Category Archives: headline

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Serial rapist released into complex where sexual assault victims live

Pressure is mounting on Western Australia's Attorney-General over a court decision to release a serial rapist into a complex that houses female sexual assault victims.

A women's support group says the system is flawed and fails to protect the vulnerable.

Advocates want to know how a rapist such as Nigel Pindan can be released from prison and housed alongside victims.

READ MORE: Hell's Angel bikie allegedly caught with 10 kilos of methamphetamine

"It almost beggars belief and your mind immediately goes to 'there must be some other rationale or reason behind this'," said Women's Health and Family Services CEO Felicite Black.

" … The focus needs to be on keeping those women, and I might add the wider community, safe."

In opposition, Attorney-General John Quigley demanded his then counterpart to toughen the state's "weak" dangerous sex offender laws.

"He has the power to step in on behalf of the community and ask the Supreme Court to cancel the release order in view of the breach," Mr Quigley said in 2014.

But on Monday Mr Quigley was unavailable to comment on Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Hill's ruling on Pindan.

The decision, delivered on March 18, ruled the proposed accommodation for the rapist was suitable despite WA Police considering it "very high risk" and the State Solicitor's Office saying it was "not suitable".

Some of the residents have been the subject of domestic violence or historic sexual assaults, according to the judgment.

"I am satisfied that the proposed residence is sufficiently suitable for the respondent to reside in," Justice Hill said.

She accepted the evidence of forensic psychiatrist Peter Wynn Owen that the complex didn't inherently pose any higher risk than Pindan's normal day-to-day life and any risks could be addressed by imposing restrictions.

"Mr Pindan needs stable accommodation and he has an opportunity to have that accommodation," Dr Wynn Owen told the hearing.

"I'm not sure that anywhere in the community will not potentially have people – women – who are vulnerable in it.

"I don't see that persons who are, for example, the victims of domestic violence as being more or less vulnerable [to Pindan].

"The victim selection has been about intoxicated and vulnerable through sleeping or unconsciousness."

The court order prevents the rapist from drinking or being in a car or private residence with any woman who hasn't been pre-approved by corrective services.

He will be tracked with a GPS bracelet but when the judgment was issued, authorities still needed to test whether it would be sensitive enough to spot him moving from his apartment to another in the same facility. 

Pindan must also fully disclose his offending to anyone who starts a friendship or relationship and give police and corrective services officers access to his devices if asked.

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PM blasts 'disgusting, sickening' reports of lewd Parliament acts

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has blasted "disgusting and sickening" reports of Coalition staff members allegedly performing lewd acts inside Parliament.

A News Corp and Network Ten report earlier tonight alleged a group of four Government staff members had exchanged videos and images taken inside Parliament House.

One staffer at the centre of the allegations has now had his employment terminated. He is alleged to have performed a lewd act on the desk of a female MP in Parliament House.

"Everyone has a right to feel safe at work. The reports aired tonight are disgusting and sickening," Mr Morrison said.

READ MORE: Internal investigation into Brittany Higgins rape allegation 'paused'

"It's not good enough, and is totally unacceptable.

"The people who come to work in this building are better than this.

"The actions of these individuals show a staggering disrespect for the people who work in Parliament, and for the ideals the Parliament is supposed to represent."

Mr Morrison said the staff member at the centre of the allegations had been identified and had his employment terminated immediately.

"I urge anybody with further information to come forward," Mr Morrison said.

"I will have more to say on this and the cultural issues we confront as a Parliament in coming days."

READ MORE: Nicolle Flint prepared to meet with Labor over women's safety

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Associated Press World View: Astra Zenica OK, Asian Hate Crimes, Mexican Border Surge, More

 

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LONDON (AP) — AstraZeneca says advanced trial data from a U.S. study on its COVID vaccine shows it is 79% effective. The U.S. study comprised 30,000 volunteers, 20,000 of whom were given the……Read More

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Despite the clamor to speed up the U.S. vaccination drive against COVID-19 and get the country back to normal, the first three months of the rollout suggest faster is not necessarily… …Read More

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Shortly after his mother was killed in the Atlanta-area shootings, Randy Park launched a GoFundMe page asking for $20,000 to pay for funeral expenses. By Sunday, the donations were approaching …Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is scrambling to manage a growing humanitarian and political challenge at the U.S.-Mexico border that threatens to overshadow its ambitious legislativ…Read More

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — It’s not like anyone’s going to the office anyway. The change in the March Madness schedule brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic will give basketball fans a… …Read More

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Pointing to over 1,000 arrests in one of the nation’s top party spots, Miami Beach officials warned Sunday that the unruly spring break crowd gath…Read More

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis vote Tuesday in their fourth parliamentary election in just two years. Once again, the race boils down to a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin… …Read More

Through the lens of an instant camera, through the eyes of an outsider, oft-neglected corners of America take on a very different cast. There is beauty in the swing ride at th…Read More

BANGKOK (AP) — In the jungles of southeast Myanmar, the army was shooting and otherwise tyrannizing civilians long before last month’s military coup. This largely unseen oppre…Read More

 

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St. Maarten, Bahamas Set Summer Cruise Reopening Dates

Celebrity Cruises has announced its long-anticipated return to cruising.

