The Australian federal government is moving to formally ban Nazi-related symbols nationally as it aims to curb far-right extremism. Under the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill, which will be introduced next week, the public display and selling of insignia related to Nazism will be criminalised. The crime carries with it […]

Shen Yun performed at Australia’s capital, Canberra, at the Canberra Theatre on May 2. Andrew Braddock, ACT Greens member and spokesperson for multicultural affairs, said he was impressed by the performance. “Just to be exposed to the cultural performances and the athleticism of the performers, that’s absolutely incredible,” Mr. Braddock said on May 2. “The […]

Shen Yun Performing Arts concluded its final performances in Australia last week, performing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from April 27 to May 7. Audience members in Sydney commended the company for its artistry. Theatergoers said they could see and feel the values of ancient China presented on stage. “A very beautiful heart and soul […]

Shen Yun continued its Australia tour in Sydney, performing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from April 27. Audience members called it an enlightening experience. “Every aspect of it was incredible, and learning about the rich culture as well, that was fantastic. It’s like being educated and entertaining at the same time,” said Stephanie Wyburn, professional […]

New Zealanders caught a glimpse of divinely-inspired culture while watching Shen Yun Performing Arts at St. James Theatre in Wellington from April 13 to 16. Wellington City Councillor Rayward Chung said Shen Yun’s quality exceeded his high expectations. “I actually liked the one with the scenes where the soldiers jumped out of the screen and […]

Shen Yun Performing Arts kicked off its Australia Tour in Adelaide, performing at the Adelaide Festival Centre from April 6 to 9. Theatergoers said they were delighted by the music, message, and culture presented by Shen Yun. “It’s wonderful, it’s very exciting, very colorful. The costumes are beautiful, the performers are very skilled in their […]

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni ­Rabuka has assured Australia that the AUKUS deal has his country’s backing following efforts by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to ease regional concerns over the security pact. The meeting, which occurred on March 15 during a diplomatic visit in Fiji’s capital Nadi, comes a day after Indonesia and Malaysia issued statements […]

Harold Warman, a conductor with over 30 years of experience, said he was impressed by Shen Yun’s orchestra. “They were impressive, they’re professionals, really top of the line,” Warman said after watching the matinee performance of Shen Yun at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on March 5. “Again I keep talking about music all […]

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has praised the defence relationship with India during a visit to Mumbai, declaring the Asian nation as a “top tier” defence partner. The PM’s comment comes as the two nations aim to deepen their ties in the Indo-Pacific as a counterbalance to an aggressive Beijing. “For Australia, India is a […]

An Australian think tank is urging democratic nations to “step up” their game in technological innovation and strategic competition if they are to compete with, catch up, and outdo Beijing. According to a year-long study by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Beijing is currently leading the world in 37 out of 44 technologies. These […]

U.S. President Joe Biden on Sept. 29 announced US$810 million in new funding to Pacific Island nations over the next decade as the U.S. seeks to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the region. The meeting comes after Beijing and the Solomon Islands signed off on a security pact in April, which received strong pushback from […]

MELBOURNE, Australia—After premiering alongside more than 120 feature-length and short documentaries, the award-winning human rights documentary “Eternal Spring” has taken out the “Supreme Award” at the internationally acclaimed Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (MDFF). The Canadian-made documentary, which uses a mixture of animation and interviews to tell the true story of a group of Falun Gong […]

Sandy Stimpson, the mayor of Mobile, Alabama, said he was excited to watch Shen Yun after reading about the company’s story. “I saw a newspaper article about it. Reading about some of the persecution and all that goes on, because what you’re doing—and that inspired me also to want to come,” he said after watching […]

Many audience members who watched Shen Yun Performing Arts with their family said they appreciated the beauty, dancing, storylines, and values that traditional Chinese culture espouses. “It’s really wonderful to come out for the first time in a long time and see such vibrancy and culture, so it’s been really good,” said Peter Auhl, chief […]

ADELAIDE, Australia—Australian Member of Parliament Erin Thompson said she learned more about authentic Chinese culture after watching Shen Yun’s International company perform at Adelaide’s Festival Theater on May 13. “We’re definitely learning a lot and I think it’s making us want to ask more questions … and find out more about this particular part of […]

After three years, Shen Yun performing arts returned to Australia’s Gold Coast, performing at the Home of the Arts from May 6 to May 8. Audience members said they were impressed by the quality of the performance. “The way that they’ve brought in, integrated ancient tradition through technology into the dance where they’ve taken the […]

