Eastern Australia is experiencing its fourth flood crisis this year as a result of a rare multi-year La Nina weather phenomenon.
Hundreds of people have been rescued in Australia, some from rooftops and trees, as rapidly rising floodwaters in the state of New South Wales (NSW) cut off towns and inundated homes, farms, highways, and bridges.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday, citing the southeastern state’s emergency services, that at least 200 people had been rescued from floodwaters in the worst-affected towns in central NSW over a 24-hour period. An estimated 900 calls for assistance were received.
The NSW Rural Fire Service said its helicopters saved nearly 70 people, some of them found clinging to the branches of trees and trapped on rooftops.
Officials said about 600 properties in Forbes will likely be flooded with the Lachlan River set to match levels hit during a severe flooding event in 1952.
It is the fourth major flood to hit eastern Australia this year.
The crises have been caused by a rare multi-year La Nina weather phenomenon, which brings above-average rainfall to eastern Australia.
Data showed that the town of Cowra, about 300km (186 miles) west of Sydney, received 121mm (4.8 inches) over the 24 hours to Monday morning, the highest daily rainfall in 118 years.
Although rains have eased and blue skies have returned to many areas, emergency crews warned the danger had not yet passed.
“Although it is sunny out there at the moment, the waters are still flowing into catchment areas and creating severe risk to communities,” said Carlene York, NSW’s emergency services commissioner.
Rescue efforts are focused on Forbes and the nearby town of Eugowra, officials said.
“We know for many of our communities in the central west, there is a lot of pain and a lot of hurt, but we’ve got through these challenges in the past and we’ll get through these challenges again,” NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said.
“We do expect a difficult period of time over the next couple of days.”
The federal government will deploy an additional 100 defence personnel for relief efforts, volunteers from New Zealand have arrived, and NSW has also sought help from the United States and Singapore, he said.
Spawning out of Melbourne’s West, charity basketball tournament Shooters Shoot has been honing in on their “hooping for a cause” ethos, by leveraging the power of sport to break down stigmas surrounding mental health. The tournament hosted its first event in 2021, which welcomed hundreds of hoopers, families and fans of the game from all walks of life. They managed to raise $16,000 from the event, and donated 100% of the ticket proceeds to Foundation House, a refugee trauma agency dedicated to supporting those who have experienced torture and traumatic events.
However, the tournament’s efforts didn’t stop there. The founder of Shooters Shoot, Sagalee Adem, wanted to continue the fightfor mental health awareness by using the proceeds from the tournament to feed back into local grassroots community initiatives, specifically targeting youth and young people. Throughout 2022, the Shooters Shoot team has been working with various figures and groups from the local scene such as Notorious Customs, the FairDinkum Podcast, Talking Trophies, The Bittersweet Podcast and more to showcase the different ways we can approach mental health and wellbeing. They’re also gearing up to host their second ever charity basketball event, set to take place on November 20.
Complex AU sat down with Sagalee to chat about the Shooters Shoot inception story, what they’ve been doing for local schools in the region, and what’s next for this impressive initiative.
So far, the efforts and achievements of the Shooters Shoot team are truly commendable. What were some of the inspirations behind starting the tournament?
So I didn’t just wake up one day and decide I wanted to make an event to raise money for the community. I was turning 23, and I wanted to do something creative for my 23rd birthday. It was my Jordan year—I love basketball—and I thought about running a small tournament and paying for a court for 4 hours in my local area, and then inviting some of the guys to play basketball, and hiring a couple of DJs and photographers.
Then I thought, maybe I could make it like $5 per person, and give it to Beyond Blue or some organisation that focuses on mental health—because my mum’s a mental health clinician and she’s been teaching about mental health since I was a kid. She’s always told me that I should do something for my friends or people I know that [brings awareness] to mental health—so it was a blessing to do that through basketball.
After I had the idea, none of the courts I wanted to book were replying to me, [until] I found a lowkey one that I didn’t think would reply, but somehow did. A couple days later I was able to book it, and after I booked it I thought, “I need to make something really good out of this.”
After that I got people I’m close to and people I trust to help me out, and within one month we were able to create some promo and do what we did—raise $16,000 for mental health. We had the media attend, and it was an amazing day that wasn’t just about basketball. There were so many things that came out of it. We were fresh out of 2021’s lockdown and so people got to reconnect, we had Soli Tesema perform, and photographers got to photograph the event and showcase their skills too.
That’s really amazing. So, you donated the money to Foundation House. What made you choose them?
When we pitched it to Foundation House we said look, we’re really serious about this, and we want to be involved in figuring out how the money will be handled, and what we can do with the money. That really caught their attention, and the CEO and his son came on the day, and [they] ended up donating $10,000.
Everything you’ve mentioned so far showcases how Shooters Shoot is so much more than just a tournament. What are some of the activities you guys have been running this year?
One of the things we got to do with the campaign theme was show people the different ways they can fill their emotional cup. So, for example, there’s Notorious Customs who makes custom shoes, which fills her cup. We had Vola who cooks, which fills her cup. We had Josh who does photography, and that fills his cup. We had Sumaya, a painter, and painting fills her cup. All these people were expressing in their videos how different things filled their cup. The idea of filling one’s cup goes back to what Shooters Shoot believes—that you don’t always have to talk about mental health to help yourself. Sometimes it’s just about getting active, and it doesn’t have to be about literally doing physical activity, but it can be ‘physically’ drawing, ‘physically’ creating—it can be anything.
With the money, we’ve also been able to run school programs all year. We run 3-4 week programs where we do basketball activities with the kids, and then include questions and activities that get them thinking about their mental wellbeing. We targeted year 9s, because we believe that’s the most crucial age for identity. At the end [of the program] we give them a Shooters Shoot package, which is a Shooters Shoot backpack, creative pamphlet, and journal. We’re well on the way to giving these to almost 500 kids. It’s a big blessing, what we’ve managed to do this year with $16,000.
Image via Shooters Shoot
When we talk about mental health—especially in multicultural communities—it’s often easily dismissed, and at times, discussing one’s mental health is perceived as a weakness. However, amongst younger generations this seems to be shifting, and is also a testament to the benefit of initiatives like Shooters Shoot. In saying that, how have you navigated bringing up these types of conversations, especially with a multicultural audience?
So our technique last year was to promote the event as a basketball charity event—the messaging was centred around encouraging families and parents to bring their kids to the event. When we brought everyone in, we really wanted to have different ages there.
Before the event occurred, I wanted to make sure we spoke about mental health so that, you know, a mother could be like ‘ah okay I see what this is, and I see what’s going on’. I also wanted to make sure that my siblings and people my age could also be like, ‘yeah this is empowering for us’, because we’re in the same demographic and this is what we need to speak about. I wanted younger people to hear that too, and they might not have caught on to the message straight away, but at least they were starting to hear it spoken about. If we’d just said, ‘hey come to the event, we’re going to talk about mental health’, people wouldn’t have come.
So, that’s our way of doing things. We understand that it’s not just sitting down and talking about mental health that works. Something I’ve learned in so many different ways is when you look at someone and they feel seen, that’s healing to them.
Image via Shooters Shoot
What are your future plans for Shooters Shoot and what can we expect next?
To keep it simple, I look forward to continuing this momentum and fostering the community we’ve established. I just want to keep doing this thing for the community we’ve established, where we can be like ‘hey Shooters Shoot is happening next week, pull up’. I want us to enjoy the hell out of the day, take something from it and go home feeling reconnected and re-engaged. I think the biggest message I want to push is that we need something like this. It’s really important that we come together and talk about this stuff.
You can support Shooters Shoot by purchasing a ticket to their upcoming tournament here. All proceeds will be going towards supporting their community.
The North Americans were the second nation to release their squad. Joel Campbel, Kaylor Navas, and Bryan Ruiz are the key names on the list.
Brazil
Brazil head coach, Adenor Leonardo Bacchi popularly known as Tite, named a star-studded squad on Monday, November 7.
Arsenal duo, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, who missed the last call-ups in September, were included in the final list this time.
Some constants like Thiago Silva, Marquinhos Alisson, Ederson, Casimero, and Vinicius Jr were also named in the squad.
Meanwhile, Dani Alves made a shocking appearance in the squad at age 39.
Australia
The Socceroos named their squad on Tuesday, November 8. Matthew Ryan and Aaron Mooy lead the Australian squad.
Sengal
The Tarenga Lions of Senegal are the first African to announce their squad. Head coach Aliou Cisse has named a star-filled squad for the tournament.
Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane, Idrissa Gueye, Cheikou Kouyate, Ismaila Sarr all made the squad.
Demark
Denmark have also announced their 26-man squad. Christain Eriksen, Christensen, Simon Kjaer, Kasper Schmeichel, and Emile Hojbjerg are the key men leading the Dens’ list.
???? ????????????????????????????????: Denmark have announced their squad for the World Cup. ???????? pic.twitter.com/SzRE3Hrz1m
Luka Modric will lead Croatia’s 26-man squad in Qatar. Modric won the best player at the last edition and will hope he leads his Country to clinch the ultimate this time after finishing second in 2018.
England head coach, Gareth Southgate has named his final squad with some suprises misses.
Tammy Abraham, Fikao Tomori, and Jadon Sancho are the big misses in the squad. Whereas Kalvin Philips, and Kyle Walker who are nursing injuries made the cut.
Robert Lewandowski, Kamal Glik, Aljkadiuz Milik and Zielinski lead the Polish 26-man squad for the tournament.
They announced their squad on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
Uruguay
Ghana’s World Cup Group opponent, Uruguay, have named their final 26-man squad for the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Barcelona centre-back, Ronald Araujo, who was said to be a major doubt for the tournament due to an adductor longus avulsion injury in his right thigh, made the list, which was released on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
Some key names like Luis Suarez, Edison Cavani, Darwin Nunez, and in-form Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde were all named in the big squad.
Hundreds of Australians’ personal information has been leaked online after being stolen from the country’s largest health insurer, Medibank.
Some health claims data, including medical procedure history, as well as names, addresses, birthdates, and government ID numbers, were made public.
PM Anthony Albanese stated that as a Medibank customer, he is concerned that their data may become public.
“This is really tough for people,” he said on Wednesday.
The data of 9.7 million Medibank customers was stolen last month. A sample was released on Wednesday after the insurer refused to pay a ransom.
It comes amid a string of high-profile data breaches in Australia.
The release of private health information can be “distressing and embarrassing”, Australian Federal Police said, warning those whose data is yet to be released are at risk of blackmail.
“Please do not be embarrassed to contact police… if a person contacts you online, by phone or by SMS threatening to release your data unless payment is made,” Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said.
All customers affected – whether their information has been publicly released or not – are also at risk of phishing scams, she said.
Medibank has apologised for what it has called the “malicious weaponisation” of private information, and promised to work “around the clock” to inform customers whose information has been published.
But Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil – who has previously said Australia is “a decade behind” in cybersecurity – has defended Medibank, saying the company followed government advice in not paying the ransom.
The group responsible are “scumbags” and “disgraceful human beings”, she said.
The stolen Medibank data was posted on a blog linked to Russian ransomware group REvil, local media report. More data will be posted soon, the blogpost says.
Medibank says the information was obtained after login details allowing access to all its customer data was stolen.
The “criminal” also obtained access to data from its subsidiaries, including ahm insurance. Ahm is a smaller health insurance brand owned by Medibank.
While millions have been affected, the most serious breach was for around 500,000 customers who have had private health information stolen, Medibank said.
But the company has stressed that no credit card or banking details were accessed.
In September Australian telecommunications giant Optus was also targeted for extortion, after the personal data of about 10 million customers was stolen in what the company called a cyber-attack.