Speaking earlier, chief executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo confirmed Celebrity Millennium would sail from a new base on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.

Trips are expected to begin on June 5th, with sales opening on Thursday.

Celebrity will offer new seven-night itineraries departing through August to some of the best-loved Caribbean island destinations.

The ship will sail with vaccinated crew and will be available to vaccinated adult guests and children under the age of 18 with a negative test result within 72 hours of embarkation.

Lutoff-Perlo said: “Returning to the Caribbean after more than a year away is such a significant moment for us.

“It marks the measured beginning of the end of what has been a uniquely challenging time for everyone.

“We have been in constant contact with the leadership of St. Maarten these past months to support each other and share learnings and best practices.

“That we are able to offer people the opportunity to safely holiday onboard the revolutionised Celebrity Millennium, is incredible, and that we will sail from the magical island of St. Maarten is very special.”

Celebrity will offer a range of curated tours for all interests and price points at every port of call.

Private Journeys and small group discovery tours will also be available for those guests preferring to explore the destinations with only members of their family or travelling companions.

“Having a major cruise line such as Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Cruises homeport here is a significant economic milestone for St. Maarten.

“It’s an historic agreement, the fruit of continuous dialogue and a testament to the strength of our longstanding relationship,” St. Maarten minister of tourism, Ludmila de Weever, declared.

“Celebrity Cruises homeporting here will help rejuvenate our economy and drive opportunities for our people.”

Celebrity parent Royal Caribbean has also confirmed similar plans from the Bahamas.

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Caribbean COVID Vaccine Race by Numbers

The race to get back to some semblance of normalcy in the Caribbean now depends on how much of the population gets vaccinated against COVID-19.

It has been stated by many Caribbean governments that tourism, Carnival, the re-opening of borders and schools, rests in the hands of its citizens being willing to accept the vaccine.

Not everything has been equal globally with the distribution of vaccines.

In the Caribbean, governments wait on the COVAX facility, accept donations, share vaccines amongst the islands and look to other sources to access the jab.

Here is a breakdown of how vaccinations look so far in some Caribbean islands:

St Kitts and Nevis 

St Kitts and Nevis is administering the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine to its citizens. The island received a donation of 2,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine from Dominica.

St Kitts and Nevis also received 20,000 vaccine doses from the Government of India.

Under the COVAX facility, St Kitts and Nevis has been allocated 21,600 vaccine doses.

The Federation is also seeking access to other COVID-19 vaccines through two other mechanisms.

Over 7,500 vaccine doses have been administered to date.

Antigua and Barbuda 

Antigua and Barbuda through the government of India received a donation of 40,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The island was also gifted 5,000 vaccine doses from Dominica.

Under the COVAX agreement, Antigua and Barbuda was allocated 40,800 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Additional efforts are ongoing to procure 100,000 AstraZeneca doses from three sources.

Over 25,000 vaccine doses have been administered to date.

Barbados 

Photo: Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley took her first vaccine dose in January.

Barbados is using the Covishield vaccine by Oxford-AstraZeneca. Barbados received a gift of 100,000 doses of the vaccine from India. Barbados shared doses with many islands.

The island was also allocated 100,800 vaccine doses under the COVAX facility agreement.

Over 61,000 vaccine doses have been administered to date.

Saint Lucia 

Saint Lucia in the early days received 1,000 vaccine doses from Barbados and 2,000 doses from Dominica. (Barbados and Dominica shared their portion of vaccines from the Government of India).

Saint Lucia later received a donation of 25,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from India.

The island has also been allocated 74,400 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX facility.

Over 20,000 vaccine doses have been administered to date.

 

Dominica 

Photo: Melissa Poponne-Skerrit, the Parliamentary Representative for the city of Roseau, received her first dose of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. 

Dominica received the gift of 20,000 doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from The People’s Republic of China. The island also received 70,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India.