Shen Yun continued its Australia tour in Toowoomba, up in the sunshine state Queensland, on May 3 and 4. Paul Antonio, mayor of the Toowoomba regional council, was honored to have Shen Yun perform at the Empire Theater. “You’ve bought something special to our community but we also have this very special place called the […]

This past weekend, Shen Yun performed across the United States, Canada, and Europe, and uplifted theatergoers with a divinely inspired culture. Will Henrickson, group chair of CEO & Executive Peer Advisory Groups at Vistage International, said that while he has seen modern China on his business trips, he never thought he would see traditional China. “I […]

For Henk Guitjens, an aviation consultant and director of aviation development for Global Elite Group, Shen Yun’s mission to revive China’s 5000-year-old culture hit a chord. “I think the mission is very good. I think it’s time we have to understand that after 1948, a lot of the things were pushed away and of course […]

Learning from traditions can be insightful, especially for theatergoers in Columbus, Ohio, who got to watch Shen Yun Performing Arts showcase China’s 5,000 years of culture on stage. “I loved it. It was inspiring, it was beautiful. The message was incredible, the music was powerful, and the dancing was exquisite,” said Robin Ulrich, a ballroom […]

The embattled Australian city councillor who moved to end Wagga Wagga’s sister city relationship with China has faced accusations of being racist, but also received encouragement from councillors of other regions, and from Chinese Australians. Councillor Paul Funnell also received threats after he spearheaded the motion (pdf) on April 14 that sought to terminate a […]

MELBOURNE, Australia—Victorian Member of Parliament, Bernie Finn, has called on the attorney general to cooperate with the federal government to stop the practice of human organ trafficking. In a speech before the Victorian Parliament on Feb. 21, Finn, a Liberal Party member who is also part of Victorian Legislative Council, said that 3 of the […]

Former Trade Minister Andrew Robb has become the latest former politician to cease employment with a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) linked company, as new foreign transparency laws take effect on March 1. Robb, who had an annual income of $880,000, became a consultant with Darwin Port leaseholder Landbridge soon after quitting politics in 2016. According […]

A collection of China’s finest art will continue to be displayed in Sydney despite a formal protest by the Chinese consulate. The exhibition, called Heaven and Earth in Chinese Art, hails from Taiwan’s world renowned National Palace Museum (NPM) and is the first collaboration between the NPM and an Australian cultural institution—a partnership the Chinese regime […]

Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne has called on China to act responsibly and respect the rights of all states in the South China Sea. Speaking to military leaders at the Fullerton Forum in Singapore on Jan. 28, Pyne said that the Chinese leadership needs to rethink its “might is right” approach and show willingness to […]

A magnitude-5.6 earthquake has hit near the coast of central Peru, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The earthquake, which occurred about 12 miles (19 kilometers) West of Rio Grande, Peru struck at 04:45 UTC on Jan. 25. According to the USGS, the earthquake occurred at a depth of about 36 miles (58 kilometers) and has […]

A replica of the ship HMB Endeavour is set to navigate the coast of Australia after PM Scott Morrison announced funding to commemorate Captain Cook’s first voyage to Australia. Around $6.7 million will be given to the National Maritime Museum, which will lead the ship’s circumnavigation, and a further $5.45 million will be given to […]

At least 10 Australian residents may be among the hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs imprisoned in the Chinese regime’s “re-education camps” in Xinjiang province, prompting safety concerns from family members in Australia. Nurmuhammad Majid, president of the East Turkistan Australian Association (ETAA) said that he is aware of nine Australian residents and one Australian citizen, […]

A man in Queensland, Australia, has described his pain to be like ‘fire,’ after a jellyfish latched onto his body during a swimming session on Jan. 6. Brendan Osborn was swimming at a Twin Waters beach on the Sunshine Coast when a jellyfish, believed to be of the “snotty” species, nestled its tentacles across his back […]

More than 800 Australian visa holders had their visas cancelled in 2018 for serious crimes according to the Australian government. Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said in a press release dated Jan. 7 100 people had their visas cancelled for child sex offences, including child exploitation and pornography. A further 53 have been stripped of […]

Tens of thousands of Australian companies may have been compromised by the Chinese Regime’s cyber hacking campaign, one of Australia’s top cyber security advisor has warned. The announcement comes amidst reports the Chinese Regime’s intelligence services hacked into the world’s biggest Managed Service Providers (MSPs) such as Hewlett Packard, IBM, and SAP (Systems Applications and […]

