Sydney, Australia | AFP | A number of African athletes who went missing from the Commonwealth Games last month have resurfaced seeking advice on gaining asylum in Australia, refugee advocates said Tuesday. More than a dozen were suspected of fleeing during the showpiece event on the Gold Coast. Among them …
Read More »Sex abuse scandal haunts Australia’s top Catholic cleric
Melbourne, Australia | AFP | From country priest to trusted top Vatican aide, Australia’s most senior Catholic cleric George Pell has seen his reputation plagued in the twilight of his career by controversy swirling around a 1970s paedophile scandal in the former gold rush town of Ballarat. To his admirers, …
Read More »Facebook rejects Australia media calls for regulation
Sydney, Australia | AFP | Tech giant Facebook has opposed calls by Australian media companies for digital platforms to be regulated, amid an inquiry into their impact on competition in news and advertising markets. The government tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission earlier this year with assessing whether platforms …
Read More »Ghana suspends officials over Commonwealth visa debacle
Accra, Ghana | AFP | Ghana president Nana Akufo-Addo suspended two sports officials on Thursday following the arrest of 60 Ghanaians posing as journalists who tried to illegally enter Australia for the Commonwealth Games. Pius Enam Hadzide, the deputy minister for youth and sports, and Robert Sarfo Mensah, the director general …
Read More »Two Ugandan weightlifters vanish in Australia
Gold Coast, Australia | THE INDEPENDENT | Two Ugandan athletes and one from Rwanda have reportedly disappeared from the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. URN has established that the two Ugandans are weighlifters. David Grevemberg, chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation reportedly said on Thursday morning that some …
Read More »G’day! Rain, royalty, protests as Commonwealth Games open
Gold Coast, Australia | AFP | A heavy downpour, a giant floating whale and Aboriginal protests marked the start of the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday as Australia flagged off 11 days of competition in the resort city of Gold Coast. Britain’s Prince of Wales declared the Games open at …
Read More »World cities go dark as Earth Hour climate campaign circles globe
Paris, France | AFP | The Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower and Moscow’s Red Square were among the world landmarks to go dark Saturday, as part of a global campaign to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change. Earth Hour, which started in Australia in 2007, is being …
Read More »Three Australians die from contaminated melon
Sydney, Australia | AFP | Three Australians have died after consuming melon contaminated with listeria amid an outbreak that has prompted health authorities to warn those at risk to throw out pre-cut melons. Listeria is a commonly found bacteria and for most people who consume foods that contain it does …
Read More »MH370 hunt likely to end mid-June: official
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | A new hunt for flight MH370 is expected to end by mid-June, Malaysian authorities said Saturday, as families marked four years since the disappearance of the plane amid renewed hope. The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared on March 8, 2014 with 239 people — mostly …
Read More »UN rights chief calls on PNG to safeguard Australia camp refugees
Sydney, Australia | AFP | Papua New Guinea is responsible for the human rights of refugees sent to a remote island by Australia, the UN human rights chief has said, as advocates warn the men are living in fear of violence from local residents. Some 600 men were moved out …
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