Jamu Barokahs: Oktober 2019

Rabu, 30 Oktober 2019

Australia's 'backpacker tax' ruled illegal by court - BBC News

Australia has used a so-called "backpacker tax" to illegally tax foreign workers from eight countries, according to a landmark ruling.

In 2017, the government imposed a controversial 15% tax rate on two visa categories for working holiday-makers.

But a court on Wednesday found the levy was in breach of existing treaties with the UK, US, Germany, Finland, Chile, Japan, Norway and Turkey.

Tens of thousands of foreign nationals may be owed money, local media said.

The Australian Tax Office said it was considering whether to appeal against the ruling.

The levy was challenged by an international tax company on behalf of a British tourist, Catherine Addy, who worked in Australia between 2015 and 2017.

She welcomed the ruling, telling ABC News: "I think it is wrong that foreigners should be taxed more harshly than Australians when they are doing the same work."

About 150,000 foreigners travel to Australia every year on working holiday visas, with many finding work in the farming and hospitality industries.

What did the court find?

The Federal Court of Australia said the tax could not be applied to citizens of those eight countries who had been employed on category 417 or 462 visas.

This was due to treaties which required Australia to tax those foreign nationals in the same way as local workers.

Unlike foreign workers in Australia, locals do not pay any tax until their yearly income exceeds A$18,200 (£9,700; $12,500). In contrast, foreign workers on 417 or 462 visas are taxed 15% on the first $37,000 they earn.

In his ruling, Justice John Logan described the tax as "a disguised form of discrimination based on nationality".

During her working holiday, Ms Addy lived mainly in a house share in Sydney's Earlwood, a point that proved to be crucial to the case.

This meant she was considered a "resident" for tax purposes in Australia, while other foreign nationals who move around may be considered "non-residents".

The ruling may force the government to repay hundreds of millions of dollars in total, local media reported.

What reaction has there been?

Taxback.com, the accounting firm that organised the lawsuit, said it was clear the "backpacker tax" breached several international agreements when it was introduced in 2016.

"It also damaged Australia's reputation as a working holiday destination," Joanna Murphy, the firm's CEO, said.

The Australian Tax Office sought to play down the ruling, saying it would have no impact for most working holidaymakers.

"This decision only affects the tax rates applying to a minority of working holiday-makers who are also residents, and only those from countries affected by a similar clause in the double tax agreement with their home country," it said.

'It's very unfair'

Colin Mathews, 25, from Cornwall, lived and worked in Australia between October 2018 and May 2019, with his fiancée Emily.

When he returned from Australia, Mr Mathews said he had 15% deducted from wages he earned at a call centre.

"Local Australians couldn't believe we had to pay extra tax," Mr Mathews told the BBC. "I'm not averse to paying tax - I was using Australian services - but it should be on the same terms."

Oliver Bastock, from Derbyshire, is currently living in Melbourne and works in marketing, after moving to Australia in June 2018.

He said the tax system was confusing, adding he had no idea "why you don't get anything back".

What did the court find?

The Federal Court of Australia said the tax could not be applied to citizens of those eight countries who had been employed on category 417 or 462 visas.

How the tax was imposed after controversy

This was due to treaties which required Australia to tax those foreign nationals in the same way as local workers.

Unlike foreign workers in Australia, locals do not pay any tax until their yearly income exceeds A$18,200 (£15,700; $23,400).

In his ruling, Justice John Logan described the tax as "a disguised form of discrimination based on nationality".

It may force the government to repay hundreds of millions of dollars in total, local media reported.

Selasa, 29 Oktober 2019

Shark bites 2 British men on Australia's Great Barrier Reef - NBCNews.com

CANBERRA, Australia — A shark bit off a British tourist's foot and mauled another's leg on Tuesday as the men snorkeled on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, officials said.

The men had been on a snorkeling tour in the Whitsunday Islands when they were attacked, tour organizer ZigZag Whitsundays said.

Officials did not immediately release the men's names but said they were 22 and 28 years old.

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The shark severed one man's right foot and then circled back and mauled the other's right calf, Queensland state Ambulance Service spokeswoman Tracey Eastwick reported.

They were brought 7 miles by boat to the mainland town of Airlie Beach where paramedics were waiting for them, an ambulance official said. They were then flown by helicopter to a hospital in the city of Mackay in serious but stable condition, RACQ CQ Rescue said.

"An English tourist has had his foot bitten off and another has serious lacerations to his lower leg after a shark attack in the Whitsundays today," the helicopter rescue service said in a statement.

The victims told the helicopter crew "they were wrestling and thrashing about in the water" in a passage between Hayman and Whitsunday Islands when they were attacked, the statement said.

