It took a long time, but on Thursday Australia became the 26th country to achieve marriage equality.

The LGBTI community is euphoric and relieved with this hard-fought victory. But there is also trauma from the drawn-out postal survey campaign, which saw attacks on rainbow families and communities. It left many feeling vulnerable and distressed. In some cases, it brought back painful memories of the bullying and abuse they were subjected to in their adolescence.

But once the celebrations from Australia achieving marriage equality have subsided, the fight for LGBTI people to live lives free from discrimination will continue.

Watch:&nbsp;Marriage equality has passed, so what&rsquo;s next?

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A long way to go

The focus recently has, understandably, been on achieving marriage equality. However, it&rsquo;s important to recognise that this accomplishment does not mean that LGBTI people enjoy all of the same human rights as heterosexual people.

Australian law has not yet caught up with the reality of modern families. Children in LGBTI families may have more than two parents: a lesbian couple may have a child with the assistance of a gay couple, for instance, and all four parents may be actively involved in raising the child.

In contrast to Canada, which allows birth certificates to record up to four parents, Australia allows only two parents to be recorded. This means that this pivotal identity document may not accurately reflect a child&rsquo;s family structure.

Another issue that can now receive greater attention is the ongoing use of conversion therapies to &ldquo;cure&rdquo; a person&rsquo;s same-sex attraction. These harmful practices appear to have gone underground but are actually more prevalent in Australia than ever before.

Conversion therapies have been condemned by the medical profession as harmful and ineffective, and by the UN as a breach of human rights. Nevertheless, they continue in Australia.

In 2016, the Victorian government established a commissioner to investigate and ban unregistered health practitioners who claim to be able to convert same-sex-attracted people. However, the Health Complaints Commissioner does not have the power to examine faith-based organisations engaging in such practices, which limits this initiative&rsquo;s effectiveness.

In the US, however, several states and cities have enacted legislation to ban conversion therapy &ndash; either for minors or, in the case of New York City, for adults as well.

Additionally, a case in the state of New Jersey against a Jewish counselling group culminated in a decision that the group had committed consumer fraud when it promised to change a person&rsquo;s same-sex attraction into opposite-sex attraction and was held liable to pay damages.

Given the attempts to embed discrimination against LGBTI people in the marriage equality legislation under the guise of religious freedom, and the government&rsquo;s review into whether Australian law adequately protects religious freedom, now may not be the best time to advocate for the removal of religious exemptions from federal, state and territory anti-discrimination legislation.

As it stands, religious bodies are allowed to discriminate against a person on the basis of their sexual orientation. The impact of such exemptions was recently illustrated when a teacher at a Baptist school in Western Australia was lawfully sacked for being gay.

Another issue that has received little attention is the ongoing practice of subjecting intersex infants to surgical or hormonal interventions to &ldquo;fix&rdquo; their sex to appear male or female. Advocates are calling for such medical interventions to be banned unless it is freely given and fully informed consent.

Advocacy on the world stage

Australia achieving marriage equality will also help improve our human rights reputation on the international stage &ndash; which is in desperate need of help.

At its UN Human Rights Council periodic review in 2016, several countries recommended that Australia amend its laws to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Australia should also lend its support to persecuted LGBTI people in other parts of the world. This includes in the Asia-Pacific region, where 19 countries criminalise homosexuality. As Martin Luther King said: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

We should celebrate and enjoy the fact that Australia finally has marriage equality. But it is by no means the end of the road when it comes to the law reform necessary to enable LGBTI people to enjoy lives of dignity and equality.

Birth certificates that accurately reflect a child&rsquo;s family, ban on conversion therapies, removal of religious exemptions from anti-discrimination legislation, and prohibitions on surgeries to &ldquo;normalise&rdquo; an intersex infant&rsquo;s genitalia are just some of the issues that need to be fixed before Australia&rsquo;s LGBTI community can fully enjoy their human rights.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-finally-achieved-marriage-equality-but-theres-a-lot-more-to-be-done-on-lgbti-rights-88488" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

Image Credit: AAP

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Australia legalising marriage equality does not necessarily mean LGBTI people enjoy all of the same human rights as heterosexual people

It took a long time, but on Thursday Australia became the 26th country to achieve marriage equality. The LGBTI community is euphoric and relieved with this hard-fought victory. But there is also trauma from the drawn-out postal survey campaign, which saw attacks on rainbow families and communities. It left many feeling vulnerable and distressed. In some cases, it brought back painful memories of the bullying and abuse they were subjected to in their adolescence. But once the celebrations from Australia achieving marriage equality have subsided, the fight for LGBTI people to live lives free from discrimination will continue. Watch: Marriage equality has passed, so what’s next? × A long way to go The focus recently has, understandably, been on achieving marriage equality. However, it’s important to recognise that this accomplishment does not mean that LGBTI people enjoy all of the same human rights as heterosexual people. Australian law has not yet caught up with the reality of modern families. Children in LGBTI families may have more than two parents: a lesbian couple may have a child with the assistance of a gay couple, for instance, and all four parents may be actively involved in raising the child. In contrast to Canada, which allows birth certificates to record up to four parents, Australia allows only two parents to be recorded. This means that this pivotal identity document may not accurately reflect a child’s family structure. Another issue that can now receive greater attention is the ongoing use of conversion therapies to “cure” a person’s same-sex attraction. These harmful practices appear to have gone underground but are actually more prevalent in Australia than ever before. Conversion therapies have been condemned by the medical profession as harmful and ineffective, and by the UN as a breach of human rights. Nevertheless, they continue in Australia. In 2016, the Victorian government established a commissioner to investigate and ban unregistered health practitioners who claim to be able to convert same-sex-attracted people. However, the Health Complaints Commissioner does not have the power to examine faith-based organisations engaging in such practices, which limits this initiative’s effectiveness. In the US, however, several states and cities have enacted legislation to ban conversion therapy – either for minors or, in the case of New York City, for adults as well. Additionally, a case in the state of New Jersey against a Jewish counselling group culminated in a decision that the group had committed consumer fraud when it promised to change a person’s same-sex attraction into opposite-sex attraction and was held liable to pay damages. Given the attempts to embed discrimination against LGBTI people in the marriage equality legislation under the guise of religious freedom, and the government’s review into whether Australian law adequately protects religious freedom, now may not be the best time to advocate for the removal of religious exemptions from federal, state and territory anti-discrimination legislation. As it stands, religious bodies are allowed to discriminate against a person on the basis of their sexual orientation. The impact of such exemptions was recently illustrated when a teacher at a Baptist school in Western Australia was lawfully sacked for being gay. Another issue that has received little attention is the ongoing practice of subjecting intersex infants to surgical or hormonal interventions to “fix” their sex to appear male or female. Advocates are calling for such medical interventions to be banned unless it is freely given and fully informed consent. Advocacy on the world stage Australia achieving marriage equality will also help improve our human rights reputation on the international stage – which is in desperate need of help. At its UN Human Rights Council periodic review in 2016, several countries recommended that Australia amend its laws to allow same-sex couples to marry. Australia should also lend its support to persecuted LGBTI people in other parts of the world. This includes in the Asia-Pacific region, where 19 countries criminalise homosexuality. As Martin Luther King said: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We should celebrate and enjoy the fact that Australia finally has marriage equality. But it is by no means the end of the road when it comes to the law reform necessary to enable LGBTI people to enjoy lives of dignity and equality. Birth certificates that accurately reflect a child’s family, ban on conversion therapies, removal of religious exemptions from anti-discrimination legislation, and prohibitions on surgeries to “normalise” an intersex infant’s genitalia are just some of the issues that need to be fixed before Australia’s LGBTI community can fully enjoy their human rights. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Image Credit: AAP (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Australia approves marriage equality, but lots need to be done on LGBTI rights

The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced on Tuesday that the number of Irrawaddy dolphin and finless porpoise, residing in Asian waters have considerably dropped, moving to the &quot;endangered&quot; category from &quot;vulnerable&quot;.

According to the Red List of threatened species, the&nbsp;Australia&#39;s western ringtail possum has also moved from &quot;vulnerable&quot; to the &quot;critically endangered&quot; category.&nbsp;

&quot;In the Mekong River, for example, the majority of Irrawaddy dolphin deaths in recent years have been caused by entanglement in gill nets. These nets hang like curtains of deaths across the river,&quot; Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the group&#39;s Red List unit said.

Currently there perhaps less than 70 Irrawaddy dolphin alive in the Mekon river.&nbsp;

The decline in number comes as the number of Irrawaddy dolphin&#39;s halved in the last 60 years. The finless porpoise has also halved in the last 45 years, the group declared.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Irrawaddy dolphin usually occurs in Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People&#39;s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam.&nbsp;

The finless porpoise is mostly found in&nbsp;coastal&nbsp;waters&nbsp;Southeast&nbsp;and East Asia, Yangtze River and its adjacent lake systems, according to sources.&nbsp;

&quot;These species live in shallow waters near shore and both have populations confined to freshwater systems, and that makes them extremely vulnerable to human activities. The threats pushing species to extinction come from us, from humans ... This also means that we can do something about it&quot; Taylor said.&nbsp;

Due&nbsp;to Australia&#39;s dry and humid climate, it has lead to the massive decline in the western ringtail possums of more than 80% in the last 10 years.&nbsp;

The decline in number comes as the number of Irrawaddy dolphin's halved in the last 60 years. The finless porpoise has also halved in the last 45 years, the group declared

The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced on Tuesday that the number of Irrawaddy dolphin and finless porpoise, residing in Asian waters have considerably dropped, moving to the "endangered" category from "vulnerable". According to the Red List of threatened species, the Australia's western ringtail possum has also moved from "vulnerable" to the "critically endangered" category. "In the Mekong River, for example, the majority of Irrawaddy dolphin deaths in recent years have been caused by entanglement in gill nets. These nets hang like curtains of deaths across the river," Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the group's Red List unit said. Currently there perhaps less than 70 Irrawaddy dolphin alive in the Mekon river. The decline in number comes as the number of Irrawaddy dolphin's halved in the last 60 years. The finless porpoise has also halved in the last 45 years, the group declared. The Irrawaddy dolphin usually occurs in Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam. The finless porpoise is mostly found in coastal waters Southeast and East Asia, Yangtze River and its adjacent lake systems, according to sources. "These species live in shallow waters near shore and both have populations confined to freshwater systems, and that makes them extremely vulnerable to human activities. The threats pushing species to extinction come from us, from humans ... This also means that we can do something about it" Taylor said. Due to Australia's dry and humid climate, it has lead to the massive decline in the western ringtail possums of more than 80% in the last 10 years.

Asian dolphins close to extinction: Report

Foreign interference in Australian politics has become a &quot;serious problem&quot;, a top official said Monday, with tougher laws on espionage and overseas donations to be introduced to parliament.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered an inquiry in June after media revelations that the nation&#39;s spy agency had warned the country&#39;s political elite two years ago about taking donations from two billionaires with links to the Chinese Communist Party.

The probe, by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Fairfax Media, said that despite being cautioned, both the Liberals and Labor continued accepting substantial sums of cash.

It said intelligence agencies had major concerns that China was interfering in Australian institutions and using the political donations system to gain access. Beijing denied the allegations as &quot;totally groundless&quot;.

Since then concern over foreign interference has gathered momentum, heightened by ongoing revelations of Russian meddling in the American political system.

&quot;The issue of foreign interference in our politics is an extremely serious problem,&quot; Attorney-General George Brandis told parliament on Monday.

&quot;So I can tell the Senate that later this week, the government will introduce a milestone legislative package to reform Australia&#39;s espionage and foreign interference legislation.&quot;

He said the new laws would strengthen and modernise a range of offences &quot;for the purposes of investigating, disrupting and prosecuting acts of espionage and covert interference in the Australian political process&quot;.&nbsp;

There would be a new transparency scheme, providing &quot;visibility of the nature and extent of influence over Australia&#39;s government and political processes by foreign interests&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;It will introduce new offences targeting foreign interference and economic espionage, including offences that criminalise covert and deceptive activities that support the intelligence activities of foreign actors,&quot; he added.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said in response on Monday that Beijing &quot;always stays committed to following the principle of mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs&quot; of other countries.&nbsp;

&quot;At the same time we urge the relevant people on the Australian side to abandon prejudices,&quot; Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing.&nbsp;

Last week, a key Australian Labor MP, Sam Dastyari, was forced to resign as deputy opposition whip after reports that he told a Chinese businessman his phone was likely being tapped by intelligence agencies.

The man, Huang Xiangmo, is a prominent Chinese political donor.

A probe said intelligence agencies had major concerns that China was interfering in Australian institutions and using the political donations system to gain access

Foreign interference in Australian politics has become a "serious problem", a top official said Monday, with tougher laws on espionage and overseas donations to be introduced to parliament. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered an inquiry in June after media revelations that the nation's spy agency had warned the country's political elite two years ago about taking donations from two billionaires with links to the Chinese Communist Party. The probe, by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Fairfax Media, said that despite being cautioned, both the Liberals and Labor continued accepting substantial sums of cash. It said intelligence agencies had major concerns that China was interfering in Australian institutions and using the political donations system to gain access. Beijing denied the allegations as "totally groundless". Since then concern over foreign interference has gathered momentum, heightened by ongoing revelations of Russian meddling in the American political system. "The issue of foreign interference in our politics is an extremely serious problem," Attorney-General George Brandis told parliament on Monday. "So I can tell the Senate that later this week, the government will introduce a milestone legislative package to reform Australia's espionage and foreign interference legislation." He said the new laws would strengthen and modernise a range of offences "for the purposes of investigating, disrupting and prosecuting acts of espionage and covert interference in the Australian political process". There would be a new transparency scheme, providing "visibility of the nature and extent of influence over Australia's government and political processes by foreign interests". "It will introduce new offences targeting foreign interference and economic espionage, including offences that criminalise covert and deceptive activities that support the intelligence activities of foreign actors," he added. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said in response on Monday that Beijing "always stays committed to following the principle of mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs" of other countries. "At the same time we urge the relevant people on the Australian side to abandon prejudices," Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing. Last week, a key Australian Labor MP, Sam Dastyari, was forced to resign as deputy opposition whip after reports that he told a Chinese businessman his phone was likely being tapped by intelligence agencies. The man, Huang Xiangmo, is a prominent Chinese political donor.

New Australia laws to deal with foreign political meddling

Australian lawmaker Tim Wilson on Monday popped the question to his long-term partner Ryan Bolger on the floor of Parliament, during a debate to legalise same-sex marriage in the country.

The proposal, which came shortly after the same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the lower house of Parliament, was greeted with applause from all sides of the political divide and the public gallery.

Addressing the Parliament in favour of the same-sex marriage bill, Wilson turned to thank Bolger, who was sitting with marriage equality advocates in the public gallery, for his support.

&quot;There`s only one thing left to do,&quot; he said, choking up slightly. Ryan Patrick Bolger, will you marry me?&quot; the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Wilson as saying.

And the answer came back fast and loud as Bolger responded with a clear &quot;yes&quot;.

Earlier in his speech, Wilson recalled when he had first presented Bolger with the rings that the pair has worn on their left hands for seven years.

&quot;I said, `I don`t know what this ring represents, but will you take it as a sign of my commitment`. Thankfully the answer was yes,&quot; he said.

Wilson has been engaged to the school teacher for nine years and reaffirmed his proposal during a speech on the issue, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

According to ABC, the same-sex marriage legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday and is expected to pass easily after debate on proposed religious protection amendments.

The bill was introduced by Liberal MP Warren Entsch, a long-time advocate for same-sex marriage.&nbsp;

The proposal, which came shortly after the same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the lower house of Parliament, was greeted with applause from all sides of the political divide and the public gallery

Australian lawmaker Tim Wilson on Monday popped the question to his long-term partner Ryan Bolger on the floor of Parliament, during a debate to legalise same-sex marriage in the country. The proposal, which came shortly after the same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the lower house of Parliament, was greeted with applause from all sides of the political divide and the public gallery. Addressing the Parliament in favour of the same-sex marriage bill, Wilson turned to thank Bolger, who was sitting with marriage equality advocates in the public gallery, for his support. "There`s only one thing left to do," he said, choking up slightly. Ryan Patrick Bolger, will you marry me?" the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Wilson as saying. And the answer came back fast and loud as Bolger responded with a clear "yes". Earlier in his speech, Wilson recalled when he had first presented Bolger with the rings that the pair has worn on their left hands for seven years. "I said, `I don`t know what this ring represents, but will you take it as a sign of my commitment`. Thankfully the answer was yes," he said. Wilson has been engaged to the school teacher for nine years and reaffirmed his proposal during a speech on the issue, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. According to ABC, the same-sex marriage legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday and is expected to pass easily after debate on proposed religious protection amendments. The bill was introduced by Liberal MP Warren Entsch, a long-time advocate for same-sex marriage.

Australia same-sex marriage: MP proposes to partner during debate in Parliament

People in Victoria have been given warning of floods and thunderstorm by Australia&#39;s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) after heavy rainfall hit the Australian state on Friday.&nbsp;

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A Flood Watch for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Victoria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Victoria</a> has been updated. Check here for latest warnings and watches: <a href="https://t.co/HLs2UYFQyQ">https://t.co/HLs2UYFQyQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/EUIeLjNrJI">pic.twitter.com/EUIeLjNrJI</a>
&mdash; Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/936399428247805952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Massive rainfall in Southern part of Australia has left roads blocked and flooded residential areas on Saturday.&nbsp;

According to reports, almost 300 mm of rain and large hailstorms are predicted in the next three days.&nbsp;

Several flights have also been diverted to Sydney and major events have been cancelled in the state, media reports said.

Floodwater started to run quickly downstairs and alleys in Melbourne&#39;s suburb of Ringwood after five minutes of the downpour on Friday afternoon, according to a local resident David Cabler.

The Hume Highway, an inter-city national highway connecting Melbourne to Sydney, was seen submerged in flood waters in a video shared by a Wangaratta florist.

Parts of the Hume Highway have been closed due to the flooding, according to local media. 
&nbsp;

Flash floodwater inundates roads in the Australia's state of Victoria as the rainfalls in part of the state break more than a century old record

People in Victoria have been given warning of floods and thunderstorm by Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) after heavy rainfall hit the Australian state on Friday. A Flood Watch for #Victoria has been updated. Check here for latest warnings and watches: https://t.co/HLs2UYFQyQ pic.twitter.com/EUIeLjNrJI — Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) December 1, 2017 × Massive rainfall in Southern part of Australia has left roads blocked and flooded residential areas on Saturday. According to reports, almost 300 mm of rain and large hailstorms are predicted in the next three days. Several flights have also been diverted to Sydney and major events have been cancelled in the state, media reports said. Floodwater started to run quickly downstairs and alleys in Melbourne's suburb of Ringwood after five minutes of the downpour on Friday afternoon, according to a local resident David Cabler. The Hume Highway, an inter-city national highway connecting Melbourne to Sydney, was seen submerged in flood waters in a video shared by a Wangaratta florist. Parts of the Hume Highway have been closed due to the flooding, according to local media.

