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__Article #1__ 2/2/10 =a. Title: Australia sends air traffic marshals to Haiti:= Australia has announced that it is deploying an air traffic control team to Haiti. They are trying to help out with Haiti's problem of their, now backed up, airports. The incoming flights carrying supplies to help out with Haiti's devastation are getting too backed up. The trained air traffic marshals are going to help the incoming and outgoing planes so that Haiti can receive their needed supplies. There are over 1,400 planes trying to get into Haiti and the air traffic control team will make sure all the flights come in smoothly so that Haiti and its people can get their needed help. I think what Australia is doing for Haiti is great. Haiti is in a really bad condition right now and it needs all the help it can get; Australia's help will be highly appreciated. It's nice to see one nation selflessly helping another less fortunate one. The only thing I can recommend is for others to follow Australia's example and for more people to get involved with the Haiti disaster.
 * b.** Author: not listed
 * c.** Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100123/wl_asia_afp/haitiquakeaustraliaaid
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__Article #2__ 2/17/10 =a. Title: Five men sentenced in Australia terrorism plot= A court in Australia has just recently sentenced five Muslim men to 23-28 years in prison. The reason behind this verdict was that these five men were conspirators attempting to perform acts of terrorism. Between the ages of 25 and 44 and all from Sydney, these men were convicted in October. It was said that they had collected firearms, ammunition, and dangerous chemicals for a plan to carry on Islamist jihad against the Australian government. The trial, itself, lasted more than a year and the jury contemplated over the verdict for over a month. The police discovered that the men had possessed bomb-making guides and extreme Islamist literature that encourages murder and martyrdom for jihad. Also, some of the writing glorified Osama Bin Laden and there were images of violence involving hostages. It was also said that one of the five men had trained at Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist camp that was said to be the cause of many terrorist attacks. It's a good thing that these men were discovered. They seemed like they had a plan and knew what hey were doing. Who knows what kind of destruction and harm they might have caused if they weren't? I think we should continue to stay vigilant for signs of terrorist acts and planning.
 * b.** Author: Mark McDonald
 * c.** Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/world/asia/16aussie.html
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__Article #3__ 3/1/10 =a. Title: Tsunami lands in Australia after Chile quake= The unfortunate earthquake that struck Chile caused a tsunami along the beaches in eastern Australia. Australia sent out an overnight warning for most of the east coast. However, the national tsunami center said that there were no real concerns about major problems and damage. There was only shore flooding and strong currents. There were precautionary evacuations for residents near the shores. More waves were expected for the next morning which were thought to be about a meter over the sea level's normal height. The situation in Chile is very unfortunate, along with the tsunamis near Australia. Thankfully, there haven't been any major signs of damage from the event. Even though it was a bit of a false alarm, it was still good to see that Australia was prepared for the disaster and took precautions. All we can do is wait and hopefully, be just as, if not more, prepared for similar situations in the future.
 * b.** Author: not listed
 * c.** Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100227/wl_nm/us_chile_earthquake_australia
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__Article #4__ 3/11/10 =a. Title: Australia jobless rate rises slightly to 5.3%= Australia's unemployment rose to 5.3% this past February. This was the first rise since last October, where unemployment peeked to 5.8%. Only 400 jobs were added in February, it was said to believe that unemployment was expected to reach 5.4% with the intended 10,000 added jobs. There was an increase in 11,400 full-time jobs, but a 11,000 decrease in part-time jobs. Also, January's original 5.3% unemployed was marked down to 5.2%. Many businesses are giving employees less hours so that more jobs can be kept during this financial crisis. As the economy gets better, more hours will be added to each employee's schedule. Australia just missed recession in this bad economy. Unlike American corporations, Australia is focused on is employees by retaining jobs and reducing hours. I think it would be wise for American corporations to follow Australia's lead by retaining its work force through this economic struggle.
 * b.** Author: not listed
 * c.** Link: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EC5U7G0.htm
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__Article #5__ =a. Title: Australia 'playing its part' in Afghan surge= There is a new strategy (Operation Mushtarak) that the US is using to hopefully stop the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan. It is said that Australia has been playing an important role in operations in Helmand province before. It is now believed that Austrlia will support and help out with this new operation and play their part successfully. I think it's great that Australia is trying to lend a hand with the problems on Afghanistan. We need all the help we can get in this difficult situation. I think that others should try and do as much as they can to help out in Afghanistan. The people there need our help. As said in the article, "The objective is not the enemy's defeat but the people's success."