A shark killed a man in November last year in a Whitsunday Island harbor where two tourists had been mauled a month earlier.

The 33-year-old victim had been diving from a paddle board while on a yacht cruise.

The spate of attacks in the Whitsundays left authorities struggling to explain an apparent escalation in danger in the internationally renowned vacation destination. In September last year, two Australian tourists were mauled on consecutive days, including a 12-year-old girl who lost a leg.

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2019-10-29 10:41:00Z
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Australia Says Google Misled Consumers Over Location Tracking - The New York Times

SYDNEY, Australia — Australian regulators on Tuesday accused Google of misleading consumers about its collection of their personal location information through its Android mobile operating system, the latest government action against a tech company over its handling of vast quantities of user data.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleged in a lawsuit that Google falsely led users to believe that disabling the “Location History” setting on Android phones would stop the company from collecting their location data. But users were actually required to also turn off a second setting, “Web and App Activity,” that was enabled by default.

Google did not properly disclose the need to disable both settings from January 2017 until late 2018, the suit alleges. The company changed its user guidance after The Associated Press revealed in August 2018 that it was continuing to collect the data even after the Location History setting was switched off.

The commission also said that while Google made it clear to users what features they would lose by turning off location services, the company did not inform them adequately about what it would do with the data collected.

“This is part of a system of not being able to make informed choices about what’s being done with your data,” said Rod Sims, the commission’s chairman.

Mr. Sims called the lawsuit the first of its kind by a national government against a tech company over its use of personal data. The agency is seeking what he called significant financial penalties against Google, among other corrective measures. He added that he hoped the case would raise awareness among consumers over how much data is being collected.

“We need to be getting ahead of them, because this is a whole new world,” he said of data collection issues.

A Google spokeswoman said in a statement that the company was reviewing the allegations. She said Google would continue to engage with the commission over its concerns but intended to defend itself.

The action by Australian regulators comes as governments and consumer groups around the world have expressed growing concern about the power of tech companies, including their collection of personal data from devices that are indispensable to the lives of billions of people.

Consumer groups from several European countries had already sued Google over the location tracking issue under a comprehensive data privacy law adopted in Europe last year. Under that law, a French agency fined Google 50 million euros, or about $55 million, in January for not properly disclosing to users how it collected data to create personalized ads.

In the United States, regulators approved a $5 billion fine against Facebook this year over its role in allowing Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm hired by President Trump’s 2016 election campaign, to gain access to private information on more than 50 million Facebook users.

While Google has made changes to Android in later iterations that limit the location data it gathers, the business incentives for collecting as much personal data as possible remain great. Location-targeted advertising is worth an estimated $21 billion a year, and Google, along with Facebook, dominates the mobile ad market.

The Australian lawsuit is in part the product of a 19-month investigation by the consumer commission into the market power of Google and Facebook. It issued 23 recommendations, including an overhaul of privacy laws, to limit their reach and force them to take more responsibility for the content they disseminate.

The Australian government has also passed legislation challenging the power of tech companies, including a law in 2018 that compelled tech-industry giants to disable encryption. And under a new law criminalizing “abhorrent violent material” online, Australia is using the threat of fines and jail time to pressure platforms like Facebook to block such content, and it is moving to take down websites that hold any illegal content.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/world/australia/australia-google-location.html

2019-10-29 10:07:00Z
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Shark attacks tourist off Australian coast, believed to have returned for another - Fox News

Two tourists snorkeling off the northeast coast of Australia were mauled in a brutal shark attack where the predator is believed to have attacked one of the swimmers first and then return for the other.

"One of the male patients was attacked first and the shark is believed to have returned and attacked the second patient," Tracey Eastwick, of Queensland Ambulance Service, told ABC.

A rescue helicopter seen on its way to rescue two shark victims off the Australian coast. (RACQ CQ RESCUE)

The scene was chaotic, according to Reuters. The men reportedly told emergency workers that they were thrashing in the water before the attack. The two men are in their 20s and were swimming in Queensland’s Whitsunday Islands.

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Shark attacks in the area are not uncommon, according to the BBC. Last September, there were two other attacks that resulted in a 12-year-old girl losing her leg.

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2019-10-29 05:34:39Z
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Jumat, 25 Oktober 2019

Australia's Uluru scaled by final climbers before ban on sacred site goes into effect - Fox News

Nature seemed to be siding with indigenous Australians' demand for Uluru to be respected as a sacred site on Friday when high winds threatened to prematurely end the generations-old tradition of climbing the sandstone monolith.