Record-breaking rainfall triggers flash floods in Australia

Two teenagers have been charged with planning an attack at a school in Australia using guns and explosives in an act police Wednesday alleged was designed to harm &quot;a large number of people&quot;.&nbsp;

The plot targeting the school in South Australia&#39;s Riverland region came to the attention of authorities earlier this month with the two young men arrested soon after.

Detective Superintendent Des Bray said they were accused of planning &quot;an attack at a school involving the use of firearms and explosives which could have led to multiple deaths&quot;.

&quot;Two teenage boys -&ndash; aged 16 and 18 -&ndash; are in custody. The younger has been charged with a count of solicit to murder, while the older teenager has been charged with aggravated counts of threatening to kill,&quot; he said.

&quot;There is no evidence to show that any other person was linked with this matter, nor did the two individuals have possession of firearms.&quot;

The alleged plot was foiled a day after police in Melbourne arrested a 20-year-old man who they claimed was planning to buy a gun and kill as many revellers as possible on New Year&#39;s Eve in the city.

Police said that man, Ali Ali, was an Islamic State sympathiser, but there was no mention of any extremist group link to the teenagers in South Australia.

Bray said it will be alleged the pair were involved in planning the attack between June 1 and November 7 this year.

The main towns of the fruit-producing Riverland region northeast of Adelaide include Renmark, Berri, and Loxton.

Two teenagers have been charged with planning an attack at a school in Australia using guns and explosives in an act police Wednesday alleged was designed to harm 'a large number of people'

Two teenagers have been charged with planning an attack at a school in Australia using guns and explosives in an act police Wednesday alleged was designed to harm "a large number of people". The plot targeting the school in South Australia's Riverland region came to the attention of authorities earlier this month with the two young men arrested soon after. Detective Superintendent Des Bray said they were accused of planning "an attack at a school involving the use of firearms and explosives which could have led to multiple deaths". "Two teenage boys -– aged 16 and 18 -– are in custody. The younger has been charged with a count of solicit to murder, while the older teenager has been charged with aggravated counts of threatening to kill," he said. "There is no evidence to show that any other person was linked with this matter, nor did the two individuals have possession of firearms." The alleged plot was foiled a day after police in Melbourne arrested a 20-year-old man who they claimed was planning to buy a gun and kill as many revellers as possible on New Year's Eve in the city. Police said that man, Ali Ali, was an Islamic State sympathiser, but there was no mention of any extremist group link to the teenagers in South Australia. Bray said it will be alleged the pair were involved in planning the attack between June 1 and November 7 this year. The main towns of the fruit-producing Riverland region northeast of Adelaide include Renmark, Berri, and Loxton.

Police foil teenage attack on school in Australia

An Australian state&nbsp;Wednesday&nbsp;became the first in the country to legalise assisted dying, or euthanasia, with lawmakers voting to allow terminally ill patients the right to request a lethal drug to end their lives.

The legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, was passed in Victoria after 100 hours of often fiery debate, making it the only place in Australia where the practice will be legal.

State Premier Daniel Andrews, who supported the bill after the death of his father last year and allowed a conscience vote in parliament, said people should have the right to &quot;choose to be in control of the last part of their journey&quot;.

&quot;For too long, we have denied, to too many, the compassion, the control, the power that should be theirs in those final moments of their life,&quot; he said.

&quot;I&#39;m proud today that we have put compassion right at the centre of our parliamentary and our political process. That is politics at its best.&quot;

Jen Barnes, who has a tumour on her brain that is growing and inoperable, welcomed the decision as giving people like her a choice.

&quot;I just want to know that it&#39;s there, the option is there,&quot; she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

&quot;It&#39;s unlikely that I would see it come through for me because I&#39;m not likely to be here&nbsp;in 18 months&#39; time. But for the future, I think it&#39;s the right way to go.&quot;

The 18-month delay before the bill takes effect was to finalise details, including deciding which drug, or cocktail of drugs, would be best.

&#39;Safest in the world&#39;&nbsp;

The scheme will be accessible only to terminally ill patients over 18 living in Victoria for at least a year and with less than six months to live, down from an originally proposed 12 months.

There will, however, be exemptions for sufferers of conditions such as motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis who have a life expectancy of one year.

Those applying must be determined by multiple doctors to be suffering intolerable pain and be of sound mind.&nbsp;

They will then be given a lethal drug&nbsp;within 10 days&nbsp;of asking to die, which they administer themselves. If they are not capable, a doctor can help.

&quot;I hope the implementation of this bill really does start to give people some hope and some compassion that a good death will in fact be possible for people who are enduring difficult end of lives,&quot; said state Health Minister Jill Hennessy.

Victorian Attorney-General Martin Pakula said robust debate on the issue had ensured there were ample safeguards.

&quot;We have ensured we have compassionate legislation while still giving Victorians the protections and safeguards they need -&ndash; making this the most conservative and safest scheme in the world,&quot; he said.

Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries around the world and until now had been banned in Australia, although it was legal for a time in the Northern Territory before the law was overturned in the 1990s.

When legal there, prominent Australian right-to-die campaigner Philip Nitschke became the first doctor in the world to administer a legal, voluntary, lethal injection to end a life.

He went on to do the same for three other people.

Other states in Australia have debated assisted dying in the past, but the proposals have always been defeated, mostly recently in New South Wales in September.

The legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, was passed in Victoria after 100 hours of often fiery debate

An Australian state Wednesday became the first in the country to legalise assisted dying, or euthanasia, with lawmakers voting to allow terminally ill patients the right to request a lethal drug to end their lives. The legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, was passed in Victoria after 100 hours of often fiery debate, making it the only place in Australia where the practice will be legal. State Premier Daniel Andrews, who supported the bill after the death of his father last year and allowed a conscience vote in parliament, said people should have the right to "choose to be in control of the last part of their journey". "For too long, we have denied, to too many, the compassion, the control, the power that should be theirs in those final moments of their life," he said. "I'm proud today that we have put compassion right at the centre of our parliamentary and our political process. That is politics at its best." Jen Barnes, who has a tumour on her brain that is growing and inoperable, welcomed the decision as giving people like her a choice. "I just want to know that it's there, the option is there," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "It's unlikely that I would see it come through for me because I'm not likely to be here in 18 months' time. But for the future, I think it's the right way to go." The 18-month delay before the bill takes effect was to finalise details, including deciding which drug, or cocktail of drugs, would be best. 'Safest in the world' The scheme will be accessible only to terminally ill patients over 18 living in Victoria for at least a year and with less than six months to live, down from an originally proposed 12 months. There will, however, be exemptions for sufferers of conditions such as motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis who have a life expectancy of one year. Those applying must be determined by multiple doctors to be suffering intolerable pain and be of sound mind. They will then be given a lethal drug within 10 days of asking to die, which they administer themselves. If they are not capable, a doctor can help. "I hope the implementation of this bill really does start to give people some hope and some compassion that a good death will in fact be possible for people who are enduring difficult end of lives," said state Health Minister Jill Hennessy. Victorian Attorney-General Martin Pakula said robust debate on the issue had ensured there were ample safeguards. "We have ensured we have compassionate legislation while still giving Victorians the protections and safeguards they need -– making this the most conservative and safest scheme in the world," he said. Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries around the world and until now had been banned in Australia, although it was legal for a time in the Northern Territory before the law was overturned in the 1990s. When legal there, prominent Australian right-to-die campaigner Philip Nitschke became the first doctor in the world to administer a legal, voluntary, lethal injection to end a life. He went on to do the same for three other people. Other states in Australia have debated assisted dying in the past, but the proposals have always been defeated, mostly recently in New South Wales in September.

'Compassionate' Victoria first Australia state to legalise euthanasia

Hamish Finlayson, 13, is the youngest entrepreneur who will be showcasing his gaming and awareness apps at the high-profile Global Entrepreneurship Summit here.

The Australia-based entrepreneur, who is studying in 7th grade, has so far developed five apps including the one to save turtles, and is currently working on the sixth one for increasing awareness about traffic rules.

&quot;I am super excited to be in India,&quot; Finlayson said, adding that though his first love is technology and developing apps, he also focuses on his studies.

&quot;Only after finishing my school homework, I work on my apps. I work only in my spare time,&quot; he added.

Graeme Finlayson, father of Hamish, said that it all started when he was just eight years old and in the 3rd grade.

After contesting in a competition on apps, Hamish got interested and the journey started from there, his father said. The apps developed by him are available on Apple as well as Google Play stores.

&quot;The sixth app he is developing is about teaching people about road safety,&quot; Graeme said.

With customers in 54 countries, Hamish wants to scale his technology to solve big problems being faced by the people across the world, the father added.

He further said that at GES 2017, Hamish wants to showcase the light of sea turtles and raise awareness about the impact of autism on society.

The Australia-based entrepreneur, who is studying in 7th grade, has so far developed five apps including the one to save turtles, and is currently working on the sixth one for increasing awareness about traffic rules

Hamish Finlayson, 13, is the youngest entrepreneur who will be showcasing his gaming and awareness apps at the high-profile Global Entrepreneurship Summit here. The Australia-based entrepreneur, who is studying in 7th grade, has so far developed five apps including the one to save turtles, and is currently working on the sixth one for increasing awareness about traffic rules. "I am super excited to be in India," Finlayson said, adding that though his first love is technology and developing apps, he also focuses on his studies. "Only after finishing my school homework, I work on my apps. I work only in my spare time," he added. Graeme Finlayson, father of Hamish, said that it all started when he was just eight years old and in the 3rd grade. After contesting in a competition on apps, Hamish got interested and the journey started from there, his father said. The apps developed by him are available on Apple as well as Google Play stores. "The sixth app he is developing is about teaching people about road safety," Graeme said. With customers in 54 countries, Hamish wants to scale his technology to solve big problems being faced by the people across the world, the father added. He further said that at GES 2017, Hamish wants to showcase the light of sea turtles and raise awareness about the impact of autism on society.

Meet Hamish Finlayson, youngest entrepreneur at GES 2017

Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team&#39;s character.

Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England&#39;s agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day.

Warner finished unbeaten on 87 off 119 balls with newcomer Bancroft hitting the winning runs to remain 82 not out off 182 balls in Australia&#39;s 173 without loss.

In the process, they broke an 87-year-old Test record for the all-time highest unbeaten opening partnership in a successful Test chase.

&quot;We had to show some really good character throughout. Obviously losing the toss, and the wicket was a lot slower than we anticipated it would be. We had to work really hard,&quot; said Australian captain Steve Smith.

&quot;I&#39;m pleased with the way we have played. Bowling first at The Gabba, it&#39;s hard. The bowlers had to be on. The way we pulled it back to win the position we were in it&#39;s extremely pleasing. I&#39;m proud of the way the boys fought.&quot;

The Australians only needed 56 runs on the final morning go one up after England imploded on Sunday&#39;s fourth day.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-australia-on-brink-of-victory-after-england-crumble-25171" target="_blank">Also read: Australia on brink of victory after England crumble</a>

England captain Joe Root said the result did not tell the full story.

&quot;For three days we were excellent. Bar Steve&#39;s knock we were right in it,&quot; he said, referring to Smith&#39;s battling first innings century.

&quot;It&#39;s frustrating. We have to move on quickly and make sure we don&#39;t make the same mistakes in Adelaide.&quot;

It was Warner&#39;s 25th Test fifty and ninth in the Ashes, while debutant Bancroft posted his first half-century in only his second Test innings.

&quot;It was good fun, to share a good partnership was nice. To get the win, in the end, was good,&quot; said Bancroft, who was allegedly headbutted by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow in a late-night altercation in Perth earlier in the tour.

An England and Wales Cricket Board statement confirmed team management have asked Bairstow about the alleged incident. Warner said it was great to get the win without losing a wicket.

&quot;That&#39;s what we cherish, coming out being disciplined to try and get the job done as best as possible,&quot; he said.

England&#39;s doleful defeat was played to the background sounds of the traveling Barmy Army supporters singing &#39;We&#39;ll Take the (Ashes) Urn Home&#39; in the sparsely-populated Gabba ground.

It was an attritional battle between the traditional rivals over the first three days of the Test, raising England&#39;s hopes of a first win at the ground in just over three decades.

But skipper Smith&#39;s match-defining unbeaten 141 over eight-and-a-half hours to give Australia a 26-run innings lead and Josh Hazlewood&#39;s two late wickets on Saturday swung the momentum firmly Australia&#39;s way.

England were knocked over for 195 off 71.4 overs, losing their last six wickets for 82, to set Australia an unthreatening target to chase down in the remaining four sessions of play.

Australia stretched their unbeaten record at their Gabba fortress to 29 years since their last defeat to Viv Richards&#39; West Indies team in 1988.

England have not won in Brisbane in 31 years, a stretch of eight Ashes Tests.

The five-Test series heads to Adelaide Oval for the first-ever Ashes day-night Test, starting on Saturday.

'I'm pleased with the way we have played. Bowling first at The Gabba, it's hard,' Australian captain Steve Smith said

Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team's character. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England's agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day. Warner finished unbeaten on 87 off 119 balls with newcomer Bancroft hitting the winning runs to remain 82 not out off 182 balls in Australia's 173 without loss. In the process, they broke an 87-year-old Test record for the all-time highest unbeaten opening partnership in a successful Test chase. "We had to show some really good character throughout. Obviously losing the toss, and the wicket was a lot slower than we anticipated it would be. We had to work really hard," said Australian captain Steve Smith. "I'm pleased with the way we have played. Bowling first at The Gabba, it's hard. The bowlers had to be on. The way we pulled it back to win the position we were in it's extremely pleasing. I'm proud of the way the boys fought." The Australians only needed 56 runs on the final morning go one up after England imploded on Sunday's fourth day. Also read: Australia on brink of victory after England crumble England captain Joe Root said the result did not tell the full story. "For three days we were excellent. Bar Steve's knock we were right in it," he said, referring to Smith's battling first innings century. "It's frustrating. We have to move on quickly and make sure we don't make the same mistakes in Adelaide." It was Warner's 25th Test fifty and ninth in the Ashes, while debutant Bancroft posted his first half-century in only his second Test innings. "It was good fun, to share a good partnership was nice. To get the win, in the end, was good," said Bancroft, who was allegedly headbutted by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow in a late-night altercation in Perth earlier in the tour. An England and Wales Cricket Board statement confirmed team management have asked Bairstow about the alleged incident. Warner said it was great to get the win without losing a wicket. "That's what we cherish, coming out being disciplined to try and get the job done as best as possible," he said. England's doleful defeat was played to the background sounds of the traveling Barmy Army supporters singing 'We'll Take the (Ashes) Urn Home' in the sparsely-populated Gabba ground. It was an attritional battle between the traditional rivals over the first three days of the Test, raising England's hopes of a first win at the ground in just over three decades. But skipper Smith's match-defining unbeaten 141 over eight-and-a-half hours to give Australia a 26-run innings lead and Josh Hazlewood's two late wickets on Saturday swung the momentum firmly Australia's way. England were knocked over for 195 off 71.4 overs, losing their last six wickets for 82, to set Australia an unthreatening target to chase down in the remaining four sessions of play. Australia stretched their unbeaten record at their Gabba fortress to 29 years since their last defeat to Viv Richards' West Indies team in 1988. England have not won in Brisbane in 31 years, a stretch of eight Ashes Tests. The five-Test series heads to Adelaide Oval for the first-ever Ashes day-night Test, starting on Saturday.

Ashes: Australia crush England by 10 wickets in 1st Test

Coral bred in one part of the Great Barrier Reef was successfully transplanted into another area, Australian scientists said Sunday, in a project they hope could restore damaged ecosystems around the world.

In a trial at the reef&#39;s Heron Island off Australia&#39;s east coast, the researchers collected a large amount of coral spawn and eggs late last year, grew them into larvae and then transplanted them into areas of the damaged reef.

When they returned eight months later, they found juvenile coral that had survived and grown, aided by underwater mesh tanks.

&quot;The success of this new research not only applies to the Great Barrier Reef but has potential global significance,&quot; lead researcher Peter Harrison of Southern Cross University said.

&quot;It shows we can start to restore and repair damaged coral populations where the natural supply of coral larvae has been compromised.&quot;

Harrison said his mass larval-restoration approach contrasts with the current &quot;coral gardening&quot; method of breaking up healthy coral and sticking healthy branches on reefs in the hope they will regrow, or growing coral in nurseries before transplantation.

He was optimistic his approach, which was earlier successfully trialed in the Philippines in an area of reef highly degraded by blast fishing, could help reefs recover on a larger scale.

&quot;The results are very promising and our work shows that adding higher densities of coral larvae leads to higher numbers of successful coral recruits,&quot; he added.

The Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure on Earth, is reeling from an unprecedented second-straight year of coral bleaching because of warming sea temperatures linked to climate change.

The chief scientist of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the government agency that manages the area, said there was a need for such efforts amid the accelerating impacts of climate change.

&quot;The success of these first trials is encouraging -- the next challenge is to build this into broader scale technology that is going to make a difference to the Reef as a whole,&quot; David Wachenfeld said.

&nbsp;

Researchers collected a large amount of coral spawn and eggs, grew them into larvae, and then transplanted them into areas of the damaged reef

Coral bred in one part of the Great Barrier Reef was successfully transplanted into another area, Australian scientists said Sunday, in a project they hope could restore damaged ecosystems around the world. In a trial at the reef's Heron Island off Australia's east coast, the researchers collected a large amount of coral spawn and eggs late last year, grew them into larvae and then transplanted them into areas of the damaged reef. When they returned eight months later, they found juvenile coral that had survived and grown, aided by underwater mesh tanks. "The success of this new research not only applies to the Great Barrier Reef but has potential global significance," lead researcher Peter Harrison of Southern Cross University said. "It shows we can start to restore and repair damaged coral populations where the natural supply of coral larvae has been compromised." Harrison said his mass larval-restoration approach contrasts with the current "coral gardening" method of breaking up healthy coral and sticking healthy branches on reefs in the hope they will regrow, or growing coral in nurseries before transplantation. He was optimistic his approach, which was earlier successfully trialed in the Philippines in an area of reef highly degraded by blast fishing, could help reefs recover on a larger scale. "The results are very promising and our work shows that adding higher densities of coral larvae leads to higher numbers of successful coral recruits," he added. The Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure on Earth, is reeling from an unprecedented second-straight year of coral bleaching because of warming sea temperatures linked to climate change. The chief scientist of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the government agency that manages the area, said there was a need for such efforts amid the accelerating impacts of climate change. "The success of these first trials is encouraging -- the next challenge is to build this into broader scale technology that is going to make a difference to the Reef as a whole," David Wachenfeld said.

