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Theatre| Love’s Labours LostKen Longworth

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

UNDER OATH: From left, Elyse Keller, Robert Lewis, Liam Walsh, Adam Hall and Alex Simpson, in Love’s Labours Lost.WILLIAM Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labours Lost starts with a young new king telling his trio of same age male attendants that as he is still studying he has taken an oath not to have the company of women for the three remaining years of his scholarship. And he wants them to make the same pledge.

While the men reluctantly obey his command, the almost immediate arrival of the attractive young princess of neighbouring France, accompanied by an entourage which includes three beautiful ladies-in-waiting, puts the four oath-givers to the test while the two royals discuss matters that affect both their kingdoms.

All manner of ruses are tried to get around the pledges, with the men and women constantly finding themselves in awkward situations. And their furtive actions raise problems for the relationship between the king’s country, Navarre, and France.

Maitland Repertory’s Reamus Youth Theatre is staging Love’s Labours Lost as its annual Shakespeare production, opening on August 11. The production has a cast of 15, aged 16 to 25, who will wear contemporary clothes to show the timelessness of the people and their behaviour.

Director Joanne McAndrews said that as well as having to deliver bright comedy, much of which is in verse, cast members also voice amusing songs.

Alex Simpson, who plays Berowne, one of the king’s friends, who is described by another character as “a merry madcap lord”, sees him as a joker and more readily dressing up as a Russian in one disguise scene than his compatriots. While he is virtually the king’s right-hand man, he is sceptical about the feasibility of the woman-free vow.

Elyse Keller, as the Princess, whose name is never revealed, said she is very authoritative, but also has a funny side, teasing the men, much to their irritation.

They increasingly think they have found true love, coming closer to her ladies-in-waiting as the visit is extended because of negotiation difficulties.

Several of the male roles are being played by girls, with Milly Lambert as Boyet, a gossipy French lord who advises the Princess, and is quick to see that the young men have fallen for the ladies.

The cast also includes Robert Lewis, Adam Hall, Liam Walsh, Sara Barlow, Lara Butler, Ashlyn Horder, Billy Sullivan, Ashlee Brown, Isabelle Moy, Meg O’Hara, Millie Chorlton, and Jenny Grigg.

Love’s Labours Lost can be seen at Maitland Repertory Theatre, in High Street, Maitland, from August 11 to 26, with Friday and Saturday shows at 8pm, and Sunday matinees at 2pm on August 13 and 20. Tickets: $17.

Bookings: 4931 2800, maitlandreptheatre苏州模特佳丽招聘.

Sparkling Sydney is a whale of a time

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Sticking his neck out to enjoy the view.Even on the dullest of days, Sydney Harbour invigorates the soul, providing among the world’s most spectacular vistas.

When dawn cracks on a still, clear winter’s day you know that the harbour and its immediate surrounds are going to provide a real treat — that you should engage in that totally futile exercise of trying to make time stand still.

We were checking Captain Cook Cruises’ new combo offer that consists of a ferry trip on the excellent hop-on hop-off Sydney Harbour Explorer from Darling Harbour or Circular Quay to Taronga Park, a ride to the top of the zoo on the cable-car for a morning pretty much of doing whatever you’d like, followed by a whale-watching cruise, mostly outside Sydney Heads, in the afternoon.

The only real problem I can see with the arrangement is that you only have time for a taste of the zoo, and that you really need a couple of days there to take it all in, to see all the animals and attend most of the lectures and the shows.

The best approach is to work out in advance a few things that you want to do with your morning, stick to that plan and, above all, don’t attempt too much. Relax, take your time and involve yourself with a few animals rather than try to see the lot.

Just so swift, strong, agile and willing to be genuinely funny.

We spent quite a bit of time watching giraffes and, by the time we’d got seats, probably an hour or so watching the seal show. What a blast those guys are — just so swift, strong, agile and willing to be genuinely funny.

All in all, our apparent shortage of animal time may be explained by our choice to spend an hour or so having lunch at The View, the zoo’s classy restaurant, which certainly has one of the best outlooks in Sydney, with stunning harbour and city panoramas.

