Wikileaks: Japan and U.S. discuss Antarctic whaling and Australia's opposition

Main body of the text of a November 2009 U.S. diplomatic cable indicating that the American Government intended to pressure the Australian Government concerning its continuing opposition to ‘scientific’ commercial whale hunting in the Antarctic, Japan admits that the Netherlands' registration of Sea Shepherd vessels means that country is primarily responsible for addressing complaints and the U.S. is seeking to revoke the not-for-profit/charity status of the Sea Shepherd organization:

¶2. (C/NF) Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and U.S. representative to the International Whaling Commission Monica Medina met with senior Fisheries Agency of Japan officials to discuss the Future of the IWC process November 4 in Tokyo. In a morning meeting with Ms. Medina, Fisheries Agency of Japan Director General Machida said that while he expects difficult negotiations ahead, he wants the Future of the IWC process to succeed. According to Machida, political level consultations on whaling are necessary following the recent change in administration in Japan. However, he cautioned the new Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) administration shares the same fundamental position on whaling as the outgoing Liberal Democratic Party, including support for the resumption of commercial whaling and continued research whaling. He added that the two sides should not rush through the negotiations, which could end up making it more difficult to reach consensus at next June's IWC annual meeting.

¶3. (C/NF) Ms. Medina said the USG understands there is no fundamental change in the GOJ position on whaling, but that the USG is looking for creative solutions to move the IWC forward as opposed to fundamental change. She added that the U.S. is committed to finding a solution over the next two to three months. She said she would advocate for including language on whaling in a summit statement following the meeting between the President and Prime Minister November 13. The statement would express the desire of both countries to work out remaining differences on whaling. Once negotiators have narrowed the issues, both sides could seek a political solution, she added.

¶4. (C/NF) Machida described the progress at the Support Group meeting in Santiago as a major step forward. However, he said there remain two major issues that need to be addressed. First, there is still no consensus on the proposals raised in Santiago even among the Support Group members, let alone the entire IWC. Second, the upper limit on catch quotas, especially a reduction in the limit for Japan's research whaling in the Southern Ocean, have yet to be negotiated. Regarding Japan's catch numbers, Machida said Australia's proposal to phase out research whaling is a non-starter for the GOJ. He added that the baseline for any reduction in Japan's research whaling should be the catch quota figures and not the actual number of whales caught.

TOKYO 00002588 002 OF 002

¶5. (C/NF) Ms. Medina replied that the catch quotas is the most important outstanding issue. She said the Santiago proposal calls for an overall reduction in catch numbers from all whaling nations over a ten year period, which would help in securing approval from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. She said given the history of Japan's research whaling, and the increase in quota numbers in recent years, there is room for Japan to cut from the actual number of whales taken. A symbolic action by Japan, such as agreeing not to take fin whales this year, would be a good indicator to the rest of the IWC of Japan's commitment to reaching a solution. The USG would then work hard to make sure the EU and Australia do not block a compromise.

¶6. (C/NF) Machida said there are two factors outside the current Future of the IWC negotiations that influence Japan's negotiating position. First, a negative outcome in the vote at next year's IWC intersessional meeting on Greenland's proposal to catch ten humpback whales could derail the work of the Support Group. Greenland's proposal has the backing of the IWC's Scientific Committee and another rejection at the IWC plenary meeting could make the overall compromise being discussed impossible. Second, the violent protests by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) could limit the GOJ's flexibility in the negotiations. He said the Netherlands should have primary responsibly for taking action against the SSCS, but he appreciates the USG initiative to address the group's tax exempt status. He said action on the SSCS would be a major element for Japan in the success of the overall negotiations. Ms. Medina replied that she hopes to work out differences with the EU on Greenland's proposal on humpback whales prior to the March 2010 IWC intersessional meeting and include the issue in the overall agreement. Regarding the SSCS, she said she believes the USG can demonstrate the group does not deserve tax exempt status based on their aggressive and harmful actions.

