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source https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-23/how-will-south-australias-home-quarantine-trial-work/100398878

The terrible floods in Australia were called a “once in a 500-year event.” Get used to it, fellas. The 2022 IPCC report suggests that this is only the beginning. Life may seem stressful now, but remember: these are the good times, so try to enjoy them.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/widespread-overseas-travel-unlikely-for-australians-in-2021/news-story/3d84c7bd3dff15b132e53ebb7e014e7c Apparently they are getting the oxford 'vaccine' (you know, the one that's only 62% effective?).

Australian Soldiers Would Slit the Throats of Afghan Children, and Then Dump Their Bodies in Rivers; 39 Murders Confirmed, Many More Possibly Committed https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2020/nov/19/australian-soldiers-sas-war-crimes-afghanistan-australia-special-forces-inquiry-brereton-report-released-latest-live-updates

Australia's western coast is being battered by a huge storm, with strong winds buffeting the main city of Perth. Torrential rains and waves of up to eight metres (26ft) are forecast in some areas. The severe weather is the result of the remnants of tropical cyclone Mangga interacting with a cold front, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. A senior official in the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said it would be a "once-in-a-decade" storm. Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-52787152 REUTERS/ EDWIN VAN BRUGGEN

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/12/queensland-school-water-commercial-bottlers-tamborine-mountain The future of privatized water is here

. TIRED OF BEING MANIPULATED BY FAKE NEWS? VERY SIMPLE SOLUTION ... GET EDUCATED ABOUT WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON AROUND YOU! Royal Commission Case Study 54: What to expect - by an anonymous reporter who DOES homework ! With Case Study 54 only a few days away, THIS FRIDAY (AUSTRALIAN TIME) MARCH 10, 2017 (You do the math for local time...) a lot of discussion has been circulating as to exactly what we can expect when Watchtower appears once again before the Australian Royal Commission. I’ve decided to chip in a few observations here to help set expectations and to contribute to the discussions as best I’m able. So without further ado, let’s quickly run through what we know: What exactly will be discussed? According to the Commission website, the scope of the study is as follows 1. The current policies and procedures of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd in relation to child protection and child-safe standards, including responding to allegations of child sexual abuse. 2. Factors that may have contributed to the occurrence of child sexual abuse at Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd institutions. 3. Factors that may have affected the institutional response of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to child sexual abuse. 4. The responses of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to relevant case study report(s) and other Royal Commission reports. 5. Any related matters. The purpose of this public hearing is not to inquire into individual sets of facts or particular events as has occurred in previous Royal Commission case studies. Why does the Case Study 54 hearing appear to be only one day long? This may appear at first glance to be a surprise. How can a single day of testimony possibly be enough to cover the vast and complex issue of Watchtower’s child abuse scandal? Well, remember that Case Study 54 isn’t a fact finding mission. That was Case Study 29. The Commission spent days digging and interviewing, and ultimately issued a detailed report on every aspect of Watchtower’s failure. As far as the Commission is concerned, the facts are in. There is no further debate. Case Study 54 is tasked purely with a quick review of those facts and then with publicly asking Watchtower what is has done to address the damning failures identified in Case Study 29. Remember what Justice McClellan said to Watchtower’s legal team? That they were going to come back to Watchtower and publicly ask them what had been done to address the issues? That’s what this is. So what has Watchtower done in the 21 months since Case Study 29? As far as I am aware, the only potential effort from Watchtower to address any of the concerns raised in the Royal Commission has been to no longer require an abuse survivor to confront their attacker. However, it was not clear from testimony if this practice had actually been halted before the Commission sat. Watchtower seemed to insist in testimony that it was, but their documentation did not reflect this. Thus one cannot say with certainty that even this potential change has come as a result of the Commission report. So Watchtower is going to stand before the Commission, after 21 months, and basically say they’ve done nothing at all? I have no idea. I mean, that would be the honest thing to do, but remember how slippery and devious Watchtower was in Case Study 29, with senior Watchtower officials like Rodney Spinks, Terrence O’Brain and Governing Body Member Geoffrey Jackson attempted to mislead and outright lie to the Commission on multiple occasions. As far as I can see, Watchtower has three options Admit they’ve done nothing and that they don’t intend to for religious reasons, and turn the whole thing into an issue of religious freedom. Try to stall and muddy the waters by saying they’ve not had enough time, that they have no authority to make the changes required without Brooklyn agreement, knowing full well that Brooklyn is beyond the reach of the Commission. The idea here would be to stall until the day is over, then slink away and wait, knowing no further testimony is required. Dive full into another round of misleading doublespeak and outright lies to try and pull the wool over the Commission’s eyes. Which one will they pick? Again I have no idea. Judging from Watchtower’s jaw-dropping legal incompetence in Case Study 29 and in the recent Fessler case, it’s very hard to predict their strategy. It seems to have no rhyme or reason, but keep in mind three things. The men in charge of Watchtower are firstly very deluded. They genuinely think they are defending God’s organization against Satanic and apostate attack, and feel that compromise will be a victory for Satan. The men in charge of Watchtower are very out of touch with real life, spending all their days in a world where you don’t question Watchtower or those who run it, and now they’ve risen to the top. Their word is law. Odds are that no-one has told Anthony Morris III that his ideas are stupid for a very long time. They have no idea how to handle the kind of environment the Royal Commission brings to the table. Geoffrey Jackson’s excruciating performance, where the Commission made mincemeat of his arguments, was proof of that. The men in charge of Watchtower are caught between being honest with a Commission that has all of their dirty little secrets on the one hand, and playing to the growing audience of JW’s who they know WILL find out about March 10th one way or the other. They have to both be as compliant as possible to the Commission whilst also appearing to be steadfast and unmovable to the Witnesses who will end up seeing the testimony on YouTube. So delusion, seclusion, and public relations are all going to crash into once horrible mess as they did in Case Study 29 and as a result I have no idea what Watchtower will do on Friday. We hope to preserve the live steam video for future reference as the Commission does not archive or make this video available once the live stream is over. However, technical gremlins are always a factor so if you have the ability to record the live stream, it would be a great idea to do so as well. The more people do this, the less chance of this footage being lost forever. Lastly we will of course be following up with articles on the day, giving you a more detailed analysis of what has transpired. Get your popcorn (and your coffee if you’re staying up late) and lets all observe the car crash together! And one last thing: if it is safe for you to do so, please tell as many Jehovah’s Witnesses as you can about the events on March 10th. Their children are at risk and they don’t even know it. They may choose not to look up the Case Study, but simply being aware that it exists is the first step in raising awareness that the Governing Body is not being honest with them about the international scandal of child abuse inside the Watchtower organization. (edited for political correctness and other stuff ...) JTR

