Aus News 14: Extremely rare dolphin threatened

A new report shows that nearly two thirds of the Snubfin Dolphins, Australia's only endemic dolphins, that live in Roebuck Bay show injuries from boat hits and fishing gear snags. The problem occurred because the dolphins' foraging and socialising grounds overlapped the heavily used recreational fishing zone in the bay. Investigation found out that the slow-moving dolphins, often in shallow water, were hit by speeding boats across the bay. Even more injuries were caused by lost or discarded fishing line and hooks that cut into the animals' skins. The Roebuck Bay Working Group, which is set up to protect the bay's ecosystem, sets some guidelines to minimise harm to the dolphins, dugongs, turtles and other wildlife. They clarified that their intention is not to stop any fishing, but to urge those who are fishing to slow down and to try and look after their line. On the other hand, the WWF's spokeswoman stated that the key is to raise awareness, yet state, territory and federal governments must also show their commitment in preserving the areas that are essential to the Snubfins' survival, including more research, which could see it put on the threatened list.

Human's irresponsible acts are putting the lives of this rare species in danger. Humans are having massive fishing activities without realising the impact on the endangered species. Besides, the development of tourism sector also, in a way, disturb the natural ecosystem. Hence, the authorities should take the initiative to launch campaigns in order to raise awareness. In addition, tourists should also be educated on how to protect the animals while enjoying their trips. By doing so, it is believed that we could at least prevent the extinction of certain precious species, for instance, the Snubfin Dolphins.

Aus News 13: Mobiles to take off on Aussie flights after ACMA ruling

The Australians will be able to use mobiles during their domestic flights soon after the communications watchdog gives the approval. This awesome ruling is set by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) with the purpose to revolutionise the domestic airline travel and bring Australia to the competitive edge with other developed countries which have enjoyed this technology for some time. The consultation with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) shows no technical objection to the new arrangement and that the domestic airline passengers will soon be enjoying texting, checking emails and using data during flights. The ACMA chairman explained that they have approved radio communications licensing arrangements to facilitate and allow airlines to deploy mobile communication services on their aircraft through special on-board systems. In implementing these arrangements, the ACMA was conscious of the need for harmonisation with aviation safety regulations as well as the protection of terrestrial communications networks from interference. However, there is only one carrier, the Aeromobile, who is able to provide the service so far, with the appalling international roaming charges, despite the communications taking place in domestic skies. Telstra therefore responded that consumers are not supposed to be restricted to only one provider while using their mobile devices in flight. It added that Australia has a thriving competitive mobile market and thus, it should be extended to the skies as well.

Comment:

Well, I would say this is a brilliant step taken by the Australian government. I wonder when are we going to do the same thing in Malaysia. Maybe some are still concerning several reasons like the safety to use mobile devices during flights, but if Australia and some other developed countries can do this, then why can't we? It is true that this move may sound a bit too 'advanced' for us as a developing country, but this is what we have to strive for if we don't want to be lagged behind. It will definitely be cool if one day later we are able to use our mobiles during a flight. Let's look forward to it! =)

Aus News 12: Stop parents teaching kids to drive

According to a motoring body survey, most of the respondents believe that parents do not have sufficient driving skills to teach their children how to drive properly and therefore they should be barred from doing so, as a means of improving road safety. One of the many reasons given was that parents will have the tendency to pass on their own bad driving habits to the kids. On the other hand, the RAA manager of mobility and safety, Wendy Bevan said claimed that banning parents from guiding their children in how to drive is not ideal. She explained that parents should be suppported so that to guarantee their confidence and the skills required to instruct the beginner driver to drive correctly. In addition, it is better if the parents could go with their children attending the driving lesson with a qualified instructor as this teaches parents the proper driving manner as well.

The increasing road accidents nowadays could be one of the impacts resulted from bad driving habits. It is true that parents might pass on their bad driving habits to their children or mislead them the proper driving manner. In my opinion, it is not an ideal way to deter parents from teaching their kids to drive, as some children would feel more confident and learn better from their parents. Hence, it is best to encourage parents to attend driving lesson with their children, together with accredited driving instructor, so that parents learn the correct way to guide their children, and on the same time, reduce the possibility of passing on the bad habits to their kids.

