Bomb squad called to 'incident' in Phillipstown, Christchurch

A 33-year old man has been arrested after a report of suspicious items at a property in Phillipstown, Christchurch.

Police were called to an empty property in Newcastle St about 3.15pm on Tuesday.

A police statement said houses on Newcastle, Glasgow and Harrow Sts were evacuated as a precaution.

The New Zealand Defence Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit were at the scene. The unit deals with explosives, however police have yet to confirm if any explosives were found.

Several officers and a police dog entered a property on Newcastle St about 5pm. A drone was seen flying near the property.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/112357357/police-responding-to-an-incident-in-phillipstown-christchurch

China’s Big Brother Social Control Goes to Australia

Sourced from QRes#8145

Australia is preparing to debut its version of the Chinese regime’s high-tech system for monitoring and controlling its citizens. The launch, to take place in the northern city of Darwin, will include systems to monitor people’s activity via their cell phones.

The new system is based on monitoring programs in Shenzhen, China, where the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is testing its Social Credit System. Officials on the Darwin council traveled to Shenzhen, according to NT News, to “have a chance to see exactly how their Smart Technology works prior to being fully rolled out.”

In Darwin, they’ve already constructed “poles, fitted with speakers, cameras and Wi-Fi,” according to NT News, to monitor people, their movements around the city, the websites they visit, and what apps they use. The monitoring will be done mainly by artificial intelligence, but will alert authorities based on set triggers.

Just as in China, the surveillance system is being branded as a “smart city” program, and while Australian officials claim its operations are benign, they’ve announced it functions to monitor cell phone activity and “virtual fences” that will trigger alerts if people cross them.

“We’ll be getting sent an alarm saying, ‘There’s a person in this area that you’ve put a virtual fence around.’ … Boom, an alert goes out to whatever authority, whether it’s us or police to say ‘look at camera five,’” said Josh Sattler, the Darwin council’s general manager for innovation, growth, and development services, according to NT News.

The nature of the “virtual fences” and what type of activity will sound an alarm still isn’t being made clear.

The system is being promoted as mostly benign. Sattler said it will tell the government “where people are using Wi-Fi, what they’re using Wi-Fi for, are they watching YouTube, etc. All these bits of information we can share with businesses. … We can let businesses know, ‘Hey, 80 percent of people actually use Instagram within this area of the city, between these hours.’”

The CCP’s smart city Social Credit System is able to monitor each person in the society, tracking every element of their lives—including their friends, online purchases, daily behavior, and other information—and assigns each person a citizen score that determines their level of freedom in society.

https://m.theepochtimes.com/chinas-big-brother-social-control-goes-to-australia_2898104.html

The location data is stored inside a Google database known as Sensorvault, which contains detailed location records of hundreds of millions of devices from around the world. The records reportedly contain location data going back to 2009. The data is collected whether or not users are making calls or using apps.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) says police are using a single warrant—sometimes known as a “geo-fence” warrant—to access location data from devices that are linked to individuals who have no connection to criminal activity and have not provided any reasonable suspicion of a crime. Jennifer Lynch, EFF’s Surveillance Litigation Director, says these searches are problematic for several reasons.

“First, unlike other methods of investigation used by the police, the police don’t start with an actual suspect or even a target device—they work backward from a location and time to identify a suspect,” Lynch wrote. “This makes it a fishing expedition—the very kind of search that the Fourth Amendment was intended to prevent. Searches like these—where the only information the police have is that a crime has occurred—are much more likely to implicate innocent people who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Every device owner in the area during the time at issue becomes a suspect—for no other reason than that they own a device that shares location information with Google.”

Butt it’s China that has such horrible Human Rights violations?

https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/72364/google-tracks-your-location-and-shares-it-with-police-even-when-your-phone-is.html

>>6410452

Gppgle tracks your location and shares it with Police, even if your phone is off

Robert Reid, father of tennis prodigy Todd Reid, has died six months after his son

Todd Reid was a tennis prodigy before being forced into retirement after injuries

He died in Melbourne October of 2018 after retiring in from professional tennis

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6976621/Father-Australian-tennis-champion-dies-just-six-months-son-dead-aged-34.html

Antarctic supply ship reported two dead crew

Antarctic supply ship VASILIY GOLOVNIN reported on Apr 29 or earlier, that two crew on board died of poisoning, assumedly by methanol alcohol. The ship is on the way to Cape Tow, ETA May 4, after Antarctic voyage, she delivered supplies and replacement researchers teams to Indian Antarctic scientific bases Bharati and Maitri. One of deceased seamen is an AB, another one is turner. Their bodies are to be transported to Russia from Cape Town. Investigation pending.

https://maritimebulletin.net/2019/04/30/antarctic-supply-ship-reported-two-dead-crew/

Julian Assange: Clinton Foundation and ISIS were funded from the same source

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stated that Hillary Clinton’s Clinton Foundation and the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIL/ISIS) are funded from the same sources.

He was speaking about the organisation’s latest release of Clinton emails, during an interview on the John Pilger Special show that is to be exclusively broadcast by RT, courtesy of Dartmouth Films. The interview took place in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where Assange has been residing since August 2012. The footage was released on Thursday.

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/julian-assange-clinton-foundation-and-isis-were-funded-from-the-same-source/

Julian Assange gets 50 weeks on bail charge, day before extradition hearing

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for violating his bail and going into hiding at the Ecuadorian embassy, seven years ago, a sentence that comes just a day before a hearing is set to take place concerning his extradition to the U.S.

Assange was sentenced on Wednesday after his appearance at London’s Southwark Crown Court. After the judge handed the sentence, a group of protesters shouted “shame on you.”

He breached his bail back in 2012 amid threats of extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations.

In a letter read to the court, Assange said he was “struggling with difficult circumstances” and apologized to those who “consider I've disrespected them.”

