SYDNEY: A Greens senator has made Australian political history by becoming the first person to breastfeed a baby in the nation’s parliament.
Larissa Waters returned to the upper house Senate for the first time Tuesday since giving birth to her second child, and brought her in for a feed during a vote.
“So proud that my daughter Alia is the first baby to be breastfed in the federal Parliament! We need more #women & parents in Parli,” she wrote on Twitter.
Being able to breastfeed in the chamber follows new rules introduced last year to create a more a “family friendly” parliament in the wake of what has been described as a “baby boom” among politicians.
Under previous rules, children were technically banned.
Labor frontbencher Katy Gallagher said the moment deserved to be acknowledged.
“Women have been doing it in parliaments around the world... It is great to see it is able to occur now in the Senate,” she told Sky News.
“Women are going to continue to have babies and if they want to do their job and be at work and look after their baby... the reality is we are going to have to accommodate that.”
Breastfeeding Aussie senator in political first
Breastfeeding Aussie senator in political first
Ex-Philippine leader Duterte to face ICC hearing Feb 23
- ICC prosecutors have charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his “war on drugs”
THE HAGUE: Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will face a hearing at the International Criminal Court next month, judges ruled on Monday, rejecting arguments the 80-year-old was unfit to take part.
Duterte will face a so-called “confirmation of charges” hearing starting February 23, where judges decide whether the prosecution’s allegations are strong enough to proceed to trial.
“Having regard to the relevant legal principles, the medical assessment of the independent experts... and all of the relevant circumstances of the case, the Chamber was satisfied that Mr.Duterte is able effectively to exercise his procedural rights,” the court said.
Duterte is “therefore fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings,” the ICC added.
ICC prosecutors have charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his “war on drugs.”
The first count concerns his alleged involvement as a co-perpetrator in 19 murders carried out between 2013 and 2016 while Duterte was mayor of Davao City.
The second count relates to 14 murders of so-called “High Value Targets” in 2016 and 2017 when Duterte was president.
And the third charge is about 43 murders committed during “clearance” operations of lower-level alleged drug users or pushers.
These took place across the Philippines between 2016 and 2018, the prosecution alleged.
In October, the court had already rejected a defense plea for early release, arguing he posed a flight risk and could be in a position to influence witnesses if freed.
Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11, flown to the Netherlands that same night and has been held at the ICC’s detention unit at Scheveningen Prison since.
He followed his initial hearing by video link, appearing dazed and frail and barely speaking.