Sam Ballard was left in a state of paralysis after he swallowed a garden slug for a dare. He died, aged 28, from rat lungworm in Australia. https://news.sky.com/story/australian-man-sam-ballard-who-was-left-paralysed-after-eating-a-slug-dies-aged-28-11545373?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

(New news ....) A MONTANA Judge Orders Jehovah’s Witnesses to Turn Over Internal Documents Related to Childhood Sexual Abuse April 12, 2018 On April 5, 2018, Judge James Manley of Sanders County, Montana ordered the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious organization to produce documents and testimony related to internal reports and investigations into the childhood sexual abuse of NPR’s two clients. In this case, the two Plaintiffs were sexually abused as children by a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Elders in the local Jehovah’s Witness congregation in Thompson Falls, Montana were aware of the abuse and failed to report it to the police, choosing instead to handle the reports and investigations internally pursuant to Jehovah’s Witness guidelines. Their decision not to report the abuse to authorities allowed the perpetrator to remain in the congregation and continue to abuse one of the Plaintiffs. Throughout this case, and similar childhood sexual abuse cases across the country, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have refused to produce documents related to their internal handling of reports of sexual abuse and related investigations and disciplinary actions claiming that the information is protected by the clergy-penitent privilege and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Through briefing to the court, NPR convinced the Judge that Defendants’ privilege claims were unsupported and improper under the law. The Court agreed that Defendants could not blanket everything related to their investigations in secrecy and that they must turn it over to the Plaintiffs. Often, this is the very evidence that can win or lose a case like this against a religious institution. The case of Nunez, et al. v. Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, et al. is set to go to trial in September of 2018. The plaintiffs in this case are represented by NPR partner D. Neil Smith and associate Ross E. Leonoudakis. ---------------------------------------------------------- A Jury of 12 held in public view ... or a tribunal of three held in complete secrecy. Which would YOU choose, to get Justice?