A lawyer who advised former U.S. President Ronald Reagan will become the next U.S. Ambassador to Australia, the U.S. Senate decided on Jan. 3. The U.S. Senate approved the appointment of Arthur Culvahouse Jr. during the final hours of the 115th Congress. Starting from March Culvahouse will replace acting U.S. Ambassador James Carouso, who temporarily filled […]

Australia is responding to China’s increasing threat in the South Pacific Ocean by finalising a deal with European manufacturers to to build 12 new submarines. The deal, which is worth $50 billion (US$36 billion), was confirmed by Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne at an event held at the site of the Future Submarine Construction Yard […]

A three-vehicle crash in Cass County, Indiana, has claimed the lives of two teenagers and left six others injured, WLFI reported. The crash occurred along U.S. 35, between Logansport and Royal Center, at around 6 p.m. on Dec. 21. According to Pharos Tribune, police stated that a semi-tractor trailer driven by 58-year-old Jerry Williams, collided into […]

Attaining eternal youth has captivated minds from antiquity to modern times. For one Greek TV host in Australia, her youthful appearance is thanks to her regular exercise routine. Tina Sofos, who hosts a Greek TV food channel on GRTV Australia in Melbourne, Victoria attributes her enduring youthful appearance to Falun Dafa meditation. Also called Falun Gong, the […]

Australia’s proposed Magnitsky Bill will send a powerful message to human rights violators—that their criminal actions will face international scrutiny. Outgoing Labor MP, Michael Danby, introduced the bill, The International Human Rights and Corruption (Magnitsky Sanctions) Bill 2018, to the Lower House in the Australian Parliament on Dec. 3. The Magnitsky Bill, which has been […]

Canadian authorities have arrested Huawei’s chief financial officer on suspicion that she violated U.S. trade sanctions against Iran. Meng Wanzhou, who is the deputy chair of Huawei’s board and daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver at the request of U.S. authorities, The Globe and Mail reported. A court hearing has been […]

Documents obtained by The Australian reveal that Victoria University (VU) cancelled a film screening that was critical of the Chinese state-backed Confucius Institutes after the local Chinese Consulate sought “feedback” on the event. According to the report, the cancellation occurred after details of the screening were passed onto consulate officials after concerns were raised by […]

The former Dallas police officer who said she mistakenly shot and killed an unarmed neighbor, was charged with murder on Nov. 30, reported Dallas Observer. Amber Renee Guyger, 30, surrendered to authorities after a grand jury indicted her on a charge of murder in the Sept. 6 death of Botham Jean, 26, Dallas County District […]

At least 28 whales have died after their carcasses were found washed up along the coast of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia on Nov. 27 and Nov. 28. Victoria’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and Parks said that 24 of the whales died on Nov. 27, and the remaining four died on Nov. 28. […]

Congressman Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) has urged President Trump to raise the issue of Human Rights directly, when he meets with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping in Argentina on Nov. 30. Congressman Smith asserted at a congressional hearing on Nov. 28, that the United States stands in solidarity with the Chinese people; not with a dictatorship that […]

Manufacturers face significant challenges to business growth due to the shortage of skilled workers, one of the largest manufacturing associations in North America has warned. The survey (pdf) conducted by National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), shows that more than one in four (204) manufacturers had turned down new business opportunities. About one in three (239) […]

Massachusett’s Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is under scrutiny after an audit uncovered 1905 licenses being issued to deceased individuals. The audit was released by the office of State Auditor Suzanne Bump on Sept. 6. Most of these licenses were issued to people who died between 1988 and 2010, with some as early as 1962. Ninety-seven percent of the […]

Western Australia’s Corruption watchdog, the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC), has released a report detailing corruption among senior health bureaucrats at the North Metropolitan Health Service (NMHS), ABC reported. The CCC report (pdf) reveals three key NMHS members who allegedly accepted bribes from contractors in return for government work contracts. The alleged bribes totalled in […]

A 74-year-old man who had gone missing for two days during a berry-picking trip in Southeast Alaska was found alive and in good health on Aug. 12, reported Anchorage Daily News. Valentino Barattin, of Haines, had gone berry picking near a highway and had failed to return home after he became disoriented and “slightly injured” during […]

A waterbombing helicopter has crashed on the NSW south coast, killing the pilot, reported ABC news. Paramedics were called to Woodstock in the Shoalhaven Area at about 2:15 p.m. According to The Daily Telegraph, emergency services confirmed that the sole pilot in the plane had died after the helicopter crashed into a tree. Civil Aviation […]

