Wearing blue surgical masks amid a coronavirus outbreak, 220 couples exchanged vows and kisses in the central Philippines to launch their married lives. Lovers and their relatives braved the virus, which has killed 2,442 people globally, to attend a mass ceremony sponsored by the coastal city of Bacolod. The lobby of Bacolod’s city hall was a sea of white shirts …

The world has been given an insight into the cruel reality of a young Indigenous boy with a disability, but Quaden Bayles is not alone in his struggle. A video of the nine-year-old crying after being bullied at school has struck a nerve with the millions who have watched it, and generated an overwhelmingly generous response, with almost $700,000 being donated to …

Emad W.Shublaq, Ph.D (Leeds), CPEng. CVS-Life, F.IEAust., F.ASCE, F.SAVE, F.AITD Professor of Value management, Western Sydney University Over the past decades, and probably till recently, Architectural engineers or Architects have been the prevailing influence on engineering practice in Australia, and, perhaps, in neighbouring countries, as far as building design is concerned. The Architectural engineer’s or Architect’s power lies in their …

US President Donald Trump has ridiculed the historic best picture Oscar win for South Korean film Parasite, telling a campaign rally he wishes for the return of Hollywood classics like 1939’s Gone with the Wind. Parasite is a dark social satire about the gap between rich and poor in modern Seoul. Earlier this month it became the first non-English-language film to …

How on Earth did an abhorrent crime like domestic violence become entangled in Australian cultural wars? It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment commentators began to talk about the domestic violence “industry” comprised of “feminazis” who complain too much about men, and to imply, without evidence, that hordes of women like to fabricate stories of abuse. But every time we …

Rock behemoths Queen have re-enacted the band’s legendary 1985 Live Aid set for a roaring crowd, in a star-studded concert raising millions of dollars for people impacted by bushfires. A crowd of more 75,000 wrapped their arms around each other and joined in the chorus of We are the Champions in a massive show of support for the victims and first responders …

When Wang Ming Ming was five years old there was a knock at the door. A representative from the family planning unit in the Chinese town where she lived had an envelope to deliver to her parents. Inside was a fine for 2,500 RMB. For Ming Ming’s parents the sum, around $500, was equivalent to more than two years of …

As a senior corporate leader at one of Australia’s big banks, Lina Gyle knows a thing or two about managing money. But she has not been able to find a way around the budget-busting costs of childcare for her son, Eddy. “The childcare cost is bigger than my mortgage repayments,” she said. “Significantly bigger, with interest rates so low.” Without …

China’s Hubei province has reported 81 more deaths from coronavirus, bringing the total to 780 and taking the global count past that caused by the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003. The national health commission confirmed cases across China had risen to 37,198, with 811 deaths. The number of people who died from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reached 774. The announcements came …

The father of three children killed by an alleged drink-driver last night has bravely spoken of his loss. Seven children were struck by the 4WD on Bettington Road in Oatlands, in Sydney’s north-west, just before 8pm yesterday. The group were riding their bikes to get ice cream when they were hit. Three of Danny Abdallah’s six children were killed: Anthony, …