The top address in town … looking from Taronga Park to theharbour and the city.

And it has food to match the view, especially a shared entrée of spicy spanner-crab cakes that were served with tomato salsa and a smoky paprika aioli. Absolutely delicious.

My main course of a 200-gram sirloin steak, cooked perfectly to medium-rare, suffered only from chips that were a tad of the greasy side. The Woman with Altitude’s other entrée-cum-main-course of chicken-liver paté, with a bit of salad and chutney, was exactly what she was looking for before an afternoon on the real ocean.

And, boy, did those whales turn it on for us and 40-50 other tourists seeking a dose of cetacean action.

Time to go … but only for a few minutes.

It took only a few minutes outside the heads before the first holler of “tharshe blows” and pretty soon there were humpbacks of both sides of the boat, not very far away and obviously keen to impress.

They seemed quite aware that people were there to watch them and they obviously didn’t want to disappoint, turning on a fine display of breaching and tail-slapping.

The rules are fairly simple. Vessels can approach within a range of a couple of hundred metres, but that doesn’t stop whales from choosing to come much closer than that, in which the case vessels must remain as still as possible.

‘Thar she blows’ … cetacean action just outside the heads.

It was only when a much smaller, speedier boat clearly breached those rules, that the whales seemed to become a bit skittish.

Captain Cook offers guests a guarantee of a free cruise if they return without having seen a whale, but there was absolutely no chance of anyone claiming that benefit this day.

Visit www.captaincook苏州夜总会招聘.auand taronga苏州模特佳丽招聘.au/taronga-zoo

John was a guest of Captain Cook Cruises and Taronga Zoo

Gary Lawless, his horse Red and the day he met John Farnham

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

A man’s friendship with a great horse Best Mates: Gary Lawless and his horse Red, which recently passed away.

TweetFacebookA Rocking HorseGary told us about his horse Red, while contributing to the recent Topics theme of brushes with fame.

John Farnham singing with Little River Band at Bathurst in 1983.

Gary met singer and Aussie legend John Farnham at Tamworth in 2007, while attending the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity.

“I have been involved with horses for many years and, at the time, I was secretary of the Hunter Valley Cutting Horse Club. While I was never a successful competitor, I loved the sport and the camaraderie among the cutting horse fraternity,” Gary said.

“I have had to stop riding as I get older (to preserve both my body and my dignity), but I am still involved with horses to some degree.”

The futurity is an annual event that attracts horses and riders from across to compete for prize money and trophies.

“I was watching events near the warm-up area. John Farnham,along with other competitors, was getting ready for his competition run in the non-professionalclass,” Gary said.

Gary is not much of a music fan, but he was aware of the singer and his “enormous contribution to the music industry”.

John Farnham at Tamworth in 2007.

“He was then and still is, very popular, and I knew that he was regarded as a nice guy in the industry,” he said.

“As I was watching anevent, John stopped his horse next to me. Without any hesitation, he reached down for a handshake.”

With a smile, the singer said: “Hi, I’m John Farnham, how are you enjoying the futurity?”

“I was slightly gobsmacked to say the leastbut, after introductions, we got to talking about his horse’s chances in the coming eventand the level of competition he faced,” Gary said.

“He admitted to being a bit nervous about his run, which surprised me considering he regularly performed to thousands of people at his concerts.

“We spoke for a few more minutes, before he was due in the arena for his run.I stayed to watch with interest.”

John didn’t take home the trophy,but Gary saidhe was pretty handy on a horse.

“His novice horse made a few mistakes, which cost him winning points,” he said.

“I was impressed with John’s pleasant demeanourand his friendly and open personality. Later that night at the event party, he moved among the people there with a smile and a word for those whowanted autographs. He even sang a few numbers with the local band.

“While he certainly wouldn’t remember me amongst the multitude he spoke to that day, I certainly remember him. Helived up to his reputation as a slightly cheeky, friendlyand approachable celebrity.

“As my mum would say:‘He’s just a nice man’.”