¶7. (U) Ms. Medina cleared this cable subsequent to departing

Tokyo.

ROOS

WHALING DEAL IS NO DEAL - February 2010 U.S. diplomatic cable outlining Australian Environment Minister Peter Garret's response.

Never a truer word - GetUp! continues to disappoint

Save Wooli would be the first official GetUp! campaign I have heard of which doesn’t appear to have been canvassed with members first. Or as this activist organisation now coyly plays it – joins campaign to save Wooli.

This is the opening and very inaccurate salvo in its online campaign:

“I hope that people look after Wooli so that it will be here forever.” That’s six year old Evie talking about her favourite place – the small coastal community of Wooli.

But this typical beachside town might not be here forever. Increasing coastal erosion due to climate change is on a course to wipe out half the houses as higher and higher tides climb the sandbanks. Rather than readying a response to increasing coastal erosion due to climate change, the recommendation before the Clarence Valley Council is to head for the hills and abandon the village to the rising tides.

Does someone senior in this activist organisation have a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in land or business in the Wooli area on the NSW North Coast? Or has the organisation fallen into the error that it must always have a ‘new’ campaign on offer to remain relevant with the fickle enthusiasms of mainstream media?

The Daily Examiner 27 December 2010:

LABELLING a “Save Wooli” campaign and online petition by GetUp! as “misguided”, Greens Clarence candidate Janet Cavanaugh has come out in support of Clarence Valley Council’s planned retreat proposal for Wooli.

The environmental scientist said the proposal had also been endorsed by the council’s climate change advisory committee and local environment groups.

“I am usually supportive of the progressive stance taken by GetUp! but I’m concerned by the level of misinformation being used to support this campaign,” she said.

“The proposal put forward by council is to relocate the southern residents to another area within Wooli. There is no plan to ‘abandon’ the village as claimed in the campaign.”

ABC News 28 December 2010:

The Greens candidate for the seat of Clarence says she is surprised and disappointed by a campaign to help Wooli residents deal with erosion.

The national advocacy body Get Up has launched campaign to try and block the Clarence Valley Council's proposed strategy of a 'planned retreat'.

Local candidate, Janet Cavanaugh, says the council's policy to relocate residents to other areas of the village is the only 'realistic' approach.

"I would have expected from Get Up that they would have actually consulted with their local members before taking on what is a very complicated issue," she said.

"I disagree with the fact that they are criticising the planned retreat as a legitimate form of climate change adaptation.

"They're calling for alternatives, though the campaign is extremely vague on what those alternatives should be."

Ms Cavanaugh says Get Up's stance is misguided and will further confuse residents affected by erosion.

"I was surprised and a little bit disappointed with the fact that Get Up supported this campaign," she said.

"I think it was an ill-conceived campaign for them to run.

"But it does highlight that there will be local consequences to climate change and that there are hard decisions that will need to be made.

"This is an emotional issue because it's talking about people's houses."

Comment to GetUp! from Antony McCardell:

As an environmental scientist I can say that, sadly, the campaign to save Woolli is misplaced. What can rate-payer funded local councils like Clarence Valley Council do? The most common method used to protect beach communities is to build protective sea walls and groins. This can cause as much harm to up-current beaches and their ecosystems as they produce "security" for the settlements "protected". This is because sea walls dramatically increase beach erosion up-current. This is supported by extensive studies here and worldwide. No, beach erosion and sea level rise are pretty much inevitable unless the world tackles climate change head-on. More power to GetUp if it can achieve THAT... but...

Timthorncraft on the same subject:

Wooli is built on a sand spit. On energetic unprotected coasts like NE NSW, sand spits are temporary features at the best of times and in the face of sea level rise we have two options.
We can go with the geomorphological flow and gradually retreat from low lying vulnerable sand areas like the south end of Wooli Spit or,
We can have the real estate industry pick which bits we want hang on to, fortify them with vast amounts of concrete and rock, costing vast amounts of public money, releasing vast amounts of CO2, and turn places like quaint dear old Wooli into something resembling an industrial wharf complex, and then in 20 or 50 or 100 years we can watch the rising sea eat it all anyway!
I'm a long standing supporter of Getup campaigns but I think that Getup is backing a real loser this time.

