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READ MORE More than 57,000 illegal firearms – including a rocket launcher – have been taken off the streets as part of a national firearms amnesty. The National Firearms Amnesty 2017 Report was released on Thursday by the Department of Home Affairs, revealing 57,324 firearms had been recovered from across Australia. Almost 2,500 fully and semi-automatic weapons were collected as part of the amnesty. “Taking these unregistered firearms off the streets means they will not fall into the hands of criminals, who might use them to endanger the lives of innocent Australians,” Minister for Law Enforcement Angus Taylor said in a statement on Thursday. “The next step of our ambitious agenda is passing our legislation that cracks down on gun trafficking.” The amnesty ran from July 1 to September 30 2017, with an average of 630 firearms handed in per day. The report listed a rocket launcher as one of the “items of interest”. “A rocket launche...

READ MORE The Uber driver who dropped Florida shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz at his former high school on the day he is accused of carrying out a massacre said he told her he was on his way to music class. The female driver said she didn’t notice anything strange about 19-year-old Cruz, who is accused of carrying out the worst ever mass shooting at an American high school, but recalled he was carrying a large backpack. In an interview with local television station CBS Miami, the driver, who asked not be identified, said Cruz got in her car on the afternoon of February 14 carrying a large bag. “I saw him with a backpack which I thought was a guitar case,” she told the network. “He told me ‘I am going to my music class’.” Cruz has been charged with the murder of 17 students and staff, who died in a hail of gunfire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentines Day. The driver said that Cruz was quiet and appeared to be...

READ MORE Malcolm Turnbull has defended Michaelia Cash for threatening to expose rumours about Bill Shorten’s female staff, saying the West Australian senator was being “bullied and provoked” by Labor. The prime minister backed Senator Cash after Labor demanded she apologise and resign over the comments she made in a Senate hearing on Wednesday. “Senator Cash was being bullied and provoked by Senator (Doug) Cameron, who was making insinuations about staff. She made a response which she has unreservedly withdrawn,” Mr Turnbull told parliament on Thursday. Senator Cash provoked outrage among Labor MPs and some in the media on Wednesday when, after being asked by Senator Cameron about the employment record of her chief of staff, she responded by threatening to name women on the opposition leader’s staff who had been the subject of “rumours”. The uproar continued on Thursday, with Mr Shorten denouncing the comments and saying his office was s...

READ MORE Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman spent countless hours helping New Zealand Breakers become one of the most respected basketball clubs in the world. But that won’t stop him plotting their downfall. The two clubs will face off in the NBL semi-finals starting at Hisense Arena on Saturday and while his love for the Breakers remains, Vickerman is determined to lead his side to its first finals win under the United name. History: Dean Vickerman coaching the Breakers. Vickerman was assistant coach for the Breakers’ first three championships and led the club to a title as head coach. A number of his core players still play for the club and Vickerman, who was named NBL coach of the year earlier this week, is wary about praising his former chargers too highly. “You have so much respect for those guys you have won with before and to try and tell them everything I know about some of those guys is going to be too much information,” Vickerman said. ...

READ MORE From where had this phenomenon sprung? Ainsley Gotto was born in Brisbane on Valentine’s Day 1946, the middle daughter of Sidney, an RAAF careerist who would retire as a group captain. Her mother, Lesley, was a spirited beauty who would survive two of her daughters and die aged 93 in October 2017. Her obituary described her as an “entertainer, arts administrator, television personality and entrepreneur”. Ainsley attended schools in Brisbane, Britain and Melbourne before leaving school at the age of 14, by which time her father was in Canberra. Her parents’ marriage was an unhappy one. They would separate in 1967 and divorce in 1972. Ainsley had trained at the Borovansky School in Melbourne and “Madame Boro” believed she could have become a prima ballerina assoluta. Her father advised her to have a fall-back career in case she broke an ankle. She did; but fortunately she attended secretarial college, emerging first in typing and joined the co...

READ MORE New leader: Peter Nevill has assumed the NSW Blues captaincy from Moises Henriques. Photo: AAP “I feel much better than what I was over that Christmas and New Year period, at that stage I just needed some time to get a few things right and get back into my processes,” Henriques said. “With a couple of weeks away I’ve started to feel much improved and in a much clearer head space. “I’ve played over 380 professional games of cricket now – T20, first class and one-day cricket – and it’s the first time I’ve ever taken a break from cricket other than injury. “It felt strange and, to be fair, I probably felt a little bit guilty, especially when we lost the first couple of games. I was very comfortable with the decision and now I feel like it’s the best decision I’d made, I feel much better now than I think I would’ve been if I didn’t take that time. Article source: http://smh.com.au/lifestyle/...

