australia
Melbourne Chinese-language driving school apologizes for ad calling female teachers ‘timid and weak’
- Number 1 Driver School, a driving school for Chinese speakers in the inner-city suburb of Carlton in Melbourne, Australia, sparked outrage on social media after a prospective student named Mel Wang discovered a sexist advertisement on its website.
- The ad highlighted that the school has “only very experienced male instructors" and "zero female instructors."
- "Female driving instructors are timid [and] weak," the ad previously read. “They tend to spend most of the class time on minor roads, can't perform intensive training and their students often improve only very slowly."
- Wang shared a screenshot of the ad on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu in July.
- Following the backlash, Number 1 Driver School spokesperson Andrew Wang claimed the school did not intend on discrediting female instructors.
- The school, which currently has 16 male instructors, is now “urgently” hiring two female instructors “at the request of the general public.”
A Melbourne-based driving school for Chinese speakers has apologized for an advertisement on its website describing female instructors as “timid and weak” and for boasting about only having experienced male teachers.
Number 1 Driver School, located in the inner-city suburb of Carlton in Melbourne, Australia, sparked outrage after Mel Wang, a prospective female student, stumbled upon the school’s ad and later shared a screen shot of it on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu in July.
Asian Australian YouTuber stands up against casual racism during a boat show in Sydney
- Asian Australian YouTuber John Lee, who shares fishing videos on his channel JYL Fishing TV, was recently subjected to racist insults while covering the Sydney International Boat Show in Cockle Bay.
- In a video published on Aug. 1, he can be seen standing up to a man who tried to make a racist joke at his expense with the question “Is some ting wong?”
- After Lee called out the man for being racist, the latter doubled down with another racial jab, saying, “Aren't you Aussie? Throw a shrimp on the barbie, mate.”
- A woman who was with the man, who Lee claimed laughed at the man's joke, said “Matt, please shut up” before pulling him away.
- Shortly after, security staff approached Lee’s group and told them that the woman filed a complaint and requested that they be removed from the premises.
- Lee revealed in a separate video that the man pinched him as he was being pulled away, turning the verbal attack into a physical one.
An Asian Australian YouTuber was recently subjected to racist insults while covering an exclusive boat show in Sydney.
John Lee, who shares fishing videos on his YouTube channel JYL Fishing TV, uploaded footage of the harassment he allegedly endured at the Sydney International Boat Show in Cockle Bay.
Actor Dev Patel breaks up knife fight in Australia
- Hollywood actor Dev Patel and his friends witnessed a knife fight in Adelaide, Australia, on Monday before he reportedly stepped in to stop the violent altercation.
- The fight ended with a 32-year-old man being stabbed in the chest. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
- A 34-year-old woman was arrested at the scene. She was charged with aggravated assault causing harm for allegedly stabbing the man.
- Patel’s representatives highlighted a larger systemic issue of marginalized members of society and called on lawmakers to determine long-term solutions to help the community at large.
Hollywood actor Dev Patel helped break up a knife fight in Adelaide, Australia.
Patel and his friends witnessed a violent altercation between a man and a woman outside a convenience store on Gouger Street around 8 p.m. local time on Monday. Patel reportedly stepped in to stop the violent fight, which ended with the man being stabbed in the chest.
Passenger traveling from Bali to Australia fined $1,800 over hidden McMuffins
A passenger flying from Bali to Australia was fined AU$2,664 (approximately US$1,870) after a security dog detected McMuffins and other food items in their luggage.
The passenger, who has not been identified, was found to be in possession of two egg and beef sausage McMuffins and a ham croissant when they landed at Australia’s Darwin International Airport.
Right-hand man of ‘Asia’s El Chapo,’ 6th on Australia’s most wanted list, extradited from Thailand
- Chung Chak Lee, 66, known as the right-hand man of “Asia’s El Chapo,” was extradited to Melbourne, Australia, from Thailand on Saturday.
- “The extradition of someone we allege to be high on the pecking order of this serious criminal syndicate is a significant milestone for the AFP," Australian Federal Police (AFP) Assistant Commissioner Krissy Barrett said. “It shows the AFP and its partners remain one step ahead in working tirelessly to keep our community safe."
- Lee appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday afternoon. He faced one count of conspiracy to traffic a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
- He was arrested inside his Bangkok apartment in 2020 and had spent 18 months in a Thai jail before his extradition.
- The AFP believe Lee was acting as a top associate of Tse Chi Lop, also known as "Asia's El Chapo" and leader of The Company. Tse’s criminal ring was reportedly responsible for 70% of meth coming into Australia from Asia.
- Lee, who operated from Hong Kong and Bangkok before his arrest, was accused of laundering millions in drug money through Crown Casino.
The right-hand man of “Asia’s El Chapo” has been extradited to Australia after spending over a year in a Thai prison following his arrest in 2020.
Working with the Royal Thai Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) extradited Chung Chak Lee, 66, to Melbourne on Saturday for his involvement in the $23 billion drug operation known as The Company.
Physical gestures could improve math understanding, researchers say
- Researchers from China, Iran and Australia are suggesting a gesture-based technique to boost understanding of basic math concepts among primary school children.
- Their paper, published in Integrative Psychology and Behavioral Science, looked into previous behavioral studies and applied psychological concepts about the use of hand motions and gestures in enhancing higher-order cognitive engagement.