Cristian Volpato’s decision on his international allegiance is a personal one that “should not be sped up”, Roma head coach Jose Mourinho has said.
With the 18-year-old scoring two goals and contributing one assist in just 106 minutes of Serie A football for Roma, a fierce battle for Volpato’s services at international level has emerged.
Born in New South Wales, Volpato is also eligible to represent Italy and has featured at youth level for the European side.
Australia had hoped the lure of World Cup football, with the Socceroos tackling France, Tunisia and Denmark in Group D in Qatar, would persuade Volpato to select his country of birth – with European champions Italy not qualifying for the tournament.
However, Volpato rejected the call-up, not wishing to rush into a decision, and Mourinho believes it was the right call.
“I think it is a personal decision and the club has not been involved. As a coach, for example, I would refuse to call up a player, even a young one, in a situation like that,” he said in a press conference.
“What I understand is that he is at the beginning of his career and that he’s growing with Roma by getting more minutes in consecutive matches.
18,350 – Cristian Volpato (18 years, 350 days) has become the youngest AS Roma player to both score and deliver an assist in a Serie A match since Opta started collecting this kind of data (since 2004/05). Solver.#VeronaRomapic.twitter.com/UgCBjmSQVY
“It’s not like last year where he played just one game against Verona and then he didn’t play again, I think he has now played four games in a row.
“He is in a development phase where I think he has to focus on building his future and not on certain decisions where maybe someone else wants to accelerate a process that should not be sped up.”
Volpato used social media on Wednesday to issue a comment on the matter.
“I’ve seen lots of speculation about decisions I have supposedly taken at international level: the truth is I am just at the start of my professional career and I am totally focused on continuing that process at Roma,” he posted on Instagram.
“Making any sort of rushed decision about my international future at this early stage risks being extremely premature.
“There will be plenty of time for me to make the decision that feels right for me, but right now I know my focus needs to be continuing to work hard each and every day in order to continue improving as a player.”
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Youth Organiser aspirant, Yaw Brogya Genfi has filed a writ at the Supreme Court for the annulment of the election of New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for the Tolon constituency, Habib Iddrisu.
The writ filed by Brogya Genfi stated that the MP had been convicted of fraud and forgery in Australia and was not fit to contest an election in Ghana at the time he filed his nomination to contest as an MP.
The writ filed on Monday, November 7, stated that Mr Iddrisu was convicted on his own plea by the Perth Magistrates Court in Australia on November 28, 2011.
Among the reliefs being sought by Brogya Genfi include;
“A declaration that the 1st Defendant, Mr. Habib Iddrisu, who was elected the Member of Parliament for the Tolon Constituency in the Northern Region of the Republic of Ghana during the 2020 Parliamentary Elections, was not qualified to be elected a Member of Parliament within the meaning of Articles 94(2)(c)(1) and 94(5)(a) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana by reason of the fact that, at the time of filing his nomination for the said elections between 5th and 9th October 2020, he had been convicted of forgery and fraud (both offences involving dishonesty) on his own plea by the Perth Magistrates Court in Australia on the 28 of November 201 and ten (10) years had not passed at the time when Mr. Habib lddrisu filed his nomination for the said elections;
“A declaration that the decision of the 2nd Defendant to permit the 1st Defendant to contest Parliamentary Elections in the Tolon Constituency when the 1st Defendant had been convicted for forgery and fraud (both offences involving dishonesty) on his own plea by the Perth Magistrates Court in Australia on the 28th day of November 2011 is inconsistent with and violates Articles 94(2)(c)(9 and 94(5)61) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and ten (10) years had not passed when the 2nd Defendant made the decision to allow the Defendant to contest the 2020 Parliamentary Elections.”
“A declaration that the election of the 1st Defendant as the Member of Parliament for the Tolon Constituency notwithstanding his conviction for forgery and fraud (both offences involving dishonesty) on his own plea by the Perth Magistrates Court in Australia on the 28th day of November 2011 is inconsistent with and violates Articles 94(2)(c)(i) and 94(5)(a) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and to that extent is unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect;
“A declaration that the swearing-in of the 1st Defendant as Member of Parliament for the Tolon Constituency is inconsistent with and violates Articles 94(2)(c)() and 94(5)(0) of the .1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and is to that extent unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect.”
An estimated 11,000 foreign children and women remain in the refugee camps of Roj and al-Hol in northeastern Syria.
The Australian government has returned four Australian women and their 13 children from a Syrian refugee camp to the state of New South Wales, according to home affairs minister Clare O’Neil.
The repatriation is part of a plan to bring back from Syria dozens of Australian women and children who are relatives of dead or imprisoned ISIL (ISIS) fighters and have been held at the al-Hol and Roj detention camps in Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria for several years.
Australia first repatriated eight children and grandchildren of two dead ISIL fighters from a Syrian refugee camp in 2019 but has held off repatriating any others until now.
“The decision to repatriate these women and their children were informed by individual assessments following detailed work by national security agencies,” O’Neil said in a statement on Saturday.
The women and children left the Roj refugee camp in northern Syria on Thursday afternoon and crossed the border into Iraq to board a flight home, the Sydney Morning Herald and state broadcaster ABC reported on Friday.
O’Neil said at all times the focus has been on the safety and security of “all Australians” as well as those involved in the repatriation, with the government having “carefully considered the range of security, community and welfare factors in making the decision to repatriate”.
The repatriation followed similar moves by the United States, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Canada, O’Neil said.
She said allegations of illegal activity would continue to be investigated by state and federal law enforcement authorities.
“Any identified offences may lead to law enforcement action being taken,” O’Neil said, adding that New South Wales was providing “extensive support services” to assist the group to reintegrate into Australia.
In a statement on Saturday attributed to the repatriated women, the group said they were “deeply thankful” to be back in Australia and they expressed regret for the “troubles and hurt” caused by their actions, particularly to their families.
Asking for privacy and space to reconnect with their loved ones, the women expressed hope that “all Australian children and their mothers will soon be repatriated from the camps in Syria”.
Human Rights Watch researcher Sophie McNeill said the repatriation was a “long overdue step”.
“For years, the Australian government has abandoned its nationals to horrific conditions in locked camps in northeast Syria,” McNeill said.
“Australia can play a leadership role in counterterrorism through these orderly repatriations of its nationals, most of them children who never chose to live under ISIS,” she said.
In a statement congratulating Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his “strong leadership” on the repatriation plan, the humanitarian organisation Save the Children said that an estimated 11,000 foreign children and women remain in the Roj and al-Hol camps.
Rishi Sunaktold Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that he is “excited” about the two countries relationship.
During a phone call today, the new Tory leader told Mr Albanese that the free trade agreement, Aukus, and the UK’s potential accession to a comprehensive and progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement were all examples of the two countries’ strong relationship.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The prime minister said he was excited by the relationship between the UK and Australia, which was built on deep friendship and a shared approach to global challenges.”
The new prime minister also “welcomed” Australia’s strong support to Ukraine, including the decision to deploy the Australian military to the UK to train Ukrainian forces.
“Both looked forward to meeting in person at the G20 next month,” the spokeswoman added.
Mohammed Shami made a sensational return to the India set up as his blistering final over helped secure a six-run win over Australia in a pulsating T20 World Cup warm-up fixture.
Shami replaced the injured Jasprit Bumrah for the tournament Down Under and four wickets fell from the final four deliveries with defending champions Australia requiring 11 to win.
That was Shami’s only over of the game at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, a match where Aaron Finch (76) found form but only three other Australia batsmen made double figures as they were bowled for 180 – losing six wickets for just nine runs from the final two overs.
Earlier, KL Rahul (57 off 33) and Suryakumar Yadav (50 off 33) had guided India to 186-7, a total that had looked under-par until Shami’s heroics.
Shami steals the show
Shami was overlooked by India originally in favour of rising stars Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel but Bumrah’s misfortune provided him an opportunity, and boy did he take it in a brilliant final over that had started with Pat Cummins taking a couple of twos, before the Australia paceman came unstuck by a scarcely believable one-handed catch by Virat Kohli on the boundary.
More great work by Shami saw Ashton Agar run out when trying to sneak a bye, which preceded a couple of stunning Yorkers, uprooting the wickets of Josh Inglis and Kane Richardson, who had been the pick of Australia’s bowlers with figures of 4-30.
Finch finds his wings again
Australia may have lost the unlosable but a massive takeaway for the hosts was captain Finch finding form on the eve of the World Cup.
Finch had managed only one half-century in his past 10 T20I knocks, and amassed just 25 runs across three innings in the series loss to England. The Australia skipper not only scored runs against India, but did so with a strike rate of 140.74.
Netflix will introduce a new streaming alternative with advertisements in November, introducing a less expensive service as it battles to retain subscribers.
The plan will be offered in 12 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Australia.
The service will cost £4.99 per month in the UK and $6.99 in the US, according to the company.
Netflix has been losing customers as competition and cost of living pressures mount.
The company lost more than 1 million subscribers in the first half of this year. It is due to provide an update of that figure to investors next week.
‘Price for every fan’
Netflix’s move into advertising is a big change for the company, which pioneered the idea of subscription-based streaming.
But as more entertainment companies roll out online streaming platforms, it has had a harder time retaining subscribers, especially as households concerned about the rising cost-of-living look for ways to cut back.
In the UK, the least expensive plan without commercials starts at £6.99 a month.
“We’re confident that … we now have a price and plan for every fan,” the company said in a press release.
“While it’s still very early days, we’re pleased with the interest from both consumers and the advertising community and couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”
Subscribers to the new offering should expect to see an average of four to five minutes of adverts per hour, the company said.
Some films and TV series also will not be available due to licensing restrictions.
The company said it planned to expand the offering to more countries over time.
Many of Netflix’s competitors already combine streaming with adverts or have plans to.
Disney, for example, is due to roll out an advert-supported service in December in the US. That plan will start at $7.99 a month.
Jeremi Gorman, Netflix’s president of worldwide advertising, said it had nearly sold out all the available ad time for the launch, a sign of the interest from advertisers in reaching younger audiences that are increasingly turning away from traditional television.
Netflixis asking people who sign up for the ad service for gender and birth date information as part of efforts to target ads.
In just 24 hours, parts of the country received up to four times their typical October rainfall.
At least 500 homes have been flooded, one person has died and another is missing as the disaster unfolds.
Widespread flooding across Australia – driven by a La Niña weather pattern – has killed more than 20 people this year.
Victoria – Australia’s second most populous state – has been worst hit this week. Several communities have been ordered to evacuate, including some in the state capital Melbourne.
Floods have swamped roads, forced school closures, and cut power to 3,000 houses and businesses.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the number of inundated homes was “absolutely certain to grow”, calling it one of the state’s worst flood events in decades.
“This has only just started, and it’s going to be with us for a while,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Barry Webster, who lives in Melbourne’s northwest, is one of those whose house has gone underwater.
“I always said I wanted riverfront views, but not like this,” he told The Age.
“Going downstairs and seeing the lounge floating… it’s a bit surreal, kind of like a movie.”
Many areas received massive 24-hour rainfall totals, but the highest was in Strathbogie, northeast of Melbourne.
It received 220mm – more than double the town’s average October rainfall or about a third of London’s annual average.
Several rivers have also flooded in Tasmania after up to 400mm of rain fell in some areas in 24 hours. It is unclear how many homes and businesses have been affected there.
In New South Wales, about 600 people were told to evacuate from the town of Forbes, where about 250 properties and businesses were expected to flood.
One man died in the state’s west earlier this week after his car became submerged in floodwaters.
Rescuers have also been searching for a man thought to have been swept away in similar circumstances on Tuesday.