He added: “I did what I thought at the time was the best or perhaps the only thing that I could have done.”

Judge Deborah Taylor insisted that Assange deserved near the maximum sentence of one year because of the seriousness of his offense. She rejected calls for leniency because of the nearly seven years he spent in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

The Australian founder of WikiLeaks remained defiant and raised a fist in the air to his supporters as he was taken down to the prison.

Assange has been held in prison since his arrest last month after the Ecuadorian authorities revoked his political asylum and kicked him out of the embassy on April 11.

he government of Ecuador accused WikiLeaks and Assange of meddling in the country’s politics.

But the sentence on Wednesday is just a sideshow for Assange, who faces the main battle on Thursday.

He’s set to appear at a court hearing on a U.S. extradition request. The U.S. authorities charged Assange with conspiring to break into a Pentagon computer system.

He faces up to five years in a U.S. prison if convicted.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/wikileaks-julian-assange-sentenced-to-50-weeks-in-prison-day-before-facing-extradition-hearing

Another PapaD Tweet

Attorney General Barr is a smart man. He has probably already seen documentary evidence that Australian intelligence, British intelligence and US intelligence made contact with me BEFORE Clinton errand boy, Alexander Downer, was sent to make contact in May 2016 by the FBI.

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1123615244679442432

Australian man found guilty in plane bomb plot involving meat grinder

MELBOURNE — An Australian court on Wednesday found a man guilty of plotting to blow up an Etihad Airways flight out of Sydney at the behest of the Islamic State militant group by hiding a bomb in the luggage of his brother.

Police had accused the man, Khaled Khayat, and another brother, Mahmoud Khayat, of planning two terrorist attacks that also included a chemical gas attack on the flight to Abu Dhabi in July 2017, police said.

The third brother was unaware that he was carrying a bomb, disguised as a meat mincer, in his luggage, as he tried to check in at the airport, police said.

But the device was taken out of his luggage when it was deemed too heavy and the bomb never made it past airport security.

Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat were arrested weeks later after a series of raids in Sydney.

“The jury this afternoon returned a guilty verdict for Khaled and is still deliberating in respect of Mahmoud,” a spokeswoman for the New South Wales Supreme Court said.

https://nypost.com/2019/05/01/australian-man-found-guilty-in-plane-bomb-plot-involving-meat-grinder/

More NZ Fuckery Afoot

Andrew Little announced on Thursday there has been a set back with the Pike River Mine re-entry due to elevated oxygen levels at the far end of the drift.

The minister described the elevated levels as "unpredicted and unexplained," and because of this, the mine will not be entered, although there will still be an event for families.

"If you can't explain it, you stop what you're doing until you can," he said.

The shift in oxygen levels means the atmosphere in the drift has changed and the air is no longer breathable.

Little said on Thursday he could not predict how long the delay would be on re-entry, and didn't wish to speculate.

"It could be days, could be weeks," he told media.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/05/unpredicted-and-unexplained-setback-with-pike-river-re-entry.html

Elevated Oxygen Levels = Too much oxygen ??

Last time I checked you can breathe 100% oxygen without issues, or use BA sets if you worried about contaminants.

Amazed there aren't more people questioning the facts spouted in this article … or why a delay of a few days/weeks is required?

Resignations in the region

Boss of troubled NDIA quits after less than two years in the role

https://www.smh.com.au/national/boss-of-troubled-ndia-quits-after-less-than-two-years-in-the-role-20190430-p51isd.html

Australian Journalist Arrested for Plotting to Murder Christians in Revenge for Christchurch

An Australian reporter has been charged with multiple offences after he allegedly tried to lure Christians to his house to attack them with a sword.

The man, Mr James Michael Waugh, is believed to have wanted to carry out the attacks in retaliation for attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which 50 people were killed.

Mr Waugh was charged with “threatening to act with intent to cause public harm, using a carriage service to menace others and possessing a weapon to be used to kill.”

Waugh was previously a reporter at the Queanbeyan Age, a local paper in New South Wales, but is reported to have left the job and had been unemployed for more than a month before his arrest.

The prosecutor, Rae-Ann Khazma, said of Mr Waugh that “he made it clear he would either engage in battle … making him a martyr or to make them look bad.”

“He also indicated his use of a scimitar [a Middle-Eastern sword with a curved blade] depending on how many Christians turned up and whether they were armed,” Ms Khazma added.

Waugh is alleged to have previously posted a threatening message on the Facebook group of Canberra House of Prayer in Yarralumla in late March. His message read “I’m going to kill every single one of you dog polytheist c—-“.

Defence lawyer Helen Hayunga pressed, without success, for Waugh to be granted bail, claiming there was no evidence he would act on his alleged threats.

“It is one thing to espouse bizarre or intemperate views and another to act upon them,” she suggested.

“The difficulty for the prosecution… is that there is no evidence he was going to act [on the threats],” she added.

Magistrate Peter Morrison observed that Waugh had acquired a weapon, however, and opted to remand him in custody until his next court date.

A doctor concluded he has no mental health issues.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/05/02/australian-journalist-arrested-plotting-murder-christians-revenge-christchurch/

I won't surrender to extradition ‘for doing journalism’ – Assange

WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, jailed by the UK authorities for 50 weeks over skipping bail, is adamant to fight the US extradition request, as Washington wants him for merely “doing journalism.”

Assange faced a London court via a video link on Thursday for the first hearing over the US extradition request. When asked if he desires to consent to it, he rejected it and expressed determination to fight the extradition.

I do not wish to surrender myself for extradition for doing journalism that has won many, many awards and protected many people.

The US wants Assange on charges of conspiring to commit computer intrusion, related to his work with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who leaked scores of classified documents related to the Iraq War. The offense carries a maximum penalty of five years behind bars, but Assange's legal team fears more charges will follow.