- The team noted that transferring and translating these findings into the classroom could boost the learning of basic math concepts, such as shapes, volume and quantity, among primary school children.
- The researchers are set to test this proposed method of teaching by conducting studies involving multiple groups of children from different countries.
Researchers from China, Iran and Australia are suggesting a gesture-based technique that could boost the learning and understanding of basic math concepts.
The paper, published in Integrative Psychology and Behavioral Science in April, reviewed previous behavioral studies and applied psychological concepts about the use of hand motions and gestures in enhancing higher-order cognitive engagement.
Opera Australia sparks criticism over traditional use of ‘yellowface,’ Chinese stereotypes in ‘Turandot’
- Vietnamese writer Cat-Thao Nguyen and her Chinese husband walked out of Opera Australia’s performance of “Turandot” during the first act after being appalled by its traditional use of “yellowface” as well as its racist and sexist stereotypes.
- “I felt utterly sick,” she wrote in an article for Sydney Morning Herald. “I clutched my husband and clamped my hand over my mouth. As the scenes unfolded, I felt a violent wilting of dignity for myself and my Chinese husband.”
- Equally disconcerting for Nguyen was that the predominantly white audience appeared to be quite comfortable with what they were watching.
- “Turandot,” completed in 1926, is set in ancient China, a country that its famed Italian composer Giacomo Puccini never visited.
Australia’s premier opera company is being called out for its traditional use of “yellowface” in its current performances of “Turandot.”
Cat-Thao Nguyen, a writer of Vietnamese origin, was so appalled with what she and her Canadian-Chinese husband saw in Opera Australia’s production that they walked out of the Sydney Opera House after the first act.
Expert advances ‘active’ pilot theory after MH370 crash investigation, ATSB orders search data review
- British aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey has pinpointed what he claims to be the location of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370).
- The Boeing 777-200ER aircraft carrying 239 people mysteriously disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014.
- Previous multinational search efforts failed to find the wreckage of the plane.
- According to Godfrey, Flight 370 hit the ocean about 1200 miles (1,933 kilometers) west of Perth, Australia, and some 13,123 feet (4,000 meters) under the water.
- Godfrey pinpointed the location using Weak Signal Propagation Reporter analysis to monitor radio frequency disturbances the plane created around the world.
- Godfrey also noticed irregular patterns the aircraft made throughout its journey that fateful day which shows that pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah may have contributed to causing the plane to go off course.
- It remains unclear whether the new findings will lead to renewed efforts to search for the wreckage in the new location.
- Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a statement saying that Godfrey is a credible expert on the subject of MH370 but declined to endorse a new search.
A retired aerospace engineer believes he has uncovered the whereabouts of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370), the passenger aircraft from Malaysia that disappeared nearly eight years ago, after conducting an unofficial investigation. His findings have led to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) to order a review of search data.
The Malaysian Airlines flight shocked the world when it mysteriously “vanished,” along with the 239 people on board (227 passengers and 12 crew), while traveling to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014.
‘Married at First Sight’ star says her experiences dating white men with ‘yellow fever’ were ‘so cringe’
- “Married at First Sight Australia” star Selina Chhaur, 33, revealed she has dated white men with “yellow fever” before, which she referred to as “so cringe.”
- “Yellow fever should not be a thing,” the reality TV star told Refinery29. “Sadly, it is a thing, and a lot of my ex-partners [who were European or Caucasian], even though they wouldn't use that term, if you look at their past record of their exes, they were all Asian."
- The interview came after Chhaur’s “new husband” from the show, Cody Bromley, admitted he doesn’t find Chhaur attractive because of her race.
“Married at First Sight Australia” (MAFS) star Selina Chhaur recently revealed she has been subjected to Asian fetishization while dating other white men who have “yellow fever” in the past.
Speaking to Refinery29, Chhaur, 33, described her experiences of men with “yellow fever” as “so cringe,” adding that it should “not be a thing.”
Hong Kong denies Australia access to dual citizen facing life imprisonment under national security law
Australian consular officials have reportedly been barred from accessing a Hong Kong-born Australian man detained under the city’s national security law.
The man, who is speculated to be 42-year-old political activist Gordon Ng, was arrested on Jan. 6, 2021, for allegedly “conspiring to subvert state power,” according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). He was released on bail the following day but was again apprehended on March 1 for subversion.
Survivors of Korean internment camp being described as real-life ‘Squid Game’ press for justice
Survivors of an internment camp in Busan that has been likened to Netflix’s “Squid Game” are still fighting for justice 30 years later as they continue to call out the family of the man behind the brutal games.
Seeking justice: Details of the abuse by the officials of Brothers Home were investigated by journalists Mary Ann Jolley and Susan Kim and aired on Al Jazeera’s weekly television program 101 East on Dec. 9.
Ex-Chinese diplomat warns of ‘Armageddon’ if Australia joins US in protecting Taiwan
A former Chinese diplomat has warned Australia against joining the U.S. in blocking China’s mission to reunify with Taiwan, saying it would result in an “Armageddon.”
Driving the news: In September, Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. signed a security pact called AUKUS, which would help Australia’s capital of Canberra acquire nuclear-powered submarines. The agreement comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and China over Beijing’s aggression in the Taiwan Strait, which recently saw a record 150 warplanes breach the self-governed island’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