Horsing AroundQ: How do you make a small fortune in the horse industry? A: Start with a large fortune.

If only Nathan Tinkler had known.

[email protected]苏州夜总会招聘.au

Got Your Back Sista to host anti-domestic violence event at Newcastle Knights vs New Zealand Warriors NRL game

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

End the silence: Got Your Back Sista founder Melissa Histon, front at left, with anti-domestic violence advocates Helen Cummings, Scott Williams and Clint Newton plus event supporters. Picture: Jonathan CarrollADVOCATES fighting domestic violence are bringing their awareness campaign to one of the region’s most patronised and sacred settings: a Newcastle Knights home game.

Charity Got Your Back Sista has partnered with the Knights to bring its message to a wider audience, at half-time in the August 5 game against the New Zealand Warriors.

Charity founder Melissa Histon said she expected more than 250 people to register to wear “Say no”shirts and march onto the field while Rachel Platten’s song Stand By You accompanies a video showing community and business leaders standing up against abuse.

“In terms of promoting this message to a bigger audience, this is a wonderful platform to go from reaching a couple of hundred people to thousands,” Ms Histon said.

The event follows the charity’s 1000 People, 1 Voice event at the then Hunter Stadium last September, which raised funds to go towards projects creating more beds for women who have fled abuse.

“We had women come last year who were in abusive relationships and said ‘I want to feel empowered and like my community is with me’,” she said.

“One woman was even getting abusive text messages and calls while she was at the event.”

Ms Histon said tying this year’s event to a Knights game provided the charity with a “much bigger stage” from which to encourage awareness and discussion about the often hidden crime.

Participants on the field will hold banners that say “People of the Hunter and your local club say no to domestic violence”on one side and “Yes to ending the silence”on the other side.

The crowd will be asked to join in and hold up the distributed banners in response to questions.

“This says ‘What you’re experiencing is not OK, it’snot acceptable and we stand behind you to reach out and ask for help,” she said.

“It puts the issue directly in front of people so they can reach out and say ‘I’m experiencing this but the community is behind me and I am not alone’.

“It’s also about saying ‘This is happening around us and we can’t ignore it’.”

Got Your Back Sista has collected and raised more than $53,000 to provide furniture, household items and store vouchers to women who have fled violence to set up their own home. It has also established a workshop and mentoring program called Rise Up and Thrive this year, thanks to a $20,000 grant from Aurizon.

Women aged 19 to 55 have participated in the workshops coveringhealthy relationships, mindfulness, improving self esteem, changing negative mindsets and money management.

Ms Histon said matching the women with a positive role model had been well received.

“These women want a friend to give them motivation and drive their direction to achieve,” she said.“But some have been excluded from their family and friends so long they just want someone to have a cup of tea with – a big sister.”

To be part of the August 5 on-field event, participants need to be game ticket-holders, make a $20 donation that gets you a t-shirt, and register online at mycause苏州夜总会招聘.au/events/gybsknights. The Newcastle Herald is a supporter.

Will Dyson and Ella Cox reflect on World Championship of Performing Arts win

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

In action: Will Dyson and Ella Cox show some moves on their home turf in East Maitland. Picture: Jonathan CarrollBest mates Ella Cox and Will Dyson are on top of the world, but they have their sights set on new challenges.

Will Dyson, junior world champion dancer.Champions: Will Dyson, 12, and Ella Cox, 10, won a major prize at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Las Angeles. Picture: Supplied

Will Dyson with his mum Jeannie Dyson and Ella Cox with her mum Lisa Phillips.

Ella Cox and Will Dyson with Premiere Studios principal Kahlia Mehmet Smith.

Ella Cox and Will Dyson in action.

Will Dyson with some of the awards he has collected during his dancing career so far.

TweetFacebook Hunter represented at World Championship of Performing ArtsWill Dyson, 12, and Ella Cox, 10, won a major prize at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Las Angeles. Pictures: Supplied“[Dancing] has always been a part of me –I just love it.”