More rain is forecast in the coming weeks, placing strain on already swollen rivers and saturated ground.
Experts say recent flooding in Australia has been worsened by climate change and a La Niña weather phenomenon. In Australia, a La Niña increases the likelihood of rain, cyclones, and cooler daytime temperatures.
At a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings, graphic footage of the attacks was shown, upsetting survivors and the families of the victims.
On the Indonesian island late on Wednesday, hundreds gathered to honour the 202 victims of the attacks.
One victim’s relative said he felt “sick” when the footage aired. It is unclear who made the documentary video.
The Australian government says it is “deeply disappointed” and will formally raise concerns with Indonesia.
People from 21 countries – including 88 Australians – died in the bombings at two popular nightclubs in Kuta on 12 October 2002. Another device exploded outside the US consulate but did not cause harm.
A local group linked to al-Qaeda was blamed for what is Indonesia’s deadliest terror attack.
A 10-minute documentary-style film was screened at 23:05 local time on Wednesday – marking the moment the first bomb detonated.
It included footage of dazed and injured people fleeing in the fiery aftermath. There was also audio of people yelling and a clip from the 9/11 terror attacks in New York, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Australian man Jeff Marshall, whose father Bob Marshall died in Kuta’s Sari Club, said he was stunned by the decision to show such “carnage”.
“[It] just ripped all our hearts apart, seeing it all again,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Attendees say the video also included footage of those behind the attack, including convicted bomb-maker Umar Patek, who is currently being considered for early release on parole.
“We were expecting a minute’s silence once we got to 11:05 pm,” Jan Laczynski told Sydney radio station 2GB.
“[Instead] you had all the Bali bombersbeing paraded. You had the actual bomb sequences happening on the screen.”
Mr Laczynski – who lost five friends in the blasts – said some footage was so “traumatic” that he left the service.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said its government wasn’t involved in organising the event.
“We understand the distress it has caused,” it said in a statement.
They sleep nearly all day and night, avoid socializing, and are not actually bears. There’s nothing else like them, yet koalas face extinction.
Koala “bears” are a marsupial — not a mammal, and, therefore, not actually bear — that evolved over 25 million years ago.
A very distant relativeof the wombat, no other animal on earth comes close to them and they’re even classified into their own family, called Phascolarctidae. These loners are also very territorial.
One of the most iconic animals on the planet, the universal symbol for all that is cute and fluffy — and lazy — has extremely powerful claws with three fingers and two thumbs for extra grip. These paws allow koalas to easily scale and make a home in towering eucalyptus trees that dominate Australian forests.
The animal is raised in its mother’s pouch and sleeps up to 22 hours a day. Koalas get so tired because they spend their waking life feasting on toxic eucalyptus leaves that would kill most mammals. They eat up to one kilogram (2.2 pounds) a day due to the low nutritional value of the leaves, and also to satisfy their thirst.
Koalas are also extremely fussy. They will eat just 50 varieties of the more than 800 eucalyptus species in Australia.
These trees can only be found in Australia’s relatively forested east and southeast coasts. The problem is, when forests burn or are cut down, Australia’s furriest mascot has nowhere to go.
More frequent and intense bushfires are destroying koala habitats
Wildfires and chlamydia threaten koalas
Back in 1788 when the British invaded Australia, as many as 10 million koalas were said to inhabit the country. That number has now dropped to 50,000 by some estimates.
Since European colonization, millions of koalas died at the hands of hunters who prized their furs. More recently, koala populations are threatened as habits are cleared for development.
If that’s not bad enough, chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease,is rampant in the population. It can not only cause blindness but infertility.
But global heating is the animal’s greatest threat. Drought and extreme heat are reducing the water and nutrition content of the koala’s pure leaf diet. And wildfires worsened by climate change have already destroyed fast swathes of their habitat.
Scenes of blackened, burning koalas fleeing the Black Summer fires that engulfed eastern Australia in 2019-2020 helped inspire politicians to raise the conservation status of koalas from vulnerable to endangered.
Bushfire survivors are released back into the wild following the Black Summer fires
Yet koala numbers declined by 30% between 2018 and 2021. In the state of New South Wales, Australia’s most popular animal will likely be extinct by 2050 without urgent intervention. As populations become more isolated, a reported lack of genetic diversity also limits their ability to adapt.
Could koalas be saved?
While the koala population is struggling in the hotter north, the marsupial is said to flourish in cooler climates and some populations are stable in the southern state of Victoria — and more genetically diverse.
The koalas are also a few kilos bigger on average and are also fluffier with more fur.
Though they weigh up to 14 kilograms in the south, the critters are half the size of the “giant” koalas that roamed Australiauntil becoming extinct around 50,000 years ago.
The koala population in Victoria is around 24,000, according to one estimate, and has the potential to grow. But, as ever, continued deforestation means its habitat limit has been reached — for now.
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
Since January, the city has had more than 2,200mm of rain, according to Australia’s weather service.
Widespread flooding across Australia – driven by a La Niña weather pattern – has already killed more than 20 people this year.
People in Sydney and elsewhere have been warned of immediate flood risks and to brace for another wet summer.
“We’ve seen a lot of rain around Sydney today, but it is only going to get worse,” said New South Wales (NSW) Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke on Thursday.
Sydney’s previous rainfall record of 2,194mm was set in 1950.
More heavy rain and storms are forecast for the coming days but catchments are saturated, dams are full, and rivers are already swollen, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
That means many areas are primed for rapid flooding.
“Our message for the community in the coming days is prepare now,” forecaster Gabrielle Woodhouse said.
“[This flooding] looks as though it’s going to be more significant than what we have been seeing over the past 12 months.”
Some areas in Sydney and its surrounds may be flooded, but communities in the NSW central west are most at risk, she said.
For some people in areas like the Hawksbury-Nepean, on the western fringe of Sydney, it will be the fifth flood event in less than two years.
The Australian government has announced that there won’t be any more species extinctions and the country will no longer be known as “the mammal extinction capital of the world.”
More than 100 endangered species, including well-known ones like the koala, will receive priority protection under new conversational tactics.
Earlier this year a report found Australia’s environment is in shocking decline.
Many native animals and plants face threats including habitat loss, invasive pests and weeds, climate change, and more frequent and destructive natural disasters.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the need for action has never been greater.
“Our current approach has not been working,” Ms Plibersek said in a statement. “We are determined to give wildlife a better chance.”
The 10-year strategy also aims to improve resilience to climate change, build “insurance” populations of some key species in predator-free zones, and better monitor existing populations.
It calls for more efforts to reduce the impact of feral cats, foxes, and a prolific weed known as gamba grass, and to better harness Aboriginal expertise in managing the environment.
Twenty areas with high densities of threatened species will be specifically targeted. They include Kangaroo Island in South Australia and the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, which were devastated by bushfires in 2019-20.
The 110 species to be prioritised include the Australian sea lion and the rarest marsupial in the world, Gilbert’s Potoroo – of which only about 100 remain.
Ms Plibersek says the strategy is the government’s answer to the State of the Environment report, which found Australia has lost more species to extinction than any other continent.
The survey of the country’s ecological systems concluded that more than half were in a poor state.
Bruce Lehrmann, a political staffer, is accused of sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins at a government minister’s office in March 2019.
Mr. Lehrmann, 27, entered a not guilty plea and says they never had intercourse.
The trial in a Canberra court is scheduled to last up to six weeks and could call on a number of high-profile witnesses.
Opening their case on Tuesday, prosecutors said the alleged incident had happened after “a drunken night out” with colleagues.
Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins had stopped at Parliament House,where they both worked, and a “heavily intoxicated” Ms Higgins soon fell asleep on a sofa in a minister’s office, the jury was told.
She awoke to find the accused’s knee on her thigh and he was having sex with her, prosecutor Shane Drumgold said.
Mr Drumgold said Ms Higgins had cried throughout the alleged sexual assault, and had said “no” half a dozen times.
Her level of intoxication was also “relevant to her absence of consent, as well as the accused’s recklessness”, the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court heard.
When telling a friend what had happened the next morning, Ms Higgins said she had been “barely lucid”, the prosecutor said.
Opening the defence case later, Mr Lehrmann’s barrister Steven Whybrow said Ms Higgins’s account contained holes and inconsistencies.
“Mark Twain once said: ‘Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.’ And this case is the epitome of that phrase,” he said.
“He is entitled to that presumption of innocence,” Mr Whybrow said.
Chief Justice Lucy McCallum warned jurors the case had received “a fair measure of media publicity” but that it was “very important” they put this out of their minds.
A senior government official has stated that fans who showed Nazi salutes and insignia during the Australia Cup final “should be banned for life.”
After initiating disciplinary proceedings, Football Australia (FA) stated that it “seriously condemns the behaviour of a small minority” of Sydney United 58 supporters.
New South Wales state Premier Dominic Perrottet said the behaviour of some supporters was “absolutely horrendous”.
The club said it was “concerned” by reports of the actions of supporters.
In a statement, Sydney United 58 said it had “zero tolerance towards any form of disrespect, racism or discrimination”.
Supporter attempts to drown out the Indigenous welcoming ceremony prior to kick-off at Western Sydney Stadium are also being investigated.
FA said on Monday it had issued a show-cause notice to semi-professional side Sydney United 58, this requiring the club to respond before any sanctions are implemented.
The governing body added it was working with New South Wales police “to determine strong and swift action on any identified anti-social behaviour”.
Pictures on social media showed some Sydney United supporters making Nazi salutes during the match.
“It has no place, not just at sporting games, but anywhere in our state, and I know the police are looking at it,” said Perrottet.
“Those people who have done that through those salutes should be banned for life.”
The chanting and booing during the pre-match Welcome to Country – a practice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – will be considered as part of the FA investigation.
“The incidents last night caused by some individuals and groups in the stadium was ignorant,” said Jade North, chair of the Football Australia National Indigenous Advisory Group (NIAG).
“This type of behaviour was disrespectful and must not continue in our game and attitudes must change.”
The first non-A-League side to reach the final, Sydney United 58, formerly known as Sydney Croatia, lost 2-0 to Macarthur FC in front of a crowd of 16,461 on Saturday.
“The club is deeply committed to creating an environment that is respectful and inclusive, which allows our community members to celebrate their heritage in a meaningful and responsible way,” the club’s board said.
“Those that do not align themselves with these values are not welcome at Sydney United 58 FC and their views will never be tolerated.”
FA said eight people were evicted during the match “to address some isolated behaviours by a small minority of individuals”.
Basketball‘s world governing body has launched an investigation after a fight broke out among Mali players at the Women’s World Cup in Australia.
One member of the team attacked a team-mate in the mixed zone, where reporters interview players, after their 81-68 defeat by Serbia on Monday.
The result saw Mali eliminated from the tournament after their fourth defeat.
As others interjected to break up the fight, the incident was caught on camera by Serbian television.
In a statement, Fiba said: “Following the incident, Fiba has opened an investigation. Once the investigation is concluded, Fiba will decide on any applicable disciplinary measures.”
Serbia’s Sasa Cado, who was being interviewed at the time, looked visibly shocked, taking a step back as Salimatou Kourouma threw at least three punches at Kamite Elisabeth Dabou.
The tournament in Sydney has been hugely frustrating for the Malians, who are one of two sides at the 12-team finals that are yet to win a game, following previous losses against Japan, hosts Australia and France.
Mali are only playing in the tournament after African champions Nigeria, who beat their fellow West Africans in last year’s Women’s Afrobasket, were withdrawn from the tournament by their government owing to issues in Nigerian basketball.