Letter from a Coffs Harbour shire councillor:

Dear Getup!

I have been a proud supporter of Getup! over recent years and have, to date, agreed with and supported most of your campaigns. I too love Wooli greatly and will be greatly saddened to see the coastline of the Clarence Valley change drastically as a result of sea level rise.

In the instance of your "Save Wooli" campaign I completely disagree. This is because:
1. Sea levels are rising - most estimates now commonly exceeding 1m of sea-level rise by 2100, with many recent indications that it could be 2m by 2100. There is no indication whatsoever that sea levels will stop rising at 2100, to the contrary they are likely to continue rising due to our (the human species) ever-increasing emissions of greenhouse gases.
2. There are only two solutions to adapt to the impacts of sea-level rise on residential, commercial and industrial premises:
i. Move to higher ground
ii. Engineer costly solutions such as sea walls, levees and put in place fill to physically protect premises.
3. The cost of engineering solutions to protect all vulnerable coastal properties is most likely well beyond available public funds.
4. It is not an equitable use of public funds to pay for the protection of a very limited number of properties in a highly vulnerable coastal locality. If Clarence Valley Council and the State and Federal Governments are called upon to fund the protection of a very limited number of properties at Wooli this will draw much-needed funds away from Hospitals, Schools, Aged Care Facilities, Libraries and Environmental Protection and Restoration projects.

These are the hard realities and consequences of the fact that Australians are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases globally. We are the greatest per-capita contributors to the very problems that you highlight in your "Save Wooli" campaign. As a nation we need to make some very tough decisions in the public interest. Protecting a limited number of coastal properties to the detriment of many needy social and environmental services is not, in my opinion, a fair and equitable campaign.

I have always associated Getup! with fairness, equity, reason and rationality and a fair-go for our people and environment. In this instance I feel very strongly that you have got it wrong.


Yours Sincerely
Councillor Mark Graham
Coffs Harbour City Council.

Petering Time on the Save Wooli campaign here.

U.S. happily admits it imprisons more of its own population than any other country in the world

When delving into the Wikileaks Cablegate file sometimes the mind boggles – both at cable content and the little asides.

So we find that one diplomat opines that on average men are likely to live longer in Russia if they are in prison and, that America locks up more people as a percentage of its own population than any other nation on earth and half of those re-offend.

Full cable transcript can be found here

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000531O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2018
TAGS: PHUM PGOV TBIO RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN PRISONS
REF: A. 07 MOSCOW 4543 ¶B. MOSCOW 325 ¶C. MOSCOW 378
Classified By: Ambassador William J. Burns for reason 1.4(d).
¶1. (C) Summary: The Russian prison system combines the country's emblematic features - vast distances, harsh climate, and an uncaring bureaucracy - and fuses them into a massive instrument of punishment. Russia imprisons a greater portion of its population than almost any other country in the world (second only to the U.S.). In contrast to other Western countries, the system is foremost focused on punishment, not rehabilitation, and while statisics are difficult to compare, produces a lower rate of recidivism. Recent prison riots, new prisoner shock tactics, and smuggled videos of prison mistreatment have highlighted the cruelties and corruption in the system. Health conditions in Russian prisons are poor and infection rates for contagious diseases are much higher than in the general population, but surprisingly the mortality rate for men in these prisons is only one-third the rate on the outside - a statistic that says much more about the dangers of alcoholism and road safety than it does about healthy living behind bars. Reports of abuses in the prison system have been answered with calls for reform, most recently in the Human Rights Ombudsman's annual report and by the President's Human Rights Council. While NGO activists such as the embattled Lev Ponomarev praise the work of Lukin, the insurmountable challenges posed by the physical and cultural nature of the prison system mean that efforts to improve conditions or to alter the character of the system from punishment to rehabilitation are likely to produce only superficial improvements. End summary......
¶6. (U) According to FSIN statistics, as of July, there were approximately 889,600 people in the custody of the criminal justice system, including 63,000 women and 12,100 juveniles. This rate of 630 prisoners per 100,000 citizens is second in the world only to the United States (702 per 100,000)......
¶11. (U) According to Sergeyeva, the recidivism rate in Russiais only 36 percent (compared to more than 50 percent in the United States or the United Kingdom).