AUSTRALIA ASSASSINATION OF A COMPLETE WITNESS FAMILY. A disgruntled Jehovah's Witness whose family was killed in the Margaret River massacre has spoken of his children going to a "new system" after his tragic death. The bodies of the four autistic children of Aaron Cockman, Taye, 13, Rylan, 12, Arye, 10 and Kadyn Cockman, eight, were found on Friday at the family farm in Osmington, in rural western Australia. The youngsters, as well as Katrina, a separated couple of Mr Cockman, 35, and his mother Cynda, 58, are believed to have been shot dead by the children's grandfather, Peter Miles, 61. "My whole family has remained strong, we were all seated last night and it was not tears or tears ... it all smiled, laughed and joked," said Mr. Cockman, according to The West. Aaron Cockman, a Jehovah's Witness whose family was killed in the Margaret River massacre, spoke of his children going to a "new system" after their tragic deaths. https://en.mogaznews.com/World-News/902523/Margaret-River-massacre-Jehovahs-Witness-father-speaks-about-his-children-.html

(CNN)How many cups of coffee does it take to get you going in the morning? If the answer is many, the invention of a turbo-powered superbrew that is so strong it comes with a health warning might put your habit into perspective. A cafe in Adelaide, Australia, is serving the "Asskicker," a concoction of four espresso shots, two different strengths of cold drip and milk that its inventor says contains 80 times the amount of caffeine of a standard shot. The drink, designed to be sipped slowly over three to four hours, promises to keep coffee lovers buzzing for up to 18 hours. While a normal espresso, as defined by the US Department of Agriculture, packs around 63 milligrams of caffeine, this drink has 5 grams, according to its creator. The US Food and Drug Administration and USDA note that 400 milligrams is the limit not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects. Viscous Coffee, Adelaide Turbo coffee Steve Benington, owner of Viscous Coffee, developed the drink for a local emergency room nurse who needed something to keep her going during unexpected night shifts. "We had to tone it down a bit because it kept her up for a total of three days," said Benington, adding that the nurse sipped it over two days. The barista, who opened his cafe a year and a half ago after a career in the Australian Navy, said the turbo coffee has become very popular in recent weeks. However, he actively discourages customers interested only in a gimmick, and advertises it with a warning for those with high blood pressure or heart conditions. "I have a quite detailed talk with people before they actually purchase one. If I can talk someone out of it, they're not ready for the drink," said Benington. Warning signs of coffee overdose include shakes and sweats, dilated pupils, stammering over your words, vertigo and nausea. "If you keep going, those symptoms will get worse," said the coffee-loving business owner. "If you stay within the guidelines, you're fine." The Asskicker experience will set you back around $12 ($16 AUD) for a 16 ounce cup. http://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/06/health/asskicker-coffee-80-times-strong-trnd/index.html

Our congregation of 40 publishers in Victoria, Australia, listening to our young ones appreciation for Sophia & Caleb during the ‘Forgive FreelyÂ’ part. thank you

Newcastle Herald senior journalist, Joanne McCarthy. Catholic, Anglican, Uniting and some others with WT-JW in the same pot. This prove how JW are not so different as religion/organization who claim to be only true and only one religion with highest moral standards above all others. Catholic church and JW looking at child molestation as a sin, moral failure. According to recommendation they need to change that view on issue. GB changed many past "truths" and replaced "firmly bible based teachings" with "new teachings" giving same explanation - this new teachings is also "firmly established on Bible" :))). Will they change "two witness rule" in cases of child molestation? Until now they said "firmly" NO.  But future can/might give "new clarification" on this matter :)) And all members will see that new instructions as "proper food in proper time". hehe  "Jehovah's Witnesses accused of failing to adopt abuse inquiry recommendations" Posted Fri 10 Mar 2017,  http://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/jehovahs-witnesses-accused-of-failing-to-adopt/8343354  Â

