Latest news with #AUSTRALIANS
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
A last-16 hot date at Wimbledon? Demon's not Djok-ing
Alex de Minaur has been put on a collision course to face Novak Djokovic in the last 16 at Wimbledon after the draw threw up the intriguing prospect of the pair enjoying the duel that got away last year. The duo were scheduled to meet in the quarter-finals in 2024, but de Minaur had to pull out with a hip injury he had suffered at the end of his last-16 match against Arthur Fils. This year they are due to meet in the fourth round, if de Minaur negotiates a fairly kind-looking route, up against Spanish clay-court battler Roberto Carballes Baena in his opener and possibly meeting fellow Aussie Adam Walton in the second round if the Queenslander can beat French qualifier Arthur Cazaux first-up. De Minaur looks the best hope among the 17-strong Australian singles battalion at Wimbledon, the biggest green-and-gold contingent at a single Championships for 30 years. Talia Gibson, the 21-year-old from Perth who saved a match point in her final qualifying round before progressing to her first Wimbledon, has been handed perhaps the biggest glamour draw against Naomi Osaka, the four-time grand slam champ from Japan who in May won her first tournament since her return from a maternity break. Priscilla Hon, another Aussie who saved match points on Thursday en route to her maiden Wimbledon appearance, also has a tough task, up against 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. Maya Joint, the US-born teenager who's enjoying another breakthrough week by reaching her first grass-coiurt semi-final at Eastbourne, has been handed a tough opener against Russian Liudmila Samsonova, the 19th seed who reached the semi-finals at the Berlin Open last week. In her first Wimbledon representing Australia, Daria Kasatkina, the 16th seed, should beat Colombian Emiliana Arango in the opening round, while Alex Bolt's daunting reward for getting through qualifying to make his fourth main-draw appearance will be a brutal examination from American 10th seed Ben Shelton. One intriguing tennis "Ashes'' clash will see 20th seed Alexei Popyrin tackling British wildcard Arthur Fery. Men's champion Carlos Alcaraz kicks off his title defence against the old Italian swashbuckler Fabio Fognini, and world No.1 Jannik Sinner plays on Tuesday against fellow Italian Luca Nardi. Women's champion Barbora Krejcikova, currently looking an injury doubt, opens her defence on Tuesday on Centre Court against Flilipino Alexandra Eala, and top seed Aryna Sabalenka starts against Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine. WHO THE AUSTRALIANS FACE IN WIMBLEDON FIRST ROUND (prefix number denotes seeding) (Q = qualifier) (WC = wildcard) MEN (11) Alex de Minaur v Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) (20) Alexei Popyrin v (WC) Arthur Fery (GBR) Jordan Thompson v Vit Kopriva (CZE) Aleksandar Vukic v Chun-Hsin Tseng (TPE) Rinky Hijikata v David Goffin (BEL) Chris O'Connell v (Q) Adrian Mannarino (FRA) Adam Walton v (Q) Arthur Cazaux (FRA) James Duckworth v (25) Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) James McCabe (Q) v Fabian Marozsan (HUN) Alex Bolt (Q) v (10) Ben Shelton (USA) WOMEN (16) Daria Kasatkina v Emiliana Arango (COL) Kim Birrell v (22) Donna Vekic (CRO) Maya Joint v (19) Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) Ajla Tomljanovic v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) Olivia Gadecki v Greet Minnen (BEL) Talia Gibson (Q) v Naomi Osaka (JPN) Priscilla Hon (Q) v (18) Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS)
The Journal
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Journal
'Not survivable': Guests died of organ failure after toxic mushroom lunch, Australian court hears
THREE AUSTRALIANS DIED of organ failure after eating a beef Wellington dish laced with toxic mushrooms, a medical specialist said during a triple-murder trial sparked by the deaths. Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with murdering the parents and aunt of her estranged husband in 2023 by serving them a hearty lunch laced with lethal death cap mushrooms. She is also accused of attempting to murder her husband's uncle, who survived the meal after a long stay in hospital. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges in a trial that has drawn intense interest from around the world. Intensive care specialist Stephen Warrillow told the high-profile trial how doctors had scrambled to save the lunch guests. But as the toxins coursed through their bodies, causing multiple organs to shut down, there was little they could do. 'It was very apparent that this was not survivable,' Warrillow said, talking about one of the victims he treated. Another victim got 'relentlessly worse' even after receiving a liver transplant, he said. 'We had no other treatments to offer, no other therapies. He was dying,' the doctor said. Advertisement Warrillow was asked if the organ failure was caused by mushroom poisoning. 