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☆ Australia’s problem with male violence is getting worse. So, what’s the solution?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Late Monday, new figures showed a 28% jump in intimate partner homicide in 2022-23, compared to the previous year – ending what had been a decades-long trend of decline. Around 4,000 people marched through the streets of Brisbane on April 28 to call for action on gendered violence. The deaths took the toll to 27 women allegedly killed by a partner or former partner so far this year, according to the Counting Dead Women project. “We don’t have good programs for men with mental illness and personality disorders who use these types of violence. We don’t have a lot of really accessible drug and alcohol treatment programs for men who use violence.

Persons: Daniel McCormack, Daniel Sloss, “, ”, McCormack, Samantha Bricknell, we’ve, Anthony Albanese, –, Hilary Whiteman, wasn’t, Lukas Coch, Hayley Boxall, Albanese, ’, ” Albanese, ” Boxall, ” Bricknell, Emily Garnett, there’ll, ” McCormack, he’s, “ I’ve, ‘ That’s Organizations: Australia CNN, Australian, of Criminology, ”, Australia, CNN, New South, Australian National University, Wales, Nations, First Nations, Brisbane Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Scottish, Bondi, Sydney, New South Wales, Canberra, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australian, Melbourne, England

☆ Elon Musk vs Australia: Fight heats up over Sydney church stabbing video on X
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The country’s e-safety commissioner ordered social media giants to take it down. Australia wants X to remove the video completely, not just hide it from Australian users who could circumvent a local ban by using virtual private networks. With her message to Musk, Australian Senator Jacqui Lambie posted an image of herself in army fatigues taken at a Veteran Mentors' Junior Leadership camp in January. President David Adler told CNN he hadn’t been asked to take it down, either by X or Australia’s e-safety commissioner. In a statement Wednesday, Australia’s eSafety commissioner said the takedown request wasn’t designed to stifle discussion about the church attack.

Persons: Elon Musk, that’s, X, ’, Anthony Albanese, Jacqui Lambie, “, hadn’t, ”, fatigues, AJA, David Adler, Adler, AJA hasn’t, Krissy Barrett, Reece Kershaw, Marcus Hoyne, Bishop, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Joanne Gray, Grzegorz Wajda, Gray, Musk, Musk’s, Australia’s, Lambie’s Organizations: Australia CNN, Christian Church, Australian, Leadership, Australian Jewish Association, CNN, ” CNN, Joint Counter, Counter, New South Wales Police Seven, Australian Federal Police, AFP, Australia’s Security Intelligence Organisation, National Press Club, Musk, Court, Bishop Mar, Good Shepherd, University of Sydney, European Jewish Association, X Corp Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Sydney, Tasmania, United States, New, Australia’s, Krakow, Poland

☆ A woman called Swastika got an apology from Uber after it banned her because of her name
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Alexandra Bacon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Swastika Chandra had her Uber account banned because of her name. Uber eventually apologized to the Australian woman and reinstated her account. AdvertisementAn Australian woman was banned from using Uber after the company deemed her first name to be offensive. The company also faced backlash last year after the owner of a Palestinian restaurant in Toronto said Uber Eats had suddenly labeled his restaurant as Israeli. Uber Eats previously told Business Insider that the "unintentional" issue had been fixed.

Persons: Chandra, Uber, she's, —, Adolf Hitler, Hitler Organizations: Service, Hindu, of Australia, New South, ACA Locations: Asia, Fiji, New South Wales, Toronto

☆ After Months of Cocaine Washing Ashore, Australian Police Make an Arrest
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Yan Zhuang | More About Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Inside were 39 sealed packages, each containing about two pounds of cocaine, according to the police. Then, within days, nine more packages were found across eight beaches and bays spanning a 60-mile stretch of coastline between Sydney and Newcastle. And more kept washing ashore in the following weeks and months. In one instance, a lifeguard plucked a two-pound block out of the water off Bondi Beach in Sydney. In another, a fisherman found a blue barrel containing 39 two-pound blocks.

