Australia’s Most Mentioned Issues in the News (April 23 – 29, 2016)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to this weekly recap of Australia’s news, powered by iSentia
Commemorations of the 101st anniversary of the Gallipoli landings were held this week as Australia and New Zealand paid tribute to those who have served and died in war, with PM Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten joining 55,000 people at the national Anzac Day dawn service, at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Vietnam War veterans lead the march in Melbourne for the first time, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. A 16 year old boy was charged with planning a terrorist act in Sydney after allegedly trying to obtain a gun.Pop icon Prince died at his Minnesota home aged 57 last Friday, with initial reports he was suffering from influenza symptoms and further rumors suggesting a drug overdose, AIDS diagnosis, and an autopsy revealing no signs of trauma. A US judge has appointed a special administrator to oversee Prince’s $300 million estate, including vaults filled with unreleased records. During his career, Prince recorded 47 songs that reached the Billboard top 100 in the US, and won an Oscar for best original song score for Purple Rain, the 1984 movie whose music was based on his album of the same name and in which Prince also starred. French company DCNS has won a $50 billion bid to build a modified version of its nuclear submarine, called the Shortfin Barracuda, as Australia’s next fleet, ensuring 12 new subs will be built at Adelaide’s Osborne shipyards. PM Malcolm Turnbull said the project would create 2,800 local jobs. Japan and German submitted unsuccessful bids for the contract, with former PM Tony Abbott reportedly already in an informal agreement with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neill, announced the closure of the Manus Island detention center on Wednesday, after Australia’s detention of asylum seekers in the facility was ruled as illegal by the PNG Supreme Court, finding it breached the right to personal liberty in the PNG constitution. Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the decision bound the PNG government, not the Australian government, and PM Malcolm Turnbull said the government was considering its response. Meanwhile, a 23 year old asylum seeker is in a very serious condition after setting himself on fire in protest, in front of visiting United Nations officials on Nauru. Adelaide United will host the Western Sydney Wanderers for the A-League grand final on Sunday afternoon, with both clubs making their third grand final appearance. The Reds last clash with the Wanderers was on match day 19 and finished 0-0 for the second consecutive time. Quote of the week: “When you play me, you play yourself” – Beyoncé in her new visual album, Lemonade, which has hinted at husband Jay Z’s infidelity
