Latest news with #IndigenousAustralians
Miami Herald
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Indigenous Australians lose climate change case against government
July 15 (UPI) -- An Australian federal court ruled Tuesday that Indigenous residents of the Torres Strait Islands are not owed environmental protections from the nation's government. Justice Michael Wigney said in his dismissal that "changes wrought by the escalating impacts of global warming and climate change in the Torres Strait have had, and continue to have, a devastating impact on the traditional way of life of Torres Strait Islanders." However, he concluded that the case brought by island community elders Pabai Pabai and Paul Kabai "failed because the law in Australia as it currently stands provides no real or effective avenue through which the applicants were able to pursue their claims." Wigney further explained that current common Australian law is not written in a way that the plaintiffs could seek relief in regard to what they considered a failure of the federal government. The elders, Pabai Pabai and Paul Kabai, launched legal action in 2021 against the government for allegedly failing to protect the Torres Strait Islands from the impact of climate change. The plaintiffs charged that governmental negligence interfered with the completion of Ailan Kastom, customary practices unique to Torres Strait Islanders that relate to a spiritual connection to the islands and surrounding waters. "I thought that the decision would be in our favor, and I'm in shock," said Kabai Tuesday. "My heart is broken for my family and my community," said Pabai. There are around 4,000 residents of the Torres Strait Islands, with 90% who identify as Indigenous. Wigney concluded his ruling with a notation that any future, similar lawsuits will also fail "until the law in Australia changes." He then added that until it does, "the only recourse that those in the position of the applicants and other Torres Strait Islanders have is recourse via the ballot box." Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowenreleased a joint statement with the Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy Tuesday in regard to the case. The release noted ways the current government has attempted to deal with climate change, and that it "remains committed to both acting to continue to cut emissions and adapting to climate impacts we cannot avoid." As for Tuesday dismissal of the case brought by Pabai and Kabai, it concluded that "As the Commonwealth is carefully considering the detailed judgment, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific findings while this occurs." Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
The Age
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Age
‘Confected furore', ‘trust-breaker': Readers debate donation from Jillian Segal's husband
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. SPECIAL ENVOY Australia's antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, has every right to be appalled by the selective outrage over her husband's donation to the Advance lobby group. Her husband, John Roth, has no capacity in the Australian government. If instead, he had donated money to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the silence of his critics would be deafening. Apparently, Roth has no right to donate to the ″wrong″ cause. It is besides the point anyway. Does anyone seriously believe that Segal's vital work would be compromised by a donation by her husband? Anyone who believes that is effectively saying women have no capacity to form their own, independent opinions. If nothing else, this confected ″furore″ is an embarrassing insult to women everywhere. Jeremy Browne, Ripponlea Loss of trust in Segal's role Jillian Segal's husband gave $50,000 to help fund the Advance lobby group's vision of Australia that is narrow, brittle, and hostile to dissent. She says she had no involvement in the donation, but her role as Australia's special envoy on antisemitism is not just any role. Segal has been entrusted with leading a national conversation about hate, about how we live together, about where the lines of decency and bigotry are drawn. That task demands moral clarity—and public trust. Even if her husband wrote the cheque alone, the proximity matters. Judgment is shaped by what we accept, what we ignore, and what we quietly let pass. This is not a question of guilt. It is a question of trust. And that trust, I'm afraid, is already broken. Nadia Green, Sunshine North Segal must declare views on Advance Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke says in relation to Jillian Segal's husband making donations to the far right organisation Advance that 'claims that she should not be held responsible for her husband's actions are outdated' (″ Burke Slams Advance ″ 15/7). However, just claiming she didn't know is not good enough. We need to hear Jillian Segal herself condemn the racism of the Advance agenda. As a special envoy dealing with racism, such a condemnation is long overdue. To have any credibility in her role she must be unequivocal in condemning all forms of racism, not just antisemitism. Bruce Francis, Brunswick Muslim and Jewish communities need own envoy Your correspondent does not have her facts correct, (Letters ″Another envoy needed″ 15/7. Indigenous Australians have a federal minister representing them in cabinet. This minister has a huge budget and a department of 1200 public servants receiving and seeking and providing advice to the government on the needs for the Indigenous community. The Muslim and Jewish communities now have special separate envoys giving recommendations to the government on how to stop hate speech, incitement and terrorist acts against their respective communities. Ian Fayman, Malvern East Israel does not get special treatment All those who oppose antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal's recommendation to apply the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism claim the definition prevents or unduly restricts criticism of Israel. However, the definition itself specifically states that 'criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic'. Those complaining about the definition want to criticise Israel in a way they wouldn't criticise any other country. Perhaps they