Organizations: Australian Federal Police Locations: New South Wales, Australia, Sydney, Newcastle, Beach, Queensland

☆ Sydney: Stabbed bishop delivers first message from hospital as malicious disinformation spreads
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The rapid spread of disinformation fomented an already volatile situation and days later authorities, faith groups and the bishop are still trying to calm community tension. But regulators are finding it much harder to act against social media platforms for the disinformation that spread online after the attacks – especially after the mass stabbing in the eastern suburb of Bondi. After the church attack, unconfirmed speculation also swirled about the faith of the alleged attacker and his motive. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with terrorism over the alleged stabbing of the bishop, police said Thursday. Video Ad Feedback Police: Australia church stabbing was 'terrorist incident' 04:31 - Source: CNNSystem of self-regulationBut stamping out some of the hateful comments that spread online has not been so easy.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Jesus, ” Emmanuel, –, ”, Chris Minns, “ I’m, Steven Saphore, Australia’s, Meta, Facebook –, Marc Owen Jones, Russia influencer, Seven, Bondi, Jones, Hamad, won’t, he’s “, who’s, “, Elon Musk, That’s, Michelle Rowland, that’s, ” Rowland, Terry Flew Organizations: Australia CNN, Good Shepherd, State, Reuters, Facebook, NSW Police, West, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Police, CNN, Digital Industry Group Inc, Elon, Twitter, ABC Radio Thursday, Digital Communication, University of Sydney, European, Thursday NSW Police Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, NSW, Westfield, Bondi, Russia, Australian, Queensland, Gaza, Qatar, European Union

☆ Opinion: What gun laws can’t stop
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Opinion Latika Bourke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“The videos (of the attack) speak for themselves don’t they?” Webb told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Steven Saphore/AAP/ReutersCauchi’s father Andrew Cauchi — who appeared devastated — believes his “monster” son may have deliberately set out to kill women, he told Australian media. He enacted strict gun control laws and initated a massive buyback scheme. “The evidence consistently shows that the underlying causes of violence directed toward women are rigid gender stereotypes, sexism and disrespect. Joel Cauchi had a fixation with blades and kept a collection of them, his father told the newspaper The Australian.

Persons: Latika Bourke, ”, Read, Latika Bourke Louis Douvis “, Julia Hartley, Brewer, Hartley, Karen Webb, Joel Cauchi, ” Webb, Webb, Steven Saphore, Reuters Cauchi’s, Andrew Cauchi —, —, John Howard, Australia’s, Julia Gillard, Bondi, Patty Kinnersly, Patty Kinnersly “, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Roman Quaedvlieg, “, X Quaedvlieg, they’d, Howard Organizations: Sydney Morning Herald, Love, CNN, New South Wales Police, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Reuters, Port, Conservative, Global Institute, Women’s Leadership, Good Shepherd, Australian Jewish Association, X Locations: Australian, India, Sydney, British, Bondi’s, Westfield, Bondi, Port Arthur, London, Australia, United States

Katherine Moseby wanted to be clear: She does not hate cats. Very smart.”That was precisely the problem, said Dr. Moseby, the principal scientist and co-founder of Arid Recovery, a conservation nonprofit and wildlife reserve in South Australia. Cats are not native to Australia, but they have invaded nearly every corner of the country. But feral cats were absolutely out there, Dr. Moseby said, and they had a taste for the tiny, threatened marsupials that lived at Arid Recovery. Over the previous few nights, a “pest control contractor” — a robustly bearded sharpshooter equipped with an all-terrain vehicle and powerful spotlight — had been riding through the Arid Recovery reserve, shooting cats.

Persons: Katherine Moseby, Moseby, ”, — Organizations: University of New Locations: South Australia, Australia, University of New South Wales

☆ Sydney, Australia, stabbing: Mall attacker may have targeted women, police say, as more details emerge of his six victims
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Helen Regan | Sandi Sidhu | Mall Attacker Was Known To Authorities | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The community is devastated in the knowledge of their loss.”Police said Monday they had concluded their examinations of the shopping mall and the crime scene was being handed back to Westfield. More than 100 pieces of evidence were removed and will be forensically examined as part of the investigation, said Yasmin Catley, New South Wales Minister for Police. A woman cries as she comes out of the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on April 13, 2024. People react outside the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on April 13, 2024. The number of women killed by violence in Australia has ranged between 43 and 84 each year since Counting Dead Women began tallying deaths in 2012.