Supporters of the WikiLeaks co-founder speculate that he might even face charges under the Espionage Act of 1917, a harsh legislation protecting “national interests,” that envisions lengthy prison terms and ultimately the death penalty to those found guilty.

The hearings on the extradition request have been adjourned, with a technical one scheduled for May 30 and the first substantive one expected on June 12.

https://www.rt.com/news/458200-assange-us-extradition-journalism/

Seeds of Destruction: Hijacking of the World’s Food System

As F. William Engdahl wrote in “Death of the Birds and the Bees Across America“:

Birds and bees are something most of us take for granted as part of nature. The expression “teaching about the birds and the bees” to explain the process of human reproduction to young people is not an accidental expression. Bees and birds contribute to the essence of life on our planet. A study by the US Department of Agriculture estimated that “…perhaps one-third of our total diet is dependent, directly or indirectly, upon insect-pollinated plants.”[1]

The honey bee, Apis mellifera, is the most important pollinator of agricultural crops. Honey bees pollinate over 70 out of 100 crops that in turn provide 90% of the world’s food. They pollinate most fruits and vegetables — including apples, oranges, strawberries, onions and carrots.[2] But while managed honey bee populations have increased over the last 50 years, bee colony populations have decreased significantly in many European and North American nations. Simultaneously, crops that are dependent on insects for pollination have increased. The phenomenon has received the curious designation of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), implying it could be caused by any number of factors. Serious recent scientific studies however point to a major cause: use of new highly toxic systemic pesticides in agriculture since about 2004.

If governments in the EU, USA and other countries fail to impose a total ban on certain chemical insecticides, not only could bees become a thing of the past. The human species could face staggering new challenges merely to survive. The immediate threat comes from the widespread proliferation of commercial insecticides containing the highly-toxic chemical with the improbable name, neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are a group of insecticides chemically similar to nicotine. They act on the central nervous system of insects. But also on bees and small song birds. Recent evidence suggests they could also affect human brain development in newborn.

Some five to six years back, reports began to circulate from around the world, especially out of the United States, and then increasingly from around the EU, especially in the UK, that entire bee colonies were disappearing. Since 2004 over a million beehives have died across the United States and beekeepers in 25 states report what is called Colony Collapse Disorder. In winter of 2009 an estimated one fifth of bee hives in the UK were lost, double the natural rate.[3] Government authorities claimed it was a mystery. Continue reading “Death of the Birds and the Bees Across America” by F. William Engdahl

Today more than ever, the world’s food resources are being hijacked by giant corporations that are turning farms into factories and replacing natural resources with genetically modified “food-like” substances.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/seeds-of-destruction-hijacking-of-the-world-s-food-system/32030

Another PapaD Tweet

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1124067969921966082

Funny how uncanny these Captchas can be at times - I could definitely use some more sleep - m(ore) Zs kek

Also kind of glad that Captcha was nice enough to keep the CP(cp) well away from me (u).

Rebut this. Foreign fake "Australian Government" Corporations

Former politician blows whistle prior to election.

HUGE

I have included here as I am sure there is a lot of interest from fellow Aus Anons here

Anti-gay, anti-Muslim rogue candidates taint PM Scott Morrison's Australia election bid

CANBERRA (BLOOMBERG) - Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia has cut ties with a third candidate within a week because of offensive social media posts, potentially hurting his conservative government's bid for re-election this month.

Ms Jessica Whelan on Friday (May 3) announced she was withdrawing her candidacy for the seat of Lyons in Tasmania after a series of anti-Islamic remarks were revealed to have been posted on her Facebook page.

A separate social media scandal later in the day saw a candidate from the opposition Labor party withdraw from the election race.

Ms Whelan's decision to withdraw came after the ruling Liberal-National coalition's campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham said the government had decided to "take steps" against her.

"Clearly these posts were inappropriate, and the Liberal Party was not aware of their existence before they were reported," Ms Whelan said in her resignation letter.

Earlier this week, two other Liberal candidates were dis-endorsed - one also for anti-Muslim comments, and another for a homophobic social media attack on a party colleague.

The revelations come just days after a poll showed the government narrowing the gap against the Labor opposition, setting up a dogfight in the final weeks of campaigning before the May 18 election.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/anti-gay-anti-muslim-rogue-candidates-taint-pm-scott-morrisons-australia-election

William Barr Made A Major Disclosure In His Senate Hearing That Hardly Anyone Noticed

Sourced from QRes#8188

Attorney General William Barr revealed during his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that former Australian diplomat Alexander Downer was an FBI source for information about George Papadopoulos.

The disclosure, which received little attention during Barr’s testimony, could now allow the public to force the government to reveal details about Downer’s role in the investigation.

Downer’s role as the catalyst for the FBI’s probe has been revealed in press reports, but the U.S. government had not acknowledged it officially prior to Barr’s testimony.

In a little-noticed exchange during his Senate hearing Wednesday, Attorney General William Barr made a surprising disclosure that could allow the public and press to obtain sensitive details about the origins of the Trump-Russia probe.

During a back-and-forth with Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, Barr identified Alexander Downer, a former Australian diplomat, as the FBI’s source for the information that sparked the bureau’s counterintelligence investigation into George Papadopoulos and other Trump campaign associates.

The federal government had not officially identified Downer as the source until Wednesday. His role in the investigation was publicly known, but only through press reports and his own statements to the media.

Federal agencies could deny requests for information about Downer and his role in the opening of “Crossfire Hurricane,” the FBI’s name for the counterintelligence investigation, without official confirmation from U.S. government officials.

https://dailycaller.com/2019/05/03/william-barr-alexander-downer/

>>6419690

no probs .. sorry to double up … hard to know whats already been posted here when I am in midst of reviewing QRes General breadz and reposting Aus-relevant posts.

