Oceania
Anthony Albanese reveals Australia is lobbying for an end to US pursuit of Assange

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese clarified that his government is working in a “diplomatic way” and has advocated for an end to US prosecution against Assange

Australian wildfires Australian wildfires raised global heat and broadened ozone hole, says study

The study published in Scientific Reports on August 25 says that the plumes of smoke from the Australian wildfires in 2019-2020 led to a 3 degrees Celsius temperature rise over Australia, along with a global rise of 0.7 degrees Celsius

Mammal extinction in Australia Australia lost more mammals than any other continent in last two centuries: report

A report found that since 2016, over 200 animal and plant species have been threatened, including the koala and the gang-gang cockatoo. The largest increase in the threatened list is of invertebrates and frogs

Australia workers strike Thousands of Australian public service workers go on day-long strike

The conservative coalition government in Australia’s largest State, New South Wales, has faced massive resistance from trade unions and workers across sectors for over a year

Teaching staff at University of Sydney walks off the job demanding better working conditions

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) issued the call for this strike demanding secure jobs for the staff and better working conditions.

Australian aged-care workers prepare for walkout during election season

Thousands of aged-care workers in three Australian States will be staging a walkout just weeks ahead of the federal parliamentary election. Unions have blamed the Scott Morrison government for the crisis that has been afflicting aged-care centers

The many trials of Australian whistleblower David McBride

Whistleblower David McBride, who revealed details of possible war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, faces a trial in September. He talks about the legal campaign against him

China-Solomon Islands deal US and Pacific allies panic over Solomon Islands-China security deal

The security cooperation deal signed between the two governments came in the backdrop of anti-Chinese violence and riots precipitating in a political crisis on the island nation in November last year

Aboriginal teen killing Australia Evidence in aboriginal teen’s murder in Australia shows cop had history of violence

The publication of previously suppressed additional evidence showed that police officer Zachary Rolfe had a history of conducting violent arrests and falsifying reports. Rolfe, accused of killing an Indigenous teenager, was found not guilty of murder

Covid antibodies in children Children show low levels of antibodies against COVID-19, new study suggests

The results of the study were astounding—while 76% of the adult group had antibodies against the coronavirus, only 37% of the children had the antibodies. Interestingly, participants from both groups had similar viral loads

New Zealand Employment Court passes injunction to scuttle health workers’ strike

Even though the allied health workers’ unions in the capital Auckland postponed the strike owing to Omicron surge, the employment court forced a nationwide postponement

New Zealand health workers strike New Zealand government under pressure as health workers prepare for massive strikes

Over 10,000 allied health workers from over 70 different vocation groups are preparing to strike after more than a year of “fruitless” contract negotiations