Coral transplant raises Great Barrier Reef survival hopes

A pulsating Ashes opener that had promised a grandstand finish will more than likely end early with a handsome win to Australia after Steve Smith&#39;s side pushed within 56 runs of victory at the close of day four on Sunday.

The teams will return to the Gabba on Monday to go through the motions, and Australia&#39;s openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft will look to mop up the winning runs after protecting their wickets with aplomb after tea.

Australia were 114 without loss at stumps, with Bancroft (51 not out) having celebrated his maiden half-century in his test debut after vice-captain Warner (60) raised his 25th as shadows crept across the ground.

The match was decided earlier, however, when England&#39;s middle order suffered a ruinous collapse after lunch for the second time in succession.

The loss of captain Joe Root for 51 some 10 minutes before the first break was a blow but there was still hope as Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow drove England to 155 for five.

From there it all went sour, as England crashed out for 195, a collapse triggered by a third umpire decision that may be debated for years to come.

Having breezed to 40, Moeen was beaten by spinner Nathan Lyon and wicketkeeper Tim Paine whipped the bails off in a flash with the all-rounder&#39;s foot planted squarely on the line.

Long, tortuous deliberations followed, as New Zealander Chris Gaffaney pondered various angles of replay footage.

None confirmed that any part of Moeen&#39;s foot was behind the line, so Gaffaney duly sent the batsman packing.

It was Lyon&#39;s third wicket of a brilliant test for the offspinner and England&#39;s breaking point after three-and-a-half days of mostly valiant cricket.

They lost 4-40 and their last three wickets for 10 runs as paceman Mitchell Starc awoke to trample all over England&#39;s wafer-thin hopes.

All-rounder Chris Woakes added 30 runs with Bairstow but his uneasy 57-ball innings felt on borrowed time.

He was dropped at short leg off Lyon when yet to score but caught easily in the slips by Smith for 17 after worked over by a short ball from Starc.

Left to dig in and carry the tail, Bairstow instead threw away his wicket for 42 with a ramp shot over the slips that went straight to the third man.

Stuart Broad was Starc&#39;s third victim four balls later when he feathered a nick behind and England&#39;s capitulation was complete when a harried Jake Ball was out for one, fending away Pat Cummins to fly slip.

Smith&#39;s epic, unbeaten 141 on day three will take on an even greater significance when his team finishes the job, given the scant contributions of England&#39;s batsmen in their second innings.

Root made the only half-century for his team, but it will be marked down as a footnote in a match and an emphatic first-up defeat in his ongoing duel with Smith.

It was back to the old stagers James Anderson and Broad to try to pull off a miracle.

But they washed harmlessly against the wall of Warner and Bancroft, who began opening their shoulders after a mostly watchful first hour.

In the morning, it was Lyon who turned the screws with two wickets before Josh Hazlewood claimed the prized scalp of Root.

After England resumed the day on 33 for two, Lyon had opener Mark Stoneman caught for 27 by Smith at slip.

The spinner and captain combined again when Dawid Malan nicked behind to fall for four.

Australia need 56 runs to win on Day 5 of the first Test

A pulsating Ashes opener that had promised a grandstand finish will more than likely end early with a handsome win to Australia after Steve Smith's side pushed within 56 runs of victory at the close of day four on Sunday. The teams will return to the Gabba on Monday to go through the motions, and Australia's openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft will look to mop up the winning runs after protecting their wickets with aplomb after tea. Australia were 114 without loss at stumps, with Bancroft (51 not out) having celebrated his maiden half-century in his test debut after vice-captain Warner (60) raised his 25th as shadows crept across the ground. The match was decided earlier, however, when England's middle order suffered a ruinous collapse after lunch for the second time in succession. The loss of captain Joe Root for 51 some 10 minutes before the first break was a blow but there was still hope as Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow drove England to 155 for five. From there it all went sour, as England crashed out for 195, a collapse triggered by a third umpire decision that may be debated for years to come. Having breezed to 40, Moeen was beaten by spinner Nathan Lyon and wicketkeeper Tim Paine whipped the bails off in a flash with the all-rounder's foot planted squarely on the line. Long, tortuous deliberations followed, as New Zealander Chris Gaffaney pondered various angles of replay footage. None confirmed that any part of Moeen's foot was behind the line, so Gaffaney duly sent the batsman packing. It was Lyon's third wicket of a brilliant test for the offspinner and England's breaking point after three-and-a-half days of mostly valiant cricket. They lost 4-40 and their last three wickets for 10 runs as paceman Mitchell Starc awoke to trample all over England's wafer-thin hopes. All-rounder Chris Woakes added 30 runs with Bairstow but his uneasy 57-ball innings felt on borrowed time. He was dropped at short leg off Lyon when yet to score but caught easily in the slips by Smith for 17 after worked over by a short ball from Starc. Left to dig in and carry the tail, Bairstow instead threw away his wicket for 42 with a ramp shot over the slips that went straight to the third man. Stuart Broad was Starc's third victim four balls later when he feathered a nick behind and England's capitulation was complete when a harried Jake Ball was out for one, fending away Pat Cummins to fly slip. Smith's epic, unbeaten 141 on day three will take on an even greater significance when his team finishes the job, given the scant contributions of England's batsmen in their second innings. Root made the only half-century for his team, but it will be marked down as a footnote in a match and an emphatic first-up defeat in his ongoing duel with Smith. It was back to the old stagers James Anderson and Broad to try to pull off a miracle. But they washed harmlessly against the wall of Warner and Bancroft, who began opening their shoulders after a mostly watchful first hour. In the morning, it was Lyon who turned the screws with two wickets before Josh Hazlewood claimed the prized scalp of Root. After England resumed the day on 33 for two, Lyon had opener Mark Stoneman caught for 27 by Smith at slip. The spinner and captain combined again when Dawid Malan nicked behind to fall for four.

Ashes: Australia on brink of victory after England crumble

Australia will chase 170 for victory in the first Ashes test after England crumbled to be all out for 195 in their second innings at tea on day four of the series-opening Ashes test on Sunday.

Pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, and spinner Nathan Lyon each took three wickets as England collapsed after lunch to lose their last five wickets for the addition of 76 runs in the session.

England resumed on 119 for five after the break, with Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali tasked with pulling their team out of trouble.

For a period, it looked like the free-scoring pair might dig in, with Bairstow slogging Lyon for a six over midwicket.

Enter offspinner Lyon, who coaxed Moeen forward and the all-rounder&#39;s back foot strayed onto the line as wicketkeeper Tim Paine whipped off the bails.

The decision went upstairs and after a long deliberation using multiple angles of the video, Moeen was given out for 40, prompting jeers from English fans.

All-rounder Chris Woakes, who was out cheaply in the first innings, added 30 runs with Bairstow but was never comfortable.

He was dropped when yet to score, with Cameron Bancroft putting down a tough, low chance at short leg, but his luck ran out against Starc and he was caught in the slips by captain Steve Smith for 17.

That left Bairstow to carry the tail but instead of battening down the hatches, he threw away his wicket for 42 two overs later with a ramp shot over the slips that went straight to Peter Handscomb at third man.

Stuart Broad was out four balls later, caught behind by Paine with the decision confirmed by another lengthy use of the DRS.

England then lost their third wicket for one run when Starc had Jake Ball fend off a short ball to Handscomb at fly slip to be out for one.

In the morning, it was Lyon who turned the screws with two wickets before Hazlewood claimed the prized scalp of England captain Joe Root for 51.

Root had to pass a concussion test to play after being struck on the helmet by a fierce Starc bouncer late on day three and he showed commendable grit to reach his 33rd test half-century.

But a ball after bringing up the milestone with a flick for two off his pads, Root was trapped lbw for 51 just 10 minutes shy of the safety of lunch.

England had started on 33 for two, with Root on five and Mark Stoneman on 19, and the batsmen survived a tough pace examination before Smith turned to Lyon to break the stand.

The bowler obliged, having Stoneman play forward and Smith took a fine, lunging catch at slip to remove the opener for 27.

Lyon and Smith combined again soon after when Dawid Malan nicked straight to the skipper to fall for four.

Pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, and spinner Nathan Lyon each took three wickets as England collapsed after lunch to lose their last five wickets for the addition of 76 runs in the session

Australia will chase 170 for victory in the first Ashes test after England crumbled to be all out for 195 in their second innings at tea on day four of the series-opening Ashes test on Sunday. Pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, and spinner Nathan Lyon each took three wickets as England collapsed after lunch to lose their last five wickets for the addition of 76 runs in the session. England resumed on 119 for five after the break, with Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali tasked with pulling their team out of trouble. For a period, it looked like the free-scoring pair might dig in, with Bairstow slogging Lyon for a six over midwicket. Enter offspinner Lyon, who coaxed Moeen forward and the all-rounder's back foot strayed onto the line as wicketkeeper Tim Paine whipped off the bails. The decision went upstairs and after a long deliberation using multiple angles of the video, Moeen was given out for 40, prompting jeers from English fans. All-rounder Chris Woakes, who was out cheaply in the first innings, added 30 runs with Bairstow but was never comfortable. He was dropped when yet to score, with Cameron Bancroft putting down a tough, low chance at short leg, but his luck ran out against Starc and he was caught in the slips by captain Steve Smith for 17. That left Bairstow to carry the tail but instead of battening down the hatches, he threw away his wicket for 42 two overs later with a ramp shot over the slips that went straight to Peter Handscomb at third man. Stuart Broad was out four balls later, caught behind by Paine with the decision confirmed by another lengthy use of the DRS. England then lost their third wicket for one run when Starc had Jake Ball fend off a short ball to Handscomb at fly slip to be out for one. In the morning, it was Lyon who turned the screws with two wickets before Hazlewood claimed the prized scalp of England captain Joe Root for 51. Root had to pass a concussion test to play after being struck on the helmet by a fierce Starc bouncer late on day three and he showed commendable grit to reach his 33rd test half-century. But a ball after bringing up the milestone with a flick for two off his pads, Root was trapped lbw for 51 just 10 minutes shy of the safety of lunch. England had started on 33 for two, with Root on five and Mark Stoneman on 19, and the batsmen survived a tough pace examination before Smith turned to Lyon to break the stand. The bowler obliged, having Stoneman play forward and Smith took a fine, lunging catch at slip to remove the opener for 27. Lyon and Smith combined again soon after when Dawid Malan nicked straight to the skipper to fall for four.

Ashes series: Australia to chase 170 for victory after England crumble

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon turned the screws with two early wickets before Josh Hazlewood claimed the prized scalp of Joe Root to leave England in trouble at 119 for five at lunch on day four of the first Ashes test on Sunday.

Moeen Ali, on 26 not out, and new batsman Jonny Bairstow, who had scored one, will resume after the break facing a huge task to increase England&#39;s 93-run lead to a competitive total as the wicket wears.

England captain Root had to pass a concussion test to be deemed fit to play in the morning after being struck on the helmet by a fierce Mitchell Starc bouncer late on day three.

He battled to reach his 33rd test half-century on a steamy day at the Gabba but was out the next ball, trapped lbw for 51 to leaving the tourists reeling with 10 minutes left until lunch.

England had resumed on 33 for two, with Root on five and Mark Stoneman on 19, and the batsmen survived a tough pace examination before Australia captain Steve Smith turned to offspinner Lyon to break the stand.

Lyon duly obliged, having Stoneman play forward and edge to the Australia skipper, who took a fine lunging catch at slip to remove the batsman for 27.

Not long after, Lyon had England number five Dawid Malan also nick straight to Smith for four.

Moeen survived an early scare with a nick behind off Starc that fell just short of a leaping Smith, who managed to get a finger on the ball before it hit the grass.

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon turned the screws with two early wickets before Josh Hazlewood claimed the prized scalp of Joe Root to leave England in trouble at 119 for five at lunch on day four of the first Ashes test on Sunday

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon turned the screws with two early wickets before Josh Hazlewood claimed the prized scalp of Joe Root to leave England in trouble at 119 for five at lunch on day four of the first Ashes test on Sunday. Moeen Ali, on 26 not out, and new batsman Jonny Bairstow, who had scored one, will resume after the break facing a huge task to increase England's 93-run lead to a competitive total as the wicket wears. England captain Root had to pass a concussion test to be deemed fit to play in the morning after being struck on the helmet by a fierce Mitchell Starc bouncer late on day three. He battled to reach his 33rd test half-century on a steamy day at the Gabba but was out the next ball, trapped lbw for 51 to leaving the tourists reeling with 10 minutes left until lunch. England had resumed on 33 for two, with Root on five and Mark Stoneman on 19, and the batsmen survived a tough pace examination before Australia captain Steve Smith turned to offspinner Lyon to break the stand. Lyon duly obliged, having Stoneman play forward and edge to the Australia skipper, who took a fine lunging catch at slip to remove the batsman for 27. Not long after, Lyon had England number five Dawid Malan also nick straight to Smith for four. Moeen survived an early scare with a nick behind off Starc that fell just short of a leaping Smith, who managed to get a finger on the ball before it hit the grass.

Root gone as England stagger to 119-5 at lunch

England set up a World Cup showdown with Australia after scraping home 20-18 against a late-charging Tonga, who were denied a last-gasp try in Auckland&nbsp;on Saturday.

It is the first time England have reached the final in 22 years, their last appearance ending in a 16-8 defeat by Australia at Wembley in 1995.

In a nail-biting finish to the semi-final, Tonga were down 20-0 with eight minutes remaining but the Pacific islanders ran in three quick tries to close within two points.

Then on the stroke of full-time, Tonga claimed Andrew Fifita was illegally stripped of the ball as he drove towards what would have been a sensational match-winning try.

But referee Matt Cecchin ruled Fifita lost the ball and refused Tongan pleas for a&nbsp;video review as England hung on to snap an agonising semi-final jinx.

Before a packed 30,000 Auckland crowd -- including a large contingent of Tonga supporters fired up by the appearance of the Tongan King Tupou VI wearing a team jersey -- it was England who impressed from the outset.&nbsp;

They scored two tries in the first half and another in the second with Garth Widdop landing four out of four shots at goal and adding a try himself as England inflicted a first defeat on Tonga in the tournament.

Australia, who beat England in pool play, thrashed Fiji 54-6 in the first semi-final in Brisbane&nbsp;on Friday.

England face the Kangaroos in the final, also in Brisbane, next weekend.

It is the first time England have reached the final in 22 years, their last appearance ending in a 16-8 defeat by Australia at Wembley in 1995

England set up a World Cup showdown with Australia after scraping home 20-18 against a late-charging Tonga, who were denied a last-gasp try in Auckland on Saturday. It is the first time England have reached the final in 22 years, their last appearance ending in a 16-8 defeat by Australia at Wembley in 1995. In a nail-biting finish to the semi-final, Tonga were down 20-0 with eight minutes remaining but the Pacific islanders ran in three quick tries to close within two points. Then on the stroke of full-time, Tonga claimed Andrew Fifita was illegally stripped of the ball as he drove towards what would have been a sensational match-winning try. But referee Matt Cecchin ruled Fifita lost the ball and refused Tongan pleas for a video review as England hung on to snap an agonising semi-final jinx. Before a packed 30,000 Auckland crowd -- including a large contingent of Tonga supporters fired up by the appearance of the Tongan King Tupou VI wearing a team jersey -- it was England who impressed from the outset. They scored two tries in the first half and another in the second with Garth Widdop landing four out of four shots at goal and adding a try himself as England inflicted a first defeat on Tonga in the tournament. Australia, who beat England in pool play, thrashed Fiji 54-6 in the first semi-final in Brisbane on Friday. England face the Kangaroos in the final, also in Brisbane, next weekend.

England into World Cup final after late Tonga drama

A captain&#39;s century hewn from granite and two wickets in a fiery pace assault after tea saw Australia wrest the momentum away from England by the end of an enthralling day three of the series-opening Ashes test in Brisbane on Saturday.

Josh Hazlewood snared two victims to leave England 33 for two at stumps and clinging to a seven-run lead after skipper Steve Smith inspired the hosts with a brilliant, unbeaten 141 in front of a grateful crowd of 33,474 at the Gabba.

Opener Mark Stoneman, on 19 not out, and Joe Root on five survived a furious pace examination in the final overs as the pitch grew appreciably quicker.

With Australia teetering at 76 for four on day two and their nearly 30-year unbeaten record at the Gabba seemingly in peril, Smith dragged his side back from the brink over eight-and-a-half hours of steely application.

By the time tail-ender Nathan Lyon edged to Alastair Cook in the slips, marking the end of Australia&#39;s innings of 328, Smith strode off to a hero&#39;s ovation, having pushed his side 26 runs in front of England&#39;s first innings 302.

&quot;It&#39;ll be up there definitely, obviously with the team in a bit of trouble,&quot; Smith told reporters when asked if was the most satisfying ton of his career.

&quot;I had to bat some time and dig really deep ... I think it was my slowest hundred, someone told me, had to work hard and be really disciplined and resilient.&quot;

Smith&#39;s team mates inspired and his pacemen hitting the deck hard, Cook was soon out cheaply for a second time in the test.

Caught behind for two off Mitchell Starc in the first innings, Cook was caught for seven by the paceman in the deep when he tried to hook a short ball from Josh Hazlewood away to safety.

Hazlewood then had an uneasy James Vince out for two with a rearing delivery that sent an edge to Smith in the slips.

Moments later, Starc struck Root in the helmet with a venomous delivery and took turns with Cummins to pepper Stoneman with short balls.

Root and Stoneman will face more of the same in the morning, but Stuart Broad felt England were in the best position they had been at a Gabba test in over 30 years.

&quot;Actually we&rsquo;re in a lot of control of this game after three days,&quot; he said. &quot;It&rsquo;s in our hands to bat big tomorrow.&quot;

Cummins Cameo

Cummins earlier provided fine support to Smith with a knock of 42 in a 66-run partnership, surviving for all but 10 minutes of the middle session until he was finally caught at slip off all-rounder Chris Woakes.

Smith, who began the day on 64, moved slowly but purposefully towards his century and soaked up eight successive dot balls when on 97 before Broad finally gave an opening.

The skipper pounced on a fuller, wide delivery, smashing a drive past mid-off for four, triggering a huge roar from the sell-out crowd.

Having completed his sixth Ashes ton, Smith tore off his helmet, raised his arms in triumph and beat his chest twice in a fired-up celebration, one of the most ardent of his 21 test hundreds.

It helped swing the match back into balance after England&#39;s veteran pacemen had dominated the morning.

A fired-up Broad had captured two wickets and broken a 99-run stand between Smith and Shaun Marsh, with fellow seamer James Anderson chipping in with another.

The Australian number six lasted five overs in the morning before being dismissed softly for 51, spooning a slower delivery from Broad straight to Anderson at mid-off.

