joint Counter Terror Team (JCTT) is now in charge of the investigation into Friday’s arson at the Adass Israel Synagogue at Ripponlea in Melbourne’s southeast. Authorities declared the fire a likely terror attack on Monday … Read more
Australia has escalated its defence capabilities with top-of-the-range Tomahawk missiles capable of destroying critical infrastructure, in a show of force amid increasing tensions from Beijing in the Pacific. Navy Chief Vice Admiral Mark Hammond confirmed Australia had become the third country to acquire and test fire a long range, precision Tomahawk cruise missile, following a … Read more