The young duo is now busy in the studio preparing for their next venture–possibly The Dance Awards in Orlando, Florida. And theyare welcoming the challenge.

“That’s a very hard competition,” Will said.

“I’d rather come second or highly commended in a section that was very good than come first in a section that wasn’t great.”

When it came to desire for a challenge, Ella was on the same page as her partner.

“I’d rather have more competition than win all the time,” shesaid.

Ella Cox and Will Dyson in full flight. Picture: Jonathan Carroll

“If you win all the time, there’s nothing challenging you – and you need a challenge because then you work harder.”

The pair trains at least four times a week at Premiere Studios, Tuggerah.

ChoreographerTyson Almond worked closely with them in the lead-up to the competition.

The Central Coast studio was represented in the grand final of all four categories at the world championships, with The Premiere Dream Team in the senior dance group division, Jessica Maher in the senior dance solo category and Zali Gunther in the junior dance section.

The event attracted entrants from more than 40 countries.

Alleged sex predator Peter Scully to escape Philippines death penalty if convicted

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

People ride past the Cagayan De Oro City Jail where n man Peter Scully is being held. Peter Scully has been charged with child sex abuse and human trafficking crimes. Cagayan De Oro, Mindanao Island, Philippines. 19th September, 2016. Photo: Kate Geraghty Photo: Kate GeraghtyAlleged n child sex predator Peter Scully will escape the death penalty if convicted despite what police say were the most shocking cases of child murder, torture and abuse they have ever seen in the Philippines.

Lawmakers have excluded Scully’s alleged crimes from a death penalty bill that has passed in the country’s parliament 216 votes to 54.

The bill reintroduces the death penalty which was abolished in 2006 but only for eight heinous drug-related offences.

Prominent politicians in Manila and prosecutors had argued for the bill to cover offences Scully faces, including directing “dark web” videos that showed horrific acts to children and babies.

Senior police officers and prosecutors wept when they viewed one video called ‘Daisy’s Destruction’ that Scully allegedly sold on the internet showing an 18-month-old girl being sexually assaulted while being tied upside down by the legs.

Scully is also alleged to have sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl before strangling her and burying her body in a grave under a house he was renting.

Lawmakers supporting Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly crackdown on drugs agreed to drop the crimes of rape, treason and plunder from the list of those punishable by death to allow smoother passage of the bill through parliament.

Capital punishment is strongly opposed by the Catholic Church, the most influential institution in the Philippines.

Pantaleon Alvarez, the speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, last month cited Scully’s case while arguing against watering down the legislation.

“Have you watched the news about the paedophile? If you were in that situation, would you have wanted this kind of person alive ??? even though they abused a one-year-old child?” he said.

Ruby Malanog, one of two lawyers prosecuting Scully, told Fairfax Media that the alleged acts were “the most devastating thing I have ever seen.”

“I cried when I was watching them ??? in fact I feel like crying just now while talking about it,” she said.

The bill will now go to the Senate for final approval while opposition lawmakers have said they will challenge it in the Supreme Court.

But the maximum penalty that 53-year-old Scully can now receive is multiple terms of life imprisonment at the conclusion of his trial in a court in the southern Philippines that is expected to take years before reaching a verdict.

Scully is contesting 75 charges, including human trafficking, putting his alleged victims through the ordeal of testifying in court, despite repeatedly tell Philippine media he was “remorseful” for what he had done to children.

Eight girl victims up to the age of 13 at the time of the offences are being held in witness protection.

Social workers say they are deeply traumatised.

Scully, a former Melbourne businessman, fled in 2011 to escape fraud charges.

According to police he became a cyber child-porn kingpin in the Philippines, selling videos to internet clients around the world for $10,000.

Videos seized by police allegedly showed Scully abusing children for his own self gratification.

He allegedly kept two teenage girls hostage for weeks and tortured and raped them before making them dig their own graves.

The girls managed to escape, police say.

Philippine authorities said in January they suspected Scully had been running his cyber-pornography business from his jail cell, prompting a police investigation.