Another brickbat for Telstra Customer Service

Telstra continues to elicit negative perceptions……………….

An ongoing Telstra torment

I CAN'T begin to explain the torment I've experienced this past 12 months at the hands of Telstra.

I must say though my feeling of futility and stupidity was somewhat allayed when reading our glorious Bonnie's letter to you on December 20.

Bonnie is a business woman I admire and it brought me great relief to know that someone of her capability and knowledge of the world of communications could also struggle in her dealings with this once great telco.

I could detail in excess of 20 examples of monumental Telstra stuff ups involving my personal and company phones and internet connections over this year, however, the one that brought the most chuckles and pain was their recent disconnection of my business phones.

Without detailing the events leading up to this - which were quite bizarre and confusing to say the least -a day arrived, a Thursday, about four weeks ago when all my telephones - the business line, the EFTPOS line and all three company mobiles were dead.

When I tried to dial it told me I could only dial the billing number on my bill -which I did but it still didn't let me ring out.

So in frustration and fear I tried the Telstra business number - miraculously I got through. I explained I had called the billing number on my account as instructed -but had not been able to get through.

The only remark then was they were aware the wrong number is printed on those bills -no apology, no explanation.

The woman I spoke to told me that I hadn't paid my account which I explained I had in dribs and drabs over BPAY -and that Telstra had only just reconciled all the errors of the past 12 months.

The woman explained that I needed to pay another $473 if I wanted the phones reconnected.

I told her I simply didn't have that money on the day and asked her how she expected me to pay this amount given my customers couldn't call to order nor could they pay with EFTPOS and nor could they buy any pre-paid telephone or internet. She didn't care.

She said to call back when I paid and they would arrange to have my phones reconnected.

The irony was as she went to end the conversation she asked me which number was the best one to contact me on?

I said: "Are you serious? You've disconnected every single line I have."

I managed to get an email through to my son, who is currently serving in Afghanistan, he paid the account via BPAY and emailed me the payment details.

I actually have my own designated Telstra person - with an email address and direct number - as a result of the Telstra trauma

I've experienced this year. I couldn't call that person because the phones were disconnected - and as it turned out he was on an RDO anyway.

I emailed the payment information immediately to this chap, who returned to work on the Friday and he gave instructions that my phones be reconnected immediately.

Well immediately in Telstra terms was the following Tuesday morning.

My store is open 6am-6Pm every day of the week and my business number is used to book appointments for the acupuncturist and remedial masseuse who work from the clinic I've established at the rear of my store.

So almost six days with no phones, no EFTPOS and no sales of pre-paid internet or phone.

Over that weekend I needed to speak to my father.

I had a brainwave -I'll use the telephone box outside my store - hmmm ...it was out of order.

But the most painful part of this whole experience was that on the Sunday, December 5, my baby boy turned 26. He promised to call me from Tarin Kowt where he is currently serving as an Australian soldier.

For the first time in those 26 years I didn't get to speak to my baby boy on his birthday.

Thank you again Telstra -a most memorable year.

Oh, and some advice, stop spending buckets of money on sending out copious volumes of expensive marketing materials and direct that budget towards improving your customer service.

URSULA TUNKS

Managing Director, Premium ldeas and Marketing

[The Daily Examiner,letter to the editor,28 December 2010]

Japanese Antarctic Whale Kill 2010-11: If there are official photographs of the slaughter why aren't we seeing them?