Tesla Inc. has been served with a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, adding further scrutiny of CEO Elon Musk’s plans to take the company private. The subpoena came after Musk’s tweet, “funding secured.” According to The Wall Street Journal, the subpoena demands information from each of Tesla’s nine directors. It isn’t known what information is […]

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), the United Kingdom’s third-largest bank, has been fined $4.9 billion dollars for alleged financial misconduct after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) found that the bank misled investors with its residential mortgage-backed securities between 2005 and 2008. The penalty is the largest settlement imposed by the Justice Department towards […]

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has garnered support for his energy policy following a Coalition partyroom meeting held on Aug. 14. Turnbull addressed the press to say that after a “good debate,” the proposed policy and legislation changes packaged in the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) had received “overwhelming support” from both Liberal and National MPs. Minister […]

A plane has crashed in Washington state after an unauthorized take-off was conducted by an airline employee on Aug. 10. The plane, Alaska Airline’s Horizon Air Q400, was reportedly stolen from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and then crashed in south Puget Sound, near Ketron Island, Washington. Two military F-15s pursued the plane but were not involved […]

A fresh outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed the lives of at least 36 people, including one health care worker, according to the World Health Organization. As of Aug. 5, 43 cases of Ebola have been reported primarily in North Kivu Province with an additional 33 suspected cases currently […]

Elon Musk’s plan to privatize Tesla could make it the largest leveraged buyout in history, according to Bloomberg. With current debt levels at $10.9 billion, and a track record of losses since its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2010, Musk’s announcement to purchase the company at $420 per share comes at a time when the […]

Two consumer packaging giants—Amcor Limited and Bemis Company—will merge after its directors unanimously approved a US$6.8 billion buyout from Amcor that was announced on Aug. 6. This acquisition is Amcor’s biggest and is an effort by the Melbourne-based plastics packaging company to capitalize on growth opportunities in North America and Brazil, according to Bloomberg. Both companies […]

On Aug. 2, tourists at a popular beach in Majorca, Spain, were met with an unexpected surprise after a 10-foot blue shark decided to swim near the shore, Fox News reported. Lifeguards at Cala Domingos beach took footage of the shark as onlookers panicked and watched from nearby rocks. Police evacuated the water at a […]

On August 1, metal buildings in New Mexico which housed fireworks, oil, and hay, caught on fire and sent large flames of smoke billowing into the air. The metal buildings are located near a gas station in Gallup, New Mexico, along Highway 491, about five miles north of I-40, KOB reported. New Mexico State Police […]

On July 26, an unconfirmed sighting of missing Iowa jogger, Mollie Tibbetts, who was allegedly seen at a truck stop in Kearney, Missouri was reported to Kearney police, ABC News reported. Police searched the area, spoke to witnesses and reviewed surveillance footage. No other details of the sighting was released, according to KMBC. The truck stop is […]

Thirteen passengers onboard the “Bluebonnet Belle,” a vintage military plane, have survived after their plane crash-landed and burst into flames during take-off on Saturday, Fox News reported. The incident occurred at around 9 a.m. at Burnet Municipal Airport during an airshow in Wisconsin. One passenger suffered significant burn injuries and was airlifted to the hospital; seven […]

A 22 year-old man from Virginia has been sentenced to 186 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release, for crimes related to the prostitution and exploitation of a 15-year-old minor. The sentence was handed down on July 20, 2018 by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia. This case was brought […]

McDonald’s announced on July 18 its plans to phase out plastic straws across all Australian chains by 2020. Paper straws will be trialed as a replacement while the company finds a viable alternative, according to a statement. The paper straw trial will begin in August in two outlets, which will be part of a larger, […]

New Zealand citizens accused of rape and child sex offences in Australia are being let off without trials, reported The Australian. In the past 18 months, five New Zealanders, accused of rape and child sex offences, were sent from New Zealand to Australia to face trial, only to be refused entry at the border or […]

A 10-year-old girl has died and three adults were injured during a shooting Monday night in Northeast D.C., Fox News reported. The shooting occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on 53rd street between Clay and Cloud Place Northeast. According to Fox News, four black men in masks got out of a black Infinity SUV and fired shots […]

Calls to end a controversial exhibition of real human bodies in Sydney is gaining momentum after one of Australia’s specialist medical training organisations, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), found that the New South Wales Health Department may have breached its own policies when it approved the exhibition. The ‘Real Bodies’ exhibition, which displays […]

