Daily News Roundup

May 15, 2018

Image: ABC

Royal wedding: Meghan Markle’s dad Thomas reportedly no longer attending the wedding

UST days before he was due to walk his daughter Meghan Markle down the aisle to marry Prince Harry in what is set to be the most watched wedding in history, Thomas Markle is reportedly no longer attending the big day.

The last-minute decision to pull out was partly because of the fallout of reports that he staged paparazzi photos of himself, according to TMZ, and also because he suffered a heart attack six days ago.

British media reports Meghan is “distraught” and is pleading with her 71-year-old father to walk her down the aisle as planned, adding that Prince Harry was blaming himself.

“This is not what she wants. She obviously wants her dad there,” a friend of Meghan’s said,

“He (Harry) is devastated. He feels like this is another thing in the wake of him… the problems he causes. He feels that anyone who gets associated with his life – this is the price they have to pay.”

Coles restricts access to baby formula

Baby formula will be joining razors and cigarettes behind the counter at some NSW supermarkets to ensure Australian parents have enough to feed their infants.

It comes after reports that some baby formula brands, worth between $25-$35 for a one-kilogram tin, were being bought in bulk from Australian supermarkets and on-sold to China for a profit of $100 per tin.

Over recent years Aussie mums have turned to social media and other platforms to express their frustration about not being able to get the brands their babies like, or need because they have dietary issues.

It comes after a series of fatal formula scares in China in recent years which made Chinese parents desperate to get their hands on safe products.

Coles says tins of baby formula will now be kept on shelves behind service desks or tagged with Electronic Article Surveillance lids in some stores, a supermarket spokeswoman said in a statement to AAP on Tuesday.

“Coles is committed to ensuring that our customers with a genuine need for infant formula have access to this product,” the statement said.

Woolworths won’t be following Coles, saying it is not in its policy to have baby formula behind their shelves or locked away.

“Baby formula remains available on the shelf for customers in Woolworths stores,” a spokesman said in a statement to AAP on Tuesday.

“We’re continuing to work with our suppliers to increase the supply of these essential family items.”

Both Coles and Woolworths have a two-tin limit for customers.

At the Coles in Sydney’s Five Dock, a sign has been erected in the formula aisle saying the removal was to provide “equal opportunity” to shoppers and to deter theft, according to News Ltd.

New powers for Aust airport authorities

he current security climate and the need to keep Australians safe justifies giving police new powers to check identifications at the airport, Malcolm Turnbull says.

The prime minister was spruiking security measures outlined in last week’s federal budget, including millions for full body scanners and advanced X-ray equipment to be rolled out across major and regional airports.

Proposed new laws will also allow Australian Federal Police officers to conduct identity checks at airports and order people to leave the premises.

Mr Turnbull seized on recent “brutal” terrorist attacks in Indonesia’s second largest city, Surabaya, to highlight the threat posed by terrorists in the region.

“It reminds us of the need to be ever vigilant,” Mr Turnbull told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.

“There is no place for ‘set and forget’ in defending Australians.”

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said he was worried about gels, liquids and explosive devices being taken onto aircraft.

“This is the most comprehensive investment in aviation security in decades,” he said.

AIRPORT SECURITY MEASURES IN THE BUDGET:

* Body scanners and advanced X-ray equipment will be rolled out across Australia’s major and regional airports

* More than 140 counter-terrorism officers will be deployed at airports, with another 50 officers providing them with tactical intelligence and support

* Proposed new laws will allow federal police officers to conduct identity checks at airports and order people to leave the premises

* Inbound air cargo and international mail will be subjected to stricter screening as part of a $122 million equipment upgrade

* Airport screening staff will face stricter training and security checks

 

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