The service of Australians who fought in the Pacific in World War II is being remembered, 77 years after the end of the conflict with Japan. The war saw nearly one million Australian soldiers serve during nearly six years of conflict with some 30,000 Australian soldiers taken prisoner, and 39,000 deaths on the battlefield.
New research shows the vast majority of Australians are supportive of action to regulate the usage of e-cigarettes. A joint report from Cancer Council Australia and Quit reveals 83 per cent of Australians want federal and state governments to crack down on retailers who are illegally selling nicotine e-cigarettes without a valid prescription.
Concerns remain over the number of Afghan visas yet to be processed by Australia.
The federal government is looking at other visa pathways but Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has stopped short of saying it will raise the humanitarian visa cap of 31,500 for Afghans. More than 40,000 applications covering over 211,000 people have been lodged, but only around 6000 permanent visas have been granted in total, Mr Giles says.
