key events
What We Learned Today, Saturday 18 March
That’s where we’ll leave the blog for now. We’ll bring you more news later, but here are the big news so far:
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transgender rights Protesters clash with neo-Nazis in Melbourne after the controversial UK figure Kelly-Jay Keane Organized an event in the city. After the struggle, Federal Labor MP josh burns There have been calls for “tougher laws” after black-clad men gave the Nazi salute in front of the Victorian Parliament.
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Residents of Kennet River and Eastern View, along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, were urged to evacuate as the state was facing the worst crisis. hazardous fire conditions Since the Black Summer bushfires.
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Australian Passport Office 96% have recovered from the shock of the pandemic with routine issued passports within the standard 10 business days in February, compared to just 46% a year earlier, new data Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade shows.
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Australia’s cannabis industry Greens Senator David Shoebridge has said that the black market can generate up to $25 billion a year and that instead of controlling it, we can legalize it and extract revenue from it.
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The amount of dead fish in the river near Menindi in the latest mass kill appears to eclipse the massive fish kills that occurred in 2018 and 2019. experts said rotting fish and hot weather In the coming days, oxygen will probably reduce the water further.
Thanks to all who are following along.
Labor MP slams ‘ugly alliance between anti-trans hooligans and neo-Nazis’
Clashes between transgender rights protesters and neo-Nazis in Melbourne occurred in response to the Let Women Speak event held in the city today.
The event was hosted by controversial British anti-trans right figure Kelly-Jay Keane Who is currently on a tour of Australia.
Federal Labor MP josh burns Calls for consideration of “tougher laws” after black-clad men perform Nazi salute In front of Parliament House.
The ugly alliance between anti-trans hooligans and neo-Nazis on display in the city today was highly contested.
Both groups seek to bully and blame minority groups in their deep-seated ideology. Sacrifice minorities is their business model, and it has no place in Australia.
A brazen march with a neo-Nazi salute in front of the Victorian Parliament is unacceptable. It is time for us to consider whether stricter laws are needed.
The protest in Melbourne came after Keane events in Sydney and Adelaide this week were met with clashes between anti- and pro-trans rights activists. Keane is scheduled to travel to Hobart on Tuesday and Canberra on Thursday before leaving for New Zealand.
In January, Greens MP Stephen Bates Wrote a letter to Australia’s immigration minister asking for cancellation of Keane’s visa. Bates wrote on Twitter at the time:
Today, I wrote to the Minister for Immigration asking him to revoke the visa of a prominent transphobe who poses a significant risk to members of Australia’s trans and gender diverse community.
There is no place for hate speech in this country. I won’t share his name because I don’t want to amplify his hate speech. The Minister of Immigration has the power to overrule his government’s decision to allow this person to spread hateful views within our community.
Man’s body pulled from water at Manly Beach
NSW Police say a man’s body has been recovered from the water at Manly Beach.
Police said emergency services were called to the beach just before 12.30am on Saturday.
The man has not yet been formally identified, but the circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation.
Melbourne Neo-Nazi Clash – Photos
Here are some images provided by news agency AAP taken by photographer James Ross during clashes between anti-transphobia protesters and neo-Nazis in Melbourne today.
More on those clashes in Melbourne.
Some people on Spring Street have been sharing visuals on social media of black-clad marchers walking past Parliament House giving Nazi salutes and holding Australian flags.
Other footage showed police trying to separate groups on foot and on horseback.
Transgender rights protesters clash with neo-Nazis in Melbourne
Transgender rights protesters have clashed with neo-Nazis in Melbourne’s city centre, with a major road blocked to traffic, according to a report in the AAP.
About 30 people from the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement marched along Spring Street near the Victorian Parliament on Saturday afternoon, calling transgender people offensive names and making Nazi salutes.
The group clashed with hundreds of others who were rallying for transgender rights.
The pro-trans group held up signs that included messages such as “women are not defined by their bodies”.
Police, including mounted officers, worked to keep the two groups apart. Spring Street was closed to traffic in both directions early Saturday afternoon.
magnitude 4.7 earthquake in new zealand
Thousands of Kiwis from Auckland to Queenstown have reported feeling the 4.7 magnitude earthquake that struck near Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island.
geonet The earthquake classification was downgraded to “light” after originally classifying it as “moderate”.