Australian Cyber security chief MacGibbon resigns

Sourced from QRes#8193

The head of the nation's cyber security agency Alastair MacGibbon has resigned to return to the private sector.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) under Mr MacGibbon was made part of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in January 2018.

While Mr MacGibbon won't be leaving until May 28, his resignation does come in the middle of a federal election campaign.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6105775/cyber-security-chief-macgibbon-resigns/

Resignations in the region

3 Senior Ministers Resign

http://www.looppng.com/png-news/three-senior-ministers-resign-83989

$20 MILLION: MN City Council agrees to historic settlement with Justine Damond's family

Sourced from QRes#8199

>"On July 15, 2017, Justine Ruszczyk, also known as Justine Damond,[2][3] a 40-year-old Australian-American woman, was shot and killed by Mohamed Noor, a Somali-American Minneapolis Police Department officer, after she had called 9-1-1 to report the possible assault of a woman in an alley behind her house."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Justine_Damond

Yet Another Papa D Tweet

I believe that major newspapers already have information that Alexander Downer was an asset sent to make contact with me. I reported Downer to the FBI and Mueller for my suspicions he was spying on me. Azra Turk and Halper are nobodies compared to what’s coming on Downer.

CST

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1124720907572801536

From Australia's election campaign - Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's billboard defaced with nazi imagery.

Targeting of candidates during federal election campaign 'deeply disturbing', 'utterly unacceptable'

Sourced from QRes#8203

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described Nazi imagery painted over one of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's billboards as a "deeply disturbing" sign of "ugly hatred" in the election campaign.

Mr Frydenberg, who is Jewish, said the swastika and moustache painted over the billboard in his Melbourne seat of Kooyong was a cowardly and criminal act which was an insult to all victims of the Holocaust.

"This incident is not about me or my campaign, but about a broader and disturbing trend in society of antisemitism and intolerance," he said.

Mr Morrison said a supporter of Victorian Liberal MP Sarah Henderson had also been recently targeted during the campaign.

"One of the worst stories I have heard — true story — Sarah Henderson told me about it, she's obviously the Liberal member for Corangamite, down near Geelong," he said.

"One of her supporters had a poster of her in her yard. Someone shot her dog and put the body of the dog below her sign. I mean this is just appalling.

"Sure, we can disagree about these things but that doesn't give anyone the right to engage in this sort of ugly hatred."

A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said officers were aware of reports that a dog was shot and killed at a property in Apollo Bay on April 19, before being found by its owner the next day.

Police have not received an official complaint.

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen condemned the vandalism of Mr Frydenberg's campaign material, which has previously been targeted, as "utterly unacceptable".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-04/pm-condemns-targeting-of-candidates-in-federal-election-campaign/11080410

https://archive.ph/gXDhV

>>6420007

if its just all hype, why u here ?

Australian DJ Adam Sky found dead in Bali resort

Australian DJ and music producer Adam Neat has been found dead after reportedly attempting to rescue a friend who had fallen off the side of a Bali luxury hotel villa on Saturday.

It is believed the 42-year-old, known by his stage name DJ Adam Sky, tried to rescue his personal assistant, who had fallen several metres from the villa shortly before Mr Neat's fatal accident.

Local police believe Mr Neat crashed through a glass door at Hillstone Villas Resort, sustaining fatal injuries in his attempt to assist his injured colleague, according to Nine News.

A post on Mr Neat's official Facebook and Instagram pages confirmed his death on Sunday evening, describing the accident as a "tragic loss".

"It is with great regret that we can confirm Adam Neat was involved in a fatal accident while trying to help a friend who had suffered multiple fractures in Bali on Saturday 4th May 2019," the post said.

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/australian-dj-adam-sky-found-dead-in-bali-resort-20190505-p51kbn.html

Resignations in the region

Emotional ‘junior’ staffer resigns

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/05/06/571038/emotional-junior-staffer-resigns

Rogue Boeing 737 Max planes ‘with minds of their own’ (Experience the Simulator) - 60 Minutes Australia

"Liz Hayes investigates the disaster of Boeing’s 737 MAX jetliner. Why two supposedly state-of-the-art and safe planes crashed killing 346 people; why pilots now fear flying the 737 MAX; & whether Boeing could have averted the catastrophes."

https://youtu.be/QytfYyHmxtc

Australia going full fascist. PM vows to lock up internet shitposters for 5 years.

Sourced from QRes#8218

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6993589/Push-lock-vile-Facebook-trolls-harass-people-online-FIVE-YEARS.html

Protester throws egg at Australian prime minister

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A protester threw an egg at Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at an election campaign event on Tuesday, grazing him in the head with it, footage on Australian television showed.

Security guards swiftly pounced on the female protester, who was wearing a beanie and casual clothes, and dragged her away.

Morrison rubbed his head briefly after the egg was thrown and then helped an elderly woman who was pushed to the floor in the scuffle.

“We will stand up to thuggery whether it’s these cowardly activists who have no respect for anyone, or militant unionists standing over small businesses and their employees on work sites,” Morrison said in a message on his Twitter feed.

The incident occurred during a visit by the prime minister to Albury, a constituency in New South Wales, where an independent candidate is the bookmakers’ favorite as rural voters desert the government.

The woman later told reporters that her action “speaks for itself” and referred to Manus Island, in Papua New Guinea, where Australia has long detained refugees, according to a reporter with the Australian newspaper.

In March, a teenager smashed an egg onto the head of a controversial right-wing Australian lawmaker who had blamed New Zealand’s mass mosque shootings on its immigration program.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-election-morrison-egg/protester-throws-egg-at-australian-prime-minister-idUSKCN1SD045?il=0

Another PapaD Tweet

George Papadopoulos

‏ @GeorgePapa19

Clapper is an imbecile. Not only did he outsource spying on me to the Italians/UK/Australia, and involved the CIA, he admits on CNN that it was normal. The most disturbing part of this is that I was being spied upon for ties to an American ALLY, Israel.