Tim Paine, who replaced Matthew Wade in part due to his better form with the bat, managed 13 before falling to Anderson with the fourth delivery of the new ball.

Starc smashed Broad over the long-off rope for six but the England paceman turned the tables on his fellow quick two balls later with a caught and bowled.

A captain's century hewn from granite and two wickets in a fiery pace assault after tea saw Australia wrest the momentum away from England by the end of an enthralling day three of the series-opening Ashes test in Brisbane on Saturday

A captain's century hewn from granite and two wickets in a fiery pace assault after tea saw Australia wrest the momentum away from England by the end of an enthralling day three of the series-opening Ashes test in Brisbane on Saturday. Josh Hazlewood snared two victims to leave England 33 for two at stumps and clinging to a seven-run lead after skipper Steve Smith inspired the hosts with a brilliant, unbeaten 141 in front of a grateful crowd of 33,474 at the Gabba. Opener Mark Stoneman, on 19 not out, and Joe Root on five survived a furious pace examination in the final overs as the pitch grew appreciably quicker. With Australia teetering at 76 for four on day two and their nearly 30-year unbeaten record at the Gabba seemingly in peril, Smith dragged his side back from the brink over eight-and-a-half hours of steely application. By the time tail-ender Nathan Lyon edged to Alastair Cook in the slips, marking the end of Australia's innings of 328, Smith strode off to a hero's ovation, having pushed his side 26 runs in front of England's first innings 302. "It'll be up there definitely, obviously with the team in a bit of trouble," Smith told reporters when asked if was the most satisfying ton of his career. "I had to bat some time and dig really deep ... I think it was my slowest hundred, someone told me, had to work hard and be really disciplined and resilient." Smith's team mates inspired and his pacemen hitting the deck hard, Cook was soon out cheaply for a second time in the test. Caught behind for two off Mitchell Starc in the first innings, Cook was caught for seven by the paceman in the deep when he tried to hook a short ball from Josh Hazlewood away to safety. Hazlewood then had an uneasy James Vince out for two with a rearing delivery that sent an edge to Smith in the slips. Moments later, Starc struck Root in the helmet with a venomous delivery and took turns with Cummins to pepper Stoneman with short balls. Root and Stoneman will face more of the same in the morning, but Stuart Broad felt England were in the best position they had been at a Gabba test in over 30 years. "Actually we’re in a lot of control of this game after three days," he said. "It’s in our hands to bat big tomorrow." Cummins Cameo Cummins earlier provided fine support to Smith with a knock of 42 in a 66-run partnership, surviving for all but 10 minutes of the middle session until he was finally caught at slip off all-rounder Chris Woakes. Smith, who began the day on 64, moved slowly but purposefully towards his century and soaked up eight successive dot balls when on 97 before Broad finally gave an opening. The skipper pounced on a fuller, wide delivery, smashing a drive past mid-off for four, triggering a huge roar from the sell-out crowd. Having completed his sixth Ashes ton, Smith tore off his helmet, raised his arms in triumph and beat his chest twice in a fired-up celebration, one of the most ardent of his 21 test hundreds. It helped swing the match back into balance after England's veteran pacemen had dominated the morning. A fired-up Broad had captured two wickets and broken a 99-run stand between Smith and Shaun Marsh, with fellow seamer James Anderson chipping in with another. The Australian number six lasted five overs in the morning before being dismissed softly for 51, spooning a slower delivery from Broad straight to Anderson at mid-off. Tim Paine, who replaced Matthew Wade in part due to his better form with the bat, managed 13 before falling to Anderson with the fourth delivery of the new ball. Starc smashed Broad over the long-off rope for six but the England paceman turned the tables on his fellow quick two balls later with a caught and bowled.

Centurion Smith ushers Australia to safety

England&#39;s veteran pacemen blasted through Australia&#39;s middle order to reduce the hosts to 213 for seven at lunch on day three of the series-opening&nbsp;Ashes&nbsp;test on Saturday.

A fired-up Stuart Broad captured two wickets, most importantly breaking a 99-run stand between captain Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh, and fellow seamer James Anderson chipped in with another.

Smith, who rescued his team from a position of peril at 76 for four late on day two, remained unbowed on 81, with tail-ender Pat Cummins hanging on grimly at the other end with two runs to his name.

The home side, who had resumed on 165 for four on a muggy, overcast morning at the Gabba, were still 89 runs adrift of England&#39;s first innings total of 302.

Having shown impressive resolve after tea on day two to support his captain, Marsh lasted five overs in the morning before being dismissed softly for 51 by a slower delivery from Broad, which he spooned straight to Anderson at mid-off.

Tim Paine, who replaced Matthew Wade in part due to his better form with the bat, managed 13 in a 42-ball knock before departing with a nick behind off Anderson with the fourth delivery of the new ball.

Jonny Bairstow dived to his right to glove a sharp one-handed catch and remove his fellow keeper, leaving Australia wobbling at 202 for six.

Tail-end slogger Mitchell Starc came to the crease and got off the mark with a six from the third ball he faced, smashing Broad over the long-off rope to leave the Englishman smiling wryly.

Broad turned the tables on his fellow quick two balls later, however, inducing a leading edge from the Australian and taking the catch himself.

Smith claimed his 21st Test century with a flourishing cover drive off Stuart Broad nearing tea to bring up one of his most disciplined Test innings

England's veteran pacemen blasted through Australia's middle order to reduce the hosts to 213 for seven at lunch on day three of the series-opening Ashes test on Saturday. A fired-up Stuart Broad captured two wickets, most importantly breaking a 99-run stand between captain Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh, and fellow seamer James Anderson chipped in with another. Smith, who rescued his team from a position of peril at 76 for four late on day two, remained unbowed on 81, with tail-ender Pat Cummins hanging on grimly at the other end with two runs to his name. The home side, who had resumed on 165 for four on a muggy, overcast morning at the Gabba, were still 89 runs adrift of England's first innings total of 302. Having shown impressive resolve after tea on day two to support his captain, Marsh lasted five overs in the morning before being dismissed softly for 51 by a slower delivery from Broad, which he spooned straight to Anderson at mid-off. Tim Paine, who replaced Matthew Wade in part due to his better form with the bat, managed 13 in a 42-ball knock before departing with a nick behind off Anderson with the fourth delivery of the new ball. Jonny Bairstow dived to his right to glove a sharp one-handed catch and remove his fellow keeper, leaving Australia wobbling at 202 for six. Tail-end slogger Mitchell Starc came to the crease and got off the mark with a six from the third ball he faced, smashing Broad over the long-off rope to leave the Englishman smiling wryly. Broad turned the tables on his fellow quick two balls later, however, inducing a leading edge from the Australian and taking the catch himself.

Ashes series: Broad, Anderson wrest back momentum for England

Captain Steve Smith frustrated England with a fighting half-century and pushed Australia to 165 for four at the close of a see-sawing day two, rescuing the hosts after a top-order collapse in the series-opening Ashes test in Brisbane on Friday.

With his team in peril at 76 for four, Smith&rsquo;s unbeaten 64 in an 89-run stand with number six Shaun Marsh gave Australia hope of reeling in England&rsquo;s first innings 302 at the Gabba.

Lefthander Marsh, under pressure to perform after winning his eighth recall to the test team, played a fine support role to be 44 not out at stumps.

After day one saw only four wickets fall, 10 tumbled on day two as the Gabba pitch quickened and recovered some of its customary bounce.

England lost their last six wickets in a hurry to be out for 302 at lunch and Australia seemed to be back in control at their Brisbane fortress.

But the pendulum swung again as England&rsquo;s bowlers scythed through the hosts&rsquo; top order in a breathless middle session.

After replacing Matt Renshaw in the squad, opener Cameron Bancroft&rsquo;s first bat in his Ashes test debut lasted 19 balls after he nibbled at a teasing ball from Stuart Broad and was caught behind for five.

A Queensland opener whose home ground is the Gabba, the Western Australian&rsquo;s cheap dismissal was a bitter one for local fans.

Number three Usman Khawaja&rsquo;s problems against spin in the subcontinent followed him home as he was trapped lbw for 11 by Moeen Ali.

The alarm bells began ringing when opener David Warner holed out for 26, pulling paceman Jake Ball straight to Dawid Malan at short mid-wicket to give the Ashes debutant his first wicket in Australia.

And Australia was left reeling at 76 for four when Peter Handscomb was trapped lbw for 14 by James Anderson in the first over after tea.

Rescue Mission

Once again it fell to Smith to mount a rescue mission and the 28-year-old was a rock through 148 balls as he ground out one of his grittiest half-centuries.

He reached his 22nd test fifty with a single having all but nicked Anderson behind on the first ball faced.

England had been in control at 246 for four in the morning session when momentum shifted away from them.

Malan had reached his third half-century in his sixth test, completing a hat-trick of fifties for England&rsquo;s rookie batsmen after opener Mark Stoneman had 53 on day one and number three James Vince scored 83.

But like his colleagues, Malan squandered the chance by pulling Mitchell Starc straight to a fielder and was out for 56.

The wicket broke a stubborn 83-run partnership with Moeen, and England promptly crumbled.

Denied a wicket on day one when recalled wicketkeeper Tim Paine grassed a nick from Vince, spinner Nathan Lyon trapped Moeen lbw for 38 and bowled Chris Woakes for a duck in quick succession.

Jonny Bairstow was caught for nine by Paine skying a pull shot before Warner took a brilliant, diving catch at leg gully to remove Ball for 14.

Broad was dropped in the deep by Marsh when on 10 but he was out for 20 pulling Josh Hazlewood to Handscomb, bringing an end to England&rsquo;s innings.

Starc captured 3-77 and Cummins 3-85 for Australia.

With his team in peril at 76 for four, Smith?s unbeaten 64 in an 89-run stand with number six Shaun Marsh gave Australia hope of reeling in England?s first innings 302 at the Gabba

Captain Steve Smith frustrated England with a fighting half-century and pushed Australia to 165 for four at the close of a see-sawing day two, rescuing the hosts after a top-order collapse in the series-opening Ashes test in Brisbane on Friday. With his team in peril at 76 for four, Smith’s unbeaten 64 in an 89-run stand with number six Shaun Marsh gave Australia hope of reeling in England’s first innings 302 at the Gabba. Lefthander Marsh, under pressure to perform after winning his eighth recall to the test team, played a fine support role to be 44 not out at stumps. After day one saw only four wickets fall, 10 tumbled on day two as the Gabba pitch quickened and recovered some of its customary bounce. England lost their last six wickets in a hurry to be out for 302 at lunch and Australia seemed to be back in control at their Brisbane fortress. But the pendulum swung again as England’s bowlers scythed through the hosts’ top order in a breathless middle session. After replacing Matt Renshaw in the squad, opener Cameron Bancroft’s first bat in his Ashes test debut lasted 19 balls after he nibbled at a teasing ball from Stuart Broad and was caught behind for five. A Queensland opener whose home ground is the Gabba, the Western Australian’s cheap dismissal was a bitter one for local fans. Number three Usman Khawaja’s problems against spin in the subcontinent followed him home as he was trapped lbw for 11 by Moeen Ali. The alarm bells began ringing when opener David Warner holed out for 26, pulling paceman Jake Ball straight to Dawid Malan at short mid-wicket to give the Ashes debutant his first wicket in Australia. And Australia was left reeling at 76 for four when Peter Handscomb was trapped lbw for 14 by James Anderson in the first over after tea. Rescue Mission Once again it fell to Smith to mount a rescue mission and the 28-year-old was a rock through 148 balls as he ground out one of his grittiest half-centuries. He reached his 22nd test fifty with a single having all but nicked Anderson behind on the first ball faced. England had been in control at 246 for four in the morning session when momentum shifted away from them. Malan had reached his third half-century in his sixth test, completing a hat-trick of fifties for England’s rookie batsmen after opener Mark Stoneman had 53 on day one and number three James Vince scored 83. But like his colleagues, Malan squandered the chance by pulling Mitchell Starc straight to a fielder and was out for 56. The wicket broke a stubborn 83-run partnership with Moeen, and England promptly crumbled. Denied a wicket on day one when recalled wicketkeeper Tim Paine grassed a nick from Vince, spinner Nathan Lyon trapped Moeen lbw for 38 and bowled Chris Woakes for a duck in quick succession. Jonny Bairstow was caught for nine by Paine skying a pull shot before Warner took a brilliant, diving catch at leg gully to remove Ball for 14. Broad was dropped in the deep by Marsh when on 10 but he was out for 20 pulling Josh Hazlewood to Handscomb, bringing an end to England’s innings. Starc captured 3-77 and Cummins 3-85 for Australia.

Ashes: Captain Smith drags Australia back from brink against England

Australia fought back with two late wickets to restrict England to 196 for four and leave the Ashes series-opener in Brisbane delicately poised on Thursday after the tourists&#39; unheralded batsmen threatened to dominate an intriguing first day.

Ashes debutants Mark Stoneman and James Vince had frustrated Australia&#39;s vaunted pace attack with a 125-run partnership on a slow Gabba wicket but seamer Pat Cummins hauled the home side back in the game.

The young paceman bowled Stoneman for 53 in the last over before tea then returned to capture England captain Joe Root lbw for 15, leaving Moeen Ali and Dawid Malan to negotiate a nervy finish to stumps.

Spinner Nathan Lyon denied Vince a potentially career-defining century with a brilliant piece of fielding, running him out for 83 after nearly four hours of the pain-staking graft.

Malan was 28 not out and Moeen on 13, with both sides having fought hard after Root won the toss and sent his team into bat.

England would have been buoyed by the performance of rookies Vince and Stoneman but tempered by the disappointment that neither could go on to make bigger scores.

Stoneman was bowled four balls short of the relief of tea, while Vince was out making a needless dash for a single.

Vince&#39;s wicket seemed like a turning point and though Root dug in for 50 balls, he was out lbw by a scorching delivery from Cummins, the wicket awarded after home captain Steve Smith demanded a review of Marais Erasmus&#39;s not out decision.

Cummins greeted Moeen with a short ball that hammered into his upper body. Unperturbed, the all-rounder drove Cummins for four and casually despatched Lyon for six with a slog sweep over deep midwicket a few overs later.

Australia lost a review trying to remove Malan lbw in the last over before play was halted due to poor light.

Dropped catch

Vince, England&#39;s surprise selection at number three, brought up his maiden 50 in his eighth test, having never before surpassed 42 in his previous seven matches.

Stoneman raised his 50 with a streaky edge off Cummins, the ball falling short of second slip before racing off for two, leaving fielder Peter Handscomb punching the turf in frustration.

Worse was to come for the hosts in the following over as recalled wicketkeeper Tim Paine grassed a chance to have Vince out for 68 when he nicked Lyon behind.

Paine had taken Matthew Wade&#39;s place in the test squad in a surprising selection, beating out Peter Nevill, and the miss saw Smith fling his head back in exasperation.

While the Gabba wicket showed a green tinge, Smith said he too would have batted first and his fast men rarely threatened early, struggling to extract much pace or movement off the seam in the morning.

The exception was a peach of a delivery from paceman Mitchell Starc which moved away slightly from Alastair Cook and kissed the outside edge on the way to Handscomb in the slips.

Smith earlier confirmed opener David Warner and Shaun Marsh would play after they suffered neck and back strains in recent days.

Ashes debutants Mark Stoneman and James Vince had frustrated Australia's vaunted pace attack with a 125-run partnership on a slow Gabba wicket

Australia fought back with two late wickets to restrict England to 196 for four and leave the Ashes series-opener in Brisbane delicately poised on Thursday after the tourists' unheralded batsmen threatened to dominate an intriguing first day. Ashes debutants Mark Stoneman and James Vince had frustrated Australia's vaunted pace attack with a 125-run partnership on a slow Gabba wicket but seamer Pat Cummins hauled the home side back in the game. The young paceman bowled Stoneman for 53 in the last over before tea then returned to capture England captain Joe Root lbw for 15, leaving Moeen Ali and Dawid Malan to negotiate a nervy finish to stumps. Spinner Nathan Lyon denied Vince a potentially career-defining century with a brilliant piece of fielding, running him out for 83 after nearly four hours of the pain-staking graft. Malan was 28 not out and Moeen on 13, with both sides having fought hard after Root won the toss and sent his team into bat. England would have been buoyed by the performance of rookies Vince and Stoneman but tempered by the disappointment that neither could go on to make bigger scores. Stoneman was bowled four balls short of the relief of tea, while Vince was out making a needless dash for a single. Vince's wicket seemed like a turning point and though Root dug in for 50 balls, he was out lbw by a scorching delivery from Cummins, the wicket awarded after home captain Steve Smith demanded a review of Marais Erasmus's not out decision. Cummins greeted Moeen with a short ball that hammered into his upper body. Unperturbed, the all-rounder drove Cummins for four and casually despatched Lyon for six with a slog sweep over deep midwicket a few overs later. Australia lost a review trying to remove Malan lbw in the last over before play was halted due to poor light. Dropped catch Vince, England's surprise selection at number three, brought up his maiden 50 in his eighth test, having never before surpassed 42 in his previous seven matches. Stoneman raised his 50 with a streaky edge off Cummins, the ball falling short of second slip before racing off for two, leaving fielder Peter Handscomb punching the turf in frustration. Worse was to come for the hosts in the following over as recalled wicketkeeper Tim Paine grassed a chance to have Vince out for 68 when he nicked Lyon behind. Paine had taken Matthew Wade's place in the test squad in a surprising selection, beating out Peter Nevill, and the miss saw Smith fling his head back in exasperation. While the Gabba wicket showed a green tinge, Smith said he too would have batted first and his fast men rarely threatened early, struggling to extract much pace or movement off the seam in the morning. The exception was a peach of a delivery from paceman Mitchell Starc which moved away slightly from Alastair Cook and kissed the outside edge on the way to Handscomb in the slips. Smith earlier confirmed opener David Warner and Shaun Marsh would play after they suffered neck and back strains in recent days.

Ashes, 1st Test: Australia rally late to restrict England

The Trump administration is pushing security ties between the United States, India, Japan and Australia, but the revival of the Asian &quot;Quad&quot; must overcome lingering mistrust in New Delhi towards its allies that hampers genuine military cooperation.

Joint naval drills have been at the heart of a relationship that analysts saw as a move to counterbalance China&#39;s rising power by binding the region&#39;s leading democracies more closely together.

But while the navies of the United States, Japan, and Australia can easily operate together -- based on common US&nbsp;designed combat systems and data links -- India is the outlier.

Not only are most of its ships and warplanes Russian-made, its government and military remain deeply reluctant to share data and open up sensitive military communications systems.

The United States has carried out more naval exercises with India than any other nation. But naval sources and experts say these are more about &quot;cultural familiarisation&quot; than drills for joint combat.

Because India will not sign an agreement on sharing data, naval exercises are conducted through voice and text commands with rudimentary SMS-style data exchange, Indian and Japanese military sources said.