Aus News 11: WA crime rate on the slide

The latest crime statistics shows that the overall reported rate of crime in the West Australia is declining, which is a decrease of 12.7 per cent in the last financial year. According to Mr. Porter, the Attorney General who announced the statistics today, said that the reported offences had continued a downward trend in the past 18 months. The government sees tackling crimes and anti-social behaviours as their major priority. The collaborative efforts among the WA Police, Corrective Services and all other relevant agencies and arms of government have resulted in this pleasant outcome. They have put more police patrolling the street, introduced a series of legislative measures to target particular kinds of offending, seen a more stringent approach to parole, taken more serious offenders off the streets and significantly expanded the delivery of rehabilitative programs in their jails. However, they claim that there are still rooms for improvement and that tackling crimes will always be put in precedence. The Police Commissioner, Karl O’Callaghan was proud that his staff were playing excellent roles in tackling crimes. He also claimed that a number of policing and justice initiatives, as well as environmental factors had contributed to the cut in crimes.

This is indeed a pleasant news to hear of. The commitment of West Australian authorities in tackling crimes should be learned and followed by all other countries. Perhaps Malaysian government should also consider to adopt to a more effective approach, for instance, increase the effectiveness of police forces, reinforce the legislative rules, etc, so that to create a crimes-free society one day later. It seems hard, but it is never impossible if we really have the determination to achieve it!

Aus News 10: Fugitive's Facebook page may be a fake

Justin Grant, a 21-year-old fugitive who slipped away from his guards during a hospital visit in Townsville was found developing a Facebook account accepting friend requests and jeering the authorities who were unable to track him. His mother is urging him to surrender. According to a senior government minister, police believe that the Facebook page run by the fugitive may be a 'clever ruse' being run by someone else to confuse the police. The police is now looking into the case on whether the site is a deception, and warned the public that anyone assisting the fugitive will be facing criminal charges.

It is admittedly true that Facebook is so prevalent nowadays to the extent that people are using it abusively, even involving crimes. Besides, this case serves as a reminder to all of us that social networking through Facebook maybe harmful as the account created may not be true. The so-called 'friend' that we added may have a hidden characteristic which we may never know. This is why there are so many headlines nowadays stating that people, particularly the teenagers, being deceived through Facebook or some other social networking. Accordingly, it is crucial for us, the society and the authorities to realize the fact behind and map out expeditious strategies to curb this problem entirely.

Aus News 9: 'I wanted to kill him,' says teen who boasted of attack on Facebook

A young armed teen, aged 18, attacked a 15-year-old boy on a tram by slitting his throat with a knife. The attacker also boasted on Facebook that he had been on bail at the time of the attack..According to the police, the accused told the victim that he was the 'king of Melbourne' and he threatened the boy not to cry or else he would kill him. The accused then rummaged through the victim's bag and took away his mobile phone and iPod nano. Worse still, he cut the victim's neck by using a knife, causing him to bleed. Before leaving, he even threw some harsh words on the victim, intimidating him. After that, he bragged on Facebook, stating that he had a stabbing and a robbery as well as an assault pending, and that he still got bailed. The victim's mother, on the other hand, was mad with the injustice that happened on his son. She claimed that her son was traumatically injured, while the attacker was freed on bail! According to a report of the attacker's interview with the police, the criminal told that he wanted to be a murderer, and that his lawyer would definitely get him off all this. By the way, the victim told the police that the tram driver did nothing to help him after the attack. And the tram driver, in his statement, replied that such case happens a lot and that the attacker had already got off at that time, so he thought there was no need for him to call a police. Anyway, the teen attacker had pleaded guilty for all his crimes and will be brought to the court in November.

I was so appalled when reading this news. The teen attacker was not regretting on what he had done. This reflects how serious are the teen issues nowadays. The attacker maybe comes from a bad family background, which causes him to have some sort of psychological problems, thus leading him towards criminal acts. Besides, the act of the tram driver also reflects the norm of the society that is considered to be disgraceful! Hence, it's vital for all of us to realize this ugly truth and play our roles in securing the future of our next generation.