9:44 AM - 7 May 2019

https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1125773430979084294

Ex-Nauru president Sprent Dabwido who oversaw detention centre reopening dies

Former Nauruan president Sprent Dabwido has died in Australia, where was being treated for cancer.

Mr Dabwido was instrumental in overseeing the reopening of Nauru's detention facilities while president in 2012, before he lost power in 2014.

His death at the age of 46 comes after a battle with nasopharyngeal cancer, which he was diagnosed with in April 2018.

In a statement released today confirming his death, fellow Nauru 19 member and politician Mathew Batsiua expressed his sadness at the news of the death.

"I can say Sprent died the way he lived," he said.

"He was brave, outspoken and always kept his sense of humour, even in the worst times. He also died happy, surrounded by people who loved him.

Mr Dabwido fled to Australia earlier this year and begged the Australian Government for political asylum as he sought medical treatment which he insists his own government has gone out of its way to deny him.

Prior to his death, he was fighting a legal battle in Nauru which was before the court of appeal in the long-running Nauru 19 case.

Mr Batsiua accused the current Nauruan Government of contributing to Mr Dabwido's death.

"Today, the Government and the MPs who have supported them have the blood of a former president on their hands," he said in the statement.

He also expressed his disappointment at being refused a passport to travel to visit Mr Dabwido while he was being treated.

"The Nauru Government refused us passports despite a request from myself and others to visit Sprent before his death.

"The Government prohibited us from attending a recent commitment ceremony with his partner Luci in Sydney, but we stayed in contact through the phone and social media."

The ABC has sought comment from the Government of Nauru.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/ex-nauru-president-sprent-dabwido-who-oversaw-detention-centre-reopening-dies/ar-AAB4yX0?ocid=spartandhp

NZ & US Special Forces joint training exercises.

Sourced from QRes#8246

NEW ZEALAND

A statement from the Defence Force (NZDF) confirmed the helicopters were part of a training exercise involving members of the United States military.

"The NZDF and a United States Army Aviation Regiment will conduct joint exercise in Auckland and Waiouru from 8 to 23 May," the statement said.

"The exercise will involve a large number of military personnel, including special forces from both countries, as well as aircraft.

"Its purpose is to practise counter-terrorism integration techniques between the two countries."

The exercises would run day and night and involve aircraft and live firing within the Kaipara Air Weapons Range.

As well as central Auckland, elements of the training will be carried out in Whenuapai, Kaipara, Papakura and Waiouru.

Herald readers believe the helicopter pictured is a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, a model used throughout the United States military.

The NZDF said the New Zealand and United States armies have trained together several times in the past.

"The exercise has been planned since 2018 and is not in response to the recent events in Christchurch.

"Members of the public may see personnel conducting military activities from helicopters in exercise areas.

"There is no need for the public to be concerned if they see military action in Auckland over this period."

A woman who saw the helicopters in the Auckland Domain said one landed on the main cricket field, near the historic wooden grandstand.

She said a gurney was taken to and from the helicopter but it did not appear anyone - or anything - was on it.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12229139

>>6453489

Defence Force names New Zealand SAS soldier who died following training incident in Auckland

A member of the New Zealand Special Air Service (SAS) has died following a training incident in Auckland last night.

NZ Defence Force has confirmed he was Lance Corporal Nicholas Kahotea, 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment.

He was immediately airlifted to Auckland City Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) said in a statement.

According to the NZDF he successfully completed NZSAS selection and was badged as an NZSAS operator in December 2014.

He served in Afghanistan, and was awarded the following medals: New Zealand Operational Service Medal (NZOSM), New Zealand Defence Service Medal (NZDSM), New Zealand General Service (NZGSM) and NATO ISAF (Afghanistan).

The trooper was critically injured in an exercise in Auckland last night. Source: 1 NEWS

The NZDF says "he will be remembered as a professional soldier, a father and friend to many."

It comes as the NZDF and the United States Army Aviation Regiment carried out a joint military exercise, involving personnel and aircraft, in Auckland and Waiouru, beginning May 8, and scheduled to finish on May 23, the NZDF said on Facebook.

The training exercise, which is being conducted "to practise counter-terrorism integration techniques between the two countries," involves day and night flying, and live firing within the Kaipara Air Weapons Range.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/defence-force-names-new-zealand-sas-soldier-died-following-training-incident-in-auckland

o7

Fighting the Demon: The United States Drug Enforcement Administration open offices in New Zealand to help police investigate Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels

Drug investigators from the United States will open a branch in New Zealand and work alongside police to target Mexican and South American cartels smuggling methamphetamine and cocaine for the lucrative market here.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has been granted permission by Congress to set up offices in Auckland and Wellington, as the US looks to work closely with Five Eyes allies Australia and New Zealand to combat organised crime.

The DEA is perhaps best known in this part of the world through the Netflix hit Narcos, which delved into the life and crimes of Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar, and more recently the prosecution of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

Likely to receive a life sentence on drug trafficking convictions, "El Chapo" was the leader of the Mexican cartel Sinaloa as the organised crime group rose to power globally.

Sinaloa and rival cartel Jalisco, or CJNG, are behind an upswing in large shipments of methamphetamine and cocaine smuggled into New Zealand and Australia, DEA agent Kevin Merkel told the Herald.

"If you were to ask any significant trafficker what is the best market for meth and coke in the world, they would say Australia and New Zealand," said Merkel, who is based in Canberra as the DEA attache for the region.

"The same people that are pumping drugs out to the United States are the same ones that are pumping out drugs here. If they seen potential to make more money, they're going to do it."