Persons: Joel Cauchi, Health Ryan, Cauchi, Karen Webb, ”, ” Webb, “, Lisa Maree Williams, Chris Minns, ” Minn, Yasmin Catley, David Gray, Baby, ‘, Ashlee Good, Good, Health Park, Ashlee, Faraz Tahir, ” Tahir, Adnan Qadir, Tahir, Anthony Albanese, KIIS, Yixuan Cheng, ’, undoubtably, Amy Scott, Scott, Webb, Amy, she’s, Roger Lowe, David GRAY, Lowe, New South Wales Premier Minns, Arthur Organizations: CNN, New South Wales ’, Health, New South Wales Police, ABC, ” Police, Getty, Police, Westfield, New South Wales Minister, “, “ Staff, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia, Australian, Embassy, Australia’s, Queensland Police, New South Wales Police Force, Queensland Police Service, New South Wales Premier, Minn Locations: Sydney’s, Bondi, Westfield, New South, New, Bondi Junction, Australia, Queensland, Sydney, AFP, Pakistan

☆ Bishop Is Stabbed During Live Streamed Service in Sydney
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Claire Moses | More About Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A police operation was underway after 7:10 p.m. local time on Monday, the New South Wales Police Force said in a statement. The police said that “a number of people were stabbed,” but that none of them had suffered life-threatening injuries. The Australian news media reported that there were four victims, including a religious leader. Cries and screams can be heard from others in the church. “A large police response is underway, and the public is urged to avoid the area,” the police said.

Persons: Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, “ Organizations: New South Wales Police Force, Good Shepherd, Bishop Locations: Sydney, Australia, Wakeley, “

☆ Sydney knife attacker had mental health issues, ideology not motive, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The man who fatally stabbed six people in Sydney had mental health issues in the past and there was no indication ideology was a motive in the attack in one of the city's busiest shopping centres, police said on Sunday. Cauchi's family recognised him and contacted police on Saturday after seeing news reports of the killings. Witnesses described how Cauchi, wearing shorts and an Australian national rugby league jersey, ran through the Westfield Bondi Junction mall with a knife. "This was a terrible scene," New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters. Five of the six people killed were women, and the male victim was a shopping centre security guard, police said.

Persons: Joel Cauchi, Roger Lowe, Amy Scott, Anthony Cooke, Cauchi, Lowe, Ashlee Good Organizations: New, Queensland Police, Australian, rugby league, Westfield, New South Wales Police, Police Locations: Sydney, Queensland, New South Wales, Sydney's, New, Australia

Five people were killed and several others injured in a stabbing rampage Saturday afternoon at a crowded major mall in Sydney, Australia, prompting the police to declare a critical incident and evacuate the area. The attacker was shot and killed by a lone police officer who was directed into the mall by people fleeing the scene, police said. The officer then opened fire, saving lives, Anthony Cooke, police assistant commissioner for the New South Wales Police, said at a news briefing. The assailant stabbed about nine people as he moved through the mall Saturday afternoon, Assistant Commissioner Cooke said. “There’s nothing we’re aware at the scene that would indicate any motive or ideology,” Assistant Commissioner Cooke said in the briefing, noting the investigation was in its early stages.

Persons: Anthony Cooke, Cooke, “, ” Organizations: New South Wales Police Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ At Least 5 Killed in Stabbing at Mall in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Victoria Kim | Damien Cave | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

PinnedFive people were killed and several others injured in a stabbing rampage Saturday afternoon at a crowded major mall in Sydney, Australia, prompting the police to declare a critical incident and evacuate the area. The attacker was shot and killed by a lone police officer who was directed into the mall by people fleeing the scene, police said. The officer then opened fire, saving lives, Anthony Cooke, police assistant commissioner for the New South Wales Police, said at a news briefing. The assailant stabbed about nine people as he moved through the mall Saturday afternoon, Assistant Commissioner Cooke said. “There’s nothing we’re aware at the scene that would indicate any motive or ideology,” Assistant Commissioner Cooke said in the briefing, noting the investigation was in its early stages.