Rangers warned hundreds of anxious tourists who gathered at the base of the iconic rock before dawn that they would miss their last opportunity to ever scale its 1,140-foot summit unless blustery conditions subsided.

But the winds calmed and the first of around 1,000 climbers began their ascent at a chain handhold up the steep western face three hours later than scheduled. An indigenous onlooker booed them.

The ascent was permanently closed to climbers late in the afternoon, while those already on the rock had until unset to find their way down. A potential medical problem was reported with a climber but authorities could not immediately provide details.

Tourists climb the sandstone monolith called Uluru that dominates Australia's arid center at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, the last day climbing is allowed. (AAP via AP)

Janet Ishikawa flew from her Hawaiian home to central Australia to make the climb on the final possible day. She likened the Uluru controversy to a furor over plans to build a giant telescope on Hawaii's highest peak, which protesters consider sacred.

"It's a total overreaction. All of a sudden they want to take ownership of all this stuff," Ishikawa said. "They say you shouldn't climb because of all this sacred stuff. I can still respect it and climb it."

CHRIS THE SHEEP, KNOWN FOR WORLD-RECORD AMOUNT OF WOOL, DIES IN AUSTRALIA

The ban was a unanimous decision made two years ago by 12 members of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Management. But it's an outcome that has divided both indigenous Australians as well as the wider world.

The polarity of opinions has been highlighted in recent months as thousands of visitors converged on one of Australia's most famous landmarks to make a final trek to the top. Tourists have been illegally camping on roadsides for miles because the local camping ground and accommodation were booked.

Sammy Wilson, who chaired the board that banned the climb, described the prohibition as a cause for celebration. Wilson is member of the Anangu tribe who are Uluru's traditional owners.

"If I travel to another country and there is a sacred site, an area of restricted access, I don't enter or climb it, I respect it," Wilson said. "It is the same here for Anangu. We welcome tourists here. We are not stopping tourism, just this activity."

Tourists line up waiting to climb the sandstone monolith called Uluru that dominates Australia's arid center at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, the last day climbing is allowed. (AAP via AP)

There has long been tension within the indigenous population around the money that climbers bring and the rock's significance as a sacred site.

"I am happy and sad, two ways," said Kevin Cooley, a resident of the Mutitjulu indigenous community in the rock's shadow who collects the Uluru tourists' garbage. He fears that tourist numbers and the local economy will decline.

The biggest drop in foreign visitors could be the Japanese who have proven to be the most committed climbers. Signs around the rock have long discouraged climbing, describing Uluru as a "place of great knowledge" and noting that Anangu traditional law prohibits climbing.

MISSING AUSTRALIAN WOMAN FOUND IN OUTBACK AFTER 'SOS' MESSAGE SPOTTED ON SECURITY CAMERA

The proportion of visitors who climb has been steadily declining, with more than four in five respecting the Anangu's wishes in recent years.

The Anangu refer to tourists as "munga," or ants. The analogy was clearest in recent weeks with queues forming long before the climb opens at 7 a.m. each day at the base of the rock's steep western face. From there, an eclectic mix of climbers begin their ascents in narrow columns.

Prominent indigenous academic Marcia Langton reacted to the stream of climbers with a tweet: "A curse will fall on all of them."

"They will remember how they defiled this sacred place until they die & history will record their contempt for Aboriginal culture," Langton added.

At least 37 climbers have died, mostly from medical events, since 1948, when the first road was built in the hope of attracting tourists. Every death causes the Anangu anguish.<br data-cke-eol="1">

Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt said he was disappointed by the final rush to climb the rock, which is renowned for its changing colors with the seasons and the time of day.

"It would be equivalent to having a rush of people climbing over the Australian War Memorial, if I can be so brazen in that regard, because sacred objects, community by community, are absolutely important in the story of that nation of people," said Wyatt, who is indigenous.

Reaching the rock doesn't guarantee the summit is attainable. Climbing is often canceled at short notice because of high winds or heat.

At least 37 climbers have died, mostly from medical events, since 1948, when the first road was built in the hope of attracting tourists. Every death causes the Anangu anguish.

Denying climbers access to the World Heritage-listed landform is part of an evolution of the Australian narrative since British colonization that has traditionally edited out the original inhabitants.

While the rock had been known as Uluru for thousands of years, British-born explorer William Gosse was credited with discovering it in 1873 and named it Ayers Rock after the then-premier of the British colony of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers.

BOA CONSTRICTOR 'AT LARGE' IN AUSTRALIAN TOWN, 'FRESHLY SHED' SKIN DISCOVERED

In 1993, it became the first official dual-named feature in the Northern Territory when it was renamed "Ayers Rock / Uluru." The order of the names was reversed a decade later at the request of regional tourism operators.

