Featured stories about Australia
Stories about Australia
7 November 2019
Racehorse slaughter divides nation over iconic Melbourne Cup
'I was going to go to the Melbourne cup this year the first time in 67 years I've just canceled I couldn't support such a horrible industry'
29 October 2019
Australians respond to media campaign that calls out “creeping culture of secrecy”
Mixed reactions to the Australian media's #righttoknow campaign range from broad community support to denial by government ministers and senior public servants, plus some predictable cynicism on social media.
22 October 2019
Australian newspapers ‘censor’ their front pages in protest against government secrecy laws
"Journalists and whistleblowers in Australia live in fear of criminal charges, police raids and damaging court battles that threaten their professional careers and personal freedom."
29 August 2019
Winning a literary award won't set you free: An interview with author and asylum-seeker Behrooz Boochani
Australia's detention camps whistleblower describes conditions as hellish
15 July 2019
Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun still detained by Beijing after six months
There have been concerns that he has not received adequate support from the Australian government.
16 June 2019
Australia’s digital rights advocates and tech sector push back against law undermining encryption
"The new legislation directly targets encryption and basically coerces developers, device manufacturers and service providers to allow the government to spy on people’s encrypted data."
7 June 2019
Police raids on major media organisations expose lack of press freedom in Australia
"These continued attacks on press freedoms in Australia should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Freedom of the Press to scrutinise the Govt is crucial to liberal democracy."
21 March 2019
Christchurch massacre brings out the best and worst in humanity
"He may have sought notoriety but we, in New Zealand, will give nothing — not even his name."
18 March 2019
DigiGlot Newsletter: AI innovations bring good news and bad news for indigenous and minority languages
The DigiGlot Newsletter is a bi-weekly collaborative newsletter that reports on how indigenous, minority, and endangered language communities are adopting and adapting technology to change the internet landscape.
4 March 2019
Uproar in Australia as lid lifted on Cardinal Pell's child sexual abuse convictions
"Almost immediately, the parade of aggrieved, disappointed, distressed, shocked, disbelieving, sad, angry Catholics and other Pell supporters began moving like a sullen, offended beast across the media, in unedifying protest..."
27 February 2019
Australian court's historic rejection of coal mine highlights the impact of climate change
"NSW Land and Environment Court decision in #Australia on coal and #climatechange is sending shockwaves around the world."
14 February 2019
Australia revokes Chinese tycoon's citizenship over alleged political interference in Australian politics
"...winding back CCP [Chinese Communist Party] interference as an unacceptable and counterproductive part of bilateral engagement is a step towards developing a healthy China-Australia relationship"
7 February 2019
Australia remembers Black Saturday on the 10th anniversary of catastrophic bushfires
"Ten entire years, and I still don’t think one single day has passed without me mentioning – or at least thinking about – the fires"
1 February 2019
Pressure mounts for Thailand to free Melbourne-based Bahraini refugee Hakeem al-Araibi
"Australia just gave our highest award to 2 divers for risking their lives to rescue 12 Thai boys from underground caves. We know where Hakeem is. He just needs a...
31 December 2018
Censored in 2018: Protest videos, court verdicts, real news — and Peppa Pig
From blocked websites to revoked media licenses to account shutdowns, censorship comes in many forms. Here are a few we saw in 2018.
20 December 2018
In Cardinal George Pell's sexual abuse trial, Australian court fails to suppress the ‘nation's worst kept secret’
"The alleged suppression order on #georgepell is allowing fake news and hearsay and speculation take the place of reputable news sources."
30 November 2018
Bushfires and floods have Australians asking: ‘What climate change?’
"While Queensland is burning, the east coast is parched & Sydney is drowning, most pollies [politicians] have their heads in the sand. Not good enough."
25 October 2018
No more photos of sleeping MPs? New rules restrict what media can cover in Tasmania Parliament
"Who do these politicians think they are? They are elected by the public, and the public is absolutely entitled to see how they behave."
2 September 2018
Australia denies Chelsea Manning entry while New Zealand gives visa thumbs up
"Hatemongers and racists like Lauren Southern and Milo [Yiannopoulos] are apparently fine, but a hero like Chelsea Manning is considered a threat."
27 August 2018
Another Australian prime minister deposed by internal party coup
"Funny how they call young people snowflakes and entitled when they are the most emotional, inconsistent and self-serving lot in this whole country."