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12227997

Christian star athlete posts what Bible says about homosexual behavior. Now Rugby Australia wants him gone.

Sourced from QRes#8255

'I'll stand on what the Bible says'

Israel Folau is a star rugby player and a devout Christian who isn't afraid of expressing his religious beliefs.

But stating those beliefs has landed the 30-year-old in hot water with Rugby Australia, which said one of his social media posts warrants termination of his contract, CNN reported, which is worth $4 million.

Folau's Instagram post last month — which has not been deleted — listed a "warning" to "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolaters," and then noted underneath the list, "Hell awaits you. Repent! Only Jesus saves."

"Those that are living in sin will end up in Hell unless you repent," he added in the caption. "Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him."

Folau also quoted the King James version of Galatians 5:19‭-‬21, from which his Instagram post was inspired — and features a much longer list of wrongdoings.

How did officials react?

The rugby league issued Folau a code of conduct breach in April, CNN said, and he requested a hearing. After the three-day hearing, Rugby Australia found Folau guilty, the network noted.

"The panel has today provided a judgement that Israel Folau committed a high-level breach of the Professional Players' Code of Conduct with his social media posts on April 10, 2019," Rugby Australia said in a news release, Reuters reported.

The disciplinary panel said it will "take further written submissions from the parties to consider the matter of sanction. A further update will be provided after the panel delivers its decision on sanction," CNN said.

Folau plays fullback for the Wallabies and was expected to star for his country at this year's World Cup, the network said, adding that his contract with Rugby Australia runs through 2022. Folau was warned last year after making a comment on social media saying that gay people would go to hell unless they repented, CNN added.

'I'll stand on what the Bible says'

Citing an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald last month, CNN indicated Folau refused to apologize for the post.

"I'll stand on what the Bible says," he said. "I share it with love. I can see the other side of the coin where people's reactions are the total opposite to how I'm sharing it."

Reuters said a local media report indicated Folau and his advisers last week rejected a $1 million offer to walk away from the game.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/purge-star-athlete-bible-homosexual-behavior

Australia Prints Embarrassing Typo On 46 Million $50 Banknotes

Australia has become mired in a currency crisis of its own making.

The RBA confirmed Thursday that 46 million new A$50 bank notes have been printed with an embarrassing typo. The "new and improved" notes, which incorporated new technologies to prevent counterfeiting, were rolled out in October.

But the notes also include an unanticipated defect: The word "responsibility" is misspelled in the yellow note's "micro-text." The copy editors apparently missed the fact that the second "i" was missing.

Aussie

The note features the indigenous writer and inventor David Unaipon on one side, and Edith Cowan, the country's first female member of Parliament, on the other.

The error occurred on Cowan's side, which included an excerpt from one of her most famous speeches (sexist).

"It is a great responsibilty [sic] to be the only woman here, and I want to emphasise the necessity which exists for other women being here," the note reads.

A spokeswoman for the RBA has confirmed that the central bank is "aware" of the error, and that it would be corrected in the next run, which means these notes will almost certainly become collector's items some day.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-09/australia-prints-embarrassing-typo-46-million-50-banknotes

ALEXANDER DOWNER DEFENDS FBI TIPOFF THAT SPARKED TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE

In his most detailed remarks on the topic so far, former Australian diplomat Alexander Downer defended the tip he gave the FBI regarding George Papadopoulos.

Downer said that as a “warrior the Western alliance,” he provided the FBI with a memo he wrote after a May 10, 2016 meeting in which he says Papadopoulos mentioned that Russia might release information about Hillary Clinton close to the election.

“I don’t know why he told me this,” said Downer, dismissing Papadopoulos’s claims that the diplomat was sent to elicit damaging information about him.

Calling himself a “warrior for the Western alliance,” former Australian diplomat Alexander Downer defended sending in the tip that sparked the FBI’s investigation of then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign.

https://dailycaller.com/2019/05/09/alexander-downer-papadopoulos-tip-fbi/

>>6478436

>>6478436

Rugby Player Found Guilty of ‘High Level’ Breach of Conduct for Posting Bible Verse

Israel Folau, the Australian national rugby player who was suspended for posting a Bible verse calling people to “repent,” has been found guilty of a “high-level breach” of professional conduct.

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2019/may/rugby-player-found-guilty-of-lsquo-high-level-rsquo-breach-of-conduct-for-posting-bible-verse?

>>6478603

No probs. Happy to do what I can.

Heard any news on the childcare centre bilking millions from the government for non-existent child care kids?

Aus on sale to Chinese

Sourced from QRes#8284

In recent years in Australia, China has:

• purchased the Port of Darwin (where USA base is)

• built an International Airport in Western Australia (so they can fly their own aircraft/people in and out)

• purchased another airport near Perth WA for $1 from the Labor Government

• purchased countless thousands of acres of prime farmland throughout Australia

• purchased abattoirs to process their own meat throughout Australia

• purchase countless houses in capital cities, many of which stand empty

• etc etc

And our useless (bought) politicians say : international ownership of property/business is the same percentage ownership as it was in the 1970's"

We desperately need Trump's help to save Australia from becoming like South Africa.

Downer Denies Meeting Supposed to Launch FBI’s Russia Probe Was a Set-Up

Sourced from QRes#8291

Former Australian ambassador to the United Kingdom Alexander Downer has denied that the purpose of his 2016 meeting with George Papadopoulos, then-adviser to the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, was to make the aide talk about Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“I didn’t go to the meeting thinking he was going to even mention Russia in that context like the election campaign,” Downer told Sky News Australia in recent interview. “I had no idea what he would say.”

Papadopoulos has alleged that the Downer meeting was a set-up.

“The notion that Downer randomly reached out to me just to have a gin and tonic is laughable,” Papadopoulos said in a Sept. 10 tweet. “Some organization or entity sent him to meet me.”