But the tourist accommodation nearest Uluru retains the name Ayers Rock Resort, in deference to the monetary value of the international brand recognition that has built up around it.

The date of the closure is also significant in the history of restored indigenous influence in the region. Saturday — the day from when climbing becomes punishable by a 6,300 Australian dollar ($4,300) fine — marks 34 years since the federal government gave the Anangu the land title to the national park in which Uluru stands.

The traditional owners immediately returned the park to the government under a 99-year lease on condition that the park is jointly run by a board with a majority of Anangu members.

Grant Hunt, chief executive of Ayres Rock Resort operator Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, dismissed predictions of a significant decline in tourism. He said bookings in November after the climb's closure were at a record high, with around 95% occupancy booked for the first three weeks.

"The traveling public have become much more culturally mature than they were 20 years ago," Hunt said. "Most people expect this and in fact want it to happen."

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"There's a minority who still don't, of course, and you always get that with any decision, but certainly our research and feedback says about 80% of people are supportive of the climb closing," he added.

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2019-10-25 11:28:01Z
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Does Australia Have to Bring Its Women and Children Home From Syria’s Camps? - The New York Times

The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Sign up to get it by email. This week’s issue is written by Livia Albeck-Ripka, a reporter with the Australia bureau.

Early last week, I took a road trip from Melbourne to Canberra. In many ways, it was a normal Australian road trip: an eclectic playlist, dead kangaroos on the road, and, of course, a stop at The Dog on the Tuckerbox.

But, it also wasn’t.

I was driving with Kamalle Dabboussy, whose 28-year-old daughter, Mariam Dabboussy, has been languishing for months in a camp for the families of ISIS fighters in Syria, together with her three children.

Mr. Dabboussy was making his way to Parliament House to lobby to get his daughter, and the more than 65 other women and children from Australia who are stuck there, brought home.

“If there is a will, there will be a way,” Mr. Dabboussy told reporters gathered in the courtyard of Parliament House on Tuesday last week. He pleaded to lawmakers: “Make them safe.”

On Monday and Tuesday this week, we aired Part I and Part II of Mr. Dabboussy’s story on “The Daily,” and since then, many have asked for more details on the stories of these women and children, as well as the complexities involved in repatriating them.

Here are answers to some of those questions:

How did the women end up there? Is it true they were all forced or tricked?

While the details of many of the women’s stories are unknown, some have come forward to explain themselves, including Mariam Dabboussy. She says that in late 2015, she was forced by gunpoint over the Turkish border with Syria, after traveling there in what her husband claimed was an attempt to extract a relative who was trying to escape the Islamic State.

Other women entered ISIS territory as teenagers, and are now adults with multiple children themselves — their relatives cite this as evidence that they were forced, and are not culpable. A lack of evidence as to what the women did under the ISIS regime can make it difficult to verify some of their claims.

Why won’t the Australian government bring them home?

The Australian government cites multiple reasons for not repatriating the women. It has maintained that it would not put other lives in harm’s way to extract them from the Al-Hol camp, and following the pullout of U.S. troops from the region, these dangers have only escalated. Even if the current cease-fire holds, the Australian government has said it is still far too risky to consider getting them out.

Second, ministers have said they have evidence that some of these women are radicalized, and could pose a threat.

Third, they argue that the women are simply suffering the consequences of their own decisions, and while that is unfortunate, it is not the government’s responsibility to extract them.

Legally, what does the Australian government owe these people? Doesn’t it have to bring them back?

The lawyers acting on behalf of the women argue that yes, Australia has a constitutional duty to repatriate citizens and apply due process. These legal obligations, they say, include a duty to investigate crimes of an international nature, and to protect Australian citizens who are detained overseas.

United Nations Security Council resolutions mandate that countries take action to have their citizens who joined the Islamic State brought before the law.

Policy experts also say that the state has a duty to take the children of those mothers who are radicalized into state custody. And others argue that the government has a moral obligation to extract children who had no say in their parents’ journey to Islamic State territory.

Are the children actually Australian?

While many of the children in Al-Hol were born in Syria, they can be conferred citizenship by descent if one or both of their parents are Australian. In order to establish their parentage, however, the Australian government would need to conduct DNA testing. Peter Dutton, the home affairs minister, has repeatedly brought up this process as a hurdle to repatriating the women and children.

So, what’s going to happen to them?

At the moment, the fate of the women and children is unclear. Mr. Dutton has staunchly maintained his position that they will not be removed from the camp or repatriated, but other lawmakers have shown slightly more flexibility. On Tuesday, Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, indicated there may be some chance of repatriation should the women manage to get themselves to a border. Politicians from the opposition Labor Party, as well as independent M.P.s, have also shown empathy toward their plight.

