Brisbane Dairies

 Federal MP Warren Entsch is pushing for an accelerated restart of cruises along Australia's eastern coastline to help revive regional economies struggling with the downturn in business since the latest COVID-19 outbreaks. The cruise ship industry has been hit hard since the notorious Ruby Princess was at the centre of one of Australia's largest COVID-19 outbreaks, putting the sector on hold indefinitely. Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-13/push-for-cruise-ships-to-resume-on-east-coast-/100289448

 Queensland's police commissioner has confirmed the ethical standards unit is investigating racist and homophobic comments in a private Facebook group linked to police officers, saying "it frankly beggars belief". Speaking on Tuesday, Commissioner Katarina Carroll said it was "extraordinarily important" that the behaviour was called out early and investigated so that authorities could take action if necessary. The page, named Defend the Blue, had about 3,600 members across the country, including approximately 1,700 current and former Queensland police officers, Ms Carroll said. Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-13/qld-police-investigate-racist-homophobic-facebook-comments/100289770

 Community support has buoyed Brisbane's struggling Polish Club as a critical deadline nears to repay a $150,000 loan and avert the sale of the club's Milton home. More than $90,000 has been fundraised since the club's new management committee put out an urgent call for help three months ago, but the club still needs to raise a further $60,000 by August 5. The new committee of "Polonia", the Polish Association of Queensland, was elected in April following years of dispute between the former committee and some of its members. Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-12/brisbane-polish-club-raises-90k/100286548

 Being a mum and the wife of photographer means I am acutely aware of how much we treasure photos of our family. I also appreciate just how hard it can seem to get nice photos. We shoot our photography sessions on location, which means we either come to your house or meet you somewhere in Brisbane to take the photos. I am frequently asked to recommend a nice location for a client’s session. So I thought I would write a few of our favourites down, along with why we like the location, and a few tips and techniques for your photos. Let us know if you think we’ve left somewhere amazing off the list. Read More: https://www.brisbanekids.com.au/brisbanes-best-locations-for-family-photos/

 It’s time to experience the largest multi-discipline cycling event in the number one cycling destination, Brisbane!   Whether you’re escaping to Brisbane for a little get away or you live and breathe cycling, the Brisbane Cycling Festival has something for everyone.   With an abundance of activity in the city, from 1 – 11 July 2021, you will not be left disappointed.   From major events such as Junior Track National Championships, National Road Series and Tour De Brisbane, to the Festival Village including an Active Lifestyle Expo, live entertainment, Workshops and Activities, the atmosphere in Brisbane will be electric.   Read More: https://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/information/articles/activities/your-guide-to-brisbane-cycling-festival

 You haven't been somewhere if you didn't get a photo, right? So don't miss the opportunity to visit some of Brisbane's most photographic places and capture that epic tourist shot.  Most are easy to get too, even walkable, and others may require a scenic road trip through our stunning Brisbane region – but the journey's half the fun. We've done the hard work for you so you can spend more time snapping and posting your shots to Instagram and sharing them with us at #thisisbrisbane.   Check out our guide to the best places around Brisbane to snap a photo.  Read More: https://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/information/articles/destinations/brisbanes-best-photography-spots

 The Australian government made a rod for its own back with the concept of a post-COVID economic stimulus. Some good ideas with immediate and long-term benefits have been flushed out. Yet they can be overwhelmed by vague thinking, vested interests, and rent-seekers. There are no clearer examples than the calls for a gas-led or a green-led recovery grounded in the possibility of a renaissance of Australian manufacturing. Read more:  https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/a-gas-bubble-cannot-lift-australia-to-manufacturing-recovery-20200812-p55kuf

Despite repeated calls from the Prime Minister and leading health officers, Australians have continued to ignore social distancing rules and head to the beach. But for swimmers in Mackenzies Bay in Sydney’s east, they were embarrassingly caught out by council rangers yesterday. It comes less than a week since thousands of Australians massed on Bondi Beach after strict advice to socially distance themselves from others. The Government announced its disgust at such actions and closed many beaches, including Mackenzies Bay, but that hasn’t stopped some Australians. Read more:  https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/coronavirus-australia-swimming-aussies-caught-out-by-rangers/news-story/a386725c667be21a6fb5f00fecc25c99

Australia has imposed further coronavirus restrictions -- including limiting public gatherings to just two peopl -- even as the rate of daily infections has been cut in half in recent days. The new restrictions require Australians to stay home unless shopping for essentials, exercising, going to work or visiting a doctor, Reuters reports. Those over 70 were told to self-isolate. Read more:  https://www.foxnews.com/world/australia-coronavirus-ban-gatherings-daily-infection-down

Qatar Airways is bucking the global air travel shutdown by increasing flights to Australia despite the coronavirus showing no sign of ending. The Middle Eastern airline announced it has added 28 additional flights to Australia, equivalent to 48,000 additional seats, and launched its first route between Doha and Brisbane. The carrier is now operating three flights a day from Doha to Sydney, two into Melbourne, two into Perth and one daily flight into Brisbane. Its Adelaide and Canberra routes remain suspended. Read more:  https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-qatar-airways-increases-flights-to-australia-new-brisbane-route/3df871d1-d9ca-494a-a148-ff1389807f84

