In this bulletin; a new report finds current whistle blower protection laws are failing. A parasitic roundworm has been pulled from a woman's brain in Canberra. And in tennis, US world number six Coco Gauff survives a surprisingly tough first-round match at the US Open.
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TRANSCRIPT
- In this bulletin;
- A new report finds current whistle blower protection laws are failing.
- A parasitic roundworm has been pulled from a woman's brain in Canberra.
- And in tennis, US world number six Coco Gauff survives a surprisingly tough first-round match at the US Open.
A new report from the Human Rights Law Centre finds that the current whistle blower protection laws in Australia are failing.
The comprehensive review finds that while protective laws are in place in Australia, the success rate of whistle blower cases is alarmingly low.
The compilation of every whistle blower protection case to proceed to judgement across Australia found that there has not been a single successful decision for a whistle blower under primary federal public or private sector laws.
Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre Kieren Pender says reforming these laws is a matter of urgency.
"The government has said it's committed to whistle blower reform, but we really need it to get on with that. The work needs to begin. We've seen some initial reform that passed the senate in June. But clearly the research we've done shows that these laws aren't working and unless they're fixed as a matter of urgency whistle blowers will continue to suffer and our democracy will continue to suffer."
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A parasitic roundworm has been pulled from a woman's brain in Canberra in a startling medical first.
Researchers at the Australian National University and the Canberra Hospital discovered the live eight-centimetre Ophidascaris robertsi roundworm after detecting an atypical lesion in the brain of a 64-year-old woman who had complained of memory lapses.
The doctors believe the woman caught the worm when foraging for native grass close to her home, after it was shed by a carpet python through its faeces.
It's the first-ever human case of a Ophidascaris robertsi infection.
Canberra hospital infectious diseases physician Dr Sanjaya Senanayake told Channel Ten that the patient has been recovering well since the procedure.
"I should add that our patient has been a very courageous and patient patient. Soon after the worm was removed from her brain and we started her on anti-parasitic treatment, she went back to the community and she's been there ever since. We're obviously keeping in touch with her to make sure that things continue to go smoothly."
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Doctors in Victoria are calling on the government to reconsider new tax law changes targeting general practitioners.
Earlier this month, the New South Wales and Victoria tax revenue office ruled independent GP's earning over a certain threshold will now be hit with payroll taxes of 5.45 per cent and 4.85 per cent respectively.
Doctors have estimated the increase could cost patients an extra $20 per appointment with some GPs fearing they'll be forced to shut down in the face of retrospective tax bills dating back five years.
The New South Wales Government since said they will pause payroll tax audits for GPs for 12 months to protect struggling clinics.
Dr Nicole Higgins, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says more needs to be done to protect GPs in Victoria as the shift in tax policy could be devastating for both practitioners and patients.
"We've got a federal government who wants to reform reform general practice and make sure it's appropriately funded, and then we've got a state government that is only looking at revenue. It's a false economy, not only will it cost more for patients, it will increase waiting times in the hospitals, it's going to increase ramping and it's going to make healthcare so much more difficult for people."
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A 20-year-old man has become the first person in Uganda to be charged with what's been called "aggravated homosexuality", an offence punishable by death under the country's recently enacted anti-gay law.
Reuters have reported the man has been charged with aggravated homosexuality after having intercourse with a 41-year-old man.
In May, Uganda defied pressure from Western governments and human rights organisations to enact one of the world's harshest laws targeting the LGBTIQ+ community.
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In sport,
The United States' tennis world number six Coco Gauff survived a surprisingly tough test from Laura Siegemund in a tense first-round match at the U-S Open.
Gauff dropped the first set to the German world number 121, before fighting back to beat Siegemund.
Gauff told the U-S Open officials it wasn't her best performance but she was proud of being able to swing the match back in her favour.
"It was a tough match. I wasn't playing my best tennis. Laura, she's not an easy opponent, she fights to the end and that's what she did today. I was able to overcome a lot of adversity so I'm happy with how I managed to get through."