The relatives of the women are becoming increasingly concerned as the region further destabilizes, and as winter approaches, which humanitarian organizations say is likely to cause further sickness, and possibly even death, among those remaining in the Al-Hol camp.

Australia and New Zealand

A Chapter Is Closing at Uluru. But There’s More to This Australian Story. While banning climbing at the iconic rock is a once-unthinkable victory for an Aboriginal people, they still face material hardship and a measure of resistance.
Desperate Pleas to Free Women and Children From ISIS Camps in Syria. The violence that has followed an American pullback has intensified questions about what duty nations like Australia have to citizens detained abroad, even those affiliated with a terrorist group.
Australian Media Redact Their Front Pages to Protest Secrecy Laws. Print, online and on-air news outlets joined together in a concerted campaign to pressure the Australian government to soften its restrictive secrecy laws.
Peter Jackson Has a Lot of Power in New Zealand. Some Say Too Much. The filmmaker’s intervention in a mayoral race, part of an effort to block a housing plan, was unheard-of in a country where money and fame are usually wielded lightly.
‘Jojo Rabbit’ Review: The Third Reich Wasn’t All Fun and Games. The New Zealand director Taika Waititi’s new film mixes farce, fantasy and drama in a Nazi-era coming-of-age story.

Around The Times

The Illustrated Guide to Brexit. What in the world is going on in London? We sent a cartoonist to find out.
Google Claims a Quantum Breakthrough That Could Change Computing. Scientists at a company lab said they had taken a big step toward creating a machine that would make today’s supercomputers look like toys. And here’s an ultra-quick explainer of what quantum computing is.
One Family Built Forever 21, and Fueled Its Collapse. The retailer’s bankruptcy filing, and interviews with former employees, give a rare glimpse into a family-controlled, intensely secretive operation.
Flea Had a Wild Life. Then He Joined Red Hot Chili Peppers. In a new memoir, the bassist describes his Australian beginnings (“Odds are I might be sitting in Australia, drinking a Fosters, working at an oil plant or something”) and how he landed in a storied rock band.

Are you enjoying our Australia bureau dispatches?

Tell us what you think at NYTAustralia@nytimes.com.

Sign up here or forward to a friend. For more Australia coverage and discussion, start your day with your local Morning Briefing and join us in our Facebook group.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/24/world/australia/syria-isis-camps.html

2019-10-25 01:17:00Z
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Selasa, 22 Oktober 2019

Australia's 'shop now, pay later' giant faces regulatory scrutiny - Nikkei Asian Review

SYDNEY -- Australia's Afterpay Touch Group, a market darling of 2019, has seen its stock price down 25% in the past week following speculation that its business model of buy now, pay later may come under more regulatory scrutiny.

The financial technology group has found international popularity through its interest-free installment platform, which has won favor mainly among younger generations. Its stock tripled from the start of the year, only to stumble as UBS issued a bearish assessment last week and Australia's central bank announced plans to review the industry in 2020.

Under CEO Anthony Eisen, the company has notched major growth for its Afterpay service, in which the customer pays just a quarter of the bill at the time of purchase. The rest is automatically withdrawn from the customer's bank account in three successive installments, two weeks apart. Missing a payment date incurs a penalty of 10 Australian dollars ($6.85).

The service requires only a debit card, making it appealing for millennials who, like 1990-born Afterpay co-founder Nick Molnar, came of age around the time of the 2008 global financial crisis. Members of that generation may be less likely to have credit cards.

Afterpay aims to make money not from late-payment penalties, but from usage fees paid by vendors that accept the service. While the company does not disclose its fee scale, it appears to be several percent of a customer's bill.

The installment-pay platform is finding a foothold in markets like the U.S. and U.K. And in the past year, its user base grew to about 5 million, with a total of 30,000-plus vendors, including virtual ones, accepting the service. It has been adopted at Australian budget carrier Jetstar Airways, department stores, dental clinics and elsewhere.

"In Australia, customers who began with us three or more years ago are now transacting more than 20 times per year," the company said in its earnings announcement for the full year ended June 30.

But hurdles remain. The company was ordered by Australia's anti-money-laundering body in June to hire an external auditor. Building up earnings capability while also maintaining trust among consumers, vendors and authorities alike may prove a challenge.

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2019-10-21 20:13:00Z
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Senin, 21 Oktober 2019

Australian newspapers black out front pages as media unites to defend press freedom - CNN

The newspapers and networks are trying to "to highlight the constraints on media organizations under strict national security legislation," Australia's ABC network reported.