should explain why they want to apply such double standards to the Jewish state. Mark Kessel, Caulfield North THE FORUM Trump's war calendar Re Ukraine war: Donald Trump's ″I will have it solved within one day″ has proven to be a seismic miscalculation, notwithstanding his later comment that his promise was made in″jest″. Now, thankfully (after 175 days in office), he appears to be taking the thrust of his promise seriously. His commitment to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles for Ukraine's defence and his threats of secondary tariffs on Russia are certainly steps in the right direction. They say a week is a long time in politics. Trump is finding ″a day″ is a long time in warfare and peacemaking. Brian Marshall, Ashburton Men of steel Maureen Dowd (″ Why Donald Trump's good-looking cabinet can't stop making him look bad ″, 15/7) relates how White House staff posted a meme of Donald Trump as the 'Man of Steel″. Perhaps the staff got it unintentionally correct; we 85 year-old or more European immigrants, especially those of us from Eastern Europe, know who the Man of Steel was – the USSR dictator Stalin. Richard Crago, Burwood East
SBS Australia
a day ago
- Sport
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Filipino, Tuesday 15 July 2025
Philippines' Buglas Futbol Team wins first two matches at Kanga Cup 2025. Over 460 square meters of coral reef at Pag-asa Island damaged by Chinese ship, says Marine Biologists. Landmark climate change case decision for Indigenous Australians to be released soon. Fair Work Ombudsman files case over alleged underpayment of two Filipino workers in Sydney. Pakinggan ang ulat SBS Filipino 15/07/2025 07:02 Filipino 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby-Farrell calls up Scotland trio into Lions squad
Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2023 - Pool B - Ireland v Scotland - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - October 7, 2023 Scotland's Ewan Ashman looks dejected after the match REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq MELBOURNE (Reuters) -British & Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has called up Scotland's Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham into his squad as injury cover for the tour match against the First Nations & Pasifika XV. The three have been pulled from Scotland's squad in New Zealand ahead of their test against Samoa in Auckland. Winger Graham will arrive later on Monday, the Lions said, two days after he drew two yellow cards and left Scotland a man down for the last part of their 29-14 loss to Fiji in Suva. Glasgow Warriors loosehead prop Sutherland, who played in two tests of the previous Lions tour in South Africa, will join the camp in Melbourne on Sunday along with Edinburgh hooker Ewan Ashman. The First Nations-Pasifika clash is on July 22 at Melbourne's Docklands stadium. Former Australia utility back Kurtley Beale features in the Toutai Kefu-coached First Nations-Pasifika squad named on Monday along with test players Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Pete Samu. The 27-man squad has 20 players with Pacific islands heritage and five Indigenous Australians, including ACT Brumbies fullback Andy Muirhead and scrumhalf Harrison Goddard. On the Lions' side, Farrell has been busy calling in reinforcements ahead of the series-opener against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday. England hooker Jamie George was called into the squad following a head-knock for Luke Cowan-Dickie during the 48-0 drubbing of the invitational Australia-New Zealand XV in Adelaide on Saturday. Ireland tighthead prop Tom Clarkson was also called up over the weekend to provide more front row cover. (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Farrell calls up Scotland trio into Lions squad
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2023 - Pool B - Ireland v Scotland - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - October 7, 2023 Scotland's Ewan Ashman looks dejected after the match REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq MELBOURNE - British & Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has called up Scotland's Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham into his squad as injury cover for the tour match against the First Nations & Pasifika XV. The three have been pulled from Scotland's squad in New Zealand ahead of their test against Samoa in Auckland. Winger Graham will arrive later on Monday, the Lions said, two days after he drew two yellow cards and left Scotland a man down for the last part of their 29-14 loss to Fiji in Suva. Glasgow Warriors loosehead prop Sutherland, who played in two tests of the previous Lions tour in South Africa, will join the camp in Melbourne on Sunday along with Edinburgh hooker Ewan Ashman. The First Nations-Pasifika clash is on July 22 at Melbourne's Docklands stadium. Former Australia utility back Kurtley Beale features in the Toutai Kefu-coached First Nations-Pasifika squad named on Monday along with test players Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Pete Samu. The 27-man squad has 20 players with Pacific islands heritage and five Indigenous Australians, including ACT Brumbies fullback Andy Muirhead and scrumhalf Harrison Goddard. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore What's in a name? Local author traces the evolution of Singaporean Chinese names Business From wellness zone to neurodivergent room: How companies are creating inviting, inclusive offices Singapore Swift action needed to stop vaping's slide from health risk to drug epidemic Singapore Govt will continue to support families, including growing group of seniors: PM Wong at PCF Family Day Singapore Art by Pathlight students to be displayed along Singapore River Sport Jannik Sinner dethrones Carlos Alcaraz to capture maiden Wimbledon crown On the Lions' side, Farrell has been busy calling in reinforcements ahead of the series-opener against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday. England hooker Jamie George was called into the squad following a head-knock for Luke Cowan-Dickie during the 48-0 drubbing of the invitational Australia-New Zealand XV in Adelaide on Saturday. Ireland tighthead prop Tom Clarkson was also called up over the weekend to provide more front row cover. REUTERS