Persons: Anthony Cooke, Cooke, “, Yan Zhuang, Isabella Kwai Organizations: New South Wales Police, ”, Westfield, Southern Hemisphere Locations: Sydney, Australia, Westfield, Bondi, Sydney’s Eastern

☆ Bondi Junction: Five dead in mass stabbing at Sydney shopping center
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Sandi Sidhu | Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Five people have been killed in a mass stabbing at a busy shopping center in Sydney, Australian police said. Police were called to Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon local time following reports of multiple people stabbed. Videos shared on social media show shoppers running from multiple exits of the shopping center, while police helicopters can be heard overhead. “The baby got stabbed and the mum got stabbed.”“We were holding the baby and trying to compress the baby. At least four people were killed and one injured in a mass shooting in Darwin, northern Australia in 2019.

Persons: Anthony Cooke, ”, Cooke, Anthony Albenese, Tragically, – Organizations: CNN, Police, New, New South Wales Police’s, NSW Ambulance, News Sydney Locations: Sydney, Westfield, New South, Bondi, Australia, Darwin, Arthur, Tasmania

☆ Man shot in Sydney mall after reports of stabbings, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A man was shot at a mall in Sydney on Saturday following reports of multiple people stabbed, police in the city said. Emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction just before 4 p.m. (0600 GMT) following the reports, New South Wales Police said in a statement. "People are urged to avoid the area," the statement said. "Inquiries are continuing in relation to the incident and there are no further details."

Organizations: New South Wales Police Locations: Sydney, Westfield, New

☆ Qatar Airlines avoids Australian lawsuit over forced invasive examinations of women
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Qatar Airways has avoided a lawsuit over an incident in which a number of female passengers were forced to undergo invasive medical examinations, after an Australian federal court dismissed the case Wednesday. On October 2, 2020, 13 Australian women were transiting through Doha airport in Qatar on their way to Sydney when they were taken off their Qatar Airways plane by members of the Qatari security services and subjected to physical examinations in ambulances on the airport tarmac. CNN has contacted Qatar Airways for comment. However, the judge also ruled that the women could file a revised complaint against MATAR, the Qatar Airways subsidiary. “The decision to allow QATAR Airways and the Civil Aviation Authority out of the proceedings is being carefully reviewed and if there is a proper basis an appeal will be quickly filed,” Sturzaker said in a statement.

Persons: John Halley of, ”, Halley, MATAR, Damian Sturzaker, ” Sturzaker, ” Halley, Scott Morrison Organizations: CNN — Qatar Airways, Qatar Airways, Qatar Ministry of Interior, CNN, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Court, MOI, Sydney, Marque Lawyers, QATAR Airways, Civil Aviation Authority Locations: Doha, Qatar, Sydney, MOI, Sydney , New South Wales, State, Australia

☆ Australia: A man complained about a ‘women only’ art exhibit. Now a tribunal has ruled the museum must admit male visitors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A museum in Australia is being forced to allow men into art exhibit originally conceived for women only, after a tribunal ruled it “discriminatory,” following a complaint by a disgruntled man who was denied entry. During proceedings, Kaechele told the tribunal that denying men entry to the mysterious room is indeed part of the art — giving them a taste of the discrimination and exclusion many women have experienced through history. “Because the requirement is that it will have to open to men, and that’s not happening,” she said. After Tuesday’s ruling, MONA’s official spokesperson told CNN that the institution was “deeply disappointed” by the tribunal’s decision. It was beautiful, the room, the art installation, the meaning of it all.”

Persons: MONA, Kirsha Kaechele, —, ” Jason Lau, Lau, ”, Kaechele, “, Jesse Hunniford, ” Kaechele, Charlotte Vignau Kaechele, Tuesday’s Organizations: CNN, Tasmania’s, of, Tasmanian Civil, KK Locations: Australia, New South Wales, Lau’s

☆ Toxic ‘forever’ chemicals found in excessive levels in global groundwater, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are found in surface and groundwaters around the world at levels much higher than many international regulators allow, a new study found. Groundwater can be contaminated by PFAS from food and consumer products added to landfills as well as from manufacturing facilities. Public concern led to a commitment by manufacturers in 2008 to phase out use of PFOA and PFOS, two of the most widely used chemicals. Generally PFAS concentrations are higher in urban areas or areas that used PFAS products extensively, O’Connell said, but it is also leached into the environment in ways that may not be obvious. “Another example is that PFAS used to be used in ski wax, so pristine environments, where people ski, have PFAS in their waters and soils,” he said.

