Tuesday Zedlines, 31st August

 

(Tag::Zedlines) Tuesday Zedlines 24th August

 

UPDATE: Complaint lodged against Swedish Prosecutor after WikiLEAKS founder’s rape charge dropped (headline corrected, said “Wikipedia” – error)

Julian Assange, spokesman for the Wikileaks website, is no longer suspected of rape, according to the Swedish Prosecution Authority. The charge was dropped less than twenty-four hours after the authority first confirmed Assange would be arrested. The authority said the charge was laid by a duty prosecutor but dropped when the case was taken over by the chief prosecutor. Swedish legal watchdog RO, the Rule of Law Organisation, has reported the duty prosecutor to the Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsman, according to a Swedish TV network. Johann Binninge from the RO said that the prosecutor had not done her duty and investigated the case herself, but had simply taken a police officer’s word.

A charge of molestation of an adult remains pending. Mr Assange said on Twitter that the charges are without basis. Another post on the Wikileaks Twitter account linked to a document apparently showing the US Governmnet planned to destroy the organisation as early as 2008.

Wikileaks’ founder rape charge dropped after less than 24 hours

Julian Assange, spokesman for the Wikileaks website, is no longer suspected of rape, according to the Swedish Prosecution Authority. The charge was dropped less than twenty-four hours after the authority first confirmed Assange would be arrested. The authority said the charge was laid by a duty prosecutor but dropped when the case was taken over by the chief prosecutor.

A charge of molestation of an adult remains pending. Mr Assange said on Twitter that the charges are without basis. Another post on the Wikileaks Twitter account linked to a document apparently showing the US Government planned to destroy the organisation as early as 2008.

Refugee Action Collective meeting Tuesday August 24th, 6.30pm, South Brisbane

The Refugee Action Collective is holding a meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday August 24, to plan their response to the result of the Federal Election. The meeting is at the Trades and Labour Council building at 16 Peel St, South Brisbane, near the Queensland Museum on Grey St, and a short walk from the Cultural Centre bus station and South Brisbane train station. The meeting starts at 6.30pm. Click here for a Google Map.

Greens win first Queensland Senate Seat in Saturday’s election #AusVotes

The Australian Greens won their first ever Senate seat in Queensland at Saturday’s election. Greens candidate Larissa Waters will join eight other Greens in the Senate next July, when the Greens will have the balance of power. Any time the ALP and Liberals disagree on a Senate vote for three years after next July, the Greens will decide who wins.

Waters claimed victory at a Greens function in Brisbane City on Saturday night. She said climate change, Australia’s approach to refugees, public education and workers’ rights were important issues.

Waters also told 4ZZZ News earlier this year the Greens believe there should be fewer skilled migrants entering Australia.

The Greens candidate Adam Bandt also won the seat of Melbourne in the House of Representatives, the first time a Green has been elected to the Lower House while running against ALP and Liberal candidates.

100821 Larissa Waters Claims Victory by Larissa Waters  
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100821 Larissa Waters Claims Victory Grab.mp3 (364 KB)

100517 Larissa Waters – Greens Want Fewer Skilled Migrants  
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100517 Larissa Waters – Greens want fewer skilled migrants.mp3 (408 KB)

ALP, Libs to negotiate with Independents to win office after Saturday’s election #AusVotes

The result of Saturday’s Federal Election remains in doubt, as the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal-led Coalition try to win the support of up to five key Independents. Depending on who wins currently undecided seats, the ALP will need at least one to three of those Independents to remain in office, while the Coalition would need to win the support of at least four out of the five.

Three of those independents, Bob Katter, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor have all agreed to work together as they decide which major party to support. While they are all former members of the conservative National Party, all three of them have either implied or directly said that the ALP’s proposal for a National Broadband Network is better for their voters than the Liberal Party’s alternative. West Australian National MP Tony Crook, who is not a member of the Coalition, and possible Independent MP Andrew Wilkie have also supported the network (References: Katter – Oakeshott – Windsor (pdf file) – Wilkie – Crook)

Tuesday Zedlines 17th August

 

Sri Lankan Atrocities Commission opens today

Sri Lanka’s government-appointed commission into human rights abuses allegedly committed in the civil war there opened yesterday.

Fatal accident leads to busway review