READ MORE A mentally disturbed teenager tried to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II during a 1981 visit to New Zealand and police covered up the botched attempt, according to official documents released Thursday. Christopher Lewis fired a single shot towards the Queen’s car as she toured the South Island city of Dunedin, the documents from New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service (SIS) spy agency revealed. No one was hurt and police reportedly assured members of the Royal party who asked about a gunshot that they had simply heard a firework exploding. Lewis, 17 at the time, was picked up soon after on an unrelated armed robbery charge and made a rambling confession about his attempt on the monarch’s life. While police said he was delusional and “lives in a dream world” they found a .22 rifle and spent cartridge in the building where he said the attempt took place. He claimed to be a member of a right-wing organisation called the National Imperial Guerilla A...

READ MORE A listeria outbreak that resulted in the deaths of two people in New South Wales has sparked warnings from health authorities for Australians to throw out their rockmelons (also known as cantaloupe).  So far, ten elderly people across Australia have been diagnosed with listeria infection after eating rockmelons from the NSW Riverina region. The affected melons have been removed from sale.  But what is listeria and how can you protect yourself from it?  What is Listeria? Listeria infection, also known as Listeriosis, is a rare but potentially severe illness caused by bacteria that infect humans and other warm-blooded animals. It is caught most commonly through contaminated food. 71 cases were reported in 2017, while 30 cases have been detected so far in 2018. Those infected often require hospitalisation and antibiotics.  Roughly 15 people die from listeria infection each year – according to the Australia and New Zealand food standards authority....

READ MORE Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has denied the government is planning new laws that would allow ‘covert’ intelligence-gathering operations to screen would-be migrants before they leave their home countries for Australia. Earlier in the week, The Daily Telegraph newspaper ran a front-page story claiming the government was planning “covert overseas missions to ensure migrants are really true blue.” The story was based on an interview with the top bureaucrat in Mr Dutton’s new Home Affairs department, Michael Pezzullo. Mr Pezzullo told the newspaper the government was considering “using intelligence” to check the character of visa applicants “before you even migrate”.  At Parliament House on Thursday, SBS News asked Mr Dutton if the proposal could include covert operations. “No,” Mr Dutton replied. The Home Affairs Minister said any new policies on vetting migrants would be announced “in due course,...

READ MORE A homeless, hepatitis C-positive man who jabbed four victims with a syringe or a nail escaped from hospital after he was arrested, a Melbourne court has been told. Brett Keenan, 42, has pleaded guilty to attacking a 12-year-old boy at a tram stop at Kew on February 18 last year with a sharp object, and three adults on February 20. Keenan, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and was living at a rooming house at Kew, was arrested on the afternoon of February 18 and taken to hospital. While awaiting examination, Keenan escaped the hospital and was listed as a missing person. Two days later, he attacked three adults, again with a sharp object, either at tram stops or onboard trams. Police found Keenan that afternoon at the rooming house, finding numerous unopened needles inside the unit. Article source: http://smh.com.au/afl/preliminary-progress-helped-by-fate--and-collingwood-20170922-gyn7fr.html Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on F...

READ MORE The construction union claims the dangerous E. coli bacteria has been found on a trouble-plagued Queensland road project. CFMEU Divisional Branch Assistant Secretary Jade Ingham, said tests confirmed the presence of the bacteria on the Toowoomba Second Rage Crossing project after a number of workers fell sick. Toowoomba Second Range Crossing. Photo: Nexus Infrastrucure Pty Ltd “For workers to be subjected to such third world conditions is a disgrace,” he said in a statement. He put the blame for the problem at the feet of the Spanish companies behind the project, Ferrovial and Acciona, but also called on Transport Minister Mark Bailey to intervene to protect workers. The Queensland Government last week called an independent auditor in to inspect the project following 17 heavy vehicle rollovers at the site in 18 months. AAP Article source: http://smh.com.au/afl/preliminary-progress-helped-by-fate--and-collingwood-20170922-gyn7fr.html Share this: Click to share on T...