The news outlets have joined forces through a coalition known as the "Right to Know." And the joint action has been designed to agitate readers into action.

Australia's leading newspapers blacked out front pages seen on a newsstand in Sydney on October 21, 2019.

Monday's edition of the Herald Sun, part of the News Corp Australia Network, asked, "When government keeps the truth from you, what are they covering up?"

"The straw that broke the camel's back were the raids on News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst (who now faces possible criminal charges, ironically because she reported the government was considering new powers to spy on all of us) and an unrelated raid on the ABC headquarters after a report detailing incidents of Australian special forces troops killing men and children in Afghanistan," according to the Herald Sun.

Australian police deny waging 'war on the media,' but more raids are possible

Those two raids, back in June, stunned press freedom advocates and galvanized opposition to Australia's national security laws.

On Sunday night, "the nation's broadcasters began running campaigns on air" during their prime time lineups, "depicting redacted Freedom of Information requests and arguing the media cannot fulfill its duty in keeping the public informed if its work is being hampered," the ABC network reported.

And on Monday, Australia's biggest newspapers ran redacted front pages, with black eraser lines symbolically scrawled all over the day's top stories.

The redacted front pages are a "united call for greater media freedom following a sustained attack on the rights of journalists to hold governments to account and report the truth to the Australian public," the Australian Business Review said.

The newspaper called the blackout an "unprecedented act of protest against increasing restrictions on the freedom of the press."

Images shared via social media showed rows of newspaper front pages — more than a dozen in total — with blacked out news.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/21/media/australian-newspapers-media-blackout-australia/index.html

2019-10-21 07:41:00Z
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Sabtu, 19 Oktober 2019

Iraqi man charged over deaths of migrants heading for Australia - BBC News

Police in Australia have charged an Iraqi man over a people-smuggling operation which caused the deaths of more than 350 people.

The group of asylum seekers drowned in 2001 after their boat sank during a journey from Indonesia to Australia.

Police say the 43-year-old was part of a syndicate which arranged their travel and accommodation for money.

He is the third person to be charged over the incident, which took place off the coast of Indonesia.

Police said he was taken into custody at Brisbane airport after his extradition from New Zealand, and faces 10 years in prison if found guilty. He will appear at a Brisbane court on 31 October.

Authorities did not name the man, but the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper has identified him as Maythem Radhi.

Mr Radhi has denied responsibility for the deaths, and has been fighting extradition attempts for a decade.

He was granted refugee status in 2009 and had been living in Auckland with his wife and children.

"Let's not lose sight of the fact that more than 350 people died in this tragedy," Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said in a statement. "They are owed justice and we remain committed to deterring those who profit from this trade."

Australian police have continued to investigate the incident, which took place while the boat was heading to remote Christmas Island.

Iraqi national Khaleed Daoed was extradited to Australia from Sweden in 2003 and given a nine-year prison sentence for the operation.

Another key organiser, Egyptian trafficker Abu Quassey, was convicted in his home country in 2003 and given a seven-year sentence.

Australia may restrict where migrants live

Thousands of asylum seekers try to reach Australia by sea every year, many paying huge sums of money to people-smugglers to transport them.

Indonesia is often used as a transit point as international borders in the region are hard to control.

The journey is fraught with danger and Australian authorities frequently conduct rescue operations to assist those trapped at sea.

But immigration continues to be a divisive issue in Australian politics. Australia has also been criticised for its policy of mandatory detention for those arriving without a valid visa.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50107342

2019-10-19 10:57:22Z
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Iraqi man charged over deaths of migrants heading for Australia - BBC News

Police in Australia have charged an Iraqi man over a people-smuggling operation which caused the deaths of more than 350 people.

The group of asylum seekers drowned in 2001 after their boat sank during a journey from Indonesia to Australia.

Police say the 43-year-old was part of a syndicate which arranged their travel and accommodation for money.

He is the third person to be charged over the incident, which took place off the coast of Indonesia.

Police said he was taken into custody at Brisbane airport after his extradition from New Zealand, and faces 10 years in prison if found guilty. He will appear at a Brisbane court on 31 October.

Authorities did not name the man, but the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper has identified him as Maythem Radhi.

Mr Radhi has denied responsibility for the deaths, and has been fighting extradition attempts for a decade.

He was granted refugee status in 2009 and had been living in Auckland with his wife and children.

Australian police have continued to investigate the incident, which took place while the boat was heading to remote Christmas Island.

Iraqi national Khaleed Daoed was extradited to Australia from Sweden in 2003 and given a nine-year prison sentence for the operation.