A 10-year-old girl from Minnesota, who sustained a skull fracture following a lawnmowing accident, is being praised for her bravery, Fox News reported. Skylar Hedstrom, from Hoffman, was watching her dad mow the lawn on June 9, when a blade from the lawnmower detached and hurled toward her forehead. The blade, which detached after the […]

The switch from single-use plastic bags to reusable ones may not only reduce environmental waste, but also improve supermarket bottom lines, The Conversation reported. According to Associate Professor Gary Mortimer from the Queensland University of Technology, a potential gross profit of $71 million could be earned by selling the 15 cent reusable bag. The figure was […]

Woolworths has overturned its single-use plastic bags ban, after complaints from frustrated customers proved too much for the supermarket giant, News Corp reported. Instead, Woolworths will now be handing out free reusable bags until July 8 in four states: Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. Woolworth’s managing director Claire Peters told News Corp that getting […]

  A 52 year-old Wisconsin woman has been arrested and charged with child neglect after a two-year-old toddler was found unkempt and unfed in a Kenosha County apartment, Fox News reports. According to court documents, police from the Kenosha Police Department found 52-year-old Miss Johnson “intoxicated” upon entering her apartment for a welfare check. Johnson was found […]

Police arrested a 20-year-old woman who unleashed a tirade of abuse at a Michigan fitness center, Fox News reported. The incident, which was caught on camera, occurred at around 1:30 a.m. on June 12. The woman can be seen hurling verbal abuse at employees, before throwing a computer monitor at the front desk worker, damaging […]

The body of a newborn baby—no more than two weeks old—was found floating off the Florida coast on Friday, June 1, reported AP. Detectives are piecing together information as to how the baby girl died and how long she had been in the water. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Captain Steven Stravelli said that the time […]

Almost $8,000 has been raised for Queensland Emergency workers who helped revive a baby for long enough that his parents could say their final goodbyes, 9news reported. Paramedics resuscitated nine-month-old Lucas Wockner after he was found unresponsive in his cot last Thursday at a Toowoomba daycare centre. Lucas was then airlifted to Lady Client Hospital […]

A woman and her son met with a nasty surprise on May 9 when a mass of fecal matter fell from the sky and splashed onto their car and then onto their faces. The incident occurred at a traffic light stop in Kelowna, British Columbia, while the pair were in their vehicle, reported Canada’s Global News. […]

On Monday June 4, the Los Angeles Fire Rescue issued a warning on Twitter warning residents of the potential danger when using garden hoses during summer. Two summers ago, 9-month-old Nicholas Woodger suffered second-degree burns to 30 percent of his body, after his mother accidentally sprayed him with a garden hose while filling up the […]

A top-secret report that was commissioned by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in August 2016 has revealed the extent of the Chinese Communist Party’s infiltration into Australian politics. An intelligence source with knowledge on the investigation told the ABC that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has attempted to influence Australian politics for the past decade, infiltrating every layer […]

Victoria Police have lost $4M in funding from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) after an investigation found that more than 250,000 preliminary breath tests (PBT) were falsified over a five year period. Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett provided a statement this morning, admitting that they were “incredibly disappointed” with the findings. The investigation found that police officers placed […]

Almost $8,000 has been raised for Queensland Emergency workers who helped revive a baby for long enough that his parents could say their final goodbyes, 9news reported. Paramedics resuscitated nine-month-old Lucas Wockner after he was found unresponsive in his cot last Thursday at a Toowoomba daycare centre. Lucas was then airlifted to Lady Client Hospital […]

On Saturday, May 26, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a recall of more than 228,000 pounds of SPAM after metal fragments were found in the famous canned meat product. According to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, “minor oral injuries” were reported by four consumers, which prompted Hormel Food Corp. to announce […]

On Thursday, May 25, President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to Britt Slabinski for a rescue mission he carried out against al-Qaeda on a treacherous mountain top in Afghanistan in 2002. The battle, which eventually claimed the life of colleague Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Chapman, became known as the battle of Roberts Ridge. Slabinski, a […]

An 800-year-old piece of pottery has helped archaeologists put together fascinating new details about a medieval ship that sank off the coast of Indonesia. The wooden hull of the ship, which sank in the Java Sea, has long since disintegrated but its cargo offers vital clues about the vessel. Fishermen discovered the wreck site in […]

On May 22, a private Gulfstream jet originating from Austin, Texas, crash-landed at the Toncontín International Airport in Honduras where it split in half, injuring at least 6 people. According to the Express, the plane slipped from the end of the short runway at the Toncontín airport as it attempted to land. It then fell […]