Australia Oz in the News
Corby case having little effect on Bali bookings
Hmmm…now this is interesting. Accoring to this article, as much as Corby and Corby supporters would like to think that people are avoiding Bali and causing trouble my depriving it of tourist dollars, the airline industry says otherwise. In fact, “Wholesalers contacted by balidiscovery.com reported either no cancellations or, at most, a handful of cancelled holidays that could be directly linked with the Corby case and the boycott call.” Whoops. Then again, Balidiscovery.com would like to say that it’s not working…just as much as the Australian media would like to say that it is. …
Date: June 1st, 2005 | 1 comment
Boys' night out ends in nightmare
Adam Dalton is 25, almost two metres tall, and weighs 127 kilograms. The Westmeadows labourer and footballer is heavily tattooed, has huge shoulders, and looks so formidable that he concedes that some people might find him intimidating.
He has now been in the Spanish city of Barcelona for almost eight months. Originally, it was to be a mid-trip stopover with a group of mates from Melbourne. They were doing the grand European tour, backpacker style. He had been to London, Greece and Rome, and was about to leave Barcelona for Paris and Munich when things went dreadfully wrong. Only five weeks …
Date: May 24th, 2005 | 1 comment
Australian hostages abroad
October 1994: Backpacker David Wilson and two fellow travellers killed by Khmer Rouge rebels in Cambodia.
April 1995: Australian-Swiss citizen released after being held by anti-government forces in Sierra Leone.
November 1996: Sudanese militia release Sydney nurse Maree Worthington and two others after holding them for five weeks.
December 1997: Western Australian oil worker released after being held captive by disgruntled villagers in Nigeria. From Australian hostages abroad
This interesting article sums up the Australian hostages that have been held overseas within the past decade. It’s a quick timeline, no analysis, and no doubt written after the recent Australian kidnapping in Iraq. …
Date: May 14th, 2005 | No Comments
Rekindling the Anzac spirit
Australia’s youthful revellers are indicative of a larger trend here that is seeing this annual day of remembrance take on an increasing importance to a younger generation. And it is a trend that Canada would do well to emulate.
Consider the poll by the Dominion Institute earlier this month that found that the vast majority of young Canadians have little familiarity with even the barest details of our nation’s most significant single victory of the First World War, the capture of Vimy Ridge. Only 26% of those under the age of 35 knew about Vimy, and fewer than 7% of Quebecers. …
Date: May 9th, 2005 | No Comments
Aussies to name child sex tourists
FIJI police hopes changes to Australia’s privacy laws will help them identify convicted paedophiles visiting the country.
The privacy laws prevent the Australian Federal Police from passing information about all paedophiles they know of who were travelling overseas.
However, the Australian Federal Police have successfully pressed for an exemption. From Aussies to name child sex tourists
Date: May 5th, 2005 | No Comments
Airport offers shrink-wrapping to allay drug fears
As the Schapelle Corby spectacle plays itself out in court, the Australian goverment is attempting to downplay the whole someone-sets-you-up-and-you-go-to-jail-for-life senario by spending 3 million dollars (AU) to shrink wrap your luggage. In a no-doh move, the government also encourages people lock their bags, except for travel to the United States where it is not allowed, due to security concerns. Ease your paranoia: Airport offers shrink-wrapping to allay drug fears
Date: May 29th, 2005 | No Comments
Mobile viruses yet to travel Down Under
Despite the worldwide attention given to the threat of virus infection on mobile phones little has actually happened in Australia - even the antivirus vendors are currently labelling them as ‘proof of concept’.
Last week Finnish Internet security vendor F-Secure released an alert stating the Cabir virus had been discovered in 20 different countries around the world (Cabir is expected to be the largest of some 50 different mobile phone-based viruses). But the trove of viruses propagating through Bluetooth-enabled portable gear has largely missed Australia. From Mobile viruses yet to travel Down Under
Date: May 19th, 2005 | No Comments
Australian travel agent launches own protest against Corby trial
An Australian travel agent is refusing to sell holidays to the Indonesian island of Bali in protest against the treatment of alleged Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby.
The 27-year-old is accused of trying to smuggle more than four kilograms of marijuana into the Indonesian island of Bali last October, a crime punishable by firing squad. From Australian travel agent launches own protest against Corby trial
I think this is a good way to keep this case in the news for a little while longer. I’m not sure how much it will help her, but at the same time, Bali doesn’t …
Date: May 11th, 2005 | No Comments
Have locked bags, will travel
THE recent deluge of negative press involving Australians in Bali has not turned people off holidaying on the resort island, but most are taking extra precautions.
“Every aperture of our luggage has a padlock on it, which we wouldn’t have done before,” said Ken Postill of Sydney, who is spending six days in Bali with his wife Joanne and two young children.
A lot of friends had warned them off coming because of a common perception in Australia that Schapelle Corby had been unfairly treated by the Indonesian justice system, he said.
Prosecutors last week demanded a Bali court sentence Corby to life …
Date: May 6th, 2005 | No Comments
Cult fear on lost son
A SWEDISH backpacker missing in Victoria for a month may have joined a cult, say his worried family.
But there are also concerns that Max Vidar Castor, 20, may have taken his own life.
Mr Castor’s family has launched a desperate email-based search for their son, who has not been seen or heard of since last month, when he posted a strange parcel to his family in Stockholm. From Cult fear on lost son
Date: May 3rd, 2005 | No Comments