Malian basketball has also faced considerable challenges in recent times, with a report in 2021 outlining ‘decades’ of sexual abuse in the country’s women’s game.
The report was commissioned by Fiba, which cleared its president – Malian Hamane Niang – of neglecting the abuse while he led the Malian basketball federation between 1999 and 2007.
Mitch Duke and debutant Jason Cummings scored as Australia beat New Zealand 2-0 in Auckland on Sunday to secure back-to-back wins over the All Whites ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
The Socceroos had beaten New Zealand 1-0 in Brisbane on Thursday and triumphed again at Eden Park despite fielding an entirely different starting XI, netting twice in the second half.
New Zealand arguably were the better side in the first half with a handful of half chances, but lost star striker Chris Wood to an apparent rib injury in the 32nd minute.
Marco Tilio inexplicably missed a golden opportunity on the stroke of half-time from Duke’s cutback before the Japan-based forward headed in Connor Metcalfe’s cross in the 54th minute.
The hosts had a sniff in the 68th minute when Harrison Delbridge turned over possession in a dangerous area but substitute Alexander Greive fired straight at Australia goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne.
Exciting Socceroos teenager Garang Kuol made his debut as a substitute and burst forward to set up Riley McGree’s chance, which was saved before Cummings’ rebound was handballed by Liberato Cacace, resulting in an Australia penalty.
Scotland-born Cummings stepped up and converted the 81st-minute spotkick to secure the win in Australia’s final game before announcing their World Cup squad.
Mali suffered their second defeat in as many games as they were thrashed 118-58 by hosts Australia on Friday at the Basketball World Cup.
Having suffered a 89-56 loss to Japan on Thursday, the African runner-up champions lost every quarter against the Australians by at least 10 points in Sydney.
Mali are only playing at the tournament because Nigeria, who qualified after winning the 2021 AfroBasket Women championship, were withdrawn by their government owing to what the latter called “unending drama” in the country’s sport.
Mali meet France on Sunday before facing Serbia on Monday – their final Group B game is against Canada on Tuesday. All the games will be played in Sydney.
The top four in the group make it through to next week’s quarter-finals.
Optus, the second-largest telecommunications provider in Australia, has announced a cyberattack.
Customers’ names, birthdates, phone numbers, and email addresses were revealed due to the breach.
The company – which has more than ten million subscribers – says it has shut down the attack but not before other details such as driver’s licenses and passport numbers were hacked.
Optus says payment data and account passwords were not compromised.
(2/3) While we are not aware of customers having suffered any harm, we encourage you to have a heightened awareness across your accounts, including looking out for unusual or fraudulent activity, as well as any notifications which may seem odd or suspicious.
The company said it would notify those at “heightened risk” but all customers should check their accounts.
Chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin apologized to its customers, on ABC TV.
She said names, dates of birth, and contact details had been accessed, “in some cases” the driving license number, and in “a rare number of cases the passport and the mailing address” had also been exposed.
The company had notified the Australian Federal Police after noticing “unusual activity”.
And investigators were trying “to understand who has been accessing the data and for what purpose”.
Optus says the type of information that may have been hacked includes customers’
names
dates of birth
phone numbers
email addresses
addresses
ID document numbers such as driver’s license or passport numbers
“Optus is working with the Australian Cyber Security Centreto mitigate any risks to customers,” a statement on its website said.
“Optus has also notified key financial institutions about this matter.
“While we are not aware of customers having suffered any harm, we encourage customers to have heightened awareness across their accounts, including looking out for unusual or fraudulent activity and any notifications which seem odd or suspicious.”
Ms Rosmarin said the company had put all customers on high alert as a precaution – but many have been left frustrated and concerned.
Hey @Optus might be good if you’d bothered to tell me you’d/I’d been hacked and what I can do about it!
Kaspersky cyber-security researcher David Emm told BBC News: “It’s good to see that Optus has said that it will contact those it believes are affected and that they will not be sending messages in emails or via SMS [text] messages – this makes it clear to customers that any such messages they receive will be fake.
“It’s also reassuring that no passwords or payment information has been stolen.
“Nevertheless, customers should be on the alert for any fraudulent activity they see and should protect their online accounts with unique, complex passwords and using two-factor authentication.”
Indigenous protestors demonstrated against the monarch and the effects of British colonialism on Thursday, as Australia observed a national day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
Australia is a constitutional monarchy, and Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, commended Elizabeth for her commitment and service during a formal ceremony in Canberra.
However, crowds have gathered across the country for ‘abolish the monarchy’ protests.
To many Australians, the Queen was a symbol of constancy and dedication, but to indigenous Australians, she represented brutal colonization that stole their land when British settlers arrived in 1788.
Hundreds of anti-monarchists have expressed their opinions on the streets of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra.
“The Crown has blood on their hands,” a demonstrator said. “Our people are still dying in this country every single day!”
Protesters burned Australian and British flags as they rallied “against racist colonial imperialism.”
“We don’t get time off for our mourning whereas they have set a public holiday for the Queen. I think that the government could consider more about what goes on in Aboriginal communities,” said a protester.
Governor-general David Hurley, the British monarch’s official representative in Australia, has acknowledged the pain and anguish felt by Indigenous people.
“In considering the unifying role that Her Majesty played, I acknowledge that her passing has prompted different reactions from some of our community. I’m conscious and respect that the response of many First Nations Australians is shaped by our colonial history and broader reconciliation journey. That is a journey we as a nation must complete,” he said.
But many Australians have celebrated Elizabeth’s long service as their head of state at events, large and small, across the country.
Speaking at a national day of mourning ceremony in Canberra,Prime minister Anthony Albanese, praised Elizabeth’s dedication.
“This national day of mourning salutes a sovereign who served our whole nation and sought to know it, too. It is fitting that today’s commemorations in our national capital will be mirrored in communities across our country as Australians express their own affection and respect and celebrate the Queen’s part in their own stories,” he said.
Albanese has ruled out holding another referendum on Australia becoming a republic until at least 2025, preferring instead to focus on enshrining indigenous rights in the constitution.
Australia’s rejected severing its constitutional ties to the British monarchy in a referendum in 1999.
Darcy Swain, Australialock, has been barred for six weeks following his charge into the knee of Quinn Tupaea ruled the New Zealand centre out for nine months.
Swain, 25, drove his shoulder into Tupaea’s leg as the All Black stood over a breakdown during Australia’s 39-37 loss in Melbourne on 15 September.
Sanzaar decided the incident was “not intentional” but “highly reckless”.
Swain has been selected for an Australia A squad that will play three games against Japan in October.
He is now ineligible for those matches, this weekend’s rematch against New Zealand in the final round of the Rugby Championship and the Wallabies’ tour matches against Scotland and France on 29 October and 5 November respectively.
Swain received a yellow card for the incident on the field, before citing officials decided it was worthy of a red and sent it for review after the match.
“Darcy’s not happy with the result [of what he did] and he’s been punished,” said Australia coach Dave Rennie. “Six weeks is a hefty punishment, I reckon, and fitting.”
New Zealand were highly critical of Swain’s clear-out.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster said his team had “a big issue” with it.
Playmaker Beauden Barrett said Tupaea was “a sitting duck”.
“It was a bit of a free shot. We don’t like to see these sorts of injuries,” he added.
More than 200 whales have been found stranded on a remote beach on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. Half of the pod, thought to be pilot whales, are believed to be still alive. Rescuers are being sent to the area.
It’s unclear what caused the whales to the beach on a sandflat at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour, the same remote location where Australia’s worst stranding occurred two years ago.
It comes a day after a separate mass stranding in northern Tasmania.
The incident on Tuesday saw 14 young sperm whales found dead on King Island, in the Bass Strait.
Experts were planning a rescue of the 230 whales discovered on Wednesday but the operation would be “complex” due to the location, Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said in a statement.
“It appears about half of the animals are alive.”
Macquarie Harbour is a large, shallow inlet in a rural area. More of the whales are expected to die overnight.
Locals have been covering the stranded whales with blankets and pouring buckets of water over them to try to keep them alive.
IMAGE SOURCE, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT Image caption, An aerial view of the whales stranded on Tasmania’s west coast
The state’s environment department said marine conservation experts were traveling to the scene and would try to refloat those whales still healthy enough to survive.
Pilot whales are highly social mammals and are well known for stranding in groupsbecause they travel in large, close-knit communities which rely on constant communication.
In September 2020, a huge rescue operation was launched when almost 500 pilot whales became stranded in the same harbor.
More than 380 of the pilot whales died, but about 100 survived thanks to rescuers.
Wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta told the BBC the similarities between the stranding and the last one – same species, same location, same time of year – are “unusual” and concerning.
The whales may have “misnavigated”, followed a sick or disoriented leader, or been startled into shallower waters, she said.
Climate change could have an impact too – changes in the environment, water temperature, or prey habitats could throw the whales off.
But the reasons behind whale strandings remain a “mystery”, she says, as does why Tasmania sees so many of them.
There’s lots of marine life in the area – more animals could mean more incidents – and there are also a lot of currents intersecting with the land.
But the “giant island” itself could just be a navigational hazard for animals that use echolocation, she says.
“You’re going from essentially open waters and then there’s land all of a sudden.”
The Australian Football League is investigating claims Aboriginal players at one of its most successful clubs were bullied by senior coaching staff.
Hawthorn Football Club players were reportedly isolated from family, told to leave their partners and one alleges he was ordered to end a pregnancy.
One of the coaches implicated has taken leave as the league investigates the “disturbing” claims.
They were uncovered by a review of the team’s treatment of Indigenous people.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) published details of the confidential report on Wednesday, as the league prepares for the grand final on Saturday.
Brisbane Lion coach Chris Fagan – who was at the Hawks during the period in question – has announced he will take leave while the investigation takes place. Two other senior coaching staff mentioned in the ABC report are yet to respond.
ABC interviewed three unnamed players who were at the Melbourne club – also known as the Hawks – between 2005 and 2021. During that time, they say they were forced to choose between their careers and their families.
One said coaching staff had “demanded that I needed to get rid of my unborn child and my partner”.
“I was then manipulated and convinced to remove my SIM card from my phone so there was no further contact between my family and me. They told me I’d be living with one of the other coaches from that night onward,” he said.
His partner did not go through with an abortion and the couple reconciled within months. But when she became pregnant again soon after the birth of their first child, the woman told the ABC she felt she needed to end that pregnancy to avoid a repeat ordeal.
Another player told the ABC Hawthorn reacted similarly when they learned his partner was pregnant. He said he was forced to break up with her and cut off contact. She later miscarried.
A third player – who was from another state – told the investigation the club had actively tried to stop his young family from relocating to Melbourne to be with him.
All three couples spoke about their mental health struggles since the incidents.
Hawthorn said they received the report detailing the allegations two weeks ago, and they passed it on to Australian Football League (AFL) officials.
But AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has told media that the ABC investigation contained previously unknown details, adding that it made for “a challenging, harrowing and disturbing read”.
“It’s hard to find more serious allegations,” he said.
An independent panel, to be led by an eminent lawyer, will be appointed to investigate them, he said.
Hawthorn chief executive Justin Reeves on Wednesday said the allegations were “heartbreaking”, but insisted current players feel “culturally safe”.
“But like so many institutions, I think we have to face our history and our past,” he added.
Asked if the club had a cultural problem, he responded: “I think Australia has a culture problem.”
Several star players from multiple AFL teams have complained of racist abuse from stadium crowds and poor support from club officials in recent years.
Indigenous AFL legend Adam Goodes says years of abuse from rival fans left him “heartbroken” and led to him retiring in 2015.
And a review into a separate Melbourne club – Collingwood – last year found it was guilty of “systemic racism.”