&quot;Think of it as directing your friend to your house in the 1980s. Your left may be his right, neither of you have situational awareness,&quot; said Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a senior fellow at New Delhi&#39;s Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies who has tracked the military exercises.

&quot;What the Americans want is 2017 - drop a pin on Google maps and hit share. You know where your friend is and he knows where your house is and how to get to it.&quot;

The Indian defense ministry did not respond to a request for a comment. 
&nbsp;

Annual drills

The so-called Quad to discuss and cooperate on security emerged briefly as an initiative a decade ago - much to the annoyance of China - and was revived recently, with an officials-level meeting this month on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Manila.

The Trump administration has talked up cooperation with India as part of efforts for a &quot;free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific&quot;.

Describing the Indian and Pacific Oceans as a &quot;single strategic arena&quot;, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described India and the United States as regional &quot;bookends&quot;.

&quot;In concrete terms, it will lead to great coordination between the Indian, Japanese and American militaries including maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare, amphibious warfare, and humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and search and rescue,&quot; he said.

To be sure, India and the United States have steadily been bringing more powerful ships into their annual &quot;Malabar&quot; drills that have been expanded to include Japan in recent years.

This year the USS Nimitz carrier group was deployed for the maneuvers off India&#39;s eastern coast, along with an aircraft carrier from India and a helicopter carrier from Japan.

But a Japanese Maritime Self Defence Forces official said when Japan conducts drills with the Indian navy, communication is done mostly through voice transmission. There is no satellite link that would allow the two navies to access information and share monitor displays in onboard command centers.

Communication is usually the most difficult aspect of any joint drill, he said.

Building Blocks

The exercises are meant to lay the ground for joint patrols that the U.S. eventually wants to conduct with India and its allies across the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman, said better interoperability was a goal of the exercises and noted that India&#39;s enhanced role as a major U.S. defense partner would help boost the relationship.

&quot;The designation of India as a major defense partner is significant and is intended to elevate defense trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of our closest allies and partners,&quot; he said.

&quot;As this relationship matures so will the level of interoperability.&quot;

Last year, India signed a military logistics pact with the United States after a decade of wrangling, but two other agreements are stuck.

The United States says the Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) would allow it to supply India with encrypted communications equipment and systems. The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement is the other pact that would set a framework through which the United States could share sensitive data to aid targeting and navigation with India.

India is concerned that agreeing to the CISMOA would open up its military communications to the United States, and even allow it to listen in on operations where Indian and U.S. interests may not coincide - such as against arch-rival Pakistan, military officials in New Delhi say.

&nbsp;Radars Turned Off

Captain Gurpreet Khurana, executive director at the government-funded National Maritime Foundation, said India&#39;s underlying concern was having its autonomy constrained by binding its military into U.S. codes and operating procedures.

Once, the Americans proposed a portable &quot;suitcase&quot; communications system called the CENTRIXS which could transmit full situational awareness data to Indian ships while the two navies practiced together. India refused to allow it to be plugged in for the duration of the exercise, citing operational security, according to an Indian source briefed on the planning of the exercises.

Even the joint air exercises that the two countries are conducting as a follow-on to Malabar are severely restricted, the source said.

India sends its Russian-acquired Sukhoi jets to the drills, but their radars and jammers are turned off.

David Shear, who served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia under President Barack Obama, said U.S. forces, particularly the Navy, were well aware of the interoperability constraints to interacting with India.

&quot;They understand what the obstacles are and that this is going to be a long-term project,&quot; he said.

The Trump administration is pushing security ties between the United States, India, Japan and Australia

The Trump administration is pushing security ties between the United States, India, Japan and Australia, but the revival of the Asian "Quad" must overcome lingering mistrust in New Delhi towards its allies that hampers genuine military cooperation. Joint naval drills have been at the heart of a relationship that analysts saw as a move to counterbalance China's rising power by binding the region's leading democracies more closely together. But while the navies of the United States, Japan, and Australia can easily operate together -- based on common US designed combat systems and data links -- India is the outlier. Not only are most of its ships and warplanes Russian-made, its government and military remain deeply reluctant to share data and open up sensitive military communications systems. The United States has carried out more naval exercises with India than any other nation. But naval sources and experts say these are more about "cultural familiarisation" than drills for joint combat. Because India will not sign an agreement on sharing data, naval exercises are conducted through voice and text commands with rudimentary SMS-style data exchange, Indian and Japanese military sources said. "Think of it as directing your friend to your house in the 1980s. Your left may be his right, neither of you have situational awareness," said Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a senior fellow at New Delhi's Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies who has tracked the military exercises. "What the Americans want is 2017 - drop a pin on Google maps and hit share. You know where your friend is and he knows where your house is and how to get to it." The Indian defense ministry did not respond to a request for a comment. Annual drills The so-called Quad to discuss and cooperate on security emerged briefly as an initiative a decade ago - much to the annoyance of China - and was revived recently, with an officials-level meeting this month on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Manila. The Trump administration has talked up cooperation with India as part of efforts for a "free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific". Describing the Indian and Pacific Oceans as a "single strategic arena", U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described India and the United States as regional "bookends". "In concrete terms, it will lead to great coordination between the Indian, Japanese and American militaries including maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare, amphibious warfare, and humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and search and rescue," he said. To be sure, India and the United States have steadily been bringing more powerful ships into their annual "Malabar" drills that have been expanded to include Japan in recent years. This year the USS Nimitz carrier group was deployed for the maneuvers off India's eastern coast, along with an aircraft carrier from India and a helicopter carrier from Japan. But a Japanese Maritime Self Defence Forces official said when Japan conducts drills with the Indian navy, communication is done mostly through voice transmission. There is no satellite link that would allow the two navies to access information and share monitor displays in onboard command centers. Communication is usually the most difficult aspect of any joint drill, he said. Building Blocks The exercises are meant to lay the ground for joint patrols that the U.S. eventually wants to conduct with India and its allies across the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman, said better interoperability was a goal of the exercises and noted that India's enhanced role as a major U.S. defense partner would help boost the relationship. "The designation of India as a major defense partner is significant and is intended to elevate defense trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of our closest allies and partners," he said. "As this relationship matures so will the level of interoperability." Last year, India signed a military logistics pact with the United States after a decade of wrangling, but two other agreements are stuck. The United States says the Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) would allow it to supply India with encrypted communications equipment and systems. The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement is the other pact that would set a framework through which the United States could share sensitive data to aid targeting and navigation with India. India is concerned that agreeing to the CISMOA would open up its military communications to the United States, and even allow it to listen in on operations where Indian and U.S. interests may not coincide - such as against arch-rival Pakistan, military officials in New Delhi say. Radars Turned Off Captain Gurpreet Khurana, executive director at the government-funded National Maritime Foundation, said India's underlying concern was having its autonomy constrained by binding its military into U.S. codes and operating procedures. Once, the Americans proposed a portable "suitcase" communications system called the CENTRIXS which could transmit full situational awareness data to Indian ships while the two navies practiced together. India refused to allow it to be plugged in for the duration of the exercise, citing operational security, according to an Indian source briefed on the planning of the exercises. Even the joint air exercises that the two countries are conducting as a follow-on to Malabar are severely restricted, the source said. India sends its Russian-acquired Sukhoi jets to the drills, but their radars and jammers are turned off. David Shear, who served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia under President Barack Obama, said U.S. forces, particularly the Navy, were well aware of the interoperability constraints to interacting with India. "They understand what the obstacles are and that this is going to be a long-term project," he said.

Indian navy the odd man out in Asia's 'Quad' alliance

In a U-turn, Australia&#39;s advertising watchdog has ruled that a controversial advertisement featuring Lord Ganesha and other divinities promoting consumption of lamb meat violated the country&#39;s advertising standard code.

The advertisement was released in September by the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), triggering widespread protests from the Indian community in the country as well across the globe. 
 
Members of the Hindu community of Australia filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) at that time claiming it had hurt their religious sentiments.

The advertisement also prompted the Indian High Commission in Canberra to lodge a complaint with the Australian government asking for its removal.

Initially, the ASB found that the advertisement by the MLA was not in breach of the code.

Considering several points of submission, the board said after taking into account the Independent Reviewers finding that the board gave insufficient weight to the views of complainants in regards to the Elephant Comment, the board determined that the advertisement breached section 2.1 of the Code and upheld complaints.&quot;

According to the latest decision, the board noted &quot;Lord Ganesha was a deity that signified perfection so to criticise his appearance would be likely to be seen as ridiculing the Hindu religion and by extension some followers of that faith.&quot;

&quot;The majority of the board, therefore, considered that the Elephant comment amount to a depiction or portrayal of material which discriminated against a person on account of their Hindu religion,&quot; the ASB noted.

It further noted that the reference made in the advertisement about elephant in the room was a tongue in cheek way of referring to an unpleasant or negative issue.

It said that the board recognised that the advertiser was known for presenting laid back advertisements with edgy Australian humor.

The advertisement is no longer being broadcast. However, the MLA maintains its advertisement does not discriminate against anyone.

Reacting to the ASBs latest decision, Melbourne-based Hindu community member Karthik Arsu said, &quot;This is a great victory for the entire Hindu Community. The community got united and each and every one contributed to fighting against a giant like Meat &amp; Livestock Australia, we lost in the complaint process, but we stood together and persisted,&quot;

&quot;So happy to receive this good news, still not sure how it will transpire in getting that derogatory advertisement removed from online platforms, but the whole community is feeling ecstatic!&quot; he said.

&quot;The decision reinforces the belief that no one can denigrate a community in Australia on the basis of religion, colour or the size of the community!&quot; he added.

According to Jay Shah of Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP), Australia, &quot;the advertisement was very hurtful and I am happy that ASB accepted my review plea and gave a decision in support of Hindu community.&quot;

Describing the decision as &quot;good&quot;, Hindu Council of Australia said &quot;at last a genuine complaint has been addressed though it is late resolution... It would likely to set a precedent for not to use religious icons inappropriately for any purpose.&quot;

Earlier, the ASB had dismissed complaints that the advertisement breached any code saying that Lord Ganesha was depicted positively and that the intent was to be inclusive.

Members of the Hindu community of Australia filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) at that time claiming it had hurt their religious sentiments

In a U-turn, Australia's advertising watchdog has ruled that a controversial advertisement featuring Lord Ganesha and other divinities promoting consumption of lamb meat violated the country's advertising standard code. The advertisement was released in September by the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), triggering widespread protests from the Indian community in the country as well across the globe. Members of the Hindu community of Australia filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) at that time claiming it had hurt their religious sentiments. The advertisement also prompted the Indian High Commission in Canberra to lodge a complaint with the Australian government asking for its removal. Initially, the ASB found that the advertisement by the MLA was not in breach of the code. Considering several points of submission, the board said after taking into account the Independent Reviewers finding that the board gave insufficient weight to the views of complainants in regards to the Elephant Comment, the board determined that the advertisement breached section 2.1 of the Code and upheld complaints." According to the latest decision, the board noted "Lord Ganesha was a deity that signified perfection so to criticise his appearance would be likely to be seen as ridiculing the Hindu religion and by extension some followers of that faith." "The majority of the board, therefore, considered that the Elephant comment amount to a depiction or portrayal of material which discriminated against a person on account of their Hindu religion," the ASB noted. It further noted that the reference made in the advertisement about elephant in the room was a tongue in cheek way of referring to an unpleasant or negative issue. It said that the board recognised that the advertiser was known for presenting laid back advertisements with edgy Australian humor. The advertisement is no longer being broadcast. However, the MLA maintains its advertisement does not discriminate against anyone. Reacting to the ASBs latest decision, Melbourne-based Hindu community member Karthik Arsu said, "This is a great victory for the entire Hindu Community. The community got united and each and every one contributed to fighting against a giant like Meat & Livestock Australia, we lost in the complaint process, but we stood together and persisted," "So happy to receive this good news, still not sure how it will transpire in getting that derogatory advertisement removed from online platforms, but the whole community is feeling ecstatic!" he said. "The decision reinforces the belief that no one can denigrate a community in Australia on the basis of religion, colour or the size of the community!" he added. According to Jay Shah of Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP), Australia, "the advertisement was very hurtful and I am happy that ASB accepted my review plea and gave a decision in support of Hindu community." Describing the decision as "good", Hindu Council of Australia said "at last a genuine complaint has been addressed though it is late resolution... It would likely to set a precedent for not to use religious icons inappropriately for any purpose." Earlier, the ASB had dismissed complaints that the advertisement breached any code saying that Lord Ganesha was depicted positively and that the intent was to be inclusive.

Lord Ganesha ad breached Australia advertising standard code: Watchdog

It was a glorious day for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/gay-marriage-only-matter-of-timein-north-ireland-irish-pm-18628">Australia on Wednesday as same-sex marriage</a> got legalized in a historic, non-binding poll.&nbsp;

With around 61.6% votes in favor of same-sex marriage of the total 12.7 million participants in the two-month long survey, the parliament has decided to implement the law before Christmas.&nbsp;

The Australian Bureau of Statistics stated that out of the total eligible voters, around 80% participates out of which 38.4% voted against gay marriages.&nbsp;

Same-sex couples could be able to marry by Christmas, but first&nbsp;the parliament must adopt legislation giving the non-binding vote result the force of law.

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Australians paving the way for legislation to make the country the 26th nation to formalise the unions by the end of the year (Reuters)
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Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull - who voted for same-sex marriage, stated that the &quot;overwhelming&quot; outcome and is now deciding the components to be included in the bill.&nbsp;

&quot;[Australians] have spoken in their millions and they have voted overwhelmingly yes for marriage equality,&quot; he said after the result was announced.

&quot;They voted yes for fairness, yes for commitment, yes for love. And now it is up to us here in the parliament of Australia to get on with it.&quot;

Australians broke out on the streets to celebrate the joyous day on Wednesday and marched through the streets waving flags, singing, and dancing.&nbsp;

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Thousands of people gathered in a central Sydney park, some wearing wedding dresses and sequined suits, broke into a loud cheer, hugged and cried. (Reuters)
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Some conservative MPs are urging the officials to include exemptions that would let business who do not support same-sex marriages to deny supply of goods and services for the wedding.&nbsp;

That bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate as early as Thursday.&nbsp;

Conservative opponents vowed before Wednesday&#39;s result was announced to pursue their campaign for exemptions from the eventual legalization of gay marriage, which they say will lead to attacks on their freedoms of speech and religion.

&quot;If a &#39;yes&#39; vote is returned, we will do what we can to guard against restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of religion, to defend parents&#39; rights, and to protect Australian kids from being exposed to radical LGBTIQ sex and gender education in the classrooms,&quot; Lyle Shelton, a spokesman for the Coalition for Marriage, said at the weekend.

&quot;We promise our supporters that no matter the result, we will continue to work to defend Australian families,&quot; he said. 
&nbsp;

With around 61.6% votes in favor of same-sex marriage of the total 12.7 million participants in the two-month long survey, the parliament has decided to implement the law before Christmas.?

It was a glorious day for Australia on Wednesday as same-sex marriage got legalized in a historic, non-binding poll. With around 61.6% votes in favor of same-sex marriage of the total 12.7 million participants in the two-month long survey, the parliament has decided to implement the law before Christmas. The Australian Bureau of Statistics stated that out of the total eligible voters, around 80% participates out of which 38.4% voted against gay marriages. Same-sex couples could be able to marry by Christmas, but first the parliament must adopt legislation giving the non-binding vote result the force of law. Australians paving the way for legislation to make the country the 26th nation to formalise the unions by the end of the year (Reuters) × Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull - who voted for same-sex marriage, stated that the "overwhelming" outcome and is now deciding the components to be included in the bill. "[Australians] have spoken in their millions and they have voted overwhelmingly yes for marriage equality," he said after the result was announced. "They voted yes for fairness, yes for commitment, yes for love. And now it is up to us here in the parliament of Australia to get on with it." Australians broke out on the streets to celebrate the joyous day on Wednesday and marched through the streets waving flags, singing, and dancing. Thousands of people gathered in a central Sydney park, some wearing wedding dresses and sequined suits, broke into a loud cheer, hugged and cried. (Reuters) × Some conservative MPs are urging the officials to include exemptions that would let business who do not support same-sex marriages to deny supply of goods and services for the wedding. That bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate as early as Thursday. Conservative opponents vowed before Wednesday's result was announced to pursue their campaign for exemptions from the eventual legalization of gay marriage, which they say will lead to attacks on their freedoms of speech and religion. "If a 'yes' vote is returned, we will do what we can to guard against restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of religion, to defend parents' rights, and to protect Australian kids from being exposed to radical LGBTIQ sex and gender education in the classrooms," Lyle Shelton, a spokesman for the Coalition for Marriage, said at the weekend. "We promise our supporters that no matter the result, we will continue to work to defend Australian families," he said.

Australia votes 'yes' to same-sex marriage

Australians have voted overwhelmingly for same-sex marriage, paving the way for legislation by the end of 2017 and sparking rainbow celebrations on Wednesday, with people wearing wedding dresses and sequined suits and declaring &ldquo;our love is real&rdquo;.

Australia will become the 26th nation to formalise the unions if the legislation is passed by parliament, which is expected despite some vocal opposition within the government&rsquo;s conservative right wing.

Thousands of people in a central Sydney park broke into a loud cheer, hugged and cried as Australia&rsquo;s chief statistician revealed live over a big screen that 61.6 percent of voters surveyed favoured marriage equality, with 38.4 percent against.

Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe, who came out as gay three years ago, said the result was a huge relief.

&ldquo;It means that the way you feel for another person, whoever that may be, is equal,&rdquo; Thorpe told reporters at the Sydney celebrations.

The voluntary poll is non-binding but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull immediately said he would fulfill a pledge to raise a bill in parliament with the aim of passing laws by Christmas.

Turnbull played down concerns of a split in his coalition government over the policy as the conservative faction presses for amendments to protect religious freedoms that discriminate against same-sex couples.

&ldquo;It is unequivocal, it is overwhelming. They have spoken in their millions and they have voted overwhelmingly yes for marriage equality,&rdquo; Turnbull told reporters in Canberra after the survey results were announced. &ldquo;They voted yes for fairness, yes for commitment, yes for love.&rdquo;

The result marks a watershed moment for gay rights in Australia, where it was illegal in some states to engage in homosexual activity until 1997.

&nbsp;

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It&rsquo;s a g&rsquo;day. Way to go Australia. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarriageEquality?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarriageEquality</a> <a href="https://t.co/0tdnBHPAW1">pic.twitter.com/0tdnBHPAW1</a>
&mdash; Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/930573863955472391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a g&lsquo;day. Way to go Australia &rdquo; tweeted U.S. TV host Ellen DeGeneres, who is married to Australian actress Portia de Rossi in the United States.