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown in The Sydney Morning Herald on 21 December 2010:

Greens leader Bob Brown says he has met with Japan's ambassador and told him that whaling is doing his country "great damage".

He says he told Shigekazu Sato that whatever victory Japan thinks it has in killing whales is "a pyrrhic victory".

"I did describe this bloody business of whaling in very direct terms to the ambassador.

"I was able to ask him if he, as a Christmas gesture, might not give me the co-ordinates of the whaling fleet and update them every other day. He declined to be so generous."

Senator Brown also called on the federal government to release the most recent whaling photographs, which he said are being kept hidden "in the minister for the environment's drawer".

"That sort of cowardly approach to Tokyo is not representing what the Australian people think about the cowardly business of whaling," Senator Brown told reporters.

"If they want to go down there and slaughter whales in our oceans or the oceans south of New Zealand, let the rest of the world see what they're doing."

The intransigence and blatant hypocrisy of the Government of Japan and its agencies having oversight and operational responsibility for these annual whale hunts begs the question of why the Australian Government continues to take such a low-key approach:

Japan's Fisheries Agency has admitted its officials accepted gifts of whale meat from the body that runs the country's so-called scientific whaling program.

Six months ago the ABC broadcast allegations by two whaling crew members that officials and crew were illegally taking thousands of dollars worth of whale cuts.

At the time the Fisheries Agency denied the allegations, but it has now reprimanded five of its officials for taking more than $3,000 worth of whale meat.

The Federal Opposition, which when in government was not inclined to pursue legal action against the Japanese Government, now calls for:

… an interim injunction be taken out against Japan to prevent it whaling in the Southern Ocean this summer.......

Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt says the federal government should be doing more to stop the annual whale hunt.

And an interim injunction should be sought through the international court, or the tribunal on the law of the sea.

Australia's efforts through the International Court of Justice has been "torturously slow", Mr Hunt said, noting the court's decision isn't expected until at least 2013.

While the Sea Shepard’s methods of directly confronting the whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean raises concern in many quarters, sometimes it is hard to stand back from the fact that this group is the only one physically standing between whales and painful, unnecessary, early deaths from unnatural causes.

Japan's Insitute of Cetacean Research has sent out a media release and two short videos which allege to show an 'attack' on its whaling fleet on New Year's Day 2011:

2011.01.01 Antiwhaling activists aboard a zodiac boat throwing glass bottle projectiles against the Yushin Maru No. 3 (2.91MB)

2011.01.01 Antiwhaling activists aboard a zodiac boat prepare to deploy a rope aimed at the Yushin Maru No. 3 propeller and rudder (794KB)

Although last year Japan reiterated its intention to again hold off plans to slaughter humpback whales like Migaloo the White Fella, there is no guarantee that this decision will not be arbitrarily reversed.

McDonald's rubbishing Yamba in 2011 - Part One

While Petering Time is away chasing that illusive fish catch of a lifetime it has fallen to me to keep the McDonald's Yamba fast food outlet 'rubbish pile' evidence.

So here is the first installment for 2011 of Maccas branded litter found in Yamba public spaces within a few metres of and/or or less than a kilometre from the McDonald's Australia fast food outlet opened in December 2010.

Yes, Virginia, there is a bright future out there

The following impressive study undertaken by British primary school children aged between 7 and 11 years of age shows that the world still contains much human potential - Blackawton bees.