The objective puts the nation, which ranks among the top polluters globally per capita, more in line with other wealthy nations.
But critics say government plans to reach the target are lacking detail.
Some have been demanding a higher goal as well as a ban on new fossil fuel projects in the country.
But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had lauded the new law – the Climate Change Bill – as an end to a decade of climate policy inaction.
The Labor government’s climate bill cleared the Senate by 37 votes to 30 after accepting minor amendments by independent David Pocock.
Climate change minister, Chris Bowen, told parliament “today is a good day for our parliament and our country, and we’re going to need many more of them”, The Guardian reported.
The former government had angered allies with its short-term emissions reductions target – which was about half what the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says is needed if the world has any chance of limiting warming to 1.5C.
But there is strong support within the parliament for greater action on climate change.
Many independents campaigned on the issue of climate change and wanted a 2030 target of at least 50%.
Meanwhile, the Greens party said the passing of the bill was a “small step” in tackling the climate crisis.
Mark Howden, vice chair of the IPCC, told the BBC in June the new commitment is a big improvement on the previous target.
“[It] would be equivalent to taking all of our cars off the road or taking agriculture out of our economy,” he said.
It could take Australia’s carbon emission from 24 tonnes per person down to around 14 tonnes per person, he said.
While it won’t make Australia a global leader on the climate, “we’re no longer a laggard”, Mr Howden said.
Canada is aiming for a reduction of 40% by 2030 from 2005 levels, while the United States has a target of up to 52%.
In recent years, Australia has suffered severe drought, historic bushfires, successive years of record-breaking floods, and six mass bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef.
The country is racing towards a future full of similar disasters, the latest UN IPCC report warns.
New research also shows that natural disasters have cost Australian households on average more than A$1,485 (£870; $1,000) in the past year.
A report by the Insurance Council of Australia blames the soaring costs of catastrophic flooding in the east of the country in February and March. The report says costs will continue to rise for years to come because of extreme weather.
Opener Jason Roy has been dropped from England’s squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia but bowlers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes are fit to return.
England Test captain Ben Stokes is included despite missing all of England‘s T20s since March 2021.
White-ball captain Jos Buttler will miss the start of the tour of Pakistan, with Moeen Ali deputising as skipper.
England play seven T20s in Pakistan from 20 September before the World Cup starts on 16 October.
Roy, 32, has been an integral part of England’s white-ball success in recent years, but has endured a poor summer.
His highest score in his past 11 international innings is 43 and he managed only 51 runs in six innings for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred, including three ducks.
“He’s a hit a bad patch of form at the worst time,” said England managing director Rob Key, who confirmed Jonny Bairstow will be promoted to open with Buttler.
“I don’t see that this is Jason’s T20 career over. We still see the 50-over format as his strongest suit, so still see him as very much a part of that set-up.”
England have included five uncapped players in a squad of 19 for the series in Pakistan, while the squad for the World Cup is trimmed to 15, with three travelling reserves.
Buttler’s side play three matches against hosts and defending champions Australia before the tournament. England’s campaign begins against Afghanistan in Perth on 22 October.
England, the 50-over world champions, were beaten semi-finalists in the last T20 World Cup in 2021 and reached the final in the previous edition in 2016.
This will be their first global white-ball tournament since 2014 without the leadership of Eoin Morgan, the former captain who retired in June.
Both Wood, 32, and Woakes, 33, last played for England on the Test tour of West Indies in March. They return from elbow and knee surgery respectively and boost an injury hit pace-bowling department that remains without Jofra Archer.
“They are back in with fingers crossed,” added Key. “The likelihood for Wood and Woakes is they will start getting fit at the back end of the Pakistan trip.”
Stokes, who continues to be available for T20s despite retiring from one-day internationals, is rested for the tour of Pakistan, which begins little more than a week after England’s final Test against South Africa at The Oval concludes. Bairstow is also rested for the Pakistan tour but he too will join up with the World Cup squad.
Liam Livingstone is another missing the Pakistan leg as he continues to recover from an ankle injury, while World Cup reserve Tymal Mills (toe) will also go straight to Australia.
Buttler has a calf injury, but is expected to be fit for the latter stages of the Pakistan series. His absence means Moeen, whose family originates from Pakistan, will have the honour of leading England on their first tour of the country in 17 years.
Key confirmed England’s intention to tour Pakistan despite the floods that have devastated large parts of the country. England pulled out of a trip to Pakistan last year citing “increasing concerns about travelling to the region”.
“It’s a trip we’re desperate to go on,” said Key. “It’s going to take a lot for us not to get out there.
“Hopefully us going out there and playing will be a positive story in what has been a pretty harrowing time for the people of that country.”
Warwickshire quick bowler Olly Stone, who has played three Tests and four ODIs for England, makes his return to international cricket from a back injury as part of the quintet of uncapped T20 players for the Pakistan tour.
He is joined by Middlesex pacer Tom Helm, Lancashire left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood and batters Jordan Cox and Will Jacks of Kent and Surrey respectively.
England squad for the Men’s T20 World Cup: Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood. Travelling reserves: Liam Dawson, Richard Gleeson, Tymal Mills.
England squad for T20 series in Pakistan: Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Liam Dawson, Richard Gleeson, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Luke Wood.
Hackers created a fake news website to harvest data from Australian government officials, journalists, and others, according to a top US security company.
The targets received emails claiming to be from Australian news outlets, which linked them to a malicious website.
The website, populated with articles stolen from BBC News, would then install malicious code on their device.
Proofpoint said it had “high confidence” the hackers were aligned with the Chinese government.
“We take attribution very seriously,” Proofpoint threat research and detection vice-president Sherrod DeGrippo said.
“We specifically don’t release attribution unless we have high confidence.
“Essentially, a big part of our attribution capability comes from the fact that the United States Department of Justice agrees with the attribution and data that we have released.
Proofpoint said the hackers were part of a group of which four members had been charged by the US in 2021 when the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre said it was “almost certain” they were linked to the Chinese government.
It said the group was “a China-based, espionage-motivated threat actor that has been active since 2013, targeting a variety of organisations in response to political events in the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on the South China Sea.”
The Australian Cyber Security Centre has been approached for comment.
In the group’s latest hack, between April and June, victims had received emails claiming to be from someone who had started a news website, Proofpoint said.
They had then been asked to review the site and consider writing for it.
‘Anglo-styled names’
“What I think is quite novel about it is they went so far as to create these fake media websites, by scraping legitimate sites, including the BBC, in their efforts to appear real,” Ms DeGrippo said.
“And further, they created multiple identities that they were sending from.
“They created all of these sorts of pseudo identities to launch the attack from, making them more believable.”
The fake names – each with their own unique Gmail address – included Daisha Manalo, Blair Goodland, and Bethel Giffen.
IMAGE SOURCE,PROOFPOINT
Image caption,
Victims were invited to write for a new news website, which was fake
The fake website was filled with malware that would infect the victim’s computer with a tool called Scanbox, checking their profile, device and web pages visited.
“Scanbox essentially is a web reconnaissance and exploitation framework,” Ms DeGrippo said.
“When we think about that, in conjunction with the actor who is a China-based espionage group, it makes sense.”
‘Sensitive role’
The attack seemed to focus on people involved in energy production, such as offshore energy exploration in the South China Sea, wind-turbine manufacture, and alternative energy but also defence contractors and individuals involved in healthcare and financial services.
“Consumers generally are not on the radar of Chinese espionage services,” Ms DeGrippo said.
“However, anyone who has a sensitive role within their professional employment, even if they’re dealing with things such as engineering, things that might not seem like state secrets… the reality is China sees them as secrets and as important espionage information.”
People should ensure their browsers were updated and firewall and antivirus software turned on, Ms DeGrippo said.
But she added: “Organisations professionally must think about the kinds of data that their employees have access to and if they have the correct technological means in place to protect their employees from these kinds of attacks.
“By the time it gets to a human, it’s really too late.”
An Australianman who became the subject of a popular crime podcast has been found guilty of his wife’s cold case murder.
Chris Dawson’s trial in a Sydney court this year followed decades of speculation about the 1982 disappearance of his wife, Lynette.
Her body has never been found and all the evidence was circumstantial.
Dawson was charged in 2018 after the podcast garnered global attention and prompted a renewed investigation.
The 74-year-old denies killing Mrs Dawson, maintaining she had abandoned him and their two children – possibly to join a religious group.
When handing down his verdict on Tuesday, Justice Ian Harrison said the evidence against Dawson was “persuasive and compelling”.
The judge found Dawson was “possessively obsessed” with his teenage babysitter, who is known as JC for legal reasons, and wanted her as a “replacement” for his wife.
Dawson had become increasingly desperate as previous plans to leave his marriage failed and JC wanted to end the relationship, Justice Harrison said.
“I’m satisfied that the prospect that he would lose [JC] so distressed, frustrated, and ultimately overwhelmed him that… Mr Dawson resolved to kill his wife,” he told the New South Wales Supreme Court.
He moved JC into their house just days after Mrs Dawson disappeared and only reported his wife missing six weeks later.
Dawson will be sentenced at a later date.
Tears from Lynette Dawson’s family
Ashen and dazed. Chris Dawson appeared to be in shock as he stepped into a lift on the 13th floor of the court with his older brother, Peter, and his lawyer during a break in the judge’s deliberations.
I stood an arm’s length away from a man who a couple of hours later would become a convicted killer.
After 40 years, the mystery and tragedy of Lynette Dawson’s disappearance have finally been solved.
The judge demolished her husband’s defence, labelling key parts ‘absurd’ and ‘fanciful’.
There were gasps from his family members when the guilty verdict was eventually handed down. There were tears from Lynette Dawson’s relatives who sat quietly nearby.
The former teacher was led away in handcuffs, shaking his head. Justice Harrison’s lengthy verdict has finally exposed his lies and deceit.
The case shot to global prominence when it was investigated by journalist Hedley Thomas in podcast The Teacher’s Pet.
The series won Australian journalism’s highest honour and has been streamed more than 30 million times, topping charts in the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand.
But the podcast also jeopardised the case against Dawson, with Justice Harrison criticising its “less than balanced view” on the case.
The trial was initially delayed due to publicity the podcast created, and Dawson’s lawyers tried to halt the case altogether, arguing the series had contaminated witnesses and potential jurors.
Dawson was instead granted a trial before a single judge, rather than jury.
Victim ‘idolised her children’
Lynette Dawson, a 33-year-old mother of two, disappeared from her Sydney home in January 1982. Police have never found any trace of her.
Her husband told police she called him one weekend and told him she needed time away. He said he also received several phone calls from her afterwards.
But prosecutors argued Dawson murdered her after failed plots to leave the marriage – which they said included contemplating hiring a hitman and attempting to move to Queensland to start a new life with JC.
Justice Harrison rejected the claim about the hitman and allegations Dawson had been physically abusive towards his wife.
But he concluded she did not “abandon” her home voluntarily, as the defence suggested. He noted that Mrs Dawson “idolised her children and her husband” and all her belongings remained at her home.
“Even her contact lenses were found… in a blue container when delivered by Mr Dawson with her belongings,” he said.
Australia were too good for Zimbabwe in the first of their three-match ODI series on Sunday, riding some dominant bowling from Cameron Green in a five-wicket victory.
Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, the Australians clearly felt their bowling attack could restrict Zimbabwe to a manageable total, but the tourists started well in Townsville.
Australian quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood would have felt they were unlucky to not take any wickets in their opening spell, but despite some loose shots and near-catches, Zimbabwe built a healthy platform of 87-1.