Australia’s parliament has legislated for marriage equality, passing a bill almost unanimously to allow two people, regardless of sex, to marry. On Thursday the House of Representatives passed a cross-party bill after an unprecedented national postal survey gave unstoppable momentum to legislate the historic social reform. Australia, which changed the law in 2004 to say that marriage is only between a man and a woman, now becomes the 25th country to recognise same-sex marriage. Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/07/marriage-equality-law-passes-australias-parliament-in-landslide-vote

A former member of the Jehovah Witness congregation will appear in court next week after he was charged with sexually assaulting four boys. The charges stem from ongoing investigations linked to the Royal Commission into institutional child sexual offences. Police allege between 1993 to 2013, the 44-year-old man sexually assaulted four boys aged between 14 and 16 at the time of the offences. READ MORE: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/former-wa-jehovah-witness-charged-with-alleged-historic-child-abuse-offences-20170512-gw37yd.html

A Central Coast man who raped and tortured a succession of women over more than two decades has been sentenced to at least 27 years in jail. The 53-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of 55 charges relating to the physical, sexual and psychological abuse of women he lived with between 1988 and 2014. The man, who was a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses, was accused of raping the women with household objects and detaining them. The sadistic nature of the offences included bashing and raping the women for not folding washing correctly, making them eat off the floor, locking them in wardrobes and hog-tying them and placing them face down in a bathtub full of water. A number of the women have suffered permanent physical injuries stemming from the abuse. One of the women known as JF was locked in a cupboard after calling her sister who contacted police. When police visited the home, the offender said she had gone out. In her victim impact statement JF said "It's hard to understand the fear unless you have lived with it," and that she "frequently believed she wouldn't be alive the following day". In handing down the sentence in the Downing Centre District Court, Justice Sarah Huggett said the man used "gratuitous cruelty ... designed to emphasise a victim's powerlessness and helplessness". "When one victim found the strength to escape, he found a replacement," she said. "I have no doubt there was foresight, premeditation and planning." Justice Huggett said the degree of violence was a relevant consideration in the sentence and that the offender was "frightening, controlling and undermining each victim's sense of security". The court heard that while in custody, the man had been verbally aggressive towards visitors and nursing staff. The man will be eligible for release in 2041. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-13/man-who-tortured-women-jailed-27-years/9046326

Un hombre de la Costa Central que violó y torturó a una sucesión de mujeres durante más de dos décadas fue condenado a por lo menos 27 años de cárcel. El hombre de 53 años, que no puede ser identificado por razones legales, fue declarado culpable de 55 cargos relacionados con el abuso físico, sexual y psicológico de mujeres con las que vivió entre 1988 y 2014. El hombre, que era miembro de los Testigos de Jehová, fue acusado de violar a las mujeres con objetos domésticos y detenerlas. La naturaleza sádica de las ofensas incluía atacar y violar a las mujeres por no doblar correctamente el lavado, hacer que comieran del piso, encerrarlas en armarios y atarlas y colocarlas boca abajo en una bañera llena de agua. Algunas de las mujeres han sufrido lesiones físicas permanentes derivadas del abuso. Una de las mujeres conocidas como JF fue encerrada en un armario después de llamar a su hermana que contactó a la policía. Cuando la policía visitó la casa, el delincuente dijo que había salido. En la declaración de impacto de su víctima, JF dijo que "es difícil comprender el miedo a menos que haya vivido con él", y que "con frecuencia creía que no estaría viva al día siguiente". Al entregar la sentencia en el Tribunal del Distrito de Downing Center, la jueza Sarah Huggett dijo que el hombre usó "crueldad gratuita ... diseñada para enfatizar la impotencia y la impotencia de la víctima". "Cuando una víctima encontró la fuerza para escapar, encontró un reemplazo", dijo. "No tengo dudas de que había previsión, premeditación y planificación". El juez Huggett dijo que el grado de violencia era una consideración relevante en la sentencia y que el delincuente "asustaba, controlaba y socavaba la sensación de seguridad de cada víctima". El tribunal escuchó mientras estaba bajo custodia, el hombre había sido verbalmente agresivo hacia los visitantes y el personal de enfermería. El hombre será elegible para libertad en 2041. Â