In his book, “Deep State Target: How I Got Caught in the Crosshairs of the Plot to Bring Down President Trump,” Papadopoulos argues that Trump’s opponents tied to the American, Australian, and UK intelligence community orchestrated for Papadopoulos to receive a rumor of Kremlin’s having “dirt” on then-candidate Hillary Clinton, and then dispatched operatives, including Downer, to extract the rumor from him and use it as evidence of supposed conspiracy between Trump and Russia.

Downer denied that the FBI or any intelligence service asked him to meet Papadopoulos.

“Somebody who is a former foreign minister and Australian high commissioner, or ambassador, in London is hardly going to be somebody who’s used by intelligence services to collect information,” Downer said with a chuckle. “That would never happen. That simply isn’t how those kind of operations work.”

Downer’s assertion seems to gloss over the known hand-in-glove relationship between diplomacy and intelligence. A secret cable sent out by Clinton’s State Department in 2009, for instance, tasked diplomats to collect a plethora of information from their interactions with United Nations officials. The cable, published in 2010 by Wikileaks, indicates that intelligence collection by the diplomatic corps was already common practice at the time and, if anything, expanding.

Downer, later in the interview, even called himself “somebody who is part of the Five Eyes intelligence community.” Five Eyes is the agreement on sharing signals intelligence between the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It has been criticized for opening a way for the countries’ foreign intelligence agencies to spy on their own citizens by outsourcing the task to each other and then sharing the results.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/downer-denies-meeting-supposed-to-launch-fbis-russia-probe-was-a-set-up_2920898.html

WikiLeaks co-founder's files, computer, mobile phones and other electronic devices to be seized by US

Sourced from QRes#8290

Ecuador's Attorney General has informed a Julian Assange lawyer that the WikiLeaks co-founder's files, computer, mobile phones and other electronic devices will be seized during a search at the London embassy and sent to the US.

After an unsuccessful attempt by WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson to retrieve Assange's personal belongings from Ecuador's UK embassy, where Assange had been holed up for almost 7 years before his arrest and incarceration last month, the Ecuadorian government reportedly greenlighted the US request to provide it access to the documents and electronic devices left behind by the jailed WikiLeaks editor after he was hauled out of the embassy by the British police on April, 11.

The searches inside the embassy quarters formerly occupied by Assange are set to be conducted by police on May 20, El Pais reported, citing a notice sent to Assange's Ecuadorian lawyer Carlos Poveda.

Assange's personal files, his computer, mobile phones, memory sticks, CDs and any other electronic devices uncovered during the searches will then be seized and sent to the US as a part of Ecuador's response to the Department of Justice's judicial request. The US is currently building a case to extradite on hacking charges.

The files contain troves of sensitive information, include Assange's communication with his lawyers and other legal documents – which, the lawyers argue, deprive him of the right to proper defense. Having this data will potentially allow the US to "build and create new charges" to extradite Assange in violation of Ecuador's own asylum policies.

The news of the looming handover came as a bolt out of the blue for Assange's defense team, Poveda told RT Spanish, adding that it's impossible to be sure his things in the embassy haven't been tampered with already.

"Since Mr. Assange left the embassy, we cannot know for sure what has been happening inside these rooms." The lawyers have requested CCTV records for the period since Assange's arrest, Poveda said.

The US has until June 12 to build a case for Assange' extradition. Last week, Assange, who has been serving a 50-week sentence in a maximum-security Guantanamo Bay-style prison for skipping bail, faced an extradition judge for the first time. The WikiLeaks co-founder said he would not surrender himself to extradition for simply "doing journalism" that has earned his site many international awards.

https://www.rt.com/news/459170-assange-documents-us-handover/

>>6486488

Am sourcing Aus-relevant content previously posted in QRes General breads so its collated here … and generally this is posted verbatim as per original posting.

Resignations in the region

Sourced from QRes#8294

Director of company that may acquire Vodafone NZ resigns from Spark's board

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/112677253/spark-director-resigns-over-potential-vodafone-conflict

Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extradition

Sourced from QRes#8295

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden reopened an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday and will seek his extradition from Britain, potentially delaying efforts by the United States to bring him to its courts to face trial over a huge release of secret documents.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought because Assange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Assange was arrested in Britain last month after spending seven years hiding inside the embassy. The United States is also seeking his extradition on conspiracy charges relating to the public release by Wikileaks of a cache of secret documents, including assessments of foreign leaders, wars and security matters. The Swedish prosecutor said it would request Assange be detained in his absence on probable cause for an allegation of rape and that it would issue a European arrest warrant - the process under which his extradition would be sought.

The 47-year-old Australian - who denies the allegations - is currently in a London prison serving 50 weeks behind bars for jumping bail when he fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012. The decision to reopen the investigation poses the question of whether Assange will be moved to Sweden or to the United States. “I am well aware of the fact that an extradition process is ongoing in the UK and that he could be extradited to the US,” Persson said.

A British judge has given the U.S. government a deadline of June 12 to outline its case against Assange. The statute of limitation for rape in Sweden is 10 years - a deadline which would be reached in mid-August next year for the alleged incident involving Assange, leaving prosecutors pressed for time should they decide to file any formal charge.

“Everything depends on how this will be handled by the British authorities and courts,” said Mark Klamberg, a professor of international law at Stockholm University. “There is a possibility, or risk depending on how you see it, that this is going to take a long time,” he said, adding that a U.S. extradition of Assange would likely rule out him being tried in Sweden due to the statute of limitation. Assange’s supporters cast him as a dissident facing the wrath of a superpower over one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wikileaks-assange-sweden-prosecutor/sweden-reopens-assange-rape-investigation-to-seek-extradition-idUSKCN1SJ0UZ

This Common Food Additive Harms Gut Health, Could Trigger Disease

Sourced from QRes#8300

A food additive found in more than 900 food products such as chewing gum and mayonnaise has an impact on the gut microbiota which could trigger diseases.