Marumani ended up playing all around a straight one from Adam Zampa to be dismissed on 45 from 61 deliveries, and once he was gone, Madhevere starting losing running-mates quickly.
Six of the last seven batsmen to come to the middle were dismissed for no more than seven runs, with Regis Chakabva’s 31 from 33 deliveries the last piece of resistance before Madhevere was caught and bowled by Zampa on 72 from 91.
A late onslaught from the Aussie attack turned 185-4 into 200 all out, as Cameron Green rattled off five quick wickets to clean up the tail, finishing with figures of 5-33 from nine overs. Zampa was Australia’s only other multiple wicket-taker, collecting 3-57.
With such a low target required, the Australians knew they could take their time, as evidenced by their top three batsmen all going at a pace slower than a run-per-ball.
David Warner controlled proceedings early, surviving a close third-umpire referral when the Zimbabwe wicket keeper was convinced he heard a feathery touch, going on to score 57 from 66 deliveries before being bowled.
Steve Smith came in at three and was far from in a hurry, methodically playing his way to 48 from 80 deliveries, before Glenn Maxwell came in at seven to race towards the finish.
Maxwell only saw nine deliveries, but he sent three to the rope along the ground, and three for six on his way to a rapid unbeaten 32 finishing the game with a big six in the 34th over.
Ryan Burl was expensive for Zimbabwe with the ball, giving up 60 runs in seven overs, but took three wickets, claiming the scalps of Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey and Marsh.
Touching tributes were paid to Andrew Symonds in Townsville during Australia’s ODI with Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Former Australia all-rounder Symonds died in a car accident in May at the age of 46.
The outfield at Riverway Stadium was emblazoned with ‘Roy 388′ a reference to Symonds’ nickname and his Australia Test cap number.
Symonds’ children, Billy and Chloe, stood alongside ODI captain Aaron Finch and Steve Smith during the national anthems, when a minute’s silence was held in his honour.
They later served as enthusiastic drinks carriers for Australia’s players in the field.
Symonds’ wife Laura Vidmar, sister Louise, mother Barbara, his children and close friend Jimmy Maher took to the middle during the interval to place his baggy green, his bat, his Akubra hat, a fishing rod and a crab pot at the stumps. His much-loved dogs Buzz and Woody also joined the family for the emotional tribute.
A win for Roy â¤ï¸
Our men’s team (featuring assistants Chloe & Will) have defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets in the first Dettol ODI in Townsville! #AUSvZIMpic.twitter.com/fzhAvJsnXk
“What he did as a player was remarkable,” Finch said prior to the match, which Australia won by five wickets.
“He was someone who put bums on seats, he was box office with bat and in the field. [It’s been] a really sad time obviously for Australian cricket over the last little while. It’ll be nice to have some tributes and his family here.
“For someone who was so laid-back, his depth of knowledge of cricket and players was second to none. I think the larrikin tag was there, but the deep knowledge of the game was outstanding as well.”
Symonds made 26 Test appearances for Australia, scoring two centuries, his first coming in the Boxing Day Test in 2006-07 Ashes series. He recorded 10 half-centuries and had an average of 40.61 and took 24 Test wickets.
In ODI cricket, he played a key role in Australia’s 2003 Cricket World Cup triumph, scoring 326 runs in five innings at an average of 163. He also featured in their 2007 success.
He scored 5,088 ODI runs, 16th in the all-time list for Australia, producing six centuries and 30 half-centuries. Symonds took 133 wickets in the 50-over format.
The illegal drug was found inside military-style ammunition boxes and hidden within a three tone lathe in a shipping container. The police worry that Australia could become part of a ‘global fentanyl epidemic’.
The Australian Border Force (ABF) seized more than 5 million doses of fentanyl, a deadly opioid that is circulated illegally on the streets, on Monday. According to a press statement by the ABF, this was the largest shipment of fentanyl ever detected in the country.
The opioids were found in a shipment arriving from Canada in Melbourne in December 2021, hidden inside an industrial wooden lathe, the statement described.
At an examination of the shipping container two months later, in February, Australian police officers discovered nearly 60 kilograms of illegal substances. The powdered drugs were covered up inside of military-style ammunition boxes and hidden further within a three tone lathe.
An analysis by forensic officers proved that the substances were made up of 11.2 kilograms of pure fentanyl — which is equivalent to about 5.5 million potential lethal doses of 30 milligrams — and some 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of 27 million Australian dollars (roughly €18.5 million, or US$18.5 million).
First known large seizure in Australia
Prior to that, Australian police said they had only ever detected illegal fentanyl in amounts of less than 30 grams. They went on to say that as little as 28 milligrams of the drug can result in death.
“This was a massive amount of Fentanyl,” ABF Commander Maritime and Enforcement South James Watson said.
“Fentanyl is an extremely toxic substance to handle as well as being a lethal drug to use. There is a fentanyl epidemic in many parts of the world today, resulting in thousands of deaths of users every year,” Watson highlighted.
Australian Federal Police acting Commander Anthony Hall added that the lacing of illegal drugs with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl proved especially dangerous.
“People who use illicit drugs can never be certain what they are ingesting and this seizure highlights the potentially lethal game of Russian roulette they play. We don’t want to see Australia joining other countries in that deadly game,” he said.
Two Saudi sisters found dead in their Sydney apartment in “unusual” circumstances last month have been identified by police, as authorities appealed for more information.
Police discovered the bodies of Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, on June 7, following a concern for welfare report, according to a statement on Wednesday from New South Wales Police.
“Despite extensive inquiries, detectives have been unable to ascertain how the women died,” the statement said. “However, it is believed the women had been deceased for some time prior to being located.”
The sisters arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia in 2017, NSW Police confirmed to CNN. “The circumstances of their death were unusual because they have no signs of injury,” police said.
NSW Police detective inspector Claudia Allcroft said any information from the public could hold the key to solving the investigation.
“Detectives are interested in speaking with anyone who may have seen or who may have information about the women’s movements in the days and weeks prior to their deaths — which we believe occurred in early May,” Allcroft said in the NSW Police statement.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the Saudi Consulate in Sydney said it was in contact with Australian authorities about the case. “The Consulate also expresses its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased,” it said.
CNN has reached out to the Saudi Embassy in Canberra for comment.
Seven players in Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) will boycott a key match over their team’s decision to wear a gay pride jersey.
On Thursday, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles will become the first team in the competition ever to don a kit which promotes LGBT inclusivity in the sport.
But players weren’t consulted and some object to the move on religious and cultural grounds.
The club apologised for its handling of the situation.
Coach Des Hasler said the club had made a “significant mistake” that had caused “confusion, discomfort and pain for many people, in particular those groups whose human rights we were in fact attempting to support”.
In a press conference on Tuesday, he apologised to the LGBT community and to the players involved.
“They were not included in any of the discussions, and at a minimum, they should have been consulted,” Hasler said.
Under league rules, players from the same team cannot wear different jerseys.
Local media identified the seven players as Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolu Koula and Toafofoa Sipley.
Thursday’s game is considered important to the club’s chances of making the NRL finals and the players’ stance has sparked a backlash online.
“What infuriates me (and always has) is that players will boycott over a rainbow but never boycott a teammate if he’s been accused of violence against women or any other morally reprehensible behaviour that they would all agree they don’t condone,” wrote Pam Whaley on Twitter.
Others accused the seven of hypocrisy, pointing out the team is sponsored by a brewery and betting agency.
Hasler said he respected the men’s decisions and is concerned for their welfare amid the backlash.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Hasler said club management had made “significant mistakes”
Former Manly star Ian Roberts – the first-ever former NRL player to come out as gay – says the boycott “breaks his heart”.
“It’s sad and uncomfortable,” he told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Manly for its stance, saying: “It’s important in Australian society that we respect everyone for who they are.”
It isn’t the first time an Australian athlete has objected to wearing a pride jersey. Last year AFL Women’s player Haneen Zreika missed a game after declining to don the jersey on religious grounds.
Few Australian sport stars have come out. Mr Roberts and others say homophobia remains a big issue among fans and players in the country’s top competitions.
Adelaide United footballer Josh Cavallo – who came out in October – has called out the abuse directed at him by crowds over his sexuality.
In 2015 Israel Folau – who has played rugby league, rugby union and Australian Rules football at the highest levels – was controversially sacked by Rugby Australia for making anti-gay posts on social media.
Tens of thousands residents have been told to evacuate their homes in Sydney, following torrential rain and flash flooding in Australia‘s largest city.
Roads have been cut off, with 18 evacuation orders in western Sydney alone and warnings of more to come.
“This is a life-threatening emergency situation,” Stephanie Cooke, emergency services minister for the state of New South Wales, said.
The area was hit by flash flooding in March, killing 20 people.
“We are now facing dangers on multiple fronts – flash flooding, riverine flooding and coastal erosion,” Ms Cooke told a media briefing.
Her warning came as the Bureau of Meteorology said up to 350mm of rain had hit certain areas, risking flooding along the Nepean River.
Sydney’s main dam had also started to spill overnight – a further concern for the authorities.
Ms Cooke said this was a “rapidly evolving situation” and warned that people should be “prepared to evacuate at short notice”.
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP Image caption, Authorities are pleading with people to heed advice to leave their homes
There had been 83 flood rescues by emergency services in the past 24 hours alone, she said.
“It unfortunately shows that people aren’t necessarily heeding the advice that we continue to put out multiple times a day in relation to this flooding event,” Ms Cooke said.
“I’m respectfully asking people to avoid non-essential travel at this time.”
Experts say the flooding emergency has been worsened by climate change and a La Niña weather phenomenon. A La Niña develops when strong winds blow the warm surface waters of the Pacific away from South America and towards Indonesia. In their place, colder waters come up to the surface.
In Australia, a La Niña increases the likelihood of rain, cyclones and cooler daytime temperatures.
An unassuming patch of red dirt in remote Australia has made history as the site of Nasa’s first rocket launch from a commercial spaceport outside the US.
The sub-orbital rocket blasted off from the tiny site early on Monday local time.
It will enable astrophysics studies that can only be undertaken in the Southern Hemisphere, Nasa says.
The launch was also the first in Australia in more than 25 years.
The rocket is Nasa’s first of three to blast off from the newly constructed Arnhem Space Centre on the edge of the Northern Territory.
Scientists hope it will help them study the impact of a star’s light on the habitability of nearby planets.
Onlookers who travelled to the remote site glimpsed the rocket for only about 10 seconds before it shot out of view.
“It was in the blink of an eye, but to me, it was like it was in slow motion because the whole area just lit up,” Yirrkala School co-principal Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“It went up, and then the sound, it was just like a rumbling boom, like nothing I’ve ever heard. And I just shook with amazement.”
The sounding rocket’s tenure in space was similarly short – the 13m-long projectile fell back to Earth after a planned 15 minutes.
But the data gathered in that time will help illuminate the secrets of star constellations 430 million light years away, says the chief executive of Equatorial Launch Australia, which runs the space centre.
“Without getting too deep into the science, it was effectively a large X-ray camera looking at various… phenomenon and trying to capture parts of boulders in the Milky Way and particularly the star cluster of Alpha Centauri,” Michael Jones told the local network Nine.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles hailed the launch as an “extremely proud” moment for Australia, adding it was conducted with the blessing of the region’s Aboriginal traditional owners.
“Here on Yolngu land, young Territorians can look up at the sky and know what can be done,” Ms Fyles said.
“When we see the oldest living culture combining with the science of space, as we have here, it’s something we can all reflect on and be very proud.”
IMAGE SOURCE,NASA Image caption, Nasa consulted with Aboriginal custodians of the land before the launch
Australia has stepped up its space efforts in recent times, unveiling a defence agency focused on countering Russia and China’s ambitions in space.
