CANBERRA, Australia — The Australian Labor Party has backed cracking down on the shocking exploitation of farm workers but stopped short of supporting calls for a royal commission. The party’s conference on March 31 agreed on changes to its policy platform, which commits an Albanese government to reforms that end exploitation in horticulture. Labor has pledged to immediately end the structural exploitation of workers while also reviewing visa schemes that bring foreign workers to pick fruit on farms. Labour hire firms would face stronger oversight, enforcement, and penalties for illegal conduct. Research has found horticulture workers were paid as little as AUD 3 ($2.3)…
Author: zenger.news
CANBERRA, Australia — Thrust into action in command of an unfamiliar plane, Royal Australia Air Force (RAAF) veteran Ray Seaver had to learn fast when he arrived to serve in Korea. As Australia commemorates 100 years of the RAAF on March 30, stories of adventure and bravery abound among those who served. “Most of us were very raw, and it was a little daunting, of course, because you’re in a brand-new airplane,” said Seaver. “Most of us had never flown two-engine airplanes before. And we were shooting guns and firing rockets at people.” “It was a bit of a sharp learning…
MELBOURNE, Australia — A young woman found dead in a Melbourne creek more than 40 years ago was most likely killed by her stepfather, an inquest has been told. Barbara Dawson was last seen alive on Oct. 29, 1980. The 20-year-old’s body was partially submerged in a shallow ford at Kororoit Creek, Altona North, three days later. “She was naked with her throat cut and plastic bags around her head and her feet. A 1981 inquest could not determine who killed her,” said officials. In 2003, her stepfather Peter Dawson was arrested. Neither he nor anyone else was charged, and he died…
MELBOURNE, Australia — Victorians are being urged not to gather wild mushrooms, as two poisonous varieties have started growing across the state. Deputy Chief Health Officer Angie Bone, on March 30, warned the recent wet weather had created ideal conditions for death cap and yellow staining mushrooms to flourish in Melbourne and regional Victoria. “While commercially-sold mushrooms are safe, poisonings can occur when people gathering wild mushrooms inadvertently include toxic species,” Bone said. “Poisonous mushrooms may appear very similar to edible varieties.” Death cap mushrooms, which are often mistaken for button or field mushrooms, can kill a person within 48 hours if…
When the World Health Organization initiated its anti-smoking campaign over a decade ago, tobacco-growing countries became increasingly concerned about the economic challenges they would face. Tobacco production in Africa dates to the 1900s. The main exporters of tobacco in East Africa in 2019 were Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, according to data from Statista. The export value of tobacco in Zimbabwe was $783 million; in Malawi it was $500 million; and in Mozambique, it was $252 million, per the data. Nixon Lita, CEO of the Tobacco Association of Malawi, said Malawian farmers are hardworking and good learners who can easily shift…
PUNE, India — As the world dabbles between a fresh surge of Covid-19 cases and rapid immunization, pharmaceutical companies are now testing non-invasive forms of the vaccine. The idea is straightforward — easy administration of the vaccine, temperature stability, more extensive distribution, and no stinging pain of intravenous injections. Premas Biotech, an Indian biotechnology firm, has recently collaborated with Oramed Pharmaceuticals, an Israeli company, to develop an oral Covid-19 vaccine candidate. The candidate has shown efficacy in pigs after a single dose. “An oral Covid-19 vaccine would eliminate several barriers to rapid, wide-scale distribution, potentially enabling people to take the vaccine themselves…
BENGALURU, India — IT services firms globally are increasingly tapping the mergers and acquisition route to boost growth prospects. Realistic valuations during the pandemic and search for new digital capabilities are driving IT companies to opt for the inorganic route. Also, in a mature market like technology outsourcing, some players are looking for the scale to derive the cost-benefit. Wipro’s recent agreement to buy UK-based consulting firm Capco for $1.5 billion is a case in point. The IT services firm, headquartered in Bengaluru in the southern state of Karnataka, made a bold bet with the acquisition, and it’s the largest deal…
QUITO, Ecuador — Security staff at the Galapagos Ecological Airport, the world’s first green airport, were stunned to find 185 endangered baby tortoises stuffed inside a suitcase, 10 of which had died. The incident occurred some 906 kilometers (563 miles) west of the country’s mainland territory on March 28. “185 tortoises destined for the city of Guayaquil were intercepted by airport staff who noticed irregularities in a suitcase that supposedly contained ‘souvenirs’ from the island,” reads a statement from the Galapagos Ecological Airport. The 185 tortoises were found in a suitcase at the Galapagos Ecological Airport. (@aerogalapagos/Newsflash)The 185 baby tortoises are of the…
SHIRLEY, England — This is the shocking moment when a street racer crashes into a 60-year-old motorist at high speed in the U.K., leaving him permanently injured. The West Midlands Police Department released the footage of the accident captured by street surveillance cameras in the town of Shirley on March 26. Four people were jailed in connection with the crash, which occurred in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands on July 18, 2019. The footage shows one of the racers driving at 75mph in a 30mph zone. “These young men were egging each other a long while driving recklessly,” said PC Anneka Morgan…
FOREST LAKE, Australia — Images of a waterfall gushing down the sides of the Ayers Rock in Australia following heavy rains battered the region has gone viral. Tourism worker Stacey MacGregor, 37, filmed the images at Ayers Rock, also known as Uluru, a huge sandstone rock formation in Australia’s northern territory. The rock is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara, the aboriginal people of the area also known as the Anangu. The name of the area refers to the several aboriginal groups in the region. “They [the Anangu Pitjantjatjara] retain a profound and intimate knowledge of the flora and fauna of their homelands with many…