Almost 80 percent of the country&rsquo;s eligible voters took part in the survey - a higher voter turnout than Britain&rsquo;s Brexit vote and Ireland&rsquo;s same-sex marriage referendum.

Mark Barry, 59, wiped away tears as he took the result with his partner of 35 years, Gerrard Boller.

&ldquo;I know a celebrant who is going to be very happy about this,&rdquo; Barry told Reuters.

TURNBULL TROUBLES

Irish-born Qantas Airways Chief Executive Alan Joyce, one of the few openly gay business leaders in Australia, told the Sydney crowd, many of whom sheltered from the hot sun under rainbow umbrellas, that the result was &ldquo;an amazing outcome&rdquo; and urged Turnbull to move quickly on legislation.

Turnbull, under pressure amid a citizenship crisis that has cost him his deputy and the government&rsquo;s majority in parliament, finds his leadership tested again as the marriage equality bill enters parliament, possibly as early as later on Wednesday.

The conservatives&rsquo; planned amendments to the bill would allow private businesses to refuse services like wedding cakes for same-sex weddings by objecting on religious grounds.

The overwhelming votes have been paving the way for legislation by the end of 2017 and sparking rainbow celebrations on Wednesday, with people wearing wedding dresses and sequined suits and declaring ?our love is real?

Australians have voted overwhelmingly for same-sex marriage, paving the way for legislation by the end of 2017 and sparking rainbow celebrations on Wednesday, with people wearing wedding dresses and sequined suits and declaring “our love is real”. Australia will become the 26th nation to formalise the unions if the legislation is passed by parliament, which is expected despite some vocal opposition within the government’s conservative right wing. Thousands of people in a central Sydney park broke into a loud cheer, hugged and cried as Australia’s chief statistician revealed live over a big screen that 61.6 percent of voters surveyed favoured marriage equality, with 38.4 percent against. Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe, who came out as gay three years ago, said the result was a huge relief. “It means that the way you feel for another person, whoever that may be, is equal,” Thorpe told reporters at the Sydney celebrations. The voluntary poll is non-binding but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull immediately said he would fulfill a pledge to raise a bill in parliament with the aim of passing laws by Christmas. Turnbull played down concerns of a split in his coalition government over the policy as the conservative faction presses for amendments to protect religious freedoms that discriminate against same-sex couples. “It is unequivocal, it is overwhelming. They have spoken in their millions and they have voted overwhelmingly yes for marriage equality,” Turnbull told reporters in Canberra after the survey results were announced. “They voted yes for fairness, yes for commitment, yes for love.” The result marks a watershed moment for gay rights in Australia, where it was illegal in some states to engage in homosexual activity until 1997. It’s a g’day. Way to go Australia. #MarriageEquality pic.twitter.com/0tdnBHPAW1 — Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 14, 2017 × “It’s a g‘day. Way to go Australia ” tweeted U.S. TV host Ellen DeGeneres, who is married to Australian actress Portia de Rossi in the United States. Almost 80 percent of the country’s eligible voters took part in the survey - a higher voter turnout than Britain’s Brexit vote and Ireland’s same-sex marriage referendum. Mark Barry, 59, wiped away tears as he took the result with his partner of 35 years, Gerrard Boller. “I know a celebrant who is going to be very happy about this,” Barry told Reuters. TURNBULL TROUBLES Irish-born Qantas Airways Chief Executive Alan Joyce, one of the few openly gay business leaders in Australia, told the Sydney crowd, many of whom sheltered from the hot sun under rainbow umbrellas, that the result was “an amazing outcome” and urged Turnbull to move quickly on legislation. Turnbull, under pressure amid a citizenship crisis that has cost him his deputy and the government’s majority in parliament, finds his leadership tested again as the marriage equality bill enters parliament, possibly as early as later on Wednesday. The conservatives’ planned amendments to the bill would allow private businesses to refuse services like wedding cakes for same-sex weddings by objecting on religious grounds.

Rainbow celebrations galore as Australians vote for same-sex marriage

The shooting in Virginia that wounded House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, as well as the shooting in a San Francisco UPS facility that left four dead on the very same day, have generated &ndash; yet again &ndash; the standard set of responses in the wake of a mass shooting in the United States.

The details of any such tragedy often emerge slowly, but a few points can be made. While deaths from mass shootings are a relatively small part of the overall homicidal violence in America, they are particularly wrenching. The problem is worse in the U.S. than in most other industrialised nations. And it is getting worse.

The political overlay of the Virginia shooting also carries a particular social harm. Any thought that guns can play a helpful role in reducing tyranny in a democratic country like the United States should quickly be dispelled. Hopefully, that message will penetrate everyone from the NRA leadership and Sen. Rand Paul to anyone on the opposite end of the political spectrum who doesn&rsquo;t like the current developments of Republican rule.

I&rsquo;ve been researching gun violence &ndash; and what can be done to prevent it &ndash; in the U.S. for 25 years. The fact is that if the NRA claim that guns helped reduce crime were true, the U.S. would have the lowest homicide rate among industrialised nations instead of the highest one &ndash; and by a wide margin.

The U.S. is by far the world leader in the number of guns in civilian hands. The stricter gun laws of other &ldquo;advanced countries&rdquo; have restrained homicidal violence, suicides and gun accidents &ndash; even when, in some cases, laws were introduced over massive protests from their armed citizens.

The state of gun control in the US

Eighteen states in the U.S. and a number of cities including Chicago, New York and San Francisco have tried to reduce the unlawful use of guns as well as gun accidents by adopting laws to keep guns safely stored when they are not in use. Safe storage is a common form of gun regulation in nations with stricter gun regulations.

The NRA has been battling such laws for years. But that effort was dealt a blow in June 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court &ndash; over a strident dissent by Justices Thomas and Scalia &ndash; refused to consider the San Francisco law that required guns not in use be stored safely. This was a positive step because hundreds of thousands of guns are stolen every year, and good public policy must try to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and children.

The dissenters were alarmed by the thought that a gun stored in a safe would not be immediately available for use, but they seemed unaware of how unusual it is that a gun is helpful when someone is under attack.

Statistics show only the tiniest fraction of victims of violent crime are able to use a gun in their defense. Over the period from 2007 to 2011, roughly six million nonfatal violent crimes occurred each year. Yet data from the National Crime Victimisation Survey show that 99.2 percent of victims in these incidents did not protect themselves with a gun &ndash; this in a country with roughly 300 million guns in civilian hands.

In fact, a classic study of 198 cases of unwanted entry into occupied single-family dwellings in Atlanta found that the invader was twice as likely to obtain the victim&rsquo;s gun than to have the victim use a firearm in self-defense.

The author of the study, Arthur Kellerman, concluded in words that those opposing safe storage of guns should heed:

<blockquote>
On average, the gun that represents the greatest threat is the one that is kept loaded and readily available in a bedside drawer.
</blockquote>

A loaded, unsecured gun in the home is like an insurance policy that fails to deliver at least 95 percent of the time, but has the constant potential &ndash; particularly in the case of handguns which are more easily manipulated by children and more attractive for use in crime &ndash; to harm someone in the home or be stolen and harm someone else.

More guns won&rsquo;t stop gun violence

For years, the NRA mantra has been that allowing citizens to carry concealed handguns would reduce crime as they fought off or scared of the criminals.

Some early studies even purported to show that so-called right-to-carry (RTC) laws did just that, but a 2004 report from the National Research Council refuted that claim, saying it was not supported by &ldquo;the scientific evidence,&rdquo; while remaining uncertain about what the true impact of RTC laws was.

Ten years of additional data have allowed researchers to get a better fix on this question, which is important since the NRA is pushing for a Supreme Court decision that would allow RTC as a matter of constitutional law.

The new research on this issue from my team at Stanford University has given the most compelling evidence to date that RTC laws are associated with significant increases in violent crime. Looking at Uniform Crime Reports data from 1979 to 2014, we find that, on average, the 33 states that adopted RTC laws over this period experienced violent crime rates that are roughly 14 percent higher after 10 years than if they had not adopted these laws.

In the meantime, can anything make American politicians listen to the preferences of the 90 percent on the wisdom of adopting universal background checks for gun purchases?

Gun control around the world

As an academic exercise, one might speculate whether the law could play a constructive role in reducing the number or deadliness of mass shootings.

Most other advanced nations apparently think so, since they make it far harder for someone like your typical American mass killer to get his hands on particularly lethal weapons. Universal background checks are common features of gun regulation in other developed countries, including:

Germany: To buy a gun, anyone under the age of 25 has to pass a psychiatric evaluation. Presumably, 21-year-old Charleston shooter Dylann Roof would have failed. 
Finland: Handgun license applicants are allowed to purchase firearms only if they can prove they are active members of regulated shooting clubs. Before they can get a gun, applicants must pass an aptitude test, submit to a police interview and show they have a proper gun storage unit. 
Italy: To secure a gun permit, one must establish a genuine reason to possess a firearm and pass a background check considering both criminal and mental health records. 
France: Firearms applicants must have no criminal record and pass a background check that considers the reason for the gun purchase and evaluates the criminal, mental and health records of the applicant. 
The United Kingdom and Japan: Handguns are illegal for private citizens. 
While mass shootings, as well as gun homicides and suicides, are not unknown in these countries, the overall rates are substantially higher in the United States than in these nations.

While NRA supporters frequently challenge me on these statistics, saying that this is only because American blacks are so violent, pointing to the type of wildly incorrect claims about the percentages of whites killed by blacks that Dylann Roof spouted and Donald Trump tweeted, it is important to note that white murder rates in the U.S. are well over twice as high as the murder rates in any of these other countries.

Australia hasn&rsquo;t had a mass shooting since 1996

The story of Australia, which had 13 mass shootings in the 18-year period from 1979 to 1996 but none in the succeeding 21 years, is worth examining.

The turning point was the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, in which a gunman killed 35 individuals using semiautomatic weapons.

In the wake of the massacre, the conservative federal government succeeded in implementing tough new gun control laws throughout the country. A large array of weapons were banned &ndash; including the Glock semiautomatic handgun used in the Charleston shootings. The government also imposed a mandatory gun buy-back that substantially reduced gun possession in Australia.

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A pile of about 4,500 prohibited firearms in Sydney that have been handed in under the Australian government&rsquo;s buy-back scheme July 28, 1997. (Reuters)
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The effect was that both gun suicides and homicides fell. In addition, the 1996 legislation disallowed self-defense as a legitimate reason to purchase a firearm.

When I mention this to disbelieving NRA supporters, they insist that crime must now be rampant in Australia. In fact, the Australian murder rate has fallen to one per 100,000 while the U.S. rate, thankfully lower than in the early 1990s, is still roughly 5 per 100,000 &ndash; nearly five times as high. Moreover, robberies in Australia occur at only about half the rate of the U.S.: 58 in Australia versus 113.1 per 100,000 in the U.S. in 2012.

How did Australia do it? Politically, it took a brave prime minister to face the rage of Australian gun interests.

Prime Minister John Howard wore a bullet-proof vest when he announced the proposed gun restrictions in June 1996. The deputy prime minister was hung in effigy. But Australia did not have a domestic gun industry to oppose the new measures so the will of the people was allowed to emerge. And today, support for the safer, gun-restricted Australia is so strong that going back would not be tolerated by the public.

That Australia hasn&rsquo;t had a mass shooting since 1996 is likely more than merely the result of the considerable reduction in guns &ndash; it&rsquo;s certainly not the case that guns have disappeared altogether.

I suspect that the country has also experienced a cultural shift between the shock of the Port Arthur massacre and the removal of guns from everyday life, as they are no longer available for self-defense and they are simply less present throughout the country. Troubled individuals, in other words, are not constantly being reminded that guns are a means to address their alleged grievances to the extent that they were in the past, or continue to be in the U.S.

Lax gun control in one nation can create problems in another

Of course, strict gun regulations cannot ensure that the danger of mass shootings or killings has been eliminated.

Norway has strong gun control and committed humane values. But that didn&rsquo;t prevent Anders Breivik from opening fire on a youth camp on the island of Utoya in 2011. His clean criminal record and hunting license had allowed him to secure semiautomatic rifles, but Norway restricted his ability to get high-capacity clips for them. In his manifesto, Breivik wrote about his attempts to legally buy weapons, stating, &ldquo;I envy our European American brothers as the gun laws in Europe sucks ass in comparison.&rdquo;

In fact, in the same manifesto, Breivik wrote that it was from a U.S. supplier that he purchased &ndash; and had mailed &ndash; 10 30-round ammunition magazines for the rifle he used in his attack.

In other words, even if a particular nation or state chooses to make it harder for some would-be killers to get their weapons, these efforts can be undercut by the jurisdictions that hold out. In the U.S., of course, state gun control measures are often thwarted by the lax attitude to gun acquisition in other states.

Editor&rsquo;s note: This is an updated version of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-us-gun-control-compares-to-the-rest-of-the-world-43590" rel="nofollow" target="blank">an article</a> first published on June 24, 2015.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-us-gun-control-compares-to-the-rest-of-the-world-79490" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

In the US, gun control measures are often thwarted by the lax attitude to gun acquisition in pro-gun states

The shooting in Virginia that wounded House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, as well as the shooting in a San Francisco UPS facility that left four dead on the very same day, have generated – yet again – the standard set of responses in the wake of a mass shooting in the United States. The details of any such tragedy often emerge slowly, but a few points can be made. While deaths from mass shootings are a relatively small part of the overall homicidal violence in America, they are particularly wrenching. The problem is worse in the U.S. than in most other industrialised nations. And it is getting worse. The political overlay of the Virginia shooting also carries a particular social harm. Any thought that guns can play a helpful role in reducing tyranny in a democratic country like the United States should quickly be dispelled. Hopefully, that message will penetrate everyone from the NRA leadership and Sen. Rand Paul to anyone on the opposite end of the political spectrum who doesn’t like the current developments of Republican rule. I’ve been researching gun violence – and what can be done to prevent it – in the U.S. for 25 years. The fact is that if the NRA claim that guns helped reduce crime were true, the U.S. would have the lowest homicide rate among industrialised nations instead of the highest one – and by a wide margin. The U.S. is by far the world leader in the number of guns in civilian hands. The stricter gun laws of other “advanced countries” have restrained homicidal violence, suicides and gun accidents – even when, in some cases, laws were introduced over massive protests from their armed citizens. The state of gun control in the US Eighteen states in the U.S. and a number of cities including Chicago, New York and San Francisco have tried to reduce the unlawful use of guns as well as gun accidents by adopting laws to keep guns safely stored when they are not in use. Safe storage is a common form of gun regulation in nations with stricter gun regulations. The NRA has been battling such laws for years. But that effort was dealt a blow in June 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court – over a strident dissent by Justices Thomas and Scalia – refused to consider the San Francisco law that required guns not in use be stored safely. This was a positive step because hundreds of thousands of guns are stolen every year, and good public policy must try to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and children. The dissenters were alarmed by the thought that a gun stored in a safe would not be immediately available for use, but they seemed unaware of how unusual it is that a gun is helpful when someone is under attack. Statistics show only the tiniest fraction of victims of violent crime are able to use a gun in their defense. Over the period from 2007 to 2011, roughly six million nonfatal violent crimes occurred each year. Yet data from the National Crime Victimisation Survey show that 99.2 percent of victims in these incidents did not protect themselves with a gun – this in a country with roughly 300 million guns in civilian hands. In fact, a classic study of 198 cases of unwanted entry into occupied single-family dwellings in Atlanta found that the invader was twice as likely to obtain the victim’s gun than to have the victim use a firearm in self-defense. The author of the study, Arthur Kellerman, concluded in words that those opposing safe storage of guns should heed: On average, the gun that represents the greatest threat is the one that is kept loaded and readily available in a bedside drawer. A loaded, unsecured gun in the home is like an insurance policy that fails to deliver at least 95 percent of the time, but has the constant potential – particularly in the case of handguns which are more easily manipulated by children and more attractive for use in crime – to harm someone in the home or be stolen and harm someone else. More guns won’t stop gun violence For years, the NRA mantra has been that allowing citizens to carry concealed handguns would reduce crime as they fought off or scared of the criminals. Some early studies even purported to show that so-called right-to-carry (RTC) laws did just that, but a 2004 report from the National Research Council refuted that claim, saying it was not supported by “the scientific evidence,” while remaining uncertain about what the true impact of RTC laws was. Ten years of additional data have allowed researchers to get a better fix on this question, which is important since the NRA is pushing for a Supreme Court decision that would allow RTC as a matter of constitutional law. The new research on this issue from my team at Stanford University has given the most compelling evidence to date that RTC laws are associated with significant increases in violent crime. Looking at Uniform Crime Reports data from 1979 to 2014, we find that, on average, the 33 states that adopted RTC laws over this period experienced violent crime rates that are roughly 14 percent higher after 10 years than if they had not adopted these laws. In the meantime, can anything make American politicians listen to the preferences of the 90 percent on the wisdom of adopting universal background checks for gun purchases? Gun control around the world As an academic exercise, one might speculate whether the law could play a constructive role in reducing the number or deadliness of mass shootings. Most other advanced nations apparently think so, since they make it far harder for someone like your typical American mass killer to get his hands on particularly lethal weapons. Universal background checks are common features of gun regulation in other developed countries, including: Germany: To buy a gun, anyone under the age of 25 has to pass a psychiatric evaluation. Presumably, 21-year-old Charleston shooter Dylann Roof would have failed. Finland: Handgun license applicants are allowed to purchase firearms only if they can prove they are active members of regulated shooting clubs. Before they can get a gun, applicants must pass an aptitude test, submit to a police interview and show they have a proper gun storage unit. Italy: To secure a gun permit, one must establish a genuine reason to possess a firearm and pass a background check considering both criminal and mental health records. France: Firearms applicants must have no criminal record and pass a background check that considers the reason for the gun purchase and evaluates the criminal, mental and health records of the applicant. The United Kingdom and Japan: Handguns are illegal for private citizens. While mass shootings, as well as gun homicides and suicides, are not unknown in these countries, the overall rates are substantially higher in the United States than in these nations. While NRA supporters frequently challenge me on these statistics, saying that this is only because American blacks are so violent, pointing to the type of wildly incorrect claims about the percentages of whites killed by blacks that Dylann Roof spouted and Donald Trump tweeted, it is important to note that white murder rates in the U.S. are well over twice as high as the murder rates in any of these other countries. Australia hasn’t had a mass shooting since 1996 The story of Australia, which had 13 mass shootings in the 18-year period from 1979 to 1996 but none in the succeeding 21 years, is worth examining. The turning point was the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, in which a gunman killed 35 individuals using semiautomatic weapons. In the wake of the massacre, the conservative federal government succeeded in implementing tough new gun control laws throughout the country. A large array of weapons were banned – including the Glock semiautomatic handgun used in the Charleston shootings. The government also imposed a mandatory gun buy-back that substantially reduced gun possession in Australia. A pile of about 4,500 prohibited firearms in Sydney that have been handed in under the Australian government’s buy-back scheme July 28, 1997. (Reuters) × The effect was that both gun suicides and homicides fell. In addition, the 1996 legislation disallowed self-defense as a legitimate reason to purchase a firearm. When I mention this to disbelieving NRA supporters, they insist that crime must now be rampant in Australia. In fact, the Australian murder rate has fallen to one per 100,000 while the U.S. rate, thankfully lower than in the early 1990s, is still roughly 5 per 100,000 – nearly five times as high. Moreover, robberies in Australia occur at only about half the rate of the U.S.: 58 in Australia versus 113.1 per 100,000 in the U.S. in 2012. How did Australia do it? Politically, it took a brave prime minister to face the rage of Australian gun interests. Prime Minister John Howard wore a bullet-proof vest when he announced the proposed gun restrictions in June 1996. The deputy prime minister was hung in effigy. But Australia did not have a domestic gun industry to oppose the new measures so the will of the people was allowed to emerge. And today, support for the safer, gun-restricted Australia is so strong that going back would not be tolerated by the public. That Australia hasn’t had a mass shooting since 1996 is likely more than merely the result of the considerable reduction in guns – it’s certainly not the case that guns have disappeared altogether. I suspect that the country has also experienced a cultural shift between the shock of the Port Arthur massacre and the removal of guns from everyday life, as they are no longer available for self-defense and they are simply less present throughout the country. Troubled individuals, in other words, are not constantly being reminded that guns are a means to address their alleged grievances to the extent that they were in the past, or continue to be in the U.S. Lax gun control in one nation can create problems in another Of course, strict gun regulations cannot ensure that the danger of mass shootings or killings has been eliminated. Norway has strong gun control and committed humane values. But that didn’t prevent Anders Breivik from opening fire on a youth camp on the island of Utoya in 2011. His clean criminal record and hunting license had allowed him to secure semiautomatic rifles, but Norway restricted his ability to get high-capacity clips for them. In his manifesto, Breivik wrote about his attempts to legally buy weapons, stating, “I envy our European American brothers as the gun laws in Europe sucks ass in comparison.” In fact, in the same manifesto, Breivik wrote that it was from a U.S. supplier that he purchased – and had mailed – 10 30-round ammunition magazines for the rifle he used in his attack. In other words, even if a particular nation or state chooses to make it harder for some would-be killers to get their weapons, these efforts can be undercut by the jurisdictions that hold out. In the U.S., of course, state gun control measures are often thwarted by the lax attitude to gun acquisition in other states. Editor’s note: This is an updated version of an article first published on June 24, 2015. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

