Tag Archives: Australia

The New York Times reports: The Trump administration considered imposing tariffs on imports from Australia last week, but decided against the move amid fierce opposition from military officials and the State Department, according to several people familiar with the discussions. Some of President Trump’s top trade advisers had urged the tariffs as a response to a surge of Australian aluminum …

Radio New Zealand reports: The Australian teenager who smashed an egg onto the head of Fraser Anning says he has donated more than $100,000 [$70K USD] to the survivors of the Christchurch terrorist attack. Will Connolly, whose act gained him the nickname Egg Boy on social media, said the money was raised through crowdfunding to cover his legal fees after …

The Independent reports: The anti-immigration politician egged by a teenage boy earlier this year has lost his seat in the Australian parliament following the country’s federal election. Fraser Anning, who sparked outrage when he said Muslim immigration was to blame for the New Zealand mosque shootings, has been defeated in his bid to return to the Senate. His party – …

After he was ousted as Australian prime minister in 2015, Tony Abbott took his anti-LGBT campaign on the road, blasting same-sex marriage in a paid 2016 appearance before the US hate group Alliance Defending Freedom. And now he’s lost his seat in Parliament: Tony Abbott has conceded defeat in Warringah to independent Zali Steggall, revealing he feared his political career …

The Guardian reports: Israel Folau’s rugby career appears over after an independent panel backed Rugby Australia’s intention to rip up his four-year, $4m contract following the player’s controversial social media posts which said hell awaits “drunks, homosexuals, adulterers” and others. The three-member panel, comprising John West QC, Kate Eastman SC and John Boultbee AM, announced on Friday that it had …

The Guardian reports: Israel Folau has been dropped by Asics in response to homophobic social media posts he published last month. The sportswear company is a personal sponsor for Folau as well as the Wallabies and has acted after the 30-year-old was found to have committed a high-level breach of Rugby Australia’s code of conduct. “Asics is dedicated to sport …

Agence France-Presse reports: Wallabies fullback Israel Folau on Wednesday formally challenged Rugby Australia’s decision to sack him over anti-gay social media posts, thrusting the sport into further turmoil ahead of the World Cup. The latest showdown with the devoutly religious 30-year-old — who last year was embroiled in a similar row — came after he posted on his Instagram account …

Australia’s SBS News reports: Rugby Australia and NSW Rugby Union will terminate star player Israel Folau’s contract, following his “disrespectful” social media posts about homosexuals. On Wednesday night, Folau took to Instagram to post an image with a warning that “those that are living in Sin will end up in Hell unless you repent” alongside an image telling “homosexuals” to …

SBS News reports: A petition to ban Royal Brunei Airlines from landing in Australia has gathered steam as Virgin Australian cancelled staff travel on the airline following the country’s introduction of harsh Sharia law that includes the death penalty for gay sex. The petition, directed to the Minister and Shadow Minister for Transport, calls on the government to “commit to …

CBS News reports: An Australian senator was censured by his colleagues on Wednesday for seeking to blame the victims of last month’s mosque shootings and vilify Muslims. Sen. Fraser Anning was the target of widespread condemnation for blaming the attack in New Zealand on immigration policies. He faced more criticism later for physically striking a teenager who cracked a raw …

Australia’s News Corp outlet reports: A gay couple that had booked flights to a tiny Asian nation before it introduced laws allowing it to stone people to death for gay sex received shocking advice from the federal government’s Smart Traveller hotline. Adultery and gay sex in Brunei will be subject to death by stoning and thieves will have their limbs …

The BBC reports: Thousands of Australians have been forced to evacuate their homes in preparation for two potentially devastating cyclones. Over the weekend, Cyclone Trevor will hit the north while Cyclone Veronica will strike the country’s west coast. Destructive winds are expected, while heavy rains and large waves threaten to cause severe flooding. Experts say a “severe impact” is likely …

Global News reports: The “heroic” teen that smashed an egg into the back of the head of an Australian anti-Muslim senator over the weekend has doubled-down on his internet fame by donating his “reward” money to the victims of the horrific New Zealand mosque attacks. William Connolly, who quickly became known as “Egg Boy,” was thrusted into social media fame …

NBC News reports: Australia’s prime minister has suggested an anti-Muslim senator should be charged after he hit a teen who cracked a raw egg over the legislator’s head. Sen. Fraser Anning has been widely condemned for blaming Muslim immigration for racist attacks on two New Zealand mosques that claimed at least 50 lives. The 17-year-old boy who egged Anning has …

The Guardian reports: An Australian senator who blamed the New Zealand terror attack on Muslim immigration has punched a 17-year-old boy after he was egged at an event in Melbourne. Video footage recorded at the event appears to show Fraser Anning, a far-right independent Queensland senator, halfway through a press conference when the teenager cracked an egg over his head …

Two weeks ago the Australian government banned homocon Milo Yiannopoulos from entering the country over anti-Semitic comments and unpaid bills owed to police for his 2017 visit, which drew hundreds of protesters. The ban was going to be reversed after pressure from right wing lawmakers until last night. ABC News Australia reports: Milo Yiannopoulos has been banned from entering Australia …

Australia’s SBS News reports: Senator Fraser Anning has faced criticism from across the political spectrum for his comments on Friday’s mosque attacks in New Zealand. As the death toll rose to 49, the Queensland senator said the “real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in …

NBC News reports: The most senior Catholic cleric ever to be convicted of child sex abuse was sentenced to six years in prison in Australia on Wednesday morning. Cardinal George Pell, 77, faced as many as 50 years in prison after being convicted in December for the molestation of two choir boys while he was the archbishop of Melbourne in …

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: Australia’s aviation safety authority has banned all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from flying to or from the country in the wake of two deadly plane crashes involving the brand new aircraft in the past five months. In what is a major blow for the aerospace giant and an unusual split from American aviation regulators, the …

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: The Morrison government has banned right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos from entering Australia in a fresh crackdown likely to infuriate his conservative supporters but please critics who believe he is anti-Semitic. The Sydney Morning Herald can reveal the controversial speaker was told this week his visa application had been rejected and he cannot enter Australia. In …