READ MORE A man accused of making threats at Crown Casino allegedly told a security guard he was a Pakistani terrorist, sparking the evacuation of hundreds of staff and patrons. Crown Casino was closed after the incident. Photo: Simon Schluter Malaysian Nadim Ismail, 55, appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with making threats to kill, making a false report to police, and making false statements. Detective Senior Constable Liam Comrie said Mr Ismail told a Crown security guard on Wednesday night that he was a Pakistani terrorist, which caused staff to “be fearful” and notify police before the casino was evacuated. AAP More to come Article source: http://smh.com.au/afl/preliminary-progress-helped-by-fate--and-collingwood-20170922-gyn7fr.html Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Best Wordpress Plugin development company in India ...

READ MORE 2 / 34 Asylum seekers Michael Ramzy, 31, (light grey jacket) and his cousin Raed Mikhael, 32, are among 10 Coptic Christians who face deportation back to Egypt where they fear their lives are under threat from Muslim extremists. They are appealing to Australian govt to let them stay. Photo: Chris Hopkins Article source: http://smh.com.au/afl/preliminary-progress-helped-by-fate--and-collingwood-20170922-gyn7fr.html Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Best Wordpress Plugin development company in India       Best Web development company in India

READ MORE A social studies teacher in the US barricaded himself inside a classroom at a Georgia high school and fired a handgun, sending students running outside or hunkering down in darkened gym locker rooms, authorities say. No Dalton High School students were in the classroom when the teacher fired the weapon and despite the chaotic lockdown and evacuation, the only injury was a student who hurt her ankle running away. It was not immediately clear why the teacher, 53-year-old Jesse Randal Davidson, had the gun. Under questioning by detectives, Davidson refused to discuss what led to the shooting. The gunfire erupted with a nation on edge two weeks after a Florida school shooting left 17 students and faculty dead and ignited a new debate over gun control in America. Within minutes of the Dalton shooting, students there took to social media, calling for restricting gun rights. The teacher was taken into custody without incident after a 45-minute standoff with officers, police spo...

READ MORE The Opposition has ramped up its pressure on Michaelia Cash, calling for the outspoken employment minister to resign over an outburst in Senate Estimates on Wednesday. Senator Cash was facing questions over the actions of her staff, one of whom resigned last year after it was revealed they tipped off television networks so they could film a police raid on the offices of the Australian Workers’ Union. The senator responded by threatening to “sit here and name every young woman in Mr Shorten’s office, over which rumours abound”. Labor senator Penny Wong later demanded she retract the “disgraceful and sexist” remarks. Senator Cash did withdraw the comments, but has not apologised. “If anyone has been offended by my remarks, I withdraw,” she told the Senate committee. Labor’s shadow employment minister Brendan O’Connor on Thursdy called for the Turnbull Government minister to resign. “She must apologise without qual...

READ MORE Sydney man Raban Alou has been sentenced for 44 years after he admitted to supplying the gun that teenage shooter Farhad Jabar used to shoot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng. Alou made a one-finger salute and said “this is the beginning” after he was jailed for 44 years with a non-parole period of 33 years in NSW Supreme Court on Thursday. Alou previously pleaded guilty to aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring a terrorist act by 15-year-old Jabar, also referred to as Farhad Mohammad, who shot Mr Cheng outside NSW Police Headquarters in Parramatta, in Sydney’s west, in 2015. MORE TO COME Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbsnews-topstories/~3/RHyqBdJl3Ss/major-us-retailer-dick-s-sporting-goods-stops-selling-assault-style-guns Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Best Wordpress Plugin development company in India  ...

READ MORE Little is certain about November’s state election but history suggests that some MPs will find themselves unexpectedly jobless. After leaving parliament, few people will be vying for their attention as the flow of invitations to events dries up. And constituents, community and advocacy groups will no longer clamour for a slice of their time.  A group of ex-Labor MPs has formed a walking group to stay connected after their parliamentary careers ended. Photo: Chris Hopkins The pain of electoral rejection comes as a crushing blow to many MPs who lose their seats, yet there is little sympathy from the public, who think many walk off into a well-remunerated post-Parliamentary life. But Philip Davis, the president of the Victorian Parliamentary Former Members Association,  says many MPs do not leave Parliament with financial certainty and the search for secure work often takes six months or more. Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbsnews-topstorie...