How US gun control compares to the rest of the world

Australia turned down on Sunday an offer to take 150 asylum seekers being held in an Australian-run detention centre in Papua New Guinea, where UN&nbsp;officials have warned a humanitarian emergency is unfolding.

About 600 men have barricaded themselves inside the camp on remote Manus island in Papua New Guinea, defying efforts by Australia and PNG to shut it. Food, running water and medical services were cut off by Australia five days ago.

Australian authorities want the men moved to a transit centre elsewhere on the island at the start of a process the asylum seekers fear will result in them being resettled in PNG or another developing nation. The men also fear violent reprisals from the local community.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday her country was willing to take 150 asylum seekers from among those held on Manus island and another camp on the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru.

Her Australian counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull, however said Canberra preferred to work through an existing refugee swap deal he negotiated with former U.S. President Barack Obama last year. Under that deal, up to 1,250 asylum seekers could be sent to the United States and Australia will in turn accept refugees from Central America.

&quot;We want to pursue those, conclude those arrangements, and then in the wake of that obviously we can consider other ones,&quot; Turnbull told Ardern during a media conference in Sydney.

Relocating the men on Manus island is designed as a temporary measure, allowing the United States time to complete vetting of asylum seekers.

Ardern acknowledged the two Tasman neighbours faced different immigration problems but said the offer remained open.

The camps on Manus island and Nauru have been key parts of Australia&#39;s disputed &#39;Sovereign Borders&#39;&nbsp;immigration policy, under which it refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores.

Australia&#39;s offshore detention policies have been heavily criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups but are backed the centre-right government and the Labor opposition.

UN&nbsp;rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a news conference in Geneva on Friday about the &quot;unfolding humanitarian emergency&quot; in the Manus island centre, where asylum seekers have been reported digging wells to try to find water.

About 600 men have barricaded themselves inside the camp on remote Manus island in Papua New Guinea, defying efforts by Australia and PNG to shut it. Food, running water and medical services were cut off by Australia five days ago.

Australia turned down on Sunday an offer to take 150 asylum seekers being held in an Australian-run detention centre in Papua New Guinea, where UN officials have warned a humanitarian emergency is unfolding. About 600 men have barricaded themselves inside the camp on remote Manus island in Papua New Guinea, defying efforts by Australia and PNG to shut it. Food, running water and medical services were cut off by Australia five days ago. Australian authorities want the men moved to a transit centre elsewhere on the island at the start of a process the asylum seekers fear will result in them being resettled in PNG or another developing nation. The men also fear violent reprisals from the local community. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday her country was willing to take 150 asylum seekers from among those held on Manus island and another camp on the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru. Her Australian counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull, however said Canberra preferred to work through an existing refugee swap deal he negotiated with former U.S. President Barack Obama last year. Under that deal, up to 1,250 asylum seekers could be sent to the United States and Australia will in turn accept refugees from Central America. "We want to pursue those, conclude those arrangements, and then in the wake of that obviously we can consider other ones," Turnbull told Ardern during a media conference in Sydney. Relocating the men on Manus island is designed as a temporary measure, allowing the United States time to complete vetting of asylum seekers. Ardern acknowledged the two Tasman neighbours faced different immigration problems but said the offer remained open. The camps on Manus island and Nauru have been key parts of Australia's disputed 'Sovereign Borders' immigration policy, under which it refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores. Australia's offshore detention policies have been heavily criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups but are backed the centre-right government and the Labor opposition. UN rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a news conference in Geneva on Friday about the "unfolding humanitarian emergency" in the Manus island centre, where asylum seekers have been reported digging wells to try to find water.

Australia turns down New Zealand offer to take asylum seekers barricaded inside camp

Australia&#39;s world-famous Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, will be closed to climbers from 2019, its management board said on Wednesday, ending a decades-long campaign by Aborigines to protect their sacred monolith in the Northern Territory.

&#39;A board of eight traditional owners and four government officials voted unanimously to close the rock to climbers.&#39;&nbsp;said spokesperson.

&#39;The climb is a men&#39;s sacred area, the men have closed it.&#39;&nbsp;chairman Sammy Wilson added in a statement. &#39;It has cultural significance that includes certain restrictions.&#39;

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed 348-metre (1,142 ft) rock, known for its shifting red-ochre colours, is a top tourist drawcard, attracting around 300,000 visitors each year, despite its remote desert location near Alice Springs.

The traditional owners of Uluru, the Anangu people, have called for the climb to be closed since 1985, when the park was placed in indigenous hands.

The rock&#39;s board said in a report in 2010 that they would close the attraction to climbers if the proportion of visitors who tried to climb it dropped below 20 percent.

They took the matter to a vote on Wednesday after data showed the number of climbers had fallen below that threshold, from about three quarters throughout the 1990s to just 16.2 per cent between 2011 and 2015.

The ban will take effect on Oct. 26, 2019, exactly 34 years after Uluru was handed back to its traditional owners.

Australians are still the most common visitors to climb the rock, followed by the Japanese, according to Parks Australia.

The climb is closed about 77 percent of the time due to dangerous weather or cultural reasons.

There have been 36 confirmed fatalities at Uluru since records were first kept in the 1950s, with the most recent in 2010.

'A board of eight traditional owners and four government officials voted unanimously to close the rock to climbers,' said a spokesperson.

Australia's world-famous Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, will be closed to climbers from 2019, its management board said on Wednesday, ending a decades-long campaign by Aborigines to protect their sacred monolith in the Northern Territory. 'A board of eight traditional owners and four government officials voted unanimously to close the rock to climbers.' said spokesperson. 'The climb is a men's sacred area, the men have closed it.' chairman Sammy Wilson added in a statement. 'It has cultural significance that includes certain restrictions.' The UNESCO World Heritage-listed 348-metre (1,142 ft) rock, known for its shifting red-ochre colours, is a top tourist drawcard, attracting around 300,000 visitors each year, despite its remote desert location near Alice Springs. The traditional owners of Uluru, the Anangu people, have called for the climb to be closed since 1985, when the park was placed in indigenous hands. The rock's board said in a report in 2010 that they would close the attraction to climbers if the proportion of visitors who tried to climb it dropped below 20 percent. They took the matter to a vote on Wednesday after data showed the number of climbers had fallen below that threshold, from about three quarters throughout the 1990s to just 16.2 per cent between 2011 and 2015. The ban will take effect on Oct. 26, 2019, exactly 34 years after Uluru was handed back to its traditional owners. Australians are still the most common visitors to climb the rock, followed by the Japanese, according to Parks Australia. The climb is closed about 77 percent of the time due to dangerous weather or cultural reasons. There have been 36 confirmed fatalities at Uluru since records were first kept in the 1950s, with the most recent in 2010.

Australia's famed Uluru outback monolith to be closed to climbers

Hundreds of asylum-seekers were refusing to leave an Australian detention camp in Papua New Guinea that authorities closed Tuesday, citing fears for their safety, despite food, water and electricity being cut off.

Staff have abandoned the camp on Manus Island, and one resident said detainees had locked themselves in because they were terrified of what could happen to them outside its gates.

The standoff is the latest development in a long-running and bitter dispute over Australia&#39;s controversial off-shore detention policy.

Asylum seekers who try to reach the country by boat are sent to two remote Pacific processing centres , PNG&#39;s Manus Island and Nauru.

They are barred from settling in Australia, even if they are ultimately found to have a legitimate case for asylum.

Canberra says the policy is designed to discourage people from attempting the risky journey by sea.

Human rights groups have been campaigning for years to have Manus shut down, amid reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health problems.

The Australian government agreed to close the Manus facility by the end of October after the PNG Supreme Court ruled last year that holding people there was unconstitutional.

More than 600 men housed in the camp have been told to move to three transition centres on Manus. The present site is to be handed over the&nbsp;PNG military.

But many men have locked themselves in the centre.

&quot;Refugees adamant they won&#39;t leave detention. They are afraid but refuse to leave,&quot; one Manus detainee, an Iranian called Behrouz Boochani, tweeted Tuesday.

&quot;The power will be cut after 5pm. The refugees know that it will be very hard to stay, but are saying we will stay in a peaceful way.&quot;

He added that detainees had locked the camp&#39;s main gate to protect themselves.

Detainees told Fairfax Media earlier Tuesday that locals had started to loot equipment from the camp as PNG authorities looked on.

Australia&#39;s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton insisted the detainees were not welcome in Australia.

They have been told &quot;there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained,&quot; he said.

&quot;These people sought to subvert Australia&#39;s laws by paying people smugglers to bring them illegally to Australia by boat -- none will ever resettle here,&quot; he said in a statement Tuesday.

Refugee advocates say the transition centres are not secure, leaving the detainees defenceless against a hostile host community.

&quot;They are vulnerable to attacks from locals. We&#39;ve seen so many victims and casualties already because of those kinds of attacks,&quot; refugee advocate Ian Rintoul told AFP.

Fears of forcible removal

Manus detainees have been given the option of making a life in PNG, moving to the Nauru camp, returning to their homeland, or going to a third country like Cambodia or the US.

So far, just 54 people have notified of their acceptance by the US, with 24 flown out to America in September.

Rintoul said supporters had filed an injunction in the PNG Supreme Court to stop the camp&#39;s closure, demanding that food, water and other services are restored.

&quot;There are real fears that the government will authorise force to be used against the asylum-seekers and refugees in the centre,&quot; Rintoul added.

An Australian Broadcasting Corporation correspondent on Manus said he saw several busloads of Australian officials and workers heading to the island&#39;s airport with a police convoy on Tuesday morning.

A &quot;final message&quot; put up at the centre, posted online, stated that arrangements were being made to return the site to the PNG Defence Force.

&quot;Move to alternative accommodation now,&quot; the message said.

&quot;Anyone choosing to remain here will be liable for removal from an active PNG military base.&quot;

Last week, Human Rights Watch released a report saying the Manus refugees faced &quot;unchecked violence&quot; and that they &quot;have been getting stabbed, beaten, and robbed&quot; ahead of the October 31 dateline.

&quot;The tragic irony is that moving these men from their squalid, guarded centre and settling them elsewhere in PNG will actually put them at greater danger,&quot; Human Rights Watch&#39;s Australia director Elaine Pearson said.

Hundreds of asylum-seekers were refusing to leave an Australian detention camp in Papua New Guinea that authorities closed Tuesday, citing fears for their safety, despite food, water and electricity being cut off

Hundreds of asylum-seekers were refusing to leave an Australian detention camp in Papua New Guinea that authorities closed Tuesday, citing fears for their safety, despite food, water and electricity being cut off. Staff have abandoned the camp on Manus Island, and one resident said detainees had locked themselves in because they were terrified of what could happen to them outside its gates. The standoff is the latest development in a long-running and bitter dispute over Australia's controversial off-shore detention policy. Asylum seekers who try to reach the country by boat are sent to two remote Pacific processing centres , PNG's Manus Island and Nauru. They are barred from settling in Australia, even if they are ultimately found to have a legitimate case for asylum. Canberra says the policy is designed to discourage people from attempting the risky journey by sea. Human rights groups have been campaigning for years to have Manus shut down, amid reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health problems. The Australian government agreed to close the Manus facility by the end of October after the PNG Supreme Court ruled last year that holding people there was unconstitutional. More than 600 men housed in the camp have been told to move to three transition centres on Manus. The present site is to be handed over the PNG military. But many men have locked themselves in the centre. "Refugees adamant they won't leave detention. They are afraid but refuse to leave," one Manus detainee, an Iranian called Behrouz Boochani, tweeted Tuesday. "The power will be cut after 5pm. The refugees know that it will be very hard to stay, but are saying we will stay in a peaceful way." He added that detainees had locked the camp's main gate to protect themselves. Detainees told Fairfax Media earlier Tuesday that locals had started to loot equipment from the camp as PNG authorities looked on. Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton insisted the detainees were not welcome in Australia. They have been told "there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained," he said. "These people sought to subvert Australia's laws by paying people smugglers to bring them illegally to Australia by boat -- none will ever resettle here," he said in a statement Tuesday. Refugee advocates say the transition centres are not secure, leaving the detainees defenceless against a hostile host community. "They are vulnerable to attacks from locals. We've seen so many victims and casualties already because of those kinds of attacks," refugee advocate Ian Rintoul told AFP. Fears of forcible removal Manus detainees have been given the option of making a life in PNG, moving to the Nauru camp, returning to their homeland, or going to a third country like Cambodia or the US. So far, just 54 people have notified of their acceptance by the US, with 24 flown out to America in September. Rintoul said supporters had filed an injunction in the PNG Supreme Court to stop the camp's closure, demanding that food, water and other services are restored. "There are real fears that the government will authorise force to be used against the asylum-seekers and refugees in the centre," Rintoul added. An Australian Broadcasting Corporation correspondent on Manus said he saw several busloads of Australian officials and workers heading to the island's airport with a police convoy on Tuesday morning. A "final message" put up at the centre, posted online, stated that arrangements were being made to return the site to the PNG Defence Force. "Move to alternative accommodation now," the message said. "Anyone choosing to remain here will be liable for removal from an active PNG military base." Last week, Human Rights Watch released a report saying the Manus refugees faced "unchecked violence" and that they "have been getting stabbed, beaten, and robbed" ahead of the October 31 dateline. "The tragic irony is that moving these men from their squalid, guarded centre and settling them elsewhere in PNG will actually put them at greater danger," Human Rights Watch's Australia director Elaine Pearson said.

Australian asylum seekers scared to leave detention camp

Chris Gayle won a defamation case against an Australian media company in the New South Wales Supreme Court on Monday over an alleged&nbsp;masseuse incident that took place during the 2015 World Cup.&nbsp;

Gayle was also expected to provide evidence on his part at the New South Wales (NSW) Supreme Court.

After less than two hours of deliberation, the jury found Fairfax media had failed to establish the truth of a series of reports it ran alleging the 103-test cricketer had exposed himself to a masseuse during the tournament.

It also found Fairfax had failed to establish that the allegation Gayle had propositioned the masseuse was &quot;substantially true&quot;.

&quot;I came all the way from Jamaica to actually defend myself and my character as well. At the end of the day I&#39;m very, very happy,&quot; Gayle told reporters outside the court.

&quot;I&#39;m a good man. I&#39;m not guilty,&quot; said&nbsp;Gayle after the verdict.

The jury also found that Fairfax, which publishes The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers, was motivated by &quot;malice&quot; in publishing the stories.

A hearing over the amount of damages will be held at a later date.

Fairfax Media later released a statement saying said the company was &quot;concerned with the conduct of the trial to the extent that on Friday it sought an order that the jury be discharged and a new trial ordered&quot;.

&quot;Fairfax believes that it did not get a fair trial,&quot; it concluded. &quot;It is seriously considering its appeal rights.&quot;

'I came all the way from Jamaica to actually defend myself and my character as well. At the end of the day I'm very, very happy,' Gayle said

Chris Gayle won a defamation case against an Australian media company in the New South Wales Supreme Court on Monday over an alleged masseuse incident that took place during the 2015 World Cup. Gayle was also expected to provide evidence on his part at the New South Wales (NSW) Supreme Court. After less than two hours of deliberation, the jury found Fairfax media had failed to establish the truth of a series of reports it ran alleging the 103-test cricketer had exposed himself to a masseuse during the tournament. It also found Fairfax had failed to establish that the allegation Gayle had propositioned the masseuse was "substantially true". "I came all the way from Jamaica to actually defend myself and my character as well. At the end of the day I'm very, very happy," Gayle told reporters outside the court. "I'm a good man. I'm not guilty," said Gayle after the verdict. The jury also found that Fairfax, which publishes The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers, was motivated by "malice" in publishing the stories. A hearing over the amount of damages will be held at a later date. Fairfax Media later released a statement saying said the company was "concerned with the conduct of the trial to the extent that on Friday it sought an order that the jury be discharged and a new trial ordered". "Fairfax believes that it did not get a fair trial," it concluded. "It is seriously considering its appeal rights."

Chris Gayle wins defamation case

A topless photo scandal that has gripped Australia&#39;s biggest spectator sport for weeks came to a head Monday with a player banned for three games and the woman involved left traumatised.