The Arnhem Space Centre is the first and only commercially owned and run equatorial launch site in the world.
“We have achieved a remarkable feat and made a huge mark in the history of Australia’s journey in space,” Mr Jones said in a statement.
“[It] confirms that we and Australia can provide access to space and this is just the beginning for us.”
The next launch is expected to take place on 4 July.
Nasa has pledged to collect all material and debris and return them to the US.
Australia’s energy minister has urged households in New South Wales – a state that includes the country’s biggest city Sydney – to switch off their lights in the face of an energy crisis.
Chris Bowen says people should not use electricity for two hours every evening if they “have a choice”.
However, he added he was “confident” that blackouts could be avoided.
It comes after Australia’s main wholesale electricity market was suspended because of a surge in prices.
Mr Bowen asked people living in New South Wales to conserve as much power as possible.
“If you have a choice about when to run certain items, don’t run them from 6 to 8 [in the evening],” he said during a televised media conference in Canberra.
Why is there a crisis?
Australia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of coal and liquefied natural gas but has been struggling with a power crisis since last month. Three quarters of the country’s electricity is still generated using coal. It has long been accused of not doing enough to cut its emissions by investing in renewables.
In recent weeks, Australia has felt the impact of disruptions to coal supplies, outages at several coal-fired power plants and soaring global energy prices.
Flooding earlier this year hit some coal mines in New South Wales and Queensland, while technical issues have cut production at two mines that supply the market’s biggest coal-fired station in New South Wales.
Around a quarter of Australia’s coal-fired electricity generating capacity is currently out of service due to unexpected outages and scheduled maintenance.
Some electricity producers have seen their costs soar as global coal and gas prices have jumped due to sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, demand for energy has jumped amid a cold snap and as Australia’s economy opens up after Covid-19 restrictions were eased.
All of this has helped drive up power prices on the wholesale market to above the A$300 (£173; $210) per megawatt hour price cap set by the market’s regulator, the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo).
However, that cap was below the cost of production for several generators, who decided to withhold capacity.
On Wednesday, Aemo took the unprecedented step of suspending the market and said it would set prices directly and compensate generators for the shortfall.
It also asked consumers in New South Wales to “temporarily reduce their energy usage”.
What happens next?
Aemo has not given a timeline on when the suspension would be lifted. It said in a statement, “The price cap will remain until cumulative wholesale electricity prices fall below the cumulative price threshold.”
“Aemo, as the national power system operator, will continue to monitor the situation and provide further updates should conditions change,” it added.
On Thursday, Australia’s biggest electricity producer AGL Energy said it expected to be able to supply more power to businesses and consumers in the coming days.
It has three units that have been out of service at its coal-fired plant in Bayswater, New South Wales.
They are among several planned and unplanned outages that have helped cause the power crisis.
AGL said that one of the units should return to service on Thursday, while another will come back online by Saturday.
Meanwhile, Australia’s new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the crisis would be raised at a meeting with state premiers which starts on Thursday.
Lynne Chester, an energy expert from the University of Sydney, told the BBC that policymakers have been aware of the risks of ageing generators for decades.
“The sector’s regulators and policy makers have ignored the escalating capacity constraints of aging generation assets, fired by fossil fuels, that dominate the sector,” Prof Chester said.
Australia’s new leader has vowed to take the country in a new direction, with a big shift in climate policy.
Anthony Albanese, who won Saturday’s election with the opposition centre-left Labor Party, said Australia could become a renewable energy superpower.
He is to be sworn in as PM on Monday, but it is not clear whether his party will have a majority in parliament.
Climate change was a key concern for voters, after three years of record-breaking bushfire and flood events.
Outgoing PM Scott Morrison, the leader of an ousted Liberal-National coalition, thanked the “miracle of the Australian people” after conceding.
Vote counting is still going on, and it is unclear whether Labor can get 76 seats to secure a majority in the 151-member lower house of parliament.
Final results may not be known for several days, as electoral officials have just started counting nearly three million postal votes.
If the election results in a hung parliament, Greens and independents – who have been campaigning for radical climate change action – could wield greater influence in framing the new government’s policies on the issue.
Speaking to the BBC’s Shaimaa Khalil shortly after his election victory, Mr Albanese, 59, said: “We have an opportunity now to end the climate wars in Australia.
“Australian businesses know that good action on climate change is good for jobs and good for our economy, and I want to join the global effort.”
Mr Albanese, who will be heading Australia’s first Labor government in almost a decade, also promised to adopt more ambitious emissions targets.
However, he has so far refused calls to phase out coal use, or to block the opening of new coal mines.
Anthony Albanese is set to become Australia’s next prime minister after leading the Labor Party to its first election victory in more than a decade.
One of the country’s longest-serving politicians, he promised voters “safe change” as he worked to kick out the conservative Liberal-National coalition which has been in power since 2013.
Where ousted Prime Minister Scott Morrison is a self-described “bulldozer”, Mr Albanese vows to be a “builder”.
After the pandemic, which saw Australian states cut off from each other and cities splintered by strict lockdowns, fostering unity is a top priority for the new leader.
“I want to bring Australians together. I want to seek our common purpose and promote unity and optimism, not fear and division,” he said in a victory speech on Saturday night.
So who is Albo?
Mr Albanese has earned a reputation as a defender of Australia’s free healthcare system, an advocate for the LGBT community, a republican, and a passionate rugby league fan.
The 59-year-old – nicknamed Albo – was raised in social housing by a single mother on a disability pension. He has often cited his upbringing as the foundation for his progressive beliefs.
Mr Albanese believed his father had died before he was born, but as a teenager he learned his mother had in fact fallen pregnant to a married man – who was very likely still alive – while travelling in Europe.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, Mr Albanese credits his humble beginnings as the foundation for his progressive beliefs
Three decades later he tracked down Carlo Albanese, flying to Italy to meet his father for the first time, and his half-siblings.
Mr Albanese said his mother, Maryanne Ellery, was determined to ensure he had opportunities that she never did. With her support, he became the first in his family to finish school and go to university.
He has said creating a better world for his own son, Nathan, is the inspiration behind his public life. Mr Albanese separated from his wife of 19 years in 2019 but partner Jodie Haydon joined him on the campaign trail.
MP for 25 years
Mr Albanese has been the Labor Party leader for three years, taking over after the shock election defeat of predecessor Bill Shorten in 2019.
But he has been a Labor Party stalwart since his 20s.
He worked in both federal and state politics before he was elected on his 33rd birthday to an inner-city Sydney seat in 1996.
In 2007, when Labor swept to power under Kevin Rudd, Mr Albanese became the minister for infrastructure and transport.
He remained an influential figure as the party entered a tumultuous period after it replaced Mr Rudd with Julia Gillard in 2010.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, Anthony Albanese was instrumental in Kevin Rudd returning as prime minister in 2013
When Mr Rudd reclaimed the prime ministership in 2013, Mr Albanese’s backing saw him elevated to deputy prime minister. However he only held the position for 10 weeks because Labor lost the election.
Mr Albanese then put himself forward to be head of the party. Despite being popular among rank-and-file party members, rival Bill Shorten had more support among members of parliament and got the job, becoming Australia’s opposition leader.
But Mr Albanese’s time finally came in 2019, after Mr Shorten lost two elections and was unseated as the Labor leader.
Australia’s next PM
Mr Albanese has been a leading voice of the Labor Party’s left faction, but since becoming leader he has positioned himself more towards the centre.
In the lead up to the election he was at pains to prove he is “not woke” – an appeal to more conservative voters who abandoned the party at the 2019 poll.
This has included walking back his support of more aggressive climate action policies while ramping up tougher rhetoric on China and national security.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, As leader, Mr Albanese has tried to appeal to more voters in the centre
He has also backed Australia’s controversial policy to turn back any asylum seekers arriving by boat – something he once publicly opposed.
Mr Albanese has undergone a physical transformation in recent years, losing weight and debuting a new wardrobe, crediting a car crash in 2021 as a wakeup call.
He stayed true to his Labor roots, however, in promising big spending on the country’s troubled aged care sector, cheaper childcare, and reinvigorating the manufacturing industry.
Labor has pledged to hold a referendum on enshrining in the constitution an Indigenous Voice to Parliament – an advisory body that would give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a role in shaping policies that affect them.
Mr Albanese opened his victory speech by reiterating this promise.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, Labor leader Anthony Albanese will become Australia’s next prime minister, and his beloved dog Toto its next first pooch
His other key pledge was to leave no Australians behind – referencing his own upbringing.
“It says a lot about our great country that a son of a single mum who was a disability pensioner, who grew up in public housing… can stand before you tonight as Australia’s Prime Minister.”
“I want Australia to continue to be a country that no matter where you live, who you worship, who you love or what your last name is, that places no restrictions on your journey in life.
“I hope that my journey in life inspires Australians to reach for the stars. “
Polls have just closed in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, as well as the Australian Capital Territory.
Voters in other parts of Australia still have some time to go before their booths close
Many would have voted for either of the two main parties in Australia – the Liberal-National Coaltiion led by incumbent PM Scott Morrison, and the Labor Party led by Anthony Albanese
Labor had been ahead in the opinion polls since the campaign kicked off, but their lead narrowed in the final days of the campaign
The “teal independents”, whose campaign is focusing heavily on climate action and integrity in politics, will also be closely watched this election. They’re bankrolled by Melbourne philanthropist Simon Holmes à Court and his Climate200 Group, as well as other smaller donors
Earlier on Saturday, the Liberals were widely criticised after voters in its New South Wales branch were sent a text that border officials had stopped a boat allegedly attempting to illegally enter Australia. Opponents criticised the move, calling it a “disgusting stunt” to sway voters
Morrison and Albanese have both cast their votes in Sydney, while making their final pitch to voters. Morrison said he wanted the “aspirations of Australians to be realised”, while Albanese said he wanted to “unite the country”.
Counting votes in Sydney
Here in the Sydney Masonic Centre, the last few voters were ushered into the polling room before the doors were closed.
After they cast their ballots and went on their way into the drizzly night, the Australian Electoral Commission workers turned their attention to emptying the boxes and counting the votes.
A couple have told us they are hoping to have time to squeeze in a cup of tea. It has been a long day.
In 2019 when I was at a count in central Sydney, it was a huge event in the town hall, with ballot boxes from across the city being brought to be tallied up.
This year though, authorities are opting to do the count in many more smaller centres to try and prevent Covid superspreading events.
It’s just one small way the pandemic’s impact is being felt in this election.
Australian police have arrested 44 men and rescued 16 children from across the country as part of a year-long nationwide investigation into child abuse.
Arrests of all the suspects, aged 19 to 57, were made in every Australian state, except the Northern Territory.
The accused face a total of 350 charges between them of possessing child exploitation material, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said.
Those detained allegedly used a cloud storage platform to share the abuse, which the AFP described as “the most abhorrent producedâ€.
Eleven suspects were arrested in Queensland, eight in New South Wales, 11 in Victoria, nine in South Australia, two in Tasmania, one in Australian Capital Territory and two in Western Australia.
They worked in a range of industries including construction, transport, law enforcement and hospitality.
Some of the alleged offenders, who are also accused of producing their own child abuse material online, were allegedly in possession of material that was produced by a man arrested by the AFP in 2015 under Operation Niro, which resulted in the dismantling of an international organised paedophile syndicate.
Sixteen children were “removed from harm†in the latest crackdown under Operation Molto, an ongoing investigation, involving hundreds of police and specialists across Australia.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said identifying victims was “a race against timeâ€.
