TAG / AUSTRALIA

A Monash University analysis of blood tests shows nearly a quarter of injured drivers had illicit drugs in their system. “It’s scary to all of us,” notes a public safety advocate on the rising trend of drugged driving.

Researchers tracked more than 1,000 Australian infants and found children whose mothers used antidepressants in the last three months of pregnancy had up to nine times higher odds of developing autism.

While a federal royal commission probes rising antisemitism, a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into “cults” is being condemned by faith leaders for stigmatizing religions and fueling bigotry.

After a deadly Hanukkah massacre and a near five‑fold rise in anti‑Jewish hate crimes, faith leaders say Australia’s government response has failed to confront deeper state‑linked religious bias.

The December 14 attack left 15 dead and 42 injured as antisemitic violence surges nationwide. Critics say a government inquiry into “cults” fueled suspicion of minority religions.

As Australia boasts a Tier One US ranking for anti-trafficking efforts, the data expose a darker dimension: family-based coercion, forced marriage and exploitation hiding in plain sight.

Transparency advocates say proposed FOI changes gut the public’s right to know and shield the government from scrutiny.

Drug regulatory agencies in Germany and Australia have added warnings that atomoxetine can trigger violent or suicidal thoughts—sparking urgent concern over its long‑term use in children and adults.

The rapid growth of lethal synthetic opioids like protonitazene, mostly imported from China, is fueling a deadly epidemic amid plummeting heroin production.

Forty-one years ago, Scientology was fully recognized as a religion in Australia, and today’s anniversary is a reminder of the fight for religious freedom everywhere.