The abstract is here, the full report is here and here is the list of the young science enthusiasts and now published authors and their support team:

1. P. S. Blackawton1,

2. S. Airzee1,

3. A. Allen1,

4. S. Baker1,

5. A. Berrow1,

6. C. Blair1,

7. M. Churchill1,

8. J. Coles1,

9. R. F.-J. Cumming1,

10. L. Fraquelli1,

11. C. Hackford1,

12. A. Hinton Mellor1,

13. M. Hutchcroft1,

14. B. Ireland1,

15. D. Jewsbury1,

16. A. Littlejohns1,

17. G. M. Littlejohns1,

18. M. Lotto1,

19. J. McKeown1,

20. A. O'Toole1,

21. H. Richards1,

22. L. Robbins-Davey1,

23. S. Roblyn1,

24. H. Rodwell-Lynn1,

25. D. Schenck1,

26. J. Springer1,

27. A. Wishy1,

28. T. Rodwell-Lynn1,

29. D. Strudwick1 and

30. R. B. Lotto2,*

1 Blackawton Primary School, Blackawton, Devon, UK

2 Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London,

11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK

*Author for correspondence (lotto@ucl.ac.uk).

Confronting, curious, intriguing, questionable and amusing quotes read or heard over the festive holiday period

"cows do not belong in fields."
Nocton Dairies,UK,on its development application,2010

Norad is tracking Santa. Let's hope they don't overcompensate for 9/11 failures by blowing this bearded fundamentalist out of the sky.
Darryl Mason,on Twitter,2010

We are the only non-singing Welsh on the planet, me and my family. We migrated because we were polluting the gene pool.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Labor TV interview with Corinne Grant

Manning related to me on December 18 2010 that he does not receive any substantive exercise and cannot perform even basic exercises in his cell. When told of the Pentagon's statement that he did indeed receive exercise, Manning's reply was that he is able to exercise insofar as walking in chains is a form of exercise.
Statement allegedly made by Private Bradley Manning being held in the Quantico Marine Base brig,2010

"Voting in Oz these days is almost always a choice between the ignorant or inept and the corrupt"
Petering Time, in conversation,2010

MADGE Australia Inc is happy to be the conduit for totally confidential leaks coming out of @FSANZnews
MADGE Australia Inc,onTwitter,2010

And if anyone should sue for mental distress surely it should be a teenage girl taken sexual advantage of by grown men, allegedly impregnated by one of them, then tossed aside like a used jockstrap.
Derryn Hinch,on the St. Kilda football club,2010

Australians remain uniquely exposed to mistreatment by bureaucrats and government. We want better protection of rights – the polls show us that – but not having them provokes little concern round the kitchen tables of the nation. We muddle through, hoping and trusting. It's the Australian way.
David Marr, 10^th Human Rights Oration,2010

According to my local federal member, the legislation for internet filtering was shelved. However, the software was still developed, so who knows if they have implemented it anyway. I have had problems with some sites in the last few weeks, and no idea why.
Theresa,onYahoo!7 Answers,2010

But it's interesting you're raising that particular question, because it's something that appears to be coming out of attempts to conflate media activities with espionage. That's a serious business.
Julian Assange,CBS interview,2010

Earlier in the negotiations with Tony Abbott, he said in no uncertain terms that he would be prepared to double the humanitarian intake into Australia in return for my support.
Andrew Wilkie MP,ABC PM interview, 2010

Several doctors across Australia were recently caught out publicly ridiculing patients on Facebook, labelling some "whingers" and "dissatisfied housewives" to their online network of friends. Some doctors were even found to have disparagingly named patients on social networking sites."I feel like an adviser to a women's knitting club, having to suffer the whines of Mrs X and her daughter Ms X," one doctor posted.
"Warning to docs over mocking patients",2010

Pope says God suprises us whats he gonna do jump out of a closet and go BOO
retiringoldchap‎,onTwitter,2010

The Department of Health and Ageing, was the heaviest user of market research services. In the past five financial years, the department spent almost $24m on surveying the public mood.
"$31 million to read public's mind",2010

''Our current unfair dismissal system encourages Australians to behave like greedy whingers. A no-fault dismissal system would set our heads right on the issue and provide for dignity of exit, allowing people to focus not on legal conflict but on managing departure in the chosen way whilst being encouraged to embrace the future opportunities that are always just around the corner.''
Grace Collier,industrial relations consultant to H.R. Nicholls Society,2010