“Pixel by pixel, our investigators painstakingly look for clues and never give up and the tools they use give Australian police access to world leading expertise,†he said.
“Viewing, distributing or producing child exploitation material is a crime. Children are not commodities and the AFP and its partner agencies work around-the-clock to identify and prosecute offenders.â€
A total of 134 children have been rescued between July 2019 and June 2020, the AFP said, including 67 internationally, as a result of its investigations.
A man leapt from his surfboard on to a shark that was attacking his wife, repeatedly punching the animal until it let go, Australian media report.
Chantelle Doyle, 35, was surfing off Shelly Beach at Port Macquarie, New South Wales, when the attack took place.
Her husband punched the shark until it released its grip and then helped Ms Doyle to the shore.
She was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries to her right leg.
Experts quoted by the Port Macquarie News believed Ms Doyle had been mauled by a juvenile great white shark up to 3m (10ft) in length.
Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce praised the husband – named by media as Mark Rapley – for his quick action.
“This fella paddled over and jumped off his board on to the shark and hit it to get it to release her and then assisted her back into the beach,” he said, quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald. “Pretty full on, really heroic.”
Inspector Andrew Beverley, of Ambulance NSW, said people on the beach administered first aid to Ms Doyle before medics arrived.
“The bystanders on scene that rendered assistance should be commended. They did an amazing job,” he said.
He added that it was the third serious shark attack on that stretch of coast in recent months.
Ms Doyle was flown to Newcastle Hospital for surgery and was in a stable condition.
Australia’s Queensland will extend its border closure to New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) to halt the spread of coronavirus from south-eastern states.
It has already shut to Victoria – the centre of Australia’s second wave – amid an outbreak in Melbourne.
Victoria reported 725 new infections on Wednesday, yet another daily record despite being four weeks into lockdown.
NSW saw many fewer – 12 – but all other states have consistently fared better.
Sydney – the NSW capital and Australia’s largest city – has been averaging about 80 infections per week, prompting concerns that community transmission could grow.
It has so far avoided returning to a second lockdown, but recently advised people to begin wearing masks.
What happened to Australia’s early success?
With about 19,500 cases in total and 232 deaths, Australia has still fared better than many countries due to effective suppression measures early in the pandemic.
But since June – when most Australians emerged from a first lockdown – the outbreak in Melbourne has spiralled.
How did the virus re-emerge in Australia?
Why did Melbourne’s lockdown fail to prevent more cases?
Infections in Melbourne over the past month make up more than half of Australia’s total cases since the pandemic began.
It is suspected to have begun with breaches in hotel quarantine of infected travelers returning from overseas.
Why is Queensland worried about NSW and ACT?
Queensland has fewer than a dozen active cases.
These include several travelers from interstate who were found to have deceived authorities to avoid a 14-day quarantine – breaches which have caused anger.
Noting consistent cases in Sydney, the Queensland government last week closed its borders to residents of the city.
People in Sydney queuing for a virus test
On Wednesday, it said the ban would widen to all of NSW as well as the ACT, a small territory which includes the nation’s capital, Canberra. The order takes effect from Saturday.
“We’ve seen that Victoria is not getting better and we’re not going to wait for New South Wales to get worse,” said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Police ‘attacked and baited’ over Melbourne curfew
Except for a few recent cases, the ACT has been virus-free for the past few months.
But Ms Palaszczuk said the ban applied to the ACT too because some travellers to Queensland had been circumventing the Sydney ban by flying from Canberra.
How bad is it in Melbourne?
On Sunday Victorian authorities declared a “state of disaster” and enacted a night-time curfew in Melbourne.
The new, tougher lockdown came after earlier measures failed to reduce cases. Victoria has now seen more than 30 days of infections in triple figures.
It recorded its deadliest day yet on Wednesday – with 15 people losing their lives.
What is the ‘sovereign citizen’ movement?
Officials stressed that the record 725 infections mostly reflected those who contracted the virus about a week ago – prior to the stricter lockdown.
“[The numbers] do jump around from day to day, but the notion of more than 700 cases is not sustainable,” said Premier Daniel Andrews. “We need to drive the numbers down.”
What about elsewhere?
Outside of Victoria and New South Wales, new infections remain very low.
Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory all shut their borders to the southern states last month to prevent cases coming in. Tasmania, an island state, has gone 14 days without a new case.
An Australian student has filed a lawsuit against her government for failing to make clear climate change-related risks to investors in government bonds.
It is thought to be the first such case in the world.
Katta O’Donnell, 23, filed the civil action in the Federal Court on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Australian Treasury said it was aware of the case, but could not comment on the specifics.
Government bonds are an investment where you lend money to the government.
In return, it promises to pay back a certain sum of money in the future, as well as interest in the meantime.
What is Australia doing to tackle climate change?
How fire burnt through half of Kangaroo Island
The suit comes after wildfires killed at least 33 people and millions of animals last year.
What does the lawsuit say?
“Australia is materially exposed and susceptible” to climate change risks, according to the statement filed with the Federal Court of Australia in Victoria state.
It alleges that the country’s economy and the national reputation in international financial markets will be significantly affected by the Australian government’s response to climate change.
The risks are crucial to an investor’s decision to trade in government bonds and an investor is entitled to be informed of those risks, it adds.
The student is seeking a declaration that the government breached its duty of disclosure and an injunction pausing further promotion of such bonds until it complies.
“O’Donnell the Commonwealth is the first case in the world dealing with climate as a material risk to the sovereign bond market,” her lawyers say on their website.
Who is Katta O’Donnell?
The fifth-year law student, who owns Australian government bonds, studies at La Trobe University and grew up in Healesville in the Central Highlands in Victoria.
Australia fires were far worse than any prediction
How the blazes ‘will be normal’ in warmer world
The area’s forests are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly higher temperatures and reduced rainfall.
“I want the Australian government to tell the truth about the risks posed by climate change,” she told the Financial Times.
“I don’t want to look towards a future where these types of bush fire are a common occurrence.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just announced the proposal – which will largely benefit sporting matches.
He said mid-sized stadiums would be able to have a quarter of their 40,000 seats filled – and the same goes for outdoor cultural events.
Crowds will be allowed if patrons are ticketed and seated, and maintain a 1.5m (4.9ft) distance. Australia’s football codes have been lobbying hard in recent weeks for spectators to return to stadiums.
The allowance falls under Stage 3 – the final phase of the country’s plan to come out of lockdown.
Authorities have also revised a 100-person cap for indoor spaces (workplaces, weddings, funerals) in favour of a four square metres per person rule.
For the first time since the crisis escalated, the country has avoided seeing any locally-spread cases.
Official statistics for yesterday recorded only two new infections in the previous 24 hours.
Both involved people in quarantine in New South Wales who recently returned from overseas, local media reported.
Since imposing a lockdown in March, Australia has successfully curtailed the virus. In total, it has had 7,267 cases and 102 deaths.
Restrictions are steadily being lifted – this week will see the return of the Australian Football League (AFL), a week after the National Rugby League restarted. Small numbers of fans will be permitted to attend two AFL games.
An Australian boy who was missing for two nights on a mountainside in near-freezing conditions has been found safe and well, police say.
William Callaghan, a 14-year-old with non-verbal autism, became lost during a family walk at Mount Disappointment, in Victoria, on Monday.
His family had raised concerns that his inability to verbally communicate may hinder search efforts.
He was found on Wednesday near the peak of the mountain.
Rescuers said William had been located about 10 minutes off a bush track – he did not have his shoes but was wearing tracksuit bottoms and a hooded sweatshirt.
It was not yet known if William had access to food, water or shelter on the mountain, located 80km (50 miles) north of Melbourne. Temperatures had neared 0C in the past two nights.
He appeared to be “remarkably well for the time that he’s been out there”, said Insp Christine Lalor of Victoria Police.
She told reporters he had been taken to hospital for monitoring, adding: “He’s alert, warm, eating and drinking and he actually asked for McDonald’s.”
William’s mother, Penny Callaghan, thanked volunteer rescuers and police.
“I can’t imagine what he’s been feeling and going through and I’m just so grateful and so relieved,” she told reporters.
Police had asked locals to lay out feta cheese, peanut butter and other condiments in a bid to attract his attention. They were also encouraged to play the Thomas the Tank Engine theme.
An autism advocacy organisation praised authorities for adapting their search.
“We really need to adapt ourselves to the needs of autistic people rather than expecting them to behave as we do, or as neuro-typical people do,” Amaze chief executive Fiona Sharkey told the ABC.
A 3m (10ft) great white shark has killed a surfer in northern New South Wales, police in the Australian state have said.
The shark bit the leg of the surfer, aged between 50 and 60, off Kingscliff, 800km (500 miles) north of Sydney.
Several “heroic” boarders tried to help the man by fighting off the shark but although he was brought to the beach, he died there of his wounds.
This is the third fatal shark attack in Australian waters this year.
The Sydney Morning Herald said that although police gunmen were deployed to find the shark, they were unable to kill it and it left the area after several hours.
Police are licensed to kill sharks if they are considered a threat to human life but no shots were fired in this case.
The attack took place off Salt Beach at about 10:00 local time on Sunday (midnight GMT Saturday). The shark bit the man’s thigh, then circled those who came to his aid, reportedly ramming one of their boards.
The surfer, who the Herald said was from the Gold Coast, died at about 10:40.
“He was rendered first aid for serious injuries to his left leg but died at the scene,” a police statement said.
Paramedic Terry Savage praised the men who brought the surfer ashore, saying: “It was nothing short of heroic to get him to the beach.
“Unfortunately there was nothing else we could do,” he told ABC.
People were ordered out of the water, with jet skis used to bring some in.
Salt Surf Life Saving Club member, James Owen, told the Herald: “It’s a bit of a shock for everyone at the moment. There’s a very sombre mood here. I don’t know of a previous fatal shark incident in this area.”
White sharks are said to be active in the area at this time of year.
This is the third fatality from shark attacks this year.
In April, a 23-year-old Queensland ranger was killed in an attack on the Great Barrier Reef.
In January, a 57-year-old diver was killed off Western Australia.
A 3m (10ft) great white shark has killed a surfer in northern New South Wales, police in the Australian state have said.
The shark bit the leg of the surfer, aged between 50 and 60, off Kingscliff, 800km (500 miles) north of Sydney.
Several “heroic” boarders tried to help the man by fighting off the shark but although he was brought to the beach, he died there of his wounds.
This is the third fatal shark attack in Australian waters this year.
The Sydney Morning Herald said that although police gunmen were deployed to find the shark, they were unable to kill it and it left the area after several hours.
Police are licensed to kill sharks if they are considered a threat to human life but no shots were fired in this case.
The attack took place off Salt Beach at about 10:00 local time on Sunday (midnight GMT Saturday). The shark bit the man’s thigh, then circled those who came to his aid, reportedly ramming one of their boards.
The surfer, who the Herald said was from the Gold Coast, died at about 10:40.
“He was rendered first aid for serious injuries to his left leg but died at the scene,” a police statement said.
Paramedic Terry Savage praised the men who brought the surfer ashore, saying: “It was nothing short of heroic to get him to the beach.
“Unfortunately there was nothing else we could do,” he told ABC.
People were ordered out of the water, with jet skis used to bring some in.
Salt Surf Life Saving Club member, James Owen, told the Herald: “It’s a bit of a shock for everyone at the moment. There’s a very sombre mood here. I don’t know of a previous fatal shark incident in this area.”
White sharks are said to be active in the area at this time of year.
This is the third fatality from shark attacks this year.
In April, a 23-year-old Queensland ranger was killed in an attack on the Great Barrier Reef.
In January, a 57-year-old diver was killed off Western Australia.