Another key organiser, Egyptian trafficker Abu Quassey, was convicted in his home country in 2003 and given a seven-year sentence.

Australia may restrict where migrants live

Thousands of asylum seekers try to reach Australia by sea every year, many paying huge sums of money to people-smugglers to transport them.

Indonesia is often used as a transit point as international borders in the region are hard to control.

The journey is fraught with danger and Australian authorities frequently conduct rescue operations to assist those trapped at sea.

But immigration continues to be a divisive issue in Australian politics. Australia has also been criticised for its policy of mandatory detention for those arriving without a valid visa.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50107342

2019-10-19 10:57:17Z
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Kamis, 17 Oktober 2019

Former Anglican dean jailed for raping boy in Australia - BBC News

A former Anglican Dean of Newcastle in Australia has been jailed for raping a 15-year-old boy in 1991.

Graeme Lawrence, now 77, is reported to be the second most senior Australian religious figure to be convicted of child sexual abuse, after Catholic Cardinal George Pell.

Lawrence was Anglican dean in the New South Wales city when he lured the boy to his home and raped him.

A court rejected Lawrence's assertion that he had never met his victim.

Judge Tim Gartelmann sentenced Lawrence to spend a maximum of eight years in jail, saying he had exploited his position of power to abuse the boy.

"The victim and his mother must have trusted him because he was the dean," Judge Gartelmann told the Newcastle District Court, the Australian Associated Press reported.

The court heard Lawrence had invited the boy to his home following a youth concert at Newcastle's Christchurch Cathedral.

He had forced the boy - who "was so scared he was shaking" - to the floor before raping him, the judge said on Thursday.

Lawrence served as dean for 24 years until 2008, but was defrocked by the Anglican church in 2012 after the abuse allegations came to light.

He will be eligible for parole after four-and-a-half years.

Pell, one of the Catholic Church's most senior figures, was jailed for six years in March after being convicted of sexually abusing two boys in the 1990s.

The former Vatican treasurer is waiting to learn whether his final bid to overturn his convictions will be heard by a court.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50077792

2019-10-17 04:48:47Z
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Rabu, 16 Oktober 2019

Australia expels Vietnamese tourist caught with raw pork in her luggage - CNN

(CNN) — Australian border officials kicked a Vietnamese tourist out of the country after they found 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of banned food products in her luggage, including a large amount of raw pork -- amid global concerns over swine fever.

The median baggage allowance for international flights is 23.5 kilograms (52 pounds), meaning almost half of the woman's packing was potentially made up of food products, including both raw and cooked meat, fruit, squid, eggs, pate and garlic.

"The passenger, a 45 year old woman from Vietnam, had her visitor visa canceled for failing to declare an extensive cache of food concealed in her luggage, including over 4.5 kilos of pork," Minister for Agriculture Bridget McKenzie said in a statement. "In the midst of what is potentially the biggest animal disease event the world has seen, it beggars belief that someone would deliberately attempt to bring pork meat past our border."

The woman was traveling with 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) of pork, a particular concern for Australian officials amid a worldwide swine fever epidemic.

Australia Border Force

The woman was flagged by border officials at Sydney airport and pulled aside for a check after she didn't declare any banned items to customs. She is the first tourist to have her visa canceled and be expelled from the country over a breach of biosecurity laws. She will be allowed to return in three years.

"We are watching you," McKenzie told reporters on Tuesday. "She was detected by officials as someone of interest ... she went through the biosecurity questioning, she had not declared, and in her suitcase was 10 kilograms of a mixture of quail, squid, cooked pork products and the like, all of which pose a significant biosecurity risk to our country."

Australia has in the past been devastated by pests and diseases that the native ecosystem has no protections against, and the country has heavy restrictions on what tourists can bring in.

The celebrity couple issues a very serious apology to Australia after smuggling dogs aboard a private jet.

In 2016, actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard made what appeared to be a grovelling public apology in a video produced by the Australian government after they were caught smuggling their two Yorkshire terriers into the country.

"One quarter of the world's pigs will be dead by the end of this year from African swine fever which kills about 80% of the pigs it infects and there's no vaccine and no cure," McKenzie said earlier this month, after the disease was detected in East Timor, less than 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the country's northern coast.

"Since we increased border checks we've been seizing 100 kilograms per week in illegal pork products. Between 5 November 2018 and 31 August 2019 over 27 tonnes of pork were intercepted on air travelers entering Australia."