Richmond Tigers&#39; Nathan Broad was revealed as the Aussie Rules star who distributed the picture on social media of the bare-chested woman wearing his winner&#39;s medal after the club&#39;s 2017 Grand Final triumph.

He didn&#39;t have her permission to share the photo, which did not show the woman&#39;s face, and it went viral, sparking frenzied media and public speculation about who was involved.

Broad, 24, fronted a news conference Monday with club president Peggy O&#39;Neal to &quot;take full responsibility for what I&#39;ve done&quot;.

&quot;I am ashamed and I am embarrassed and I made a very bad drunken decision,&quot; he said, urging anyone who had seen the photo to delete it and not pass it on.

&quot;Most of all I let down a young woman who I cared about a young woman who I spent time with before the Grand Final and a young woman who I like and respected.&quot;

Broad had told the woman he deleted the photo, after she asked him to do so.

The woman released a statement through her lawyers saying she trusted Broad and was &quot;shocked and extremely confused&quot; when the photo went viral.

&quot;The unauthorised distribution of her photograph and the subsequent attention it has received has had a devastating impact on the young woman&#39;s wellbeing,&quot; the statement said.&nbsp;

&quot;She is desperate to maintain her anonymity as she tries to get on with her life as best she can.&quot;

The woman has decided not to press charges against Broad to protect her identity.

O&#39;Neal said the club was &quot;committed to gender equity and respect we find these actions to be completely unacceptable&quot;.

&quot;We&#39;re incredibly sorry for the distress Nathan&#39;s actions have caused the young woman, who deserved better,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

She said Broad would be barred from playing in the Tigers&#39; first three matches of the 2018 season.

Earlier this month, the Australian government launched an online portal to report &quot;revenge porn&quot; after research showed women were having intimate images shared without their permission on a &quot;mass scale&quot;.

Richmond Tigers' Nathan Broad posted a picture of a bare-chested woman wearing his 2017 Grand Final medal on social media

A topless photo scandal that has gripped Australia's biggest spectator sport for weeks came to a head Monday with a player banned for three games and the woman involved left traumatised. Richmond Tigers' Nathan Broad was revealed as the Aussie Rules star who distributed the picture on social media of the bare-chested woman wearing his winner's medal after the club's 2017 Grand Final triumph. He didn't have her permission to share the photo, which did not show the woman's face, and it went viral, sparking frenzied media and public speculation about who was involved. Broad, 24, fronted a news conference Monday with club president Peggy O'Neal to "take full responsibility for what I've done". "I am ashamed and I am embarrassed and I made a very bad drunken decision," he said, urging anyone who had seen the photo to delete it and not pass it on. "Most of all I let down a young woman who I cared about a young woman who I spent time with before the Grand Final and a young woman who I like and respected." Broad had told the woman he deleted the photo, after she asked him to do so. The woman released a statement through her lawyers saying she trusted Broad and was "shocked and extremely confused" when the photo went viral. "The unauthorised distribution of her photograph and the subsequent attention it has received has had a devastating impact on the young woman's wellbeing," the statement said. "She is desperate to maintain her anonymity as she tries to get on with her life as best she can." The woman has decided not to press charges against Broad to protect her identity. O'Neal said the club was "committed to gender equity and respect we find these actions to be completely unacceptable". "We're incredibly sorry for the distress Nathan's actions have caused the young woman, who deserved better," she added. She said Broad would be barred from playing in the Tigers' first three matches of the 2018 season. Earlier this month, the Australian government launched an online portal to report "revenge porn" after research showed women were having intimate images shared without their permission on a "mass scale".

Australian Rules Football: Player banned after topless photo scandal

The dynamics of bilateral relations between India, US and China are swiftly changing under a rapidly transforming global order. The last week saw two significant developments underlining this commotion and churning in the international order, and India might find itself at the helm of affairs here.

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<h5>The evolving strategic collaboration between Washington and New Delhi comes after the US President Donald Trump announced his South Asia policy and sought a greater role for India in Afghanistan.</h5>
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The Asia visit of US Secretary of State came against the backdrop of the recently concluded 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Strong signs of an emerging multipolarity made themselves highly evident during the last few days when both US and China pushed for a greater assertion over the international affairs.

Tillerson&#39;s visit to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India was an attempt by the US to mark its territory in terms of its strategic dominance and rope in India as an important ally to the US in the region. The evolving strategic collaboration between Washington and New Delhi comes after the US President Donald Trump announced his South Asia policy and sought a greater role for India in Afghanistan.

The visit, which is said to have sent a strong message to Pakistan on the issue of terrorism, also seeks to prop up India as a useful balancer to the developing China-Pakistan axis in South Asia. The importance of the timing of this visit is also not lost on observers, as it comes barely days after Tillerson&rsquo;s speech on &ldquo;Defining our relationship with India for the next century&rdquo; at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In his speech, Tillerson laid great emphasis on a &ldquo;free and open Indo-Pacific&rdquo; while being highly critical of China&#39;s &ldquo;less responsible&rdquo; rise.

Tillerson&#39;s attempts at strengthening America&#39;s position in the subcontinent were simultaneous to the 19th National Congress of the CPC which saw the emergence of President Xi Jinping as a very strong leader in the history of the country, with a stature next only to that of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

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<h5>The consolidation of power in Xi Jinping will be critical to the Chinese foreign policy which will expectantly grow more assertive, both militarily and diplomatically.</h5>
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Conscious of the world that was carefully observing the proceedings of the 19th NC, Xi laid a great emphasis on China&#39;s role as a world leader, and its endeavour to achieve a great power status. The repeated insistence on the importance of a globalised world and the significance of China&#39;s leadership clearly highlighted China&#39;s intentions to outgrow Deng Xiaoping&#39;s &ldquo;biding our time&rdquo; strategy and aggressively pursue Xi&#39;s &ldquo;China dream&rdquo;.

The consolidation of power in Xi Jinping will be critical to the Chinese foreign policy which will expectantly grow more assertive, both militarily and diplomatically. China, under Xi, will be looking to create and strengthen alternative global institutions, transform existing norms and push for regional supremacy. All this will happen as the US grows more isolationist in its global outlook. The daunting realisation that a more assertive China will be detrimental to the US&#39; strategic interests in Asia, was probably one of the many reasons behind Tillerson&#39;s visit to the region.&nbsp;

In the face of the changing dynamics, however, India will find itself at the helm of affairs. The regional confrontation between India and China is set to increase as no formidable changes or major breaks could be detected in China&#39;s neighbourhood policy. In fact, the 19th NC saw the election of China&#39;s top diplomat and Special Representative for India-China border talks to the powerful 25 member politburo and is expected to rise further and become a vice premier in charge of foreign affairs.

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<h5>A deepening engagement with the US at this point, along with an alternative alliance with Japan and Australia will help strengthen India&#39;s place in the global politics</h5>
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The elevation of top diplomats to the powerful Central Committee and the politburo signifies the renewed commitment of President Xi in strongly pursuing China&#39;s regional dominance and countering the US influence in Asia-Pacific. India will be faced with an ever-rising China and can, therefore, expect more frequent skirmishes at the border, and at multilateral institutions.

This changing scenario will require India to carefully re-calibrate its relations. A deepening engagement with the US at this point, along with an alternative alliance with Japan and Australia will help strengthen India&#39;s place in the global politics. It will also provide a regional alternative to China for smaller countries in the Asia-Pacific. A robust India-US alliance will also work to offset China&#39;s dominance in the multilateral institutions. The US may be looking at a re-pivot to Asia and India might just be its best bet in the region.

A deepening engagement with the US along with an alternative alliance with Japan and Australia will help strengthen India's place in the global politics

The dynamics of bilateral relations between India, US and China are swiftly changing under a rapidly transforming global order. The last week saw two significant developments underlining this commotion and churning in the international order, and India might find itself at the helm of affairs here. The evolving strategic collaboration between Washington and New Delhi comes after the US President Donald Trump announced his South Asia policy and sought a greater role for India in Afghanistan. × The Asia visit of US Secretary of State came against the backdrop of the recently concluded 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Strong signs of an emerging multipolarity made themselves highly evident during the last few days when both US and China pushed for a greater assertion over the international affairs. Tillerson's visit to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India was an attempt by the US to mark its territory in terms of its strategic dominance and rope in India as an important ally to the US in the region. The evolving strategic collaboration between Washington and New Delhi comes after the US President Donald Trump announced his South Asia policy and sought a greater role for India in Afghanistan. The visit, which is said to have sent a strong message to Pakistan on the issue of terrorism, also seeks to prop up India as a useful balancer to the developing China-Pakistan axis in South Asia. The importance of the timing of this visit is also not lost on observers, as it comes barely days after Tillerson’s speech on “Defining our relationship with India for the next century” at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In his speech, Tillerson laid great emphasis on a “free and open Indo-Pacific” while being highly critical of China's “less responsible” rise. Tillerson's attempts at strengthening America's position in the subcontinent were simultaneous to the 19th National Congress of the CPC which saw the emergence of President Xi Jinping as a very strong leader in the history of the country, with a stature next only to that of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The consolidation of power in Xi Jinping will be critical to the Chinese foreign policy which will expectantly grow more assertive, both militarily and diplomatically. × Conscious of the world that was carefully observing the proceedings of the 19th NC, Xi laid a great emphasis on China's role as a world leader, and its endeavour to achieve a great power status. The repeated insistence on the importance of a globalised world and the significance of China's leadership clearly highlighted China's intentions to outgrow Deng Xiaoping's “biding our time” strategy and aggressively pursue Xi's “China dream”. The consolidation of power in Xi Jinping will be critical to the Chinese foreign policy which will expectantly grow more assertive, both militarily and diplomatically. China, under Xi, will be looking to create and strengthen alternative global institutions, transform existing norms and push for regional supremacy. All this will happen as the US grows more isolationist in its global outlook. The daunting realisation that a more assertive China will be detrimental to the US' strategic interests in Asia, was probably one of the many reasons behind Tillerson's visit to the region. In the face of the changing dynamics, however, India will find itself at the helm of affairs. The regional confrontation between India and China is set to increase as no formidable changes or major breaks could be detected in China's neighbourhood policy. In fact, the 19th NC saw the election of China's top diplomat and Special Representative for India-China border talks to the powerful 25 member politburo and is expected to rise further and become a vice premier in charge of foreign affairs. A deepening engagement with the US at this point, along with an alternative alliance with Japan and Australia will help strengthen India's place in the global politics × The elevation of top diplomats to the powerful Central Committee and the politburo signifies the renewed commitment of President Xi in strongly pursuing China's regional dominance and countering the US influence in Asia-Pacific. India will be faced with an ever-rising China and can, therefore, expect more frequent skirmishes at the border, and at multilateral institutions. This changing scenario will require India to carefully re-calibrate its relations. A deepening engagement with the US at this point, along with an alternative alliance with Japan and Australia will help strengthen India's place in the global politics. It will also provide a regional alternative to China for smaller countries in the Asia-Pacific. A robust India-US alliance will also work to offset China's dominance in the multilateral institutions. The US may be looking at a re-pivot to Asia and India might just be its best bet in the region.

How India can counter China's growing influence in Asia

A group of men seen swimming inside a baited crocodile trap in Australia, where a woman was recently killed&nbsp;were blasted as &quot;idiots of the century&quot;.

Photos posted on Facebook showed the four men clambering on the floating trap set near a marina at Port Douglas in northern Queensland state and even posing inside it.

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It is not far from where a 14-foot&nbsp;crocodile killed dementia sufferer Anne Cameron.&nbsp;The beast killed the 79-year-old less than two weeks ago after she was trapped inside the cage. Authorities later found human remains inside the&nbsp;crocodile trap.

Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu said she was stunned at the&nbsp;stupidity of the men posing inside the trap.

&quot;I was absolutely gobsmacked, this is incredibly stupid and dangerous behaviour,&quot; she said told broadcaster ABC.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;m wondering if these fellows are vying for the idiots of the year award or the idiots of the century award.&quot;

Queensland environment minister Steven Miles also weighed in, tweeting: &quot;Srsly? The meat we put in these traps is bait. For crocodiles. Don&#39;t swim in them! It&#39;s stupid and illegal.&quot;

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Srsly? The meat we put in these traps is bait. For crocodiles. Don&rsquo;t swim in them! It&rsquo;s stupid, and illegal. <a href="https://twitter.com/QldPol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@qldpol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/7NewsCairns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@7NewsCairns</a> <a href="https://t.co/nQsUZwI3Wc">pic.twitter.com/nQsUZwI3Wc</a>
&mdash; Steven Miles (@StevenJMiles) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenJMiles/status/922327369095847937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to seven metres long and weigh more than a tonne, are a common feature of Australia&#39;s tropical north and kill an average of two people a year.

Their numbers have exploded since they were declared a protected species in the 1970s, with Cameron&#39;s death reigniting calls to control them.

Queensland&#39;s environment department said the men&#39;s actions were &quot;reckless&quot;.

&quot;These traps are specifically designed to attract crocodiles and they are deployed in places where a problem crocodile is known to be present,&quot; it said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;It is not an exaggeration to say that interfering with crocodile traps can be potentially life-threatening for the person concerned.&quot;

There are fines of up to $11,700&nbsp;for interfering with a crocodile trap. 
&nbsp;

'These traps are specifically designed to attract crocodiles and they are deployed in places where a problem crocodile is known to be present,' Queensland's environment department said

A group of men seen swimming inside a baited crocodile trap in Australia, where a woman was recently killed were blasted as "idiots of the century". Photos posted on Facebook showed the four men clambering on the floating trap set near a marina at Port Douglas in northern Queensland state and even posing inside it. × It is not far from where a 14-foot crocodile killed dementia sufferer Anne Cameron. The beast killed the 79-year-old less than two weeks ago after she was trapped inside the cage. Authorities later found human remains inside the crocodile trap. Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu said she was stunned at the stupidity of the men posing inside the trap. "I was absolutely gobsmacked, this is incredibly stupid and dangerous behaviour," she said told broadcaster ABC. "I'm wondering if these fellows are vying for the idiots of the year award or the idiots of the century award." Queensland environment minister Steven Miles also weighed in, tweeting: "Srsly? The meat we put in these traps is bait. For crocodiles. Don't swim in them! It's stupid and illegal." Srsly? The meat we put in these traps is bait. For crocodiles. Don’t swim in them! It’s stupid, and illegal. @qldpol @7NewsCairns pic.twitter.com/nQsUZwI3Wc — Steven Miles (@StevenJMiles) October 23, 2017 × Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to seven metres long and weigh more than a tonne, are a common feature of Australia's tropical north and kill an average of two people a year. Their numbers have exploded since they were declared a protected species in the 1970s, with Cameron's death reigniting calls to control them. Queensland's environment department said the men's actions were "reckless". "These traps are specifically designed to attract crocodiles and they are deployed in places where a problem crocodile is known to be present," it said in a statement. "It is not an exaggeration to say that interfering with crocodile traps can be potentially life-threatening for the person concerned." There are fines of up to $11,700 for interfering with a crocodile trap.

'Idiots of the century' swim in baited crocodile trap

An Australian teenager has survived a terrifying encounter with a great white shark, with her harrowing screams alerting her father who was certain it was about to &quot;eat her&quot;.

Sarah Williams, 15, was fishing for squid from a kayak off the South Australian coast near Normanville on Sunday when the shark struck.

Her rattled father Chris, in a small dingy nearby with his son and another daughter, said she was thrown in the air and landed in the water.

&quot;This shark has just rolled and all I saw was the dark side and the white belly and just huge fins and just white water everywhere,&quot; he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday.

&quot;It was going to eat her.&quot;

He said the animal circled and hit the kayak several times as he rushed to his daughter`s aid, with son Mitchell dragging her from the water, over the shark, and into their boat.

&quot;That spine-tingling scream, that not only me but my son and eldest daughter heard, is something that you just can`t describe it,&quot; Williams added to the Nine Network as he fought back tears.

&quot;All night we`ve just sort of sat back and said, `how have we got out of this alive?`&quot;

The shark, suspected to be a great white and estimated to be the same length as the kayak, about 4.5 metres (15 feet), then stalked their motor boat for about 10 minutes as they headed for safety.

The girl, who escaped with minor cuts and bruises, said the ordeal was &quot;everything you picture in the Jaws movie&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;I saw it when I was in the water with it. I saw what it was and I saw its fin,&quot; she told Nine.

Police said the Sea Rescue Squadron was now patrolling the area, around 75 kilometres (46 miles) south of Adelaide.

The scare came just days after a diver survived intact after being forced to swim five miles back to shore shadowed by a large tiger shark after becoming separated from his boat in Western Australia.

John Craig told reporters on Sunday: &quot;I thought this was it, this is how I`m going to die.&quot;

There have been more than a dozen incidents with sharks off Australia`s vast coastline this year, including the death of a 17-year-old girl mauled in full view of her parents in Western Australia.

Experts say attacks are increasing as water sports become more popular and baitfish move closer to shore, but fatalities remain rare.

Sarah Williams, 15, was fishing for squid from a kayak off the South Australian coast near Normanville on Sunday when the shark struck

An Australian teenager has survived a terrifying encounter with a great white shark, with her harrowing screams alerting her father who was certain it was about to "eat her". Sarah Williams, 15, was fishing for squid from a kayak off the South Australian coast near Normanville on Sunday when the shark struck. Her rattled father Chris, in a small dingy nearby with his son and another daughter, said she was thrown in the air and landed in the water. "This shark has just rolled and all I saw was the dark side and the white belly and just huge fins and just white water everywhere," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday. "It was going to eat her." He said the animal circled and hit the kayak several times as he rushed to his daughter`s aid, with son Mitchell dragging her from the water, over the shark, and into their boat. "That spine-tingling scream, that not only me but my son and eldest daughter heard, is something that you just can`t describe it," Williams added to the Nine Network as he fought back tears. "All night we`ve just sort of sat back and said, `how have we got out of this alive?`" The shark, suspected to be a great white and estimated to be the same length as the kayak, about 4.5 metres (15 feet), then stalked their motor boat for about 10 minutes as they headed for safety. The girl, who escaped with minor cuts and bruises, said the ordeal was "everything you picture in the Jaws movie". "I saw it when I was in the water with it. I saw what it was and I saw its fin," she told Nine. Police said the Sea Rescue Squadron was now patrolling the area, around 75 kilometres (46 miles) south of Adelaide. The scare came just days after a diver survived intact after being forced to swim five miles back to shore shadowed by a large tiger shark after becoming separated from his boat in Western Australia. John Craig told reporters on Sunday: "I thought this was it, this is how I`m going to die." There have been more than a dozen incidents with sharks off Australia`s vast coastline this year, including the death of a 17-year-old girl mauled in full view of her parents in Western Australia. Experts say attacks are increasing as water sports become more popular and baitfish move closer to shore, but fatalities remain rare.

'It was going to eat her': Australia teen survives shark scare

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