Los Testigos de Jehová: epidemia de casos Monica Doumit señala el caso de los Testigos de Jehová: sin clero, sin colegios ni orfanatos ni órdenes religiosas, y con 1.006 casos admitidos de miembros denunciados por abusos sexuales (la tabla RMIT Cahill-Wilkinson hablaba solo de 137 casos). Teniendo en cuenta que los Testigos en Australia son apenas un 0,4% de la población (muy lejos del 25% de australianos que son católicos) asombran esas cifras. De nuevo, la comisión les dedicó apenas una mañana, no tres semanas como a los católicos. Cahill y Wilkinson atribuyen la mala gestión de los abusos en ambientes de Testigos de Jehová a su lectura literal de Deuteronomio 19,15, que pide dos testigos del acto de abuso, por la que los responsables de las comunidades dejaban impunes a los abusadores y sin tratar las denuncias. http://www.religionenlibertad.com/celibato-confesion-favorecen-abuso-sexual-hay-59386.htm

Australian transmission operator Transgrid has announced that it will install a 250 kilowatt, 500 kilowatt hour Powerpack installation in New South Wales to better manageme fluctuating energy demand and prevent blackouts. Transgrid operates the high voltage electricity transmission backbone for NSW and the ACT which connects the generators, distributors and large scale consumers of power. It is looking to energy storage as a means to smooth power spikes caused by renewables like solar which at the grid level, creates a spike in generation at midday that does not always correspond to usage. Unlike fossil fuel fired generation which can be throttled up or down as needed, solar systems generate electricity when the sun is shining and when it is gone, it’s gone. Tesla won a contract with Transgrid to provide its Powerpacks to several sites last year of which this is the first. Transgrid is using the installation to explore the potential of grid scale batteries on its network before adding more. In March, Tesla CEO Elon Musk threw down the gauntlet with an Australian billionaire on Twitter, guaranteeing that Tesla could restore stability to Australia’s regional grids with several hundred megawatts of Powerpacks in just 100 days or Tesla would install the system for free. This pilot installation could be the crack in the floodgates, as Australia’s unstable grid and high electricity prices prove to be fertile ground for grid scale batteries. Source: AFR (paywall)

An Iranian illegal immigrant who faked a homosexual relationship and claimed he had torn up the Koran and become a Jehovah’s Witness has had his application for asylum rejected in Federal Court. The man, known in court documents as “CVS16”, came to Australia by boat in May 2013. He was granted a bridging visa in March 2014, but the visa was revoked four months later when he was charged, and later convicted, with one count of reckless wounding. In September 2015, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton invited the man to apply for a protection visa, and in February last year, following an earlier incomplete application and interview with a departmental dele­gate, he applied. In a statement attached to his application, he claimed to “fear persecution on the basis of his membership of the particular social group comprising homosexuals, and his conversion in 2013 to Christianity and adherance to the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith”. The man’s application was rejected by the department in July. Mr Dutton then referred the case to the Immigration Assessment Authority to be reviewed, as mandated under the Migration Act. The authority comprehensively upheld the department’s decision, finding that although the man had attended some Jehovah’s Witnesses services and participated in some Bible study groups, they did not accept he had converted to Christianity or had a “genuine interest” in the religion. They also “did not accept to be credible” the man’s claim to be homosexual, nor his claim he “had set up a homosexual relationship and tore up the Koran”. The authority ultimately rejected the applicant’s claims “to fear serious harm for being a failed asylum-seeker or for having departed Iran unlawfully”, and rejected his visa application. The man made a final appeal to the Federal Court, arguing the Immigration Assessment Authority had not adequately considered extra documentation sup­plied. Judge Rolf Driver rejected the appeal on Friday, saying the man had “failed to establish” the authority’s decision had been affected by jurisdictional error. The man is in Western Australia’s Yongah Hill centre. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/wouldbe-refugees-gay-claims-not-credible/news-story/ee7fe3d67e7d8d7578f5119142571e6e

Replies below will be split off to form separate topics as needed. Enjoy!

Jehovah's Witnesses to face abuse inquiry

Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Watchtower leadership in Australia testify