Australian newspapers black out front pages

[Still Waters]

Australia's biggest newspaper rivals have made a rare showing of unity by publishing redacted front pages in a protest against press restrictions.

The News Corp Australia and Nine mastheads on Monday showed blacked-out text beside red stamps marked "secret".

The protest is aimed at national security laws which journalists say have stifled reporting and created a "culture of secrecy" in Australia.

The government said it backed press freedom but "no one was above the law".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-50119559

[spud the mackem]

Whoa wait a minute , they blacked out the pages because England beat them in the Rugby World Cup , and they can't stand being trounced by the POMS.  

[+and-then]

1 hour ago, spud the mackem said:

Whoa wait a minute , they blacked out the pages because England beat them in the Rugby World Cup , and they can't stand being trounced by the POMS.  

That's as good a reason as any other.  The "national security" excuse for keeping embarrassing or legally unpleasant things secret has become far too common and the recent investigations into the FBI handling of Trump's election have proven that they redact to save themselves from legal trouble or embarrassment.  THAT is bull sheet.

[+and-then]

From the article:

One detailed allegations of war crimes, while the other reported an alleged attempt by a government agency to spy on Australian citizens. 

The use of intel agencies to spy on their own citizens has been frowned on for a long time.  The anti-Trump crusade that so many Europeans are on-board with has exposed an unpleasant fact that they should be very upset over but few seem to have noticed or cared.  The Five Eyes agreement has been used by these governments to get around the domestic spying issue by asking one of the other members to spy FOR them.  This is part of the reason for Barr and Durham to be visiting Italy and for conferencing with the UK and Oz governments.  If the accusations of their complicity are correct it should shake those governments when their citizens are made aware.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

5 hours ago, spud the mackem said:

Whoa wait a minute , they blacked out the pages because England beat them in the Rugby World Cup , and they can't stand being trounced by the POMS.  

Coached by an Aussie.