australia news

  • Catholic Church In Australia: 'Obligatory Celibacy May Have Contributed To Abuse'

    VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Roman Catholic Church in Australia acknowledged that “obligatory celibacy” may have contributed to decades of clerical sexual abuse of children in what may be the first such admission by church officials around the world. A church advisory group called the Truth, Justice and Healing Council made the startling admission Friday (Dec. 12) in a report to the government’s Royal Commission, which is examining thousands of cases of abuse in Australia. The 44-page report by the council attacked church culture and the impact of what it called “obedience and closed environments” in some religious orders and institutions.

  • These Photos Show A Side Of Australia Rarely Seen

    "The Other Hundred" is a unique photo book project aimed as a counterpoint to the Forbes 100 and other media rich lists by telling the stories of people around the world who are not rich but whose lives, struggles and achievements deserve to be celebrated. Its 100 photo stories move beyond the stereotypes and clichés that fill so much of the world's media to explore the lives of people whose aspirations and achievements are at least as noteworthy as any member of the world's richest 1 percent.

  • Freedom Of Speech Just Took A Blow In Australia

    Freedom of speech appears to have taken a hit in Australia, as the Victoria state parliament passed a law on Tuesday night that opponents warn could stifle Australians' freedom to protest. The Summary Offences Act expands police powers, allowing them to give "move-on" orders to any person obstructing public access to buildings, or who is expected to damage property or turn violent. Protesters immediately fought back against the sweeping reforms by disrupting the Tuesday night session in Victoria's parliament, The Herald Sun reports. Four protesters were arrested after police were called in to remove the group from the chamber's public gallery, according to ABC News Australia.

  • 12 Neglected Children Rescued From Australian Settlement

    A dozen filthy, neglected children, some with deformities or disabilities due to generations of inbreeding, have been found on a rural Australian settlement in an incest case that has shocked the nation. Over four generations uncles and aunts and brothers and sisters had sex with each other, raising younger generations that also went on to create further inbred offspring together. All the evidence pointed "inescapably to inter-generational incestuous relationships and intra-familial sexual abuse," a Children's Court judgment in the case, published for the first time this week, revealed.

  • Will Imprisoned Gang Members Soon Wear 'Embarrassing' Pink Overalls?

    Members of criminal gangs could be forced to wear "embarrassing" bright pink overalls in prison under a plan being considered Monday by an Australian state as it cracks down on bikers. Queensland Police Minister Jack Dempsey said he was thinking about replacing the olive green clothing for something which makes the prisoners stand out more, and fluorescent pink is in his sights. State Premier Campbell Newman said hot pink prison uniforms, which are used in parts of the United States, were a great idea for incarcerated members of biker gangs.