Dominica shared doses from this batch with other islands in the region. Under the COVAX facility, Dominica was allocated 28,800 vaccine doses.

Over 13,000 vaccine doses have been administered to date.

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Photo: Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and his wife Eloise after receiving their second dose of Sputnik V.

St Vincent and the Grenadines was gifted 5,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Dominica.

Twenty doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V were also received by St Vincent and the Grenadines, through an intermediary.

It also received 40,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Covishield AstraZeneca from the Government of India.

Through the COVAX facility, St Vincent and the Grenadines has been allocated 45,600 vaccine doses.

Over 9,000 vaccine doses have been administered to date.

Grenada

Photo: Prime Minister of Grenada Dr Keith Mitchell when he received his first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine. 

Grenada received 6,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine that was manufactured in India and gifted to them by Dominica. Barbados shared 500 vaccine doses with Grenada. Antigua and Barbuda has also stated that it will share 5,000 vaccine doses with Grenada.

Through the COVAX facility, Grenada has been allocated 45,600 vaccine doses.

Over 8,600 vaccine doses have been administered to date.

Trinidad and Tobago 

Trinidad and Tobago was gifted 2,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine from Barbados.

The twin-island nation will receive 100,800 vaccine doses through the COVAX facility.

Over 1,100 vaccine doses have been administered to frontline workers to date.

Jamaica 

Jamaica became the first country in the Caribbean to receive 14,400 vaccine doses out of the 124,800 allocated to it through the COVAX facility.

India also sent 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Jamaica. The island has also secured 1.8 million vaccine doses under the African Medical Supply Platform.

Through various platforms, Jamaica expects to have a total of over 874,000 vaccine doses by the end of May.

Over 16,000 vaccine doses have been administered to date.

 

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Trip Advisor: Cuban Beach Voted Best in Caribbean

Santa Maria Beach in Villa Clara Province, Cuba has been judged as the best beach in the Caribbean.

Santa Maria Beach picked up the distinction in the 2021 Travelers’ Choice® Best of the Best Awards for Beaches by TripAdvisor.

The beach is located on Cayo Santa María, which is just off Cuba’s north central coast.

A trip advisor review of the beach said it has: “Incredibly fine white sand that feels like flour, tranquil water, and a nice little breeze… this place is paradise. Some days, you can see fish swimming around or even dolphins from a close distance.”

Santa Maria Beach has a rating of 4.5 out of five stars on TripAdvisor.

The beach placed second to Australia’s Whitehaven Beach on the global ranking.

Cuban beaches were the star of this year’s awards as they picked up four places on the Top 25 list of Caribbean beaches.

Coming in second in the Caribbean was Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.

A recent review of the beach describes it as “an absolutely idyllic setting. Golden sand edging crystal clear blue water with gently lapping waves – it’s what postcards were made for.”

The beach placed second to Australia’s Whitehaven Beach on the global ranking.

Cuban beaches were the star of this year’s awards as they picked up four places on the Top 25 list of Caribbean beaches.

Coming in second in the Caribbean was Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.

Roundout the top 25 beaches were:

4. Varadero Beach, (Cuba)

5. Maho Bay Beach (US Virgin Islands)

6. Seven Mile Beach (Negril, Jamaica)

7. Seven Mile Beach (Cayman Islands)

8. Bavaro Beach (Dominican Republic)

9. Half Moon Bay (Antigua)

10. Flamenco Beach (Culebra, Puerto Rico)

11. Bloody Bay (Negril, Jamaica)

12. Horseshoe Bay Beach (Southampton Parish, Bermuda)

13. Trunk Bay Beach (Virgin Islands National Park, US Virgin Islands)

14. Honeymoon Beach (St Thomas, US Virgin Islands)

15. Playa Pilar (Cuba)

16.Playa Paraiso (Cuba)

17. Frenchman’s Cove (Jamaica)

18. Mullet Bay (Sint Maarten)

19. The Baths (British Virgin Islands)

20. Grande Anse des Salines (Martinique)

25. Arashi Beach (Aruba)

21. Plage de Grande Anse (Guadeloupe)

22. Pigeon Point Beach (Tobago)

23. Kenepa Beach (Curacao)

24. Playa PortoMari (Curacao)

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Gold Coast Mansion a 'ticking time bomb'

A teetering Gold Coast property and ripped up Brisbane streets are among a number of concerns authorities are dealing with as a result of Queensland's heavy wet weather. 

However, the worst is yet to come, with the Bureau of Meteorology and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today warning that the next 24 hours could be deadly. 

The Wongawallan hillside property today was seen as a ticking time bomb, with structural experts saying the house could collapse at any moment.