READ MORE Most significantly, senior media adviser David De Garis was forced to resign after he admitted telling the media about AFP raids of the Australian Workers Union. Cash, of course, denied, denied, denied, denied and denied until it was no longer possible to do so. We still don’t know exactly who knew what and the order in which they knew it and apparently the AFP is taking forever to find out. Hope they never have to do anything in a hurry except raid for no reason. Anyhow, if you are worried about de Garis, don’t be. Liberals look after their own and de Garis now has a great job with the Australian Hotels Association, which benefited from a deal with Cash’s office which would create 10,000 PATH interns. Cash lost Simon Berger, he of chaffbag infamy, now the deputy director of the Liberal Party. That’s the current standard of the Liberal Party for you. Media adviser Andrew Hudgson, a very nice bloke. Ben Davies, her former chief of staff. As minister for ...

READ MORE Demolition of the Dreamworld ride that malfunctioned and killed four people has begun almost 18 months after the incident. The Thunder River Rapids ride at the Gold Coast theme park was closed in October 2016 when a raft flipped and killed Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low. Replay Replay Video Kate’s daughter Ebony and Cindy’s son Kieran survived after they were flung from the raft. Development plans, including any kind of monument, for the site are yet to be announced. The work begins in the same week theme park owner Ardent Leisure forecast a profit in the second half of the financial year. Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbsnews-topstories/~3/RHyqBdJl3Ss/major-us-retailer-dick-s-sporting-goods-stops-selling-assault-style-guns Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Best Wordpress Plugin development company in...

READ MORE May lashed out during a offer to keep British-ruled Northern Ireland in a etiquette kinship if there is no improved resolution to equivocate a tough limit with EU-member Ireland. The European Union’s arch Brexit adjudicator Michel Barnier insisted that a devise was not designed to “provoke”, and denied that it threatened a supervision of a UK. The EU’s breeze withdrawal agreement spells out a sum of a provisional understanding hermetic in Dec by May and European Commission arch Jean-Claude Juncker, that mostly fudged a Irish question. “The breeze authorised content will, if implemented, criticise a UK common marketplace and bluster a inherent firmness of a UK by formulating a etiquette and regulatory limit down a Irish Sea and no UK primary apportion could ever determine to it,” May told parliament. May combined that she will “be creation it transparent clear to President Juncker and others that we would never” determine to North...

READ MORE A NSW Riverina rockmelon grower has ceased prolongation after a inhabitant listeria conflict was related to a genocide of dual people in a state. Australians have been urged to chuck out any formerly purchased fruit after rockmelons, that are also famous as cantaloupes, were pulled from shelves during a weekend. Australian Melon Association attention growth manager Dianne Fullelove pronounced a organization would accommodate with supermarket operators on Thursday to plead removing a fruit behind on a shelves. Ten aged people opposite a nation, including 6 from NSW, were diagnosed with a infection after immoderate rockmelon and apropos ill between Jan 17 and Feb 9, a NSW Food Authority said. Two of a 6 in NSW who became ill subsequently died, a NSW Health mouthpiece confirmed. The conflict has been related to a rockmelon grower in Nericon, nearby Griffith, that has willingly ceased prolongation after being told of a contamination. Ms Fullelove pronounced a grower was devastat...

READ MORE The city of New York on Wednesday concluded to compensate $180,000 to 3 Muslim women forced by military to mislay their headscarves to have mugshots taken, officials said. Each of a women is to accept $60,000 after a settlements were finalised in a Brooklyn sovereign justice progressing this week, their counsel Tahanie Aboushi said. Two of a them were arrested in 2015 and one in 2012. All 3 incidents took place in Brooklyn, New York’s many populous borough, she added.  The women sued a city and a New York Police Department, a largest city military force in a United States, that was represented by a city’s law department. New York military have given altered their discipline to give detainees wearing a eremite conduct covering a choice of carrying their sketch taken in private by a military officer of a same gender. “It’s a step in a right instruction and it was a collaborative bid to residence a opening in a unit guide,” Ms Aboushi told AFP....

READ MORE Education Minister Simon Birmingham pronounced Senator Cash had concurred that “perhaps a line had been crossed”. “I consider that anybody’s who has watched Senate estimates would see that doubt can be flattering robust, even adjacent on bullying during times. Michaelia Cash has been traffic with a formidable situation. we consider she concurred that she crossed a line, that is because she withdrew those remarks.” Senator Cash’s Labor reflection Brendan O’Connor said: “Minister Cash contingency do dual things currently – apologize and afterwards resign.” In Senator Cash’s strange comments, she said: “I’m happy to lay here and name each immature lady in Mr Shorten’s bureau over that rumours in this place abound.” “Do we wish to start fixing them and for Mr Shorten to come out and repudiate any of a rumours that have been present in this building now for many, many years? It’s a...