 * b.** Author: not listed
 * c.** Link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/18/2849943.htm?section=justin
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__Article #6__ =a. Title: Australia's Web filter criticized= Australia proposed that they have an Internet filter. Both Yahoo and Google criticized this idea. It was said that if the filter were to be put into place, it would block individuals' access to internet sites that displayed child pornography, sexual violence, and detailed instruction to crime. Google had replied saying that limits like child pornography are obvious. However they also said that having a mandatory ISP-level filterer goes beyond that material. It would cause many questions about information access. This may be a good idea for Australia, some of the things on the internet are unbelievable and they can be accessed by anyone with a computer. I think that Australia should try and set up some filter that blocks inappropriate site. However, they should be sure not to over do it and block unneeded material.
 * b.** Author: James Lawson
 * c.** Link: http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31580:australias-web-filter-criticised&catid=86:computing&Itemid=64
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__Article #7__ 4/7/10 =a. Title: Australia to pump oil from ship stuck on reef= A coal carrier has recently crashed into Australia's Great Battier Reef. Luckily, the ship has been stabilized and the oil leak form the crashed ship has been contained. This accident has caused the prime minister to begin thinking about making stricter shipping regulations to prevent future accidents similar to this one. One full side of the ship has been gashed and shredded by the coral and ruptured the fuel tank.Two tug boats are keeping the crashed ship steady to try and prevent further damage form the coral. Crew teams are also moving the oil inside the ship to safer tanks. It was stated that they will eventually attempt to refloat the stricken ship. However, before they can even begin planning this task, they must first move 1,000 tons of oil aboard the ship. It was discovered that the coal carrier was completely off course when it crashed into the Great Barrier Reef. I think that the crew on board this ship should have paid more attention and known where they were going. It's horrible that this happened and now we're trying to prevent an oil spill in an extreme tourism spot. I think that, as stated in the article, stricter rules should be added so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again. Crew members on board should also be on their tows so that it's less common for ships to run off course.
 * b.** Author: the associated press
 * c.** Link: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/international/asia_pacific/view/20100407australia_to_pump_oil_from_ship_stuck_on_reef/srvc=home&position=recent
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__Article: #8__ =a. Title: Australia arrests crew of China Barrier Reef ship= Australian officials have arrested the captain and chief officer of the the Chinese coal ship that crashed into the Great Barrier Reef. (Described in previous article) The captain was charged with being responsible for the damage done to the reef, and the officer was supposedly on watch when the ship crashed. If the two men are found guilty, they will be faced with huge fines and three years in jail. Professionals believe that it will take up to 20 years for the damaged reef to fully recover. It was believed that the ship was taking an illegal shortcut, from Gladstone, Queensland to China. Crews pumped about 1000 tonnes of oil off the crashed ship before it was later refloated and towed away. Officials studied the damaged and announced that the ship's hull left a gash more than 1km long along the reef and leaked a good amount of oil. Also, it is discovered that the paint scarped off the hull was toxic and began to kill off coral. It's horrible to see this kind of thing happen; nature paying for human's accidents and mistakes. It's going to take a long time for this huge tourist attracting reef to heal completely. We need to make sure that this doesn't happen again. Our carelessness is effecting the Earth around us and the creatures in it.
 * b.** Author: not listed
 * c.** Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8619343.stm
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__Article #9__ =a. Title: Australia Tells Doctors to Stop Flu Shot for Children= The Australian government has announced that children aged five years and younger shouldn’t be given seasonal flu vaccines. The reason behind this decision after reports of an excel in fever and convulsions among children in Western Australia. Australia’s medicines regulator is starting an investigation; they have asked for samples to search for problems and abnormalities. There have been twenty-two reports of children overcome with seizures because of high fevers within twelve hours of having their seasonal flu shots. For. now they have stopped distributing their seasonal flu shots for kids in Australia. It's a shame that these kids are having to go through this. The flu shots are supposed to help prevent sicknesses and we need to fix this problem before it gets worse. We must also help get these unlucky kids back to good health. I think Australia should stop distributing the flu shots for now, they need to do a series of tests to find the problem and fix it.
 * b.** Author: Marion Rae
 * c.** Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-23/australia-tells-doctors-to-stop-flu-shot-for-children-update2-.html
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Article #10 =a. Title: Australia burka armed robbery sparks ban debate= Questions have been risen in Australia on whether or not the Islamic burka should be banned after an armed robbery occurred which was carried out by a man wearing a burka. Last week, Belgian politicians voted to ban the full-face veil in public. A man was held at gunpoint in Sydney and was robbed; the man saad that the robber was a man wearing a burka and sunglasses, he could not identify him at all. Many people feel that the burka should be banned, however, they don't have the policy to ban it. They also said they "have always respected people's rights in this area". Belgium's lower house anonymously voted for a law that would ban anyone from wearing any clothing that hides the identity of the wearer. If this law is passed by the country's state, it will be the first of it's kind in Europe and France would most likely do a similar ban.
 * b.** Author: not listed
 * c.** Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8667330.stm
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