At least three other councils are debating whether to follow the lead of Yarra Council, which voted unanimously to longer recognise Australia Day or hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26.
Source: More councils eye changing the date of Australia Day after Yarra Council push
James O’Neill warns that without independent media, we could easily sleep walk into yet another war on behalf of a dangerous “ally.”
Source: Russia bashing: Hartcher and the SMH rewrite history yet again
Near Mosul, Iraqi Troops Again Flee From ISIS as Soon as Shooting Starts | Rout of Iraqi troops another morale boost for ISIS
Source: Near Mosul, Iraqi Troops Again Flee From ISIS as Soon as Shooting Starts — News from Antiwar.com
Malcolm Turnbull has publicly warned Tony Abbott that he will not hesitate to correct the record if false statements are made regarding government policy, in a sign that the frosty relationship between victor and vanquished is deteriorating.
Source: Malcolm Turnbull warns Tony Abbott: I’ll correct record if necessary
IRAQI soldiers are so terrified by the brutality of the Islamic State that they are now paying their superiors to allow them to leave the military.
The acts of bribery, known locally as the “astronaut phenomenon”, have grown so rampant that at times, nearly half of a platoon will be missing when called into battle, according to the Daily Beast.
The name comes from the idea that once a soldier abdicates his duties, he is in space, away from the world while it crumbles under war.
Officers are often paid full salaries to let soldiers quit and make sure the absence goes unreported.
Iraqi officer Kadhim al-Shammari told the Beast, “The astronaut phenomenon is destroying the Iraqi army. There are senior officers who are making deals with dozens of their men, giving them vacations for months in return for part or all of the men’s salaries.”
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