Officers at the jail on the outskirts of the city of Cagayan de Oro told Fairfax Media last year that Scully was a troublesome prisoner who often demanded special privileges, including made-to-order meals and a mobile phone.

Appearing in court wearing a yellow prison T-shirt and runners, Scully refused to comment to Fairfax Media but laughed and joked with other prisoners.

Amnesty International described the restoration of the death penalty as a “dangerous path in flagrant violation” of the Philippines’ international legal obligations.

President Duterte’s majority coalition pushed to restore it as part of his drugs crackdown has left almost 8,000 people dead, many of them from what human rights groups describe as extra-judicial killings.

“The idea that the death penalty will rid the country of drugs is simply wrong,” said Champa Patel, Amnesty’s International director for south-east Asia and the Pacific.

“The Senate is now the Philippines’ last real hope of upholding its international obligations and rescuing the country from this backward step.”

Fairfax Media

Cut the buzz, Guthrie and tell us what this means for ABC viewers

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Michelle GuthrieBoss Dec/Jan Photo: Peter BraigAn extra $50 million for ABC content. Eighty new jobs in rural and regional . Who could argue with that?

The staff facing retrenchment – up to 200, gone by June – might have a few complaints.

On Tuesday, ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie revealed a grand restructure of ‘s national broadcaster. Management and support roles will be slashed. (Though she focused on these cuts, up to 70 production workers on programs including 7.30 and Foreign Correspondent are also facing the axe.) The savings, Guthrie said, will be invested in “content creation”.

Some staff insist life would be easier without a conga line of managers above them. But often, “cutting support” creates huge technical and administrative headaches. Computer’s crashed? That’s one hour wasted, on hold to an overseas call centre, all in the name of “efficiency”.

A bigger concern is the lack of detail in Guthrie’s address to staff.

She acknowledged the ABC’s reach on TV and radio is declining: “We have significant audience gaps: socially, culturally and geographically. This means we’re falling short of properly and effectively representing – in our employees, content and audience impact – the modern in which we live.”

According to the ABC’s latest annual report, almost seven in 10 n use its TV, radio or online services each week. Almost nine in 10 say it performs a valuable role, and eight in 10 believe ABC television is of good quality. (Fewer than half say the same of commercial TV).

As both The Guardian and The Monthly have reported, Guthrie wants the national broadcaster to reach 100 per cent of ns. At first blush, it sounds noble. But what would this actually look like?

Some clues can be found in the press release for the $50 million content fund. Ideas from staff are welcome. As is “distinctive content that reflects n life”, and “specialist genres”. (This might raise a few eyebrows in Radio National, following the recent axing of several specialist programs.)

Topping the list, however, are two goals: increasing the ABC’s reach, and attracting people who aren’t regular ABC users.

Frustratingly, Guthrie didn’t specify how this might be achieved. No examples of which ABC programs are already doing this well (or other media outlets).

I know it’s early days. There’s talk of “collaboration”, “innovation” and even “interlocking initiatives”. (Guthrie is a former Google executive, which explains the buzzwords.) Still, a number of questions obtrude themselves.

How does the ABC get 100 per cent of ns to use its services? More reality TV in prime time? More fashion and lifestyle articles online? A top 40 radio station, to compete with the Nova and the Hit networks?

If so, what’s the point of competing with content that’s already abundant and free?

Focusing on new platforms is another option. Guthrie has already suggested News Corp and Fairfax could use its stories. How would this work in practice?

Guthrie told staff the ABC risks irrelevancy if it doesn’t change. This is true – of all mainstream media outlets. But it’s one thing to go after new audiences, and another to risk the reputation of your flagship programs.

Consider Four Corners: a public service as much as it is a TV show. Worryingly, Guthrie is reported as suggesting it “be kinder to business”, and balance the heartbreaking stories of children stranded on Nauru with happier tales. (As one staffer explained, happy Nauru youngsters are hard to find.) And how can the quality of key news and current affairs shows be maintained with the loss of so many production staff?