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https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/australia-vietnam-pork-customs-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

2019-10-16 04:03:24Z
CAIiEBH_Azkl0Rhd20JThJuK1f4qGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

Selasa, 15 Oktober 2019

Boa constrictor 'at large' in Australian town, 'freshly shed' skin discovered - Fox News

There's a slithering bandit on the loose down under.

Officials in Australia are searching a suburb of Sydney where an adult boa constrictor is believed to be "at large" after "freshly shed" snake skin was discovered last week.

Professional snake wrangler Australian Snake Catchers said on Facebook the boa constrictor, about 8.2 feet long is believed to be loose in the Cascades area of Silverdale.

"We have been out to the property and conducted an extensive search of the surrounding area," the group said. "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THIS SNAKE."

KISS TO PERFORM UNDERWATER FOR GREAT WHITE SHARKS IN AUSTRALIA

The New South Wales Government warned residents in a letter the adult boa constrictor was "at large" in or around the Cascades Estate area.

In the letter, the government said it was "in the process of trying to locate and capture the animal and is requesting that residents be on the lookout for it and to report any sightings."

Officials in Australia are searching a suburb of Sydney where an adult boa constrictor is believed to be "at large" after "freshly shed" snakeskin was discovered. (Australian Snake Catchers/Facebook)

Officials sent out the warning after a "freshly shed snake skin" was found at a construction site on Oct 9.

Boa constrictors, native to Central and South America, are considered to be one of the world's largest snake species with an average length of up to nine feet. The reptiles are illegal in Australia, only allowed in zoos for conservation reasons, and are known for being an invasive species.

"The Boa constrictor can represent a threat to humans, particularly small children, as well as domestic pets. It may impact on agricultural activities and it is known to threaten species of amphibians, birds, lizards, snakes and bats," according to the NSW government.

AUSTRALIAN MAN, 19, ARRESTED FOR MOWING DOWN 20 KANGAROOS WITH CAR: POLICE

Sean Cade from Australian Snake Catchers told the BBC he believes the snake was kept as an illegal bpet, and "more than likely been bred in Australia."

Cade also warned the snake can eat prey "four times the size of its stomach."

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"This thing would take a full-sized kangaroo mate, no problem," Cade told the BBC. "The fear is that a young kid will be playing in the back yard, and this snake will mosey on up."

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2019-10-15 11:35:24Z
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Australia Bans Vietnam Traveler as Pig Germ Looms in Luggage - Bloomberg

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Australia Bans Vietnam Traveler as Pig Germ Looms in Luggage BloombergView full coverage on Google News
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-15/australia-bans-vietnam-traveler-as-pig-killer-looms-in-luggage

2019-10-15 03:38:00Z
CAIiEA9WA2TqUimJbhcnKJS3DHIqGQgEKhAIACoHCAow4uzwCjCF3bsCMIrOrwM

Senin, 14 Oktober 2019

Australia town scales up search for stray boa constrictor - BBC News

A search is under way to find a boa constrictor snake believed to be "at large" in a suburb of Sydney, Australia.

The skin of the 2.5m-long (8.2ft) snake was found at a building site in the town of Silverdale in New South Wales.

A professional snake handler was called on 4 October to inspect the skin, found hanging from wooden planks.

The snake, an invasive species originating from South America, could be dangerous to children and pets.

It is illegal to keep boa constrictors, non-venomous snakes which use their hooked teeth to trap and suffocate prey, outside of zoos in Australia.

The local government in New South Wales has warned residents of an "adult boa constrictor at large" in the Cascades area of Silverdale.

In a letter, the government said it was "in the process of trying to locate and capture the animal and is requesting that residents be on the lookout for it and to report any sightings".

Sean Cade, of Australian Snake Catchers, said he was called to the building site by a concerned homeowner, but was unable to locate the reptile.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Cade, 48, said the snake - which can devour prey "four times the size of its stomach" - poses a potential threat to children and pets in the area.

"This thing would take a full-sized kangaroo mate, no problem," Mr Cade said. "The fear is that a young kid will be playing in the back yard, and this snake will mosey on up."

One theory, Mr Cade said, was that the snake had escaped from its enclosure, which may have been left open.

"It's definitely dangerous to animals, particularly dogs or cats," Mr Cade said.

"What happens with these snakes is that they are fed rabbits and guinea pigs. So if people have rabbits and guinea pigs as pets in their backyards, the snake is going to be looking for that."

Mr Cade said the snake had "more than likely been bred in Australia" and kept as an illegal pet.

Boa constrictors are considered to be one of the world's largest snakes, with an average length of around 3m and weight of 10-15kg (22-33lb).

The species originates from Central and South America, including northern Mexico and north-western Argentina.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50039293

2019-10-14 11:22:13Z
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