LIVE UPDATES: Thousands of Sydney residents evacuated from homes

A teetering Gold Coast hinterland property are among concerns as a result of Queensland's heavy wet weather.

The street's residents were also forced to evacuate this afternoon or face being cut off by rising water levels. 

The street is among a number of south east neighborhoods that have been heavily affected by the continued downfall, one even cracking and under the pressure of the water and leaving a car completely written off.

The eerie scenes come as large parts of South and Central Queensland are again on high alert following a new heavy rainfall warning from the Bureau of Meteorology. 

The Wongawallan hillside property today was seen as a ticking time bomb.

The updated warning coming out Monday evening encompasses much of Southern Queensland, including the Channel Country, Maranoa & Warrego, Central Highland and Coalfields, Darling Downs & Granite Belt and South East Coast. 

Six-hourly rainfall totals, from 50mm all the way to 150mm, are likely across these regions with heavier falls and possible thunderstorms also on the table. 

Bad weather could move west

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk joined calls for south east locals to be prepared for the next 24 hours of weather, saying the coastal weather could turn its gaze west. 

"The Bureau has advised us that they expect the weather to increase overnight and also spread further out into the south west as well," Ms Palaszczuk said this afternoon. 

"We have already heard some reports of some land slips that are occurring around the Gold Coast Hinterland.

Downpours and floods continue to threaten parts of south-east Queensland

Fire and Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan said they expected to see "150mm over six hours" that will lead to more cases of flash flooding across the state.

"Please prepare now – plan another route to go home if you need to." he said

It comes as parts of the Sunshine Coast have recorded over 40mm since Monday morning, while parts south of Brisbane have copped just over 30mm in the same time. 

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1373811299583426567?s=20

A flood watch remains in place this afternoon for parts of Western and Central Queensland, as well as the Darling Downs. 

The warning comes after authorities said earlier today there could be in excess of 150mm of rain from the Sunshine Coast to the northern NSW border over the coming hours.

The SES has received more than 300 calls for help overnight, mainly for flood inundation to homes.

Brisbane, Queensland, floods

"A lot of those requests have been about flood inundation to homes as well as trees down and we have also seen a couple of flood boat rescues as well," QFES State Coordinator Brian Cox told Today.

"It has been a very busy period…we are asking people not to be complacent.

"This weather event will hang around for the next three days. The ground is already saturated so the risk of flooding is quite high."

There are several flood warnings in place for low-lying areas.

https://twitter.com/LukeBradnam/status/1373747556690239489?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwBrisbane, Queensland, floodsBrisbane, Queensland, floods

There was flash flooding in Brisbane, with it and Logan receiving over 100mm of rain over a 24 hour period.

The heavy downpour caused flash flooding and even cracks in roads in Logan.

The Bureau of Meteorology said most of the heavy rain will be seen further south in NSW.

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Virus Control: Miami Under Violent Spring Break Lockdown

Miami officials have imposed an emergency 8pm-6am curfew for Miami Beach, effective immediately, after hard-partying spring break crowds trashed restaurants, brawled in the streets and gathered in thousands without masks or social distancing, according to authorities.

At a news conference, officials blamed overwhelming and out-of-control spring break crowds for the curfew, which took effect on Saturday night in South Beach, one of the nation’s top party spots. Tourists and hotel guests were being told to stay indoors during curfew hours.

It was unclear how long the curfew would remain in effect, but interim city manager Raul Aguila told the Miami Herald he recommends keeping the rules in place through at least 12 April. A countywide midnight curfew was already in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“These crowds are in the thousands,” Aguila said. “We’re at capacity.”

No pedestrians or vehicles will be allowed to enter the restricted area after 8pm and all businesses in the vicinity must close, Aguila said, reading from a statement released by the city.

The curfew came as a prominent bar, the Clevelander South Beach, announced it was temporarily suspending all food and beverage operations until at least 24 March after crowds crammed Ocean Drive, breaking out into street fights. At another restaurant next door, tables and chairs were smashed during a fight, news outlets reported.

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South Australian man dies after contracting meningococcal

A 29-year-old Adelaide man has died after a case of invasive meningococcal disease.

SA Health reported the case posthumously today, with the man dying last week.

"Multiple people who had close contact with the man have been identified, an five people have been directed to receive clearance antibiotics," SA Health said.

https://twitter.com/SAHealth/status/1373862250201587716

The strain has been identified as serotype W.

This is the first invasive meningococcal case recorded in the state this year.

Five cases were recorded last year. Three were serotype B and two were serotype Y.