Tag Archives: Australia

Australia’s 7 News reports: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the strictest gathering recommendations to date. The official advice has tightened to advise that no more than two people gather in public spaces at any given time. Morrison said the two-person maximum would not yet be enforced with on-the-spot fines. “States and territories will decide whether they proceed to make …

The Guardian reports: Australia and New Zealand’s borders will be shut to anyone who is not a citizen or resident, in an escalation of both countries’ efforts to tackle the coronavirus. “At no time in New Zealand’s history has a power like this been used, and I recognise how extraordinary it is,” New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern said on …

The New York Times reports: The actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have been released from an Australian hospital and will remain in self-isolation after being treated for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, their son said in a video statement on Monday. “They’re still self-quarantined obviously, but they’re feeling a lot better so that’s a relief,” their son …

Hemant Mehta reports at The Friendly Atheist: Margaret Court is now the pastor of Victory Life Centre, a Christian church in Perth. They have no plans to close services as a result of the coronavirus, and a message on her website shows just how far Court is willing to take her religious delusions. “We are in agreement that this [COVID-19] …

USA Today reports: A senior cabinet member in Australia’s government who said Friday he is infected with the new coronavirus was pictured last week standing next to Ivanka Trump, Attorney General William Barr and other White House officials. Peter Dutton, who is Australia’s minister for home affairs, released a statement saying he has been diagnosed with the virus – COVID-19 …

The New York Times reports: Tom Hanks had a cold, or so he thought: slight fever, body aches, chills, the usual. In the United States, those symptoms may not be enough to get tested for the new coronavirus. But he and his wife, Rita Wilson, who also felt sick, weren’t at home — they were in Australia. Here, testing is …

Deadline reports: We have just received word that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were tested positive for the coronavirus. Both were down in Australia for the pre-production of Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley film from Warner Bros. In the film, two-time Oscar winner Hanks plays Presley’s longtime manager Colonel Tom Parker. In a separate statement from Warners, they became that …

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: A former Uniting Church minister who also ran one of the country’s most prominent gay conversion therapy programs has been charged with committing historical child sexual offences more than 30 years ago. Former Reverend Ron Charles Brookman, 70, faced a Sydney court on Tuesday over allegations he indecently assaulted a 13-year-old who was in his …

Business Insider reports: Scientists in Melbourne, Australia, have successfully grown the Wuhan coronavirus from a patient sample, which could help provide international experts with crucial information to beat the virus. It’s the first time the virus has been grown in a cell culture outside China. The scientists come from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity — a joint …

Buzzfeed News reports: A young man has died in an apparent suicide the day after footage of him leading a protest against drag queens, alongside members of a right-wing student group, went viral. Wilson Gavin, who was president of the University of Queensland’s conservative Liberal National Club, was heavily criticised for his part in the protest after the footage was …

The Washington Post reports: Australia’s bushfire crisis worsened Thursday night into Friday as hot, dry and windy conditions redeveloped across the country’s hard-hit southeast, causing two large blazes to merge into one. The new “megafire” measures about 1.5 million acres, about the size of the state of Delaware or roughly eight times as large as New York City. “What we’re …

The Friendly Atheist reports: The part of the Mormon Church that oversees the Pacific region has claimed responsibility for causing it to rain in Australia, saying a prayer and fasting event brought life-saving precipitation down on a country where fires have burned 12.35 million acres of land (so far). The Pacific Area Presidency, made up of an area president and …

CNN reports: The Australian state of New South Wales has declared a state of emergency and could begin forced evacuations from fire-stricken areas, as emergency crews battle deadly blazes and brace for a dangerous weekend ahead. State Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Thursday that the emergency declaration would come into effect Friday morning as weather conditions are expected to deteriorate significantly …

The BBC reports: Sydney’s Lord Mayor has defended the decision to press ahead with the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display, despite calls it should have been cancelled due to the bushfire crisis. Speaking earlier on Tuesday, Clover Moore said the celebration would “give hope to people”. Parts of Australia have been ravaged by bushfires intensified by high temperatures and …

Reuters reports: Thousands swarmed to beaches on Australia’s east coast on Tuesday to escape fierce wildfires bearing down on several seaside towns, as the government readied naval vessels and military helicopters to aid firefighting and evacuations. Government officials called for Australian military support and assistance from U.S. and Canadian fire crews as authorities confirmed two people had died overnight, taking …

Reuters reports: Australia’s most populous state declared its second emergency in as many months on Thursday as extreme heat and strong winds stoked more than 100 bushfires, including three major blazes on Sydney’s doorstep. A day after Australia recorded its hottest day on record, thick smoke blanketed the harbor city, shrouded the Opera House and brought many outdoor activities to …

The BBC reports: Rugby player Israel Folau has drawn anger for linking Australia’s bushfire crisis to the nation’s same-sex marriage and abortion laws. Folau, who was sacked by Australia in May for making anti-gay remarks on social media, described the fires as a “little taste of God’s judgement”. Six people have died since last month in blazes raging in eastern …

BBC reports: Two Australian states have declared a state of emergency as bushfires bring a “catastrophic” threat to heavily populated areas of the nation’s east. At least three people are dead and thousands have been displaced by three days of dangerous weather conditions in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland. But officials say the worst danger will come on Tuesday …

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: Sydney has won the right to host the international WorldPride event in 2023 after defeating Montreal and Houston in a vote in Athens on Sunday. Members of the worldwide InterPride network voted for Sydney to host the event in 2023, which will coincide with the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham …

CNN reports: Australian airline Qantas has completed the longest non-stop commercial passenger flight, researching the potential impacts of ultra-long haul flights on pilots, crew and passengers. With 49 people on board, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight completed the 10,066-mile journey from New York to Sydney in 19 hours and 16 minutes. Cameras were mounted in the cockpit to record pilot …