The most recent Global State of Democracy report released by a European thinktank suggests democracy is “on the back foot” and the US is “backsliding”. The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) has released their annual Global State of Democracy Report. Democratic trends are recorded from 1975 onwards according to 29 criteria, with…
South Africa has recorded the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant that may be more transmissible than previous iterations. The UK has closed borders to the nation while Australian authorities are waiting for more information. Only months after the emergence of the threatening Delta variant, a new variant may be on the horizon. The strain,…
The 55-year-old man held in custody earlier this week in connection to the disappearance of Russell Hill and Carol Clay has now been charged with their murders. The man is set to appear at the Sale magistrate’s court. The disappearance of Victorian campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay may now be a step closer to…
Instagram’s chief executive Adam Mosseri will appear before the US Senate to testify before Congress next month. His testimony will come as part of a larger inquiry conducted by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation. This year has seen several influential people testify before Congress. The Senate Commerce Committee’s subcommittee for consumer protection…
Authorities are appealing to the public for information regarding a baby boy who has been missing since April 2021. 17-month-old Hoang Vinh Le’s parents allegedly gave him to a woman they met in a coffee shop earlier this year, but the baby has not been seen since. Hoang Vinh Le was last seen on April…
Unrest in the streets of the Solomon Islands’ capital of Honiara has left buildings burned down and residents in lockdown for the rest of the week. Over 1,000 protesters took to the streets of the capital to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Protesters allegedly burned down a number of buildings, including…
The long-discussed debate of a federal anti-corruption body has been blocked in the Senate, leaving little hope as the year’s parliamentary session draws to a close. The Commonwealth Integrity Commission was first conceived in 2018 by then-Attorney-General Christian Porter. After a year of high-profile inquiries into the conduct of several state officials, some Labor and…
Prime Minister Scott Morrison plans to introduce his Religious Discrimination Bill into Parliament this week despite mixed support from colleagues in a Coalition meeting yesterday. The Morrison Government pledged to develop the bill during the last federal election. The contentious Religious Discrimination Bill is set to be seen by the lower house this week, now…
A key figure within the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has confirmed he holds cryptocurrency in a recent address. Tony Richards, current Head of Payments Policy and former Head of Economic Analysis at the RBA, gave his address regarding “the future of payments”. Mr Richards gave the address at the Essential Treasurer 2021 event held…
Vickie Chapman, South Australia’s deputy premier and attorney-general, has stepped down from the role with a replacement waiting in the wings. Josh Teague, the former Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly, is set to be sworn into the role of attorney-general shortly. After finding herself embroiled in controversy over an alleged conflict of…