Community urged to look after each other as NSW heats up
As one Unusually long heatwave to hold for autumn New South Wales, the state police have urged the community to look after each other.
Temperatures are expected to max out at 31C in central Sydney, but will reach 40C in parts of western Sydney.
This is the Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Management, Peter Thirtel,
While hot weather may not concern some people, the heat can be especially dangerous for more vulnerable members of the community, including babies and children, older people, or people with illness.
If you know someone who may need help – especially if they live alone or are socially isolated – check-in on them this weekend and make sure they are doing okay and getting what they need.
The RSPCA has also urged pet owners to ensure their animals have adequate access to fresh, cool water as well as shade.
While Surf Life Saving Australia is asking people to take care when heading to waterways following a record number of deaths on or near the water this summer.
Kennet River residents urged to evacuate as extreme fire rating is declared
living in Kennet RiverLocated along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, evacuations are being urged as an extreme fire rating has been declared.
The fire 0.3 km north of the Kennet River has been brought under control, but Bureau of Meteorology has warned that wind gusts in the region will reach between 60 and 70 km/h.
vic emergency predicts wildfires could affect the area between now and 3 p.m.
The Age Viewing Report State Today Worst fire conditions since Black Summer bush fire three years ago
The warning for the Kennet River comes after residents of the Great Ocean Road east view And Memorial Arch Areas were previously recommended to be evacuated due to the risk of bushfires.
NSW premier says PM ‘out of touch’ over Kids Future Fund
A week out from the NSW state election, Premier, Dominic Perrotehave slammed Anthony Albanese Criticized as “out of touch” with the Liberals’ Signature Kids’ Future Fund AAP Report.
The Prime Minister, who is campaigning heavily alongside the NSW Labor leader, Chris MeansSaid a retirement-style fund for children would create a greater divide between rich and poor.
Perrote, who has previously been complimentary about working with Albanese on national cabinet issues, said on Saturday,[Albanese] Absolutely wrong and this is the way of labor.”
Parrott told reporters in the marginal Western Sydney seat of Penrith:
There is no greater investment we can make in the future of our children.
For the Prime Minister to come out yesterday and say he is against NSW Labor setting up a Future Fund account for our children shows how far out of touch he is with the challenges facing families today.
Sections of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road urged to evacuate
People located in the Eastern View and Memorial Arch areas of Great Ocean Road Victoria Evacuation is being urged after the extreme fire rating was declared.
vic emergency reported a bush fire 0.3 km north of Eastern View which is under control, however, Bureau of Meteorology Has issued a warning of wind speed of 60 to 70 km/h in the area.
From 10am the wind was expected to increase and Vic Emergency warned that this could increase fire behaviour.
vic emergency Severe weather warnings were also issued for damaging winds in the central, north central and south west districts of Victoria.
Josh Nichols
Improvement in passport waiting time
Australian Passport Office Has recovered from the pandemic blow with 96% of regular passports issued within the standard 10 business days in February, compared to only 46% a year ago, new data Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade shows.
There has been a surge in passport applications following the reopening of Australia’s international border in early 2022. Processing delays became so pronounced that some applicants waited months or Queues outside passport offices for hours. The number of applicants who paid an additional $225 for priority service in 2021 was double pre-pandemic levels,
department is encouraging Australians to continue applying for passports before travelingThe Passport Office estimates that around 20 million Australians did not renew their passports during the early years of the pandemic, and “most” have yet to reapply.
Passport applications are still about 25% higher than pre-pandemic levels, and March and April are typically peak times for passport renewals.
A spokesperson for the department said:
Customers should plan ahead and allow at least six weeks to apply for or renew their passport, and more if they are applying for a child’s passport.
truck crashes into sydney house
Two people in a truck that crashed into the side of a house in Sydney’s south this morning have been “Lucky Escape”Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The cabin of a truck owned by a tree felling contractor was hanging over a 10-metre cliff after the truck crashed into a vacant house.
fire and rescue nsw superintendent adam deberry said the truck, which had a chipper trailer behind it, lost control after rolling down a steep hill at Verona Place, south of Keringbah.
Firefighters rescued the man and woman trapped in front of the truck. Both were not hurt, but were taken to the hospital as a precaution.