“We need to expand digital storytelling in news and take a fresh look at bolstering key genres like the arts, science, business and sport,” Guthrie added. This sounds encouraging, what does it mean, in practical terms?

As she acknowledged, the ABC is a “trusted, much loved and treasured n institution; our audiences and the broader community appreciate the critical role [it] plays in the fabric of everyday life.” iFrameResize({resizedCallback : function(messageData){}},’#pez_iframe_196′);

Guthrie is also correct to assert that its Charter – while vital – can be used as an excuse to oppose every change.

Over the next few days, she and her team will meet with staff around the country. Those workers tell Fairfax Media they’re keen for concrete details. So are the the taxpayers. Especially the 16 million already using the ABC every week.

[email protected]苏州夜总会招聘.au

Twitter: @Michael_Lallo

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo apologises for insensitive statement

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo has apologised for spruiking increased flights between and Indonesia on the 10th anniversary of the fatal Garuda crash which claimed the lives of 21 people, including five ns.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Ciobo held a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Jakarta with the chief executive officer of Garuda Indonesia to announce a 13 per cent increase in flights between Indonesia and .

The announcement came on the 10th anniversary of the Garuda plane crash in 2007 which claimed the lives of the respected n diplomat Elizabeth O’Neill, AusAid officer Allison Sudradjat, federal police officers Brice Steele and Mark Scott, and the n Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish. Many more were injured.

The ns were travelling to Yogyakarta for the visit by the then foreign minister Alexander Downer, who was travelling separately.

Senior Canberra press gallery journalist Philip Coorey condemned the government’s decision to announce the boost in flights on the anniversary of crash.

“10 years ago today, Garuda pilot Marwoto Komar, flying way too fast, rammed his plane into the runway,” Coorey said in a post on his professional Facebook page.

“It bounced three times before stopping in a rice paddy and bursting into flames, killing 21 and maiming dozens more people, including n federal police, journalists and departmental staff.

“The pilot was subsequently and inexplicably cleared by Indo courts. We lost friends and colleagues and others were terribly injured. So what does the government do? While Turnbull is in Jakarta marking the event, it releases this,” he said. Mr Ciobo said in a subsequent statement and a tweet: “I apologise for the insensitivity of an announcement today – a day when we should be remembering those killed and injured 10 years ago.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is also in Jakarta for the Indian Ocean Rim leaders summit, has laid a wreath in memory of the n victims.

Anti-vaxxer movement using tried and true methods to instil fear and doubt

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

They congregate on social media, challenging facts and muddying evidence, until everything comes with a question mark.

The methods are tried and true: joining vulnerable groups where the uncertain look for validation and guidance and gradually taking over with the incessant use of words such as “choice”, “alternative” and “education”; lobbying those in power with emotive and personal stories; and mobilising against any perceived threat by attacking and removing the questioners while shaming the non-believers.

‘s anti-vaccine movement, known as anti-vaxxers, has been very effective in spreading their scientifically debunked messages. Harvesting the power and reach of the internet, they use guerrilla social media techniques to skew what the medical community does not even consider a debate.

But the anti-vaxxer movement, led in by crusaders such as Meryl Dorey, who started the n Vaccination-Sceptics Network, Tasha David, who has picked up the mantle, Narelle Chenery, a past president of the Vaccine Information Service, and a range of other alternative health providers, began waging a war before the science and medical communities even realised there was a battle.

Most recently, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson brought the anti-vaxxer cause into the mainstream, raising discredited research linking vaccines to autism. Her interview on Sunday was not the first time Senator Hanson had spruiked the anti-vaccination message, having previously raised it in interviews in January last year.

Facing almost universal condemnation from politicians, the medical and scientific communities, and parents who had lost children to vaccine-preventable diseases, Senator Hanson later backtracked and said she was only expressing her own personal views.

But Bronwyn Harman, a researcher at Edith Cowan University who studies the anti-vaccination movement, recognised the language Senator Hanson used, particularly when she likened the “No Jab, No Pay” policy – which links family benefit payments to vaccinations – to “government blackmail”. The policy was introduced at the beginning of 2016 and has led to an increase in childhood vaccination rates.