All proposed foreign investments into Australia are to be checked, as the government seeks to protect distressed Australian assets from the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis. The government has not frozen foreign investment, but will subject all foreign investments to an approval review, regardless of the value or the nature of the investment. The Foreign Investment Review Board will extend its review timeframes from 30 days to six months, as it works through the government’s new measures. Read more:  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/29/australian-authorities-to-check-every-proposed-foreign-investment-during-coronavirus-crisis

Australia and New Zealand will ban entry to all non-residents from Friday in a bid to limit the spread of coronavirus. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his nation's order would come into effect from 21:00 on Friday (10:00 GMT). New Zealand's will begin earlier - at midnight local time (11.00 GMT Thursday). The bans do not extend to citizens, permanent residents, or their families. "We have been thinking to align arrangements across the Tasman Sea," Mr Morrison told reporters on Thursday. Read more:  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51957262

Australia needs to dramatically and rapidly broaden its Covid-19 testing regimen to determine the full extent of the disease’s spread through the community, a prominent Australian virologist has said. “If we don’t test, we don’t find,” virologist Dr Ian Mackay told the Guardian. But as the number of cases across the country reached 415, with five deaths, and the World Health Organisation urging all countries to “test, test, test”, Australia is facing a looming shortage of testing kits, with critical reagents – used to isolate the virus in the laboratory – running short around the world. The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, indicated the government was working to rectify the testing shortfall. Read more:  http://theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/17/australia-must-dramatically-expand-its-coronavirus-testing-regime-leading-virologist-says

US President Donald Trump is contemplating breaking Australia's monopoly on a coveted work visa. Ireland has aggressively lobbied the White House to open up the E3 visa category to its citizens. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar visited the White House on Thursday and Trump told reporters the E3 was high on the agenda. "We're going to be talking about that today," Trump said. Read more:  https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/north-america/trump-eyes-breaking-australia-s-monopoly-on-a-coveted-e3-us-visa-20200313-p549ne.html

Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson won't take part in Friday's one-day international against New Zealand due to a sore throat and will be separated from teammates. It comes after it emerged earlier on Friday that Australia's male players were apprehensive about playing in front of crowds with Cricket Australia announcing fans would be locked out of the men's one-day international series against New Zealand as part of measures to deal with the coronavirus. Read more:  https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/cricket/australia-new-zealand-odi-to-be-played-in-closed-scg-20200313-p549ow.html

Australia should immediately close schools and cancel mass events, the federal opposition has said, arguing the “public health emergency” requires urgent, even “draconion” action. Shadow cabinet minister Bill Shorten said Australia needed to implement social distancing “not in weeks and months but in days”. “The only way to make sure this pandemic is not worse than it otherwise could be is to have more drastic social distancing measures,” he told Sky News. Read more:  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/12/coronavirus-australia-labor-calls-for-mass-events-to-be-cancelled-and-schools-closed

Concerns about the coronavirus and the capacity of governments, particularly the Trump administration, to deliver timely stimulus have triggered a fresh dive on the Australian stock market amid renewed speculation the economy is heading into recession. Australia’s confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 122 on Wednesday, with 10 new cases reported by state health officials across the country. With infections growing, and Australia still attempting to contain community transmissions, the Morrison government also extended the travel ban to Italy, effective from 6pm. Travel bans are already in place for travellers from China, Iran and South Korea. Read  more:  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/11/australias-stock-market-takes-fresh-dive-as-coronavirus-cases-rise-to-122

A representative of Australia's top medical body has slammed the state and federal governments for their "frustrating and confusing" response to the coronavirus. Australian Medical Association NSW vice president Danielle McMullen said on Wednesday that necessary information has not been provided to local GPs since the outbreak started. "There hasn't been a coordinated communications strategy," she told SBS News. Read more:  https://www.sbs.com.au/news/groundswell-of-concern-among-doctors-over-australia-s-frustrating-coronavirus-response

Scott Morrison has sidestepped a question about whether changes to a spreadsheet of sports grants on 10 and 11 April last year – including a change sought by his own office – were made with proper legal authority. The former sports minister Bridget McKenzie reignited the sports rorts controversy late last week by insisting she made no changes to the brief and attachments outlining successful projects funded under the sports grants scheme after 4 April 2019. Read more:  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/11/sports-rorts-scott-morrison-sidesteps-question-about-late-changes-to-spreadsheet

'The Test', released on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, gives unprecedented access to the men in baggy green caps as they sought to rebuild their reputation following the ball-tampering scandal. From an English perspective, seeing Australian players' view of the World Cup win, Jofra Archer's duel with Steve Smith and Ben Stokes' Headingley heroics not only stirs fond memories, it also gives a rare peek behind enemy lines. Read more:  https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/51756397