'That's correct, yes,' he told the court. Patterson was estranged from her husband Simon, who turned down the invitation to the July 2023 lunch. But his parents, Don and Gail, died days after eating the beef-and-pastry dish. Simon's aunt Heather Wilkinson also died, while her husband Ian fell seriously ill but later recovered. 'Sick of this' The court earlier heard how Erin Patterson had sent messages to a Facebook group chat in December 2022, several months prior to the lunch, saying she wanted 'nothing to do' with her in-laws. Patterson and estranged husband Simon were at odds over finances and child support, the court heard, and she had sought help from his parents, who refused to intervene. 'I'm sick of this shit I want nothing to do with them,' Patterson wrote in one message. The prosecution alleges Patterson deliberately poisoned her lunch guests and took care that she did not consume the deadly mushrooms herself. Her defence says it was 'a terrible accident' and that Patterson ate the same meal as the others but did not fall as sick. The trial is expected to last another two weeks. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Australians go to the polls in election shaped by living costs, climate anxiety and Trump
MILLIONS OF AUSTRALIANS are today voting in a bitterly contested general election, following a campaign shaped by living costs, climate anxiety and US President Donald Trump's tariffs. From dusty desert towns to sun-splashed harbour cities, voters are choosing between left-leaning incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and conservative challenger Peter Dutton. The almost universal consensus across a slew of opinion polls leading up to election day was that Albanese's governing Labor Party would win a second term. 'The holy grail is back-to-back wins that we're aiming for today,' Albanese told Channel Seven. 'I'll leave nothing on the field over the next three years if I'm re-elected as Australia's prime minister.' Though trailing by a few percentage points in the polls, Dutton said 'quiet Australians' could yet deliver a surprise. Australian Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton talks to the media after voting in his electorate in Brisbane Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'I think they're going to go into the polling booth and say: 'You know what? I am not going to reward Anthony Albanese for the last three years',' he told Channel Nine. Asked if he would remain opposition leader if he loses, Dutton said he was only talking about winning, but added: 'I am 54. I am still very young, and I've just got a burning passion for this country.' Trump slump The first polls opened at 8:00 am (11pm Irish time last night) on Australia's east coast, followed later by the country's western cities and far-flung island territories. A total of 18.1 million voters have enrolled for the election. More than a third of them have cast an early ballot, the election authority said. Voting is compulsory, enforced with fines of Aus$20 (€13), leading to turnouts that top 90%. A result could come as soon as Saturday night, unless the vote is very tight. Albanese, 62, has promised to embrace renewable energy, tackle a worsening housing crisis, and pour money into a creaking healthcare system. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Liberal Party leader and former police officer Dutton wants to slash immigration, crack down on crime and ditch a longstanding ban on nuclear power. Advertisement Some polls showed Dutton leaking support because of Trump, who he praised this year as a 'big thinker' with 'gravitas' on the global stage. 'I mean, Donald Trump is as mad as a cut snake, and we all know that,' said voter Alan Whitman, 59, before casting his ballot on Saturday. 'And we've got to tiptoe around that.' High prices As Australians soured on Trump, both Dutton and Albanese took on a more pugnacious tone. 'If I needed to have a fight with Donald Trump or any other world leader, to advance our nation's interest, I'd do it in a heartbeat,' Dutton said in April. Albanese condemned Trump's tariffs as an act of 'economic self-harm' and 'not the act of a friend'. Economic concerns have dominated the contest for the many Australian households struggling to pay inflated prices for milk, bread, power and petrol. 'The cost of living — it's extremely high at the moment. So, taxes as well, is also another really big thing. Petrol prices, all the basic stuff,' human resources manager Robyn Knox told AFP in Brisbane. Small business owner Jared Bell had similar concerns. 'Our grocery shops are definitely way more expensive than they were a couple years ago,' he said. Campaign stumbles Coal-mining superpower Australia will choose between two leaders with sharply contrasting ideas on climate change and emissions reduction. Albanese's government has embraced the global push towards decarbonisation, warning of a future in which iron ore and polluting coal exports no longer prop up the economy. Dutton's signature policy is a US$200 billion scheme to construct seven industrial-scale nuclear reactors, doing away with the need to ramp up renewables. The 36-day campaign was a largely staid affair but there were a few moments of unscripted levity. Albanese tumbled backwards off the stage at a heaving campaign rally, while Dutton drew blood when he hit an unsuspecting cameraman in the head with a stray football. It remains to be seen whether Albanese or Dutton will command an outright majority, or whether they are forced to cobble together a coalition with the support of minor parties. Polls have suggested 10 or more unaligned crossbenchers could hold the balance of power – making a rare minority government a distinct possibility. - © AFP 2025
Perth Now
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Australia's choice: millions to decide future of nation
AUSTRALIANS HEAD TO THE POLLS TO ELECT THE NEXT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON MAY 3. HERE'S SOME OF THE DAY'S NUMBERS: * More than 7.38 million people have already voted before election day, accounting for about 40 per cent of the electoral roll * About 10 million are expected to cast their ballots on Saturday * There are 150 seats in the House of Representatives and 76 are required to form majority government * 1456 candidates are contesting the 2025 poll, with 1126 in the lower house and 330 in the Senate * The coalition needs to gain 19 seats from their current 57, which includes vacant seats after retirement, former MPs who defected who to the crossbench and seat redistributions, to rule in majority * Labor can lose two seats from the 78 they currently hold, including redistributions, and still remain a majority government * The lower house crossbench is made up of four Greens, one Centre Alliance, one Katter's Australian Party and nine independent members * Forty of the 76 Senate seats are up for election in 2025 for a six year term THE ELECTORAL OPERATION * More than 7000 polling places open on election day * 570 pre-polling stations used for voters who cannot cast their ballot on the day * Overseas polling stations opened during the pre-poll period with 111 voting centres across 83 nations, including Antarctica * About 250,000 pencils available for voters to mark their ballots * More than 55 million ballot papers printed * 100,000 election staff to ensure voting occurs seamlessly across Australia * 12 million official election guides mailed to voters * Democracy sausages will be on the menu at more than 1700 polling booths on election day, expected to raise about $4 million for community groups
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Explainer-What you need to know about Australia's upcoming election
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will hold a general election on May 3, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Friday. Opinion polls indicate it will be a neck-and-neck race between Albanese's ruling centre-left Labor party and the conservative Liberal-National coalition led by Peter Dutton, as cost of living pressures hit households. A large number of independent and minor parties are also seeking reelection and could become king-makers if Labor and the Liberal-Nationals fall short of majority government. Labor returned to power in 2022 after nine years of Liberal-National coalition rule. Here are some facts on how elections work in Australia: HOW DOES IT WORK? Australia is one of the few countries in the world with compulsory voting for all citizens aged 18 years and older. Australia does not have a set date for national elections, but the maximum term for the House of Representatives is three years. The election is called by the prime minister. The previous election was on May 21, 2022. There are two houses of parliament, with the government formed by the party or coalition holding a majority in the lower chamber, the House of Representatives. The prime minister is chosen by the governing party from the House. WHAT'S THE STATE OF PLAY NOW? Labor holds 77 House of Representatives seats, the Liberal-National coalition holds 53 seats, the Greens hold 4, and 15 are held by micro parties and independents. Boundaries have been redrawn in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia states since the last election. There will be 150 House of Representatives seats up for election, reduced from 151. If neither Labor nor the Liberal-National coalition has a majority of seats in the House of Representatives after polling day, a minority government can be formed with an agreement of support from independent members or minor parties. HOW DO AUSTRALIANS VOTE? Australia has a preferential voting system for the House of Representatives. Voters rank local candidates in order of preference on their ballot papers. A candidate who gets more than 50% of the first-preference votes wins the seat. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the one with the fewest votes is excluded and their votes are distributed to the person each of those voters nominated as their second preference. This continues until one candidate passes the 50% threshold. The upper house, the Senate, has 76 members - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of Australia's two less-populous territories. Half of the Senate seats will be contested at this election.