Aus News 8: Mother-of-two attacked with screwdriver in terrifying home attack

A mother of two daughters, Jenny was being attacked by an unknown intruder while she had just reached home from shopping. She was attacked from behind as she walked through the front door. The intruder punched on her face several times and then dragged her into a room and struck her by using a screwdriver, cutting her neck. He tied up her hands and tried to put a bag over her head before leaving the house. Jenny was able to untie the electrical chords bounding around her hands and sought aid from two carpenters nearby in a shocking and injured condition. The two carpenters rushed to the scene and unfortunately they were just a few minutes from catching the intruder. Jenny has now in a stable condition, with fractured cheek and cuts to her neck. The police is now looking into the case and seeking for the cruel intruder.

It is undeniable that social issues are getting more severe nowadays. The criminals behave cruelly and this puts the lives of people in risks as they lose confidence on their personal safety. It seems like criminals are everywhere and crimes are happening every moment. Hence, in order to get rid of this concern, the authorities, in particular, should play a major role by increasing patrols around the areas that have high rates of crimes so that to guarantee the security of the society. The society should also realize their obligation in cutting down the crimes rate by giving cooperation to the authorities, and respond actively and positively towards any related campaign held by the government.

Aus News 7: Mad Max actor Stephen James jailed for child sex abuse

An actor of the movie Mad Max, Stephen James and his partner, Garth Witbek have been jailed for sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy. According to the news, James were purportedly assisting the boy to enter the film industry, and the victim was offered free acting lesson and a car by James to achieve his acting dream. During the lessons, the victim was forced to take off all his clothes and sexual abuse took place after that. James also persuaded the victim to start a relationship with him and there was once where the victim was made to watch a homosexual pornographic film. The boy started to avoid the lessons and told his mother about the abuse. Both men have pleaded guilty for their shameful offence and sentenced to jail.

In my opinion, the sexual abuse has left the victim a bitter memory which maybe perpetual for the rest of his life. He will lose trust on people and may even get into certain psychological problems subsequently. As such, proper counselling should be given to those young adults so that they will know the proper way to deal with the unfortunate incidence.

Aus News 6: School bullies more likely to become anti-social adults

SCHOOL bullies are three times more likely to engage in anti-social behaviour in their early 20s, while victims experience higher levels of depression and anxiety, according to a study revealed in The Sunday Telegraph.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has uncovered, for the first time, the damaging and ongoing effects bullying can have on children in their adult life.

Researchers tracked 1000 Australian children over three different stages of their lives - when they were 12 years old, 13 and again at 23 - and discovered tragic results.

Children who were bullied showed signs of depression when they grew older.

"What we found with the victims is that once they were established in this role, abuse was likely to continue," Dr. Jodie Lodge said.

Dr Lodge found that one in four children were bullied at schools - and that 95 percent of students were bullied more than once.

“They also experienced a number of social adjustment problems during adolescence and by their early 20s, were more likely to have higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress.”

Dr. Lodge, who presented the ground- breaking findings at a conference last week, said bullies tended to perform poorly academically and were more likely to drop-out of school.

They were also more likely to use drugs, be involved in physical fights and engage in other criminal activity in adult life.

“Those who bullied in adolescence were three to four times more likely to be involved in anti-social behavior and physical violence by their early 20s," Dr. Lodge said.

“It seems that once they're on this trajectory or pathway, it's something that stays with them into adulthood."

Verbal abuse and insults were the most common forms of bullying reported by both boys and girls.

Physical violence was more prevalent among boys, while girls tended to bully by socially excluding others.

Dr Lodge said children who were both bullies and victims were particularly at risk as they suffered greater degrees of social and academic problems, were generally unpopular and had fewer friends.

Psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg said the results showed we needed to act urgently.

“We know bullying has been linked with self-harm and attempts at suicide so it's a very, very serious issue and we need to address it," he said.