Some news from Australia today.
A blood test to detect Alzheimers early. This sounds promising.
Safer Exchange Sites have been permanently created at 35 round-the-clock police stations in metropolitan and regional areas, following a 2022 trial at stations across Melbourne's north-east.
The safe zones aim to provide a safe space with clear signage, good lighting and CCTV for buyers and sellers to carry out sales.
Russia and China have been accused of blocking every proposal at an international conference tasked with conserving Antarctic marine life.
The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) wrapped up its annual meeting in Hobart on Friday.
Key proposals presented at the meeting included establishing new marine protected areas in the waters surrounding Antarctica and revisions to the krill fishery management plan.
Regards to all
Matildagirl
Right-wing American commentator Candace Owens has been refused entry to Australia for her upcoming speaking tour.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke confirmed the conservative online influencer would not be granted a visa, saying "Australia's national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else".
hehheh!
I wish I could like this post a hundred times. We could say the same about her in the US, but we're stuck with her, unfortunately.
Good morning Forum
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-14/labor-unveils-electoral-reform-plans/104602248
Labor is pushing for the biggest shake-up of funding and disclosure laws in more than a decade to curtail an "arms race" it says is being fuelled by billionaires, while also offering parties and candidates more taxpayer dollars for every vote.
The overhaul, set to be introduced to parliament on Monday, would limit political donors to $20,000 per candidate in a calendar year.
An "anti-avoidance provision" would also cap donors at $600,000 in total to apply to companies, individuals, business groups, unions and any other givers.
Separately, candidates would for the first time face spending limits, set at $800,000 per candidate and $90 million for a political party across the nation.
Near real-time disclosure of donations would also be introduced under the changes, as well as a dramatic slashing in the threshold for disclosure to $1,000 from the current level of $16,900.
Labor (like Democrats) is hopeful the bill can pass in the next fortnight after an in-principle, though not yet iron-clad, agreement with the Coalition (like republicans).
It still has to be put to Parliament then to the Senate to pass so could get changes but it does look like both main parties are sort of in agreement, will see what happens.
we do have an advantage with compulsory voting, the candidates don’t need to get people to come to vote they need to have the policies that people want to get their vote.
Regards to all
Matildagirl
“Australia has broken ranks with the United States and Israel to vote in favour of a draft United Nations resolution recognising "permanent sovereignty" of Palestinians to natural resources in the occupied territories for the first time in more than two decades.
A total of 155 countries voted in favour of the draft resolution in a UN committee, including Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, Germany and Japan.”
The US voted against the proposal along with Israel.
The vote follows previous decisions by the Albanese government in the UN which have hardened Australia's stance against Israel's actions in Gaza.
Netanyahu with this war and how he is running it seems to be turning every one off Israel these days.
Regards to all
Matildagirl
I think maybe now that Trump is the incoming President, Australia and other countries are going to look to other markets in the world to limit the damage from his Tariffs. To limit any damage from his policies.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-15/apec-climate-donald-trump-albanese/104603996
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is using a week-long trip to South America to pitch Australia as a safe and reliable country to invest in, especially if the incoming US president follows through on his climate threats.
While the US accounts for a quarter of global trade, Mr Albanese was at pains to tell reporters that relationships with China, India and Indonesia would be just as important to Australia's future.
"Increasingly, population will be a driver of economic growth. And that's why countries in our region, such as China, but also Indonesia, India and other nations, will have considerable economic growth in the future," he said.
"And that's why Australia is well positioned as a country that is located in the fastest growing region of the world in human history. That represents opportunity."
On the eve of Mr Albanese’s meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping as part of the APEC and G20 talks in South America, state-run paper, China Daily, praised the Prime Minister’s “strategic authority” in the face of the “unprecedented geopolitical complexity and uncertainty” stirred by the recent election of US President-elect, Donald Trump.
Regards to all
Matildagirl
Something to take your mind off the current situation for at least 5 minutes. We as a country are renowned for dangerous animals just waiting to kill you. I thought you might like to know which is our deadliest animal, we have so many to choose from like crocodiles, great whites, cassowary’s, box jelly fish, taipans which are the most deadliest snake in the world. Who will it be?
From 2001 to 2021, Australia recorded 713 animal-related deaths, averaging 34 fatalities per year, NCIS reported.
Cheers
Matildagirl
https://www.stuff.co.nz/culture/360502473/controversial-us-speaker-candace-owens-banned-new-zealand
You will be pleased to know she has also been banned in New Zealand.
Cheers
Matildagirl
NZ seems to have its sh*t together. I have family in NZ; while they have their complaints about the government, it is much more sensible than what we have.
Well our government has just passed laws to prevent children under 16 from using social media. Not sure how that will work or how successful the outcome will be. The reasoning being how it affects their mental well-being.
I gather the world is watching this experiment.
Elon is not happy about it.
“This is a global problem and we want young Australians essentially to have a childhood,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last week.
“We want parents to have peace of mind.”
Polling has shown that parents widely support the ban.
“For too long parents have had this impossible choice between giving in and getting their child an addictive device or seeing their child isolated and feeling left out,” Amy Friedlander, a mother of three from the Wait Mate movement, recently told the BBC.
“We’ve been trapped in a norm that no one wants to be a part of.”
Regards to all
Matildagirl
A bit of history on the lamb ad, it’s 20 this year.
2025 lamb ad
Regards to all
Matildagirl