Persons: Mario Tama, ”, David Andrews, Andrews, ” Andrews, “, Denis O’Connell, O’Connell, ” O’Connell Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, EPA, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine . Studies, Environmental, Agency, Toxic Substances, Disease, Nature, University of New, Geological Survey, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation Locations: Mount Everest, Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney

☆ More than 150 rescued from floods in eastern Australia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A vehicle attempts to drive through floodwater in the village of Tintenbar on April 4, 2024 in Byron Bay, Australia. Australian authorities on Saturday said 152 people had been rescued from floodwaters in the eastern state of New South Wales after torrential rains sparked warnings for residents to move to higher ground. Authorities said 72 rescues were carried out in state capital Sydney, Australia's largest city, where there was dangerous flooding in several low-lying suburbs. Some 15 emergency evacuation orders were in place statewide, said New South Wales State Emergency Service, which had fielded 4,128 calls for help in the 24 hours to 0500 local time. "Flood levels in some of the rivers particularly in western Sydney are continuing to rise," New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said in a televised media conference.

Persons: Chris Minns Organizations: Authorities, New South, New South Wales State Emergency Service, New South Wales, Sydney Locations: floodwater, Tintenbar, Byron Bay, Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia's, New

SYDNEY (AP) — Taylor Swift’s father will not be charged over a paparazzi photographer's claim that Scott Swift assaulted him on the Sydney waterfront hours after the pop star’s Australian tour ended last month. Taylor Swift’s representatives responded by accusing members of the media of aggression during the interaction. Police began investigating the incident at the time and announced Wednesday that “no further police action” would be taken. "No offences were detected, and the investigation was concluded with no further police action required,” said the statement from the New South Wales Police Force. More than 600,000 fans saw the Australian leg of her Eras Tour at seven Australian stadium concerts.

Persons: — Taylor Swift’s, Scott Swift, Ben McDonald, Taylor Swift’s, ” Organizations: SYDNEY, Police, New South Wales Police Force

The decision scraps duties as high as 218% on Australian wine exports to China, its largest overseas market once worth more than 1 billion Australian dollars ($653 million). The Australian government said it welcomed Beijing’s decision “which comes at a critical time for the Australian wine industry.”“Since 2020, China’s duties on Australian wine effectively made it unviable for Australian producers to export bottled wine to that market,” the statement read. “There are a lot of people in the Australian wine industry who will be reaching out for a good glass of wine tonight and feeling a whole lot happier about their future,” Bruce Tyrrell, managing director of Tyrrell’s Wines in New South Wales, told CNN. Annual wine production hit its lowest point in more than 15 years during 2022-2023, Wine Australia said. Lee McLean, head of national association of grape and wine producers Australian Grape & Wine, said industry groups were working with the Australian government to “ensure a coordinated re-entry” into the market.

Persons: ”, “, that’s, ” Bruce Tyrrell, Lee McLean, ” McLean, Anthony Albanese’s, Albanese, Wang Yi, Penny Wong, Yang Hengjun, Wong Organizations: Sydney CNN, China’s Ministry of Commerce, Canberra, World Trade Organization, Tyrrell’s, CNN, Wine Australia, Global, Wine, China’s Foreign, Anthony Albanese’s Labor, China’s, Ministry, Australian Locations: Hong Kong, Sydney, China, Australia, Beijing, New South Wales, Wine Australia, United Kingdom, Europe, China’s

☆ Taylor Swift’s father will not face charges for alleged paparazzi assault, Australian police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Heather Chen | Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Taylor Swift’s father will not face charges for allegedly assaulting a paparazzi photographer in Sydney last month, Australian police have confirmed. “No further police action” would be taken, the spokesperson said of the case involving Swift’s 71-year-old father Scott, dubbed “Papa Swift” by many of the megastar’s fans. Sharing his account with CNN, McDonald said one of Swift’s security guards had forced an umbrella into his face and camera. Scott Swift punched him after that, he said. In response to McDonald’s claims, a spokesperson for Swift told CNN that threats had been made against a member of her staff.

