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Australia news live update: Australia joins diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics; Morrison says Christensen should retire ‘quietly’ Australia news live update: diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics confirmed; Morrison says Christensen should retire ‘quietly’
(32 minutes later)
Five people on board a Sydney Harbour cruise on Friday night have tested positive to Covid, with two likely the new variant. Follow all the day’s newsFive people on board a Sydney Harbour cruise on Friday night have tested positive to Covid, with two likely the new variant. Follow all the day’s news
Here is the clip of Scott Morrison discussing George Christensen that I mentioned earlier.
Shayna Jack is on the verge of returning to competitive swimming after serving her two-year drug ban. Jack has entered five events at the Queensland state championships in Brisbane which start on Saturday and her first competitive swim will be on Monday in a heat of the 100m freestyle.
The 23-year-old has also entered the 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 1,500m freestyle and 50m butterfly. Jack was initially banned for four years after testing positive to Ligandrol on 26 June 2019, almost three weeks before the world championships in South Korea.
The Queenslander appealed her ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which reduced her suspension to two years, finding Jack did not knowingly ingest the substance.
You can read the full report below:
Big battery news for Melbourne:
Junkee Media, publishers of youth website Junkee, has been bought by the RACAT Group, a digital publishing business headed by media entrepreneur Piers Grove, one of the men behind the Betoota Advocate.Junkee Media, publishers of youth website Junkee, has been bought by the RACAT Group, a digital publishing business headed by media entrepreneur Piers Grove, one of the men behind the Betoota Advocate.
“It will be a huge thrill and responsibility to lead Junkee in the months and years to come,” Grove said. “Our mission at RACAT is to own and operate media companies that in one way or another add something to our world and Junkee does exactly that.“It will be a huge thrill and responsibility to lead Junkee in the months and years to come,” Grove said. “Our mission at RACAT is to own and operate media companies that in one way or another add something to our world and Junkee does exactly that.
“We are huge fans of Junkee’s brands, its loyal audiences and the huge array of content it delivers every day. We value the exceptional team that make Junkee the go-to news and entertainment source for millions of young Australians every month.
RACAT’s portfolio includes Australian Geographic, game developer and publisher Runaway Play as well as Northern Pictures, the production company behind TV shows Love on the Spectrum, Hardball and Lukewarm Sex.RACAT’s portfolio includes Australian Geographic, game developer and publisher Runaway Play as well as Northern Pictures, the production company behind TV shows Love on the Spectrum, Hardball and Lukewarm Sex.
Junkee Media was bought for $11m in 2016 by Out of Home media company oOh!.Junkee Media was bought for $11m in 2016 by Out of Home media company oOh!.
All editorial and sales staff will move across to the new owners.All editorial and sales staff will move across to the new owners.
Reporter:Reporter:
Morrison:Morrison:
OK, we are jumping around a bit, but the prime minister has been asked about the National MP George Christensen’s appearance on the InfoWars webcast.OK, we are jumping around a bit, but the prime minister has been asked about the National MP George Christensen’s appearance on the InfoWars webcast.
Christensen has already announced he will not contest the next election and the prime minister said he “should quietly go into retirement.”Christensen has already announced he will not contest the next election and the prime minister said he “should quietly go into retirement.”
Reporter:Reporter:
Morrison:Morrison:
Reporter:Reporter:
Morrison:Morrison:
Morrison says that any further economic or political sanctions from the Chinese government in response to Australia’s diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games would be “utterly unacceptable”.Morrison says that any further economic or political sanctions from the Chinese government in response to Australia’s diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games would be “utterly unacceptable”.
OK we are back to the evergreen topic of if former premier of Gladys Berejiklian (and current subject of an ongoing Icac investigation) would be supported in a run at the federal seat of Warringah.
And the prime minister is all in:
Morrison:
But don’t worry, Morrison is being very careful not to peeve the International Olympic Committee too much. We wouldn’t want to endanger our 2032 Games now, would we!
Morrison:
Morrison has confirmed that Australia will follow the US’s lead in imposing a diplomatic boycott on the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
Australia’s athletes will attend, however:
Morrison:
Morrison is speaking today about the Coalition’s new proposed anti-trolling legislation. It’s a little complicated but if you want to quickly get up to speed you can check out our TikTok explainer below.
Prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking now.
A Queensland police officer is in a stable condition after he was deliberately hit by a stolen car he was trying to pull over in southern Brisbane, reports AAP’s Marty Silk.
Police say the officer had been conducting random speed checks on Orange Grove Road in Salisbury at about 6.30am.
When he stepped on to the road to flag down a car, the vehicle was allegedly steered towards him and struck him.
The officer is in a stable condition and undergoing medical assessment.
The alleged car drove off and was found a short time later abandoned on Eaton Place in Wishart.
Police are calling for anyone who saw a white Mercedes sedan in the Wishart area between 6.40am and 6.50am to contact them.
Melbourne institution Cherry Bar shuttered its doors for the first time in its history over the weekend as fallout from hospitality staffing shortages continue.
“I made a call I never had to make in 15 years and said ‘We can’t open because we don’t have any staff’,” rock promoter James Young said. “We had to close the fucking doors.”
The live music venue was due to hold a showcase event on Sunday with rock trio Cross Bones Boogie. But Young took to social media on the weekend to announce the band would be rescheduled.
“Everyone worked too hard and too late last night,” he wrote on Facebook. “Staffing is a real issue in hospitality at the moment … this has never happened ever before.”
You can read the full report below: