MELBOURNE, Australia — Victorian prisoners are still subject to secretive disciplinary hearings rife with potential unfairness, an independent report has found. A 90-page Victorian Ombudsmen report released on July 7 said undocumented pre-hearing discussions appear widespread and prisoners were often not given reasons for decisions or enough information about the charge. It also identified a lack of discretion in escalating minor offenses to a formal disciplinary hearing, placing an additional burden on staff and prisoners. The prison disciplinary process deals with prisoners who break facility rules, with some 10,000 hearings a year taking place across Victoria’s network of 14 prisons. Victoria’s…
Author: zenger.news
ADELAIDE, Australia — A genetic biobank could hold the answers needed to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome which kills 130 babies in Australia every year. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the sudden, unexpected death of an apparently well baby, which remains unexplained despite clinical investigations, including an autopsy. It has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of this disease seem healthy before being put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed. The University of South Australia biobank holds deoxyribonucleic acid from 25 babies who have died from the syndrome…
HYDERABAD, India — A 70-year-old man from the southern Indian city Hyderabad has been paddling his way on a bicycle to help people who are in need, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. K.R. Srinivas Rao, a retired employee of India’s flag carrier Air India, said he always wanted to serve people in need, and after his retirement, he got a chance to fulfill his aspiration. With his passion for cycling and his aspiration to help the needy, he got a platform to combine both, said the retired Air India employee. “When the Covid-19 cases were at the peak, I joined a…
CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Female members of parliament want sexual misconduct complaints against colleagues and staff independently examined, regardless of when the incidents occurred. A mechanism for federal politicians and staffers to report harassment or assault is expected to be up and running before the year’s end. The government does not want the mechanism to look at allegations stemming from before the May 2019 election. But members of parliament including Liberal Party of Australia member Celia Hammond think it should be broader. “If both parties are still either working in parliament or members or senators, there should be a capacity for…
CANBERRA, Australia — The Australian Bureau of Statistics is launching an advertising campaign to support the rollout of the 2021 Census on Aug 10. From June 11, advertising will run on television, radio, print, digital and social media to explain Australia’s 18th Census. The Census in Australia, officially the Census of Population and Housing, is the national census in Australia that occurs every five years. The Census is conducted under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act. This empowers the Statistician to request persons to complete forms. The Australian Bureau of Statistics always seeks willing cooperation, however if a person refuses, the Statistician may,…
UDHAMPUR — Three engineers from Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur have adopted a unique initiative to promote the region’s local heritage and food, setting an example for India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s famous mantras, ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat‘. The trio has created employment opportunities for over 20 people, both directly and indirectly. After the first wave of Covid-19 in September 2020, the trio quit their well-paying jobs with multinational companies and opened a café called ‘The Kalari Factory‘ to promote the local Dogra culture. Among the fare offered at the café is Kalari, a traditionally ripened Himalayan cheese indigenous to Udhampur. Made of cow…
CANBERRA, Australia — Having a number of credit cards may be out of favor, but they’re still handy during a lockdown. Data released by the Reserve Bank of Australia on July 7 shows a sharp U-turn in personal credit growth this year, after plunging in 2020 when many people raided their savings to pay down debt. Australians in May 2021 added almost AU$100 million ($74.38 million) in personal credit card debt, with interest pushing the total owed just above AU$20 billion ($14.88 billion). The Reserve Bank of Australia is Australia’s central bank and banknote issuing authority. It has had this role since…
CANBERRA, Australia — A year of Covid-19 uncertainty has stopped many Australian people from job-hopping, while others have given up on finding a job because they can’t afford or access child care. Australian Bureau of Statistics data on job mobility released on July 7 showed 975,000 or 7.5 percent of employed people changed jobs, the lowest annual job mobility rate on record. Some 1.8 million people left or lost a job in the year to February 2021. Almost 140,000 have given up looking for work because they can’t get affordable child care, overwhelmingly women. “This should not be a barrier to anyone…
SRINAGAR — A woman from northern Indian Union territory Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district has become an example for others after launching a local detergent brand. She is now generating employment for the youth of the valley. “I completed my education in Srinagar and got married in Budgam district, but I could not forget my dreams,” said Zarka Tanzeel. “I wanted to do something for myself and society.” “I shared an idea of establishing my own business with my husband and started research for it. Soon I got the idea to set up a unit for making detergent powder and soap cakes. And,…
GENEVA — Global demand measured in cargo tonne-kilometers was up 9.4 percent in May 2021 compared to May 2019, the International Air Transport Association said on July 7. Seasonally adjusted demand rose by 0.4 percent month-on-month in May 2021—the 13th consecutive month of improvement. “Propelled by strong economic growth in trade and manufacturing, demand for air cargo is 9.4 percent above pre-crisis levels,” said Willie Walsh, Director-General, International Air Transport Association. “As economies unlock, we can expect a shift in consumption from goods to services.” “This could slow growth for cargo in general, but improved competitiveness compared to sea shipping should continue…