This is not an argument for kicking a million disability pensioners and long-term unemployed people off benefits .
Australian Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott, on his 'fairer welfare' policy,2010

Armenia's Chief of Police, Alik Sarkisian, claimed that emo could "damage our gene pool". "We should fight against such phenomena because they are morally harmful to our people,"
"Armenian police target teenage rock cult",2010

Watching the Walking Dead. Creepy similarities to the Australian cricket team...
Rod McGuinness, on Twitter,2010

The Department of Housing is collecting almost $7 million from private renters living in what is supposed to be public housing, while almost 50,000 people are on waiting lists. Central has found that Housing NSW uses realtor Run Property to lease 20 properties to private renters, including apartments and houses, in the inner city and three elsewhere in NSW.
"Housing NSW cashes in on private rents",2010

"The success of the Labor Party at the next election depends entirely, as it always has done, on the people who work."
NSW Premier Kristina Keneally, allegedly quoting Ben Chifley,2010

Ways you know you've enjoyed the #boxingdaysales:
1. you need to phone the bank at the checkout after overspending daily limit...
2. you can't physically carry it to your car.
3. you can't FIT it in your car.
4. thought of getting upstairs is like a TAbbott marathon.
5.you forgot what you actually bought.
Journalist Latika Bourke, on Twitter,2010

Take your pick: flooded, fried or frozen
The Australian, headline commenting on extremes of weather across the country in late December, 2010

SOUTH Australian couples wanting to end their marriage are increasingly using the internet to do so. More than 250 people in almost 18 months have applied for divorce using an online service.The Federal Magistrates Court introduced its "e-filing" separation option in September 2009, allowing unhappy spouses to take the first step towards official separation over the internet.In the past 15 months, 268 South Australians applied to end their marriage online.Another service, where men and women are alerted via a text message when their divorce has been granted, has also been flagged by the Federal Magistrates Court.Earlier this month Australian Bureau of Statistics figures revealed the number of people divorcing nationally increased by 4.7 per cent in 2009, the first rise since 2001.
"E-divorce on rise as couples disconnect",2010

Today approximately 1.8 billion people use the Internet to do everything from conduct business, communicate with friends and family, keep up with current events or simply entertain themselves playing games or watching videos. Each individual and each Internet-connected device presents a certain footprint that is exposed and often manipulated for criminal or political gain. Malware, or malicious software, is often the catalyst for this manipulation, while targets span the gamut from corporate and national secrets to personal information that can be used to directly steal money or another crime. Technology and the Internet provide the means and opportunity, while global socioeconomic trends provide the motive to perpetuate these crimes.
"State of the Internet 2010",CA Technologies white paper

MELBOURNE'S Catholic Archdiocese has failed to announce or fully implement changes requested by Victoria Police to the church's sexual abuse inquiry process, more than a year after serious deficiencies were exposed...........
Sources close to the church have said that police have requested it to revamp its inquiry process to ensure that priests under investigation for sexual offences by detectives are not in effect tipped off by the church's chief abuse investigator, Peter O'Callaghan, QC, that they are the subject of a police probe.
Church sources also confirmed to The Age that the police had serious concerns about Mr O'Callaghan's practice of comparing himself to a royal commissioner, despite the fact that he is appointed and paid for by the church.
"Church 'silent' on abuse reforms",2010

Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav was found guilty of rape and other sex crimes on Thursday, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a sad day for the Jewish state.
"Former Israeli President Found Guilty of Rape",2010

Every Aus media is controlled by this corruption, all bar Crikey and @BernardKeane.Shame on the lot of you. #MDBA
qwadja on Twitter,2010

Jules Faber in The Daily Examiner, 2010

One of the reasons so many people choose to live on the NSW North Coast

Dolphin in flying leap
Photograph taken by Matt Deans
just south of Split Solitary Island off Coffs Harbour
in December 2010
Published in The Daily Telegraph
Click on photo to enlarge

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year
from all at
North Coast Voices

Image found at Oohm