Persons: CNN — Taylor Swift’s, “, ”, Scott, “ Papa Swift, Ben McDonald, Scott Swift, McDonald, Swift’s, ” McDonald, Swift, Taylor Organizations: CNN, New, Police Force, NSW Locations: Sydney, New South Wales, NSW, Sydney Harbor, Australia

☆ Uber: Taxi drivers in Australia win $179 million from ride-sharing giant
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Uber will pay more than 8,000 taxi and hire car drivers in Australia almost 272 million Australian dollars ($179 million) in compensation for losses they suffered after the ride-sharing giant entered the country in 2012, lawyers representing the drivers said Monday. It has also made “significant contributions to various state-level taxi compensation schemes” in Australia since 2018, according to the company. Uber now teams up with taxi drivers in many countries. “This caused loss of income to authorized taxi drivers and operators, and hire car operators. In a statement on its website, Uber Australia said ride-sharing regulations did not exist anywhere in the world when it launched more than a decade ago.

Persons: London CNN — Uber, Maurice Blackburn, Uber, ” Maurice Blackburn, “, ” Uber, —, ”, Elizabeth O’Shea, Letitia James, Lyft, Dhruv Tikekar Organizations: London CNN, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, New York Locations: Australia, — Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, United States, United Kingdom, York

☆ Blueberry grown in Australia breaks record as world’s heaviest
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A giant blueberry that tips the scales at a whopping 20.4 grams (0.71 ounces) officially entered the record books this week. The fruit was picked on November 13 and the record for heaviest blueberry was confirmed this week, a spokesperson for Guinness World Records told CNN on Friday. It was grown in Corindi, New South Wales, Australia, by staff at blueberry grower Costa Group. The previous record for heaviest blueberry was held by a 16.20-gram (0.57-ounce) berry grown in Western Australia in 2020, according to Costa, which develops new varieties of blueberries that can be grown in different conditions. And in August 2019 a monster grapefruit broke two records and became the world’s heaviest and largest grapefruit by circumference.

Persons: Brad Hocking, “, ” Hocking, ”, Hocking, Chahi Ariel Organizations: CNN, Guinness World Records, Records Locations: Corindi , New South Wales, Australia, Western Australia, Costa, chihuahua

☆ Mars could be creating 'giant whirlpools' deep within our planet's oceans
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mars may be 140 million miles away, but its gravitational pull could be impacting Earth's oceans. Scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia believe the red planet's tug is creating "giant whirlpools" in the oceans called eddies, which can shift the deep-sea floor. This, they claim, is part of a 2.4-million-year climate "grand cycle" on Earth that has been ongoing for at least 40 million years. The red planet's orbit and ours are locked in an intricate dance, and every so often, these line up so that Mars' gravitational pull on Earth is just a little more intense — this is called resonance. This information is crucial when refining models helping us see how our planet's intricate climate will progress over time.

Persons: Adriana Dutkiewicz, NASA's, Dietmar Müller, Malin, Matthew England, Benjamin Mills, wasn't, Mills Organizations: Service, University of Sydney, Business, NASA's Goddard Space, geosciences, Nature Communications, Mars NASA, JPL, Systems, University of New, New, University of Leeds Locations: Australia, Japan, New, University of New South Wales, Sydney

☆ Why Australia's National Rugby League could help curb China's Pacific influence
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Australia's National Rugby League could help stop China from gaining more influence in the South Pacific. AdvertisementThe US appears to be courting an unlikely ally to help stop China from building its political and economic influence in the Pacific: Australia's National Rugby League. The Australian Financial Review reported that the White House will support those plans, which policymakers believe could help counter China's efforts to assert itself in the South Pacific. The South Pacific has emerged as a key battleground between Beijing and Washington in recent years. It's popular in Australia, New Zealand, northern England, France, and across the Pacific Islands and has slightly different rules to rugby union.

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Peter V'landys, Biden, Kamala Harris, Spencer Leniu, Ezra Mam Organizations: Australia's National Rugby League, Service, Financial, Biden, NRL, Sydney Morning Herald, Kiribati . Rugby, The Sydney Roosters, Brisbane Broncos, Roosters, Broncos Locations: China, South, Papua New Guinea, New South Wales, Queensland, United States, Australia, Washington , DC, Beijing, Washington, Solomon, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, New Zealand, England, France, Las Vegas

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