When Dr Harman heard the One Nation leader’s comments about vaccination, the phrase “blackmail” leapt out as one of the key phrases used by people within the anti-vaccination movement.

“That’s not a coincidence of language at all,” Dr Harman said.

The anti-vaccination movement seized on the No Jab, No Pay policy last year, switching the language it used to highlight the lack of choice it offered parents. Where once health risks were raised as the main reason for concern, now freedom of choice is held up as the reason for the movement.

The n Vaccination-Sceptics Network, which the n Competition and Consumer Commission forced to add “sceptics” to its name, promotes itself as pro-choice. So does the Vaccine Information Service, which uses government logos on its website, while pushing an anti-vaccine agenda labelled “informing choice”.

Both sites pop up as one of the top options, along with Judy Wilyman’s website Vaccination’s Decisions, after a Google search of ” vaccines”. Harnessing search engine optimisation is another weapon in the anti-vaxxer arsenal, along with targeting mother’s groups and alternative health practitioners.

It is also incredibly organised and can quickly mobilise against a particular target. Talkback stations which have aired stories or discussions about the issue report an influx of subsequent calls from people questioning vaccinations, while politicians and public figures, including bereaved parents whose child died of a vaccine-preventable disease and who speak out on the importance of immunisation, have also reported falling foul of the anti-vaccination movement.

Most of the work is conducted within closed Facebook groups, where non-believers are rooted out and expelled, in an effort to protect the movement.

The names of journalists and bloggers who question the work of the movement, or disparage it, are shared on websites and among followers, as people to avoid.

The AVN offers a “buddy service”, where believers are paired with parents attending doctor appointments, “so you don’t get bullied into vaccinating against your will”. It has also joined forces with international groups, where the movement has gained greater traction and actively lobbies politicians.

“The anti-vaxxer cause have knocked on most politicians’ doors,” said Peta Credin, Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff. “And most politicians have seen through it and dealt with it with medical fact.”

Professor Brian Owler, a former president of the n Medical Association and a board member of Autism Awareness , said the consequences of not countering claims put forward by the anti-vaccination movement are too dangerous.

“You’ve only got to see the stuff on the internet to know this is the stuff of conspiracy theories. It’s really dangerous if we allow this stuff to go unchallenged. You have to educate every new group of parents. It’s a constant message that needs to come out.”

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[email protected]: France shows up US on election volatility

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

The ASX 200 is set for a fairly flat open as the market waits on the US central bank’s policy statement and revised rate outlook and election results from the Netherlands. All is not well in French politics

All is not well in French politics

1. Sacr?? bleu: It was the night before the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates and all is not well in French politics. In fact, France is showing the US up in terms of twists and controversies in the lead up to their election, with reports now saying Marine Le Pen’s family assets were being investigated by the French tax office. At the same time Francois Fillon has been formally charged under a number of counts of embezzlement and you have to think his chances are slim at best.

The betting markets still have Emmanuel Macron as strong favourite with a 58% probability of taking out the election, but Marine Le Pen has seen a bit of money back her camp and she moves up a touch to 30.7% (source: Oddschecker). Her odds perhaps helped by a new poll conducted by IFOP that puts her just ahead of Macron to take out the first round of votes. This shouldn’t surprise too greatly and it’s the second round run-off where analysts feel Macron will win by a fairly healthy margin. French financial assets have seen some stress, but nothing too concerning.

2. Oil: All is not well in the oil market either, with oil closing down for a seventh straight day, although well off the lows of the session. There had been some confusion over increased production data from the Saudi’s, but this was cleared up in headlines detailing that this noted extra production in February was said to go to domestic storage and was not raising supply on the international markets. There has also been some focus on a survey from S&P Global Platts who detailed that Iraq have been the least compliant country (with regards to adhering to the November agreement on output cuts) and are running production around 91,000 barrels a day above its allocation. The issue here, it seems, is Iraq’s interpretation of the output quotas may be somewhat different from other nations and see the agreed cuts based on exports, as opposed to actual production.

