Aus Federal Police confirm its officers trained 20 Burmese police in in­telligence gathering; Aidwatch seeks halt to co-operation

The Australian Federal Police confirmed three of its officers trained 20 Burmese police in in­telligence gathering, as the inter­national group Aidwatch warned that such co-operation should be curtailed amid the brutal sup­pression of democracy activists, wrote Craig Skehan in The Sydney Morning Herald (5/10/2007, p.6).

9 October: bogong bomb: fire alarm set off by bogong moths after they flew in the path of a laser beam at Parliament House in Canberra

A Fire alarm at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday may have been set off by bogong moths alter they flew in the path of a laser beam, reported The Daily Telegraph (10/10/2007, p.3).

Water, energy utilities get classified govt computer-modelling to plan for disasters, terror attacks

Banks, telecommunications carriers, energy and water utilities would be given access to classified computer modelling by the government to plan for disasters, wrote Julian Bajkowski in The Australian Financial Review (3/10/2007, p.53).

Water wizards tell Ministers how to ensure enough Murray Darling water for critical needs in 2008-09

The Murray-Darling Basin Dry Inflow Contingency Planning; Overview Report to First Ministers, September 2007 was a report in which the Senior Officials’ Group listed five principles to underpin measures (including the possibility of a reserve) to ensure there is enough water available to run the river and for critical needs in 2008-09.

Eye in the sky: Tiny video cameras, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand attached to tail feathers of 18 crows

Tiny video cameras, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, were attached to the tail feathers of 18 crows. With their lenses pointing out between the legs of the birds, the cameras captured colour footage of the crows foraging for food. The scientists, led by Dr Christian Rutz, from the university’s Depart­ment of Zoology, found that the birds employed a surprisingly wide range of tool materials, including sticks and grass-like stems. One crow used at least three different tools for probing loose material on the ground for about 45 minutes — a foraging technique not observed before, reported The Courier Mail (6/10/2007, p.24).

Jury of 15 to sit on trial of nine men caught in Australia’s biggest anti-terrorism sweep: conspiring “to do acts in preparation of a terrorist act”

NSW was expected to pass legislation allowing an expanded jury of 15 to sit on the trial of nine men caught in Australia’s biggest anti-terrorism sweep, wrote Michael Pelly in The Australian (24/9/2007, p.3).

Squads of heavily armed, anti-terror police now targeting Aus dissent, claims Australia Institute chief

In a recent ‘Quarterly Essay’, David Marr told the disturbing story of the treatment of a number of young men in Sydney who were arrested for events that occurred at the G20 demonstration in Melbourne last year, wrote Clive Hamilton, executive director of the Australia Institute, in The Sydney Morning Herald (7/92007, p.27).

Locals see British forces as ‘defeated’ in Basra, not ‘withdrawing’, says ICG Iraq analysis

Britain had 45,000 troops in Iraq during the invasion and a peak of 18,000 in the occupation, reported The Australian (4/9/2007, p.13).

Vic SOG officers wary of forced-entry raid that led to shooting death, coroner hears

Special Operations Group police officers involved in a dawn raid on a Brooklyn house in 2005 expressed misgivings about the operation before a man was fatally shot in the house, a court heard, reported The Age (13/9/2007, p.9).

Pulp mill but another name: Greens oppose hydrogen peroxide plant in South Australia after German terrorist plot foiled

The developers of South Australia’s controversial $1.5 billion Penola Pulp Mill said they may eventually build a hydrogen peroxide plant on site, reported The Advertiser (7/9/2007, p. 12).

Disturbing, vague police-powers in Aus now endangering democracy, warns Australia Institute chief

More so than ever before in Australia, the police were empowered, if not in law then by implicit political fiat, to interrogate, intimidate and even assault people innocent of any crime but suspected of associating with the wrong people, wrote Clive Hamilton, executive director of the Australia Institute, in The Sydney Morning Herald (7/9/2007, p.26).

Aus legal duty of confidentiality extends to those who “happen to come across” information

In Australia, the law relating to confidential information became well-established over the past 40 years, and it was now settled that a legal duty of confidence was not limited to a person who received information confidentially, reported The Courier Mail (4/9/2007, p.18).