University of Sydney research provides new evidence that nanoparticles, which are present in many food items, may have a substantial and harmful influence on human health.

The study investigated the health impacts of food additive E171 (titanium dioxide nanoparticles) which is commonly used in high quantities in foods and some medicines as a whitening agent. Found in more than 900 food products such as chewing gum and mayonnaise, E171 is consumed in high proportion everyday by the general population.

Published in Frontiers in Nutrition, the mice study found that consumption of food containing E171 has an impact on the gut microbiota (defined by the trillions of bacteria that inhabit the gut) which could trigger diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer.

Co-lead author Associate Professor Wojciech Chrzanowski said the study added substantially to a body of work on nanoparticle toxicity and safety and their impact on health and environment.

“The aim of this research is to stimulate discussions on new standards and regulations to ensure safe use of nanoparticles in Australia and globally,” he said.

While nanoparticles have been commonly used in medicines, foods, clothing, and other applications, the possible impacts of nanoparticles, especially their long term effects, are still poorly understood.

Titanium dioxide consumption has considerably increased in the last decade and has already been linked to several medical conditions, and although it is approved in food, there is insufficient evidence about its safety.

Increasing rates of dementia, auto-immune diseases, cancer metastasis, eczema, asthma, and autism are among a growing list of diseases that have been linked to soaring exposure to nanoparticles.

“It is well established that dietary composition has an impact on physiology and health, yet the role of food additives is poorly understood,” said Associate Professor Chrzanowski, a nanotoxicology expert from the University of Sydney’s School of Pharmacy and Sydney Nano Institute.

“There is increasing evidence that continuous exposure to nanoparticles has an impact on gut microbiota composition, and since gut microbiota is a gate keeper of our health, any changes to its function have an influence on overall health.”

“This study presents pivotal evidence that consumption of food containing food additive E171 (titanium dioxide) affects gut microbiota as well as inflammation in the gut, which could lead to diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer,” he said.

Co-lead author Associate Professor Laurence Macia from the University of Sydney said: “Our research showed that titanium dioxide interacts with bacteria in the gut and impairs some of their functions which may result in the development of diseases. We are saying that its consumption should be better regulated by food authorities.”

“This study investigated effects of titanium dioxide on gut health in mice and found that titanium dioxide did not change the composition of gut microbiota, but instead it affected bacteria activity and promoted their growth in a form of undesired biofilm. Biofilms are bacteria that stick together and the formation of biofilm has been reported in diseases such as colorectal cancer,” said Associate Professor Macia, who is an immunologist expert on the impacts of the gut and gut microbiota on health from the Faculty of Medicine and Health and the Charles Perkins Centre.

Article sourced from The University of Sydney.

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2019/05/this-common-food-additive-harms-gut-health-could-trigger-disease.html

Virgin passengers stuck in baggage lines for hours as technical trouble hits check-in system

Sourced from QRes#8305

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-13/virgin-australia-it-outage-check-in-system-delays/11108030

Jacinda Ardern won't rule out blocking Facebook if used to spread extremist content

14 May 2019

‘Websites like 8Chan and 4Chan that were used by the alleged gunman and that routinely spread extremism are on notice.’

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/05/jacinda-ardern-won-t-rule-out-blocking-facebook-if-used-to-spread-extremist-content.html

Papua New Guinea earthquake: Huge 7.7m tremor as tsunami alert issued - 14 May 2019

The islands of New Ireland and East New Britain were on tsunami alert after an earthquake struck close to the city of Kokopo in Papua New Guinea.

A huge 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck close to Papua New Guinea, prompting a tsunami warning is said to have sent people running into the street.

A tsnuami warning has been issued for parts of the southwestern Pacific after the tremor struck 29km north-east of Kokopo, the capital of East New Britain, at a depth of 10km around midnight, local time.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

The US National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has warned surrounding territories including nearby Solomon Island of the potential for tidal waves generated by the massive quake to hit their coastlines.

It said: "Hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1000 km of the earthquake epicenter, along the coasts of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/breaking-papua-new-guinea-earthquake-15795521

60 Minutes Australia - Population debate

Sourced from QRes#8322

Interdasting segment highlights DS push for immigration into already overpopulated cities.

@RealSaavedra 10:13 PM - 15 May 2019

BREAKING: Obama admin secretly agreed with then-Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull to relocate 2 Rwandan terrorists — who had been in US custody for murdering Americans in Uganda — to the streets of Australia and the US agreed to take 1,250 migrants in return

https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1128891128877477889

Sourced from QRes#8326

Labor legend PM Bob Hawke dies aged 89

Sourced QRes#8327

Bob Hawke, one of the nation's greatest public figures and a hero of the Australian Labor Party, has died on the eve of an election the former prime minister just one day ago predicted would be won by the party he led for nearly a decade.

The Labor legend died on Thursday surrounded by family in his Sydney home, drawing to a close one of the most substantial chapters in Australian political history. He was 89.

"Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian – many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era," his wife, Blanche d'Alpuget, said.

"Bob was dearly loved by his family, and so many friends and colleagues. We will miss him. (NOT)

The golden bowl is broken."

Mr Hawke's death has rocked the federal election campaign.

The former Labor leader, who was prime minister from 1983 to 1991, on Wednesday wrote an open letter to Australians backing Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to win Saturday's election against Prime Minister Scott Morrison

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-legend-bob-hawke-dies-aged-89-20190516-p51o89.html

Resignations in the Region

AFL Victoria has asked for, and received, the resignation of the six commissioners who oversee the game in Gippsland after they amassed debts of between $100,000 and $200,000.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-15/afl-victoria-receives-afl-gippsland-commission-resignation/11115544