Any view that this plays into tensions within the cartel and a more fragmented group could really hurt the oil market.

Technically, US crude has hit the double top target, so it will be interesting to watch what happens from here, but I feel that the 25 May OPEC meeting in Vienna is shaping up to be a critical stage for the oil market and if traders and investors get a concerted belief that the output cuts will not be rolled over into the second half of the year then the near record level of net long contracts (held on NYMEX crude futures by traders and investors) could be unwound rather quickly.

3. Stocks: Despite buying off the lows it hasn’t really helped sentiment towards the US listed oil plays and the energy sector is lower by 1.3%. In fact, we can see fairly broad-based losses in the S&P 500, with 74% of stocks lower on the day, although volumes are again very light. There has been some hedging of equity positioning ahead of tonight’s FOMC meet with the US volatility index up 10% although at 12.5% is hardly thematic of an equity market expecting a break out in volatility, unfortunately for the short-term traders out there. It’s quite poignant to say today was the 105th trading session since the last 1% sell-off in the S&P 500 – the longest run since December 1995.

4. Greenback: We have seen the USD index gain 0.4% on the session, despite some buying in US fixed income. Where the USD trades in the next 24 hours is the subject of much debate and the event risk ramps up from here and we come to the business end of the week. The headlines have already started rolling in around comments from US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer speaking at his first Senate hearing. Naturally his comments have focused on global trade, but he has opened up the debate again on the US’s stance on whether China is a currency manipulator. Over the next two days we will get a barrage of headlines around the Trump administration, so traders will be keeping a close eye on that.

5. Data: We also get US inflation and retail sales (23:30 AEDT) and the first results from the Dutch elections (expected at 07:40 AEDT tomorrow), but the only game in town right now is Fed meeting and just how optimistic the central bank are on the US economy. Will we see a shift in their economic and the Fed funds projections, potentially signalling a belief to hike four times in 2017? I am not so sure they will, despite some who have positioned their portfolio for this outcome. Keep in mind the interest rate markets are pricing a 55% chance of a June hike, with just under the 70% of economists (polled by the Wall Street Journal) calling for a June hike. This pricing and degree of confidence in June hike is what I feel the US Treasury market, USD, credit and equity markets will key off at 05:00 AEDT tomorrow morning.

6. Asia: Turning to Asia, it will be interesting to see how all this news and perceived event plays into today’s trading session. We are calling the ASX 200 to fairly flat at open around 5752, but I would not be surprised if after the open the buying dried up (given the uncertainty) and the sellers kicked in with funds perhaps hedging portfolio risk through the use of SPI futures. Energy stocks look destined to attract sellers, but the path for materials is less clear with iron ore, steel and coking coal futures up 3.6%, 0.3% and 0.3% respectively. BHP’s ADR (American Depository Receipt) is largely unchanged if we use that as a proxy for the space.

7. Aussie dollar: AUD/USD has traded in a range of $0.7579 to $0.7540, but there is all sorts of indecision from traders to push price around. ‘Too hard, too hard’ was the cry and there is no easy trade on the pair right now. I am happy to stand aside until price can close above the 7 March spike high of $0.7632 or below strong horizontal support of around the 75 handle.

8. Market highlights:SPI futures down 10 points or 0.2% to 5752AUD -0.1% at 75.60 US cents (overnight range: 75.40 – 75.79)On Wall St, Dow -0.2%, S&P 500 -0.3%, Nasdaq -0.3%In New York, BHP -0.6%; Rio -0.7%In Europe, Stoxx 50 -0.5%, FTSE -0.1%, CAC -0.5%, DAX flatSpot gold -0.5% to $US1198.50 an ounceBrent crude -0.3% to $US51.20 a barrelUS oil -0.9% to $US47.99 a barrelIron ore slips -0.1% to $US88.14 a tonneLME aluminium -1.2% to $US1860 a tonneLME copper +0.4% to $US5820 a tonne10-year bond yield: US 2.60%; Germany 0.44%; 2.92%