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☆ 3 Marines were killed and 20 injured after a US helicopter crashed on a training exercise in northern Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Three marines died when a US military helicopter crashed in northern Australia, reports say. Five others are in a serious condition in hospital after the Boeing MV-22B Osprey crashed. The troops were taking part in Predators Run, a training exercise involving 2,500 personnel. All 20 remaining survivors sustained injuries in the crash, and five are in hospital in a serious condition, the outlets reported. According to a statement seen by the publications, the troops were taking part in a training exercise involving 2,500 personnel from the US, Australia, the Philippines, East Timor and Indonesia.

Organizations: Boeing, Service, US Marines, Guardian, BBC, US Marine Corp Locations: Australia, Wall, Silicon, Philippines, East Timor, Indonesia, Melville, Darwin, Northern

CNN —Three US marines have been killed and others injured after an Osprey aircraft crashed during military exercises in Australia, officials said Sunday. A history of crashesPrevious crashes of Osprey aircraft, according to CNN reporting and US Defense Department press releases:July 20, 1992: Seven people are killed during testing when an Osprey crashes in Virginia. June 13, 2012: An Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashes during a routine training mission north of Navarre, Florida, injuring five. August 5, 2017: An MV-22B Osprey crashes off the coast of Australia, leaving three Marines deadSeptember 28, 2017: A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashes in Syria, injuring two service members. June 8, 2022: Five US Marines die after an MV-22 Osprey crashes during a training mission Wednesday near Glamis, California

Persons: Darwin, “, Natasha Fyles, ” Fyles, Michael Murphy, Bellows Organizations: CNN, Osprey, Royal Darwin Hospital, Marine, Marines, Northern, Marine Osprey, Northern Territory Police, Australian Department of Defence, NATo, Marine Corps, US Defense Department, US Air Force, An Air Force, Corps Locations: Australia, Melville, Darwin, Tiwi, Glamis , California, Norway, Syria, Virginia, Arizona, North Carolina, Afghanistan, Morocco, Navarre , Florida, Oahu, Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan, Glamis, California

☆ 'Tragic' crash injures 23 US Marines in Australia exercises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Samuel Mckeith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Twenty-three U.S. Marines were injured during military exercises in northern Australia on Sunday, officials said, in a helicopter crash that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called "tragic". One marine was being operated on at Royal Darwin hospital and four others were at the hospital, said Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles. Some people are critically injured," Fyles told the news conference, adding there was a "wide range" of injuries. Australian personnel were not involved in the crash that occurred during Exercise Predator's Run 2023, Albanese said. Four Australian soldiers were killed last month during large bilateral exercises when their helicopter crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Michael Murphy, Murphy, Natasha Fyles, Fyles, Albanese, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Marines, Northern Territory Police, Australian Defence Force, U.S . Marines, Royal Darwin, The U.S . Defense, Thomson Locations: Australia, Darwin, Northern, Western Australia, The, U.S, China, Queensland, Sydney, Bengaluru

☆ Instead of calling the cops, a business owner offered a job to the teenager who tried to break into his store
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A business owner said on social media that someone tried to break into his premises. Instead of calling the police, Jeff Usher said he wanted to offer "a better way" to the culprit. "It's not that cool to use a jimmy bar on our doors," the Custom Cabinets Katherine owner said. Usher told the NT News his business employs two apprentices, four tradespeople and an office manager. "I'm not trying to save the world – I just reckon some of these kids need to be built up, not a kicking," Usher told the newspaper.

Persons: Jeff Usher, Katherine, Usher, I'm Organizations: Service, Facebook, ABC News Australia, Northern Territory, NT Locations: Wall, Silicon, Australian, Australia's Northern Territory, Northern, Darwin

☆ A team of engineers turned a Toyota Land Cruiser into an EV and drove it underwater for 4 miles
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A group of Australian engineers drove a Toyota Land Cruiser underwater for 4 miles last month. A team of engineers and divers in Australia converted a Toyota Land Cruiser into an EV and drove it underwater for more than four miles. The 1978 model was driven for 4.3 miles across Darwin Harbor at a depth of about 100 feet last month. A team of 30 divers was needed to get the Land Cruiser across the bottom of Darwin harbor. Bridgitt PhillipsThe volunteers bought the orange Land Cruiser for just over $3,000 in Brisbane.

Persons: Glen Summers, Maddy Stenmark Summers, Summers, Bridgitt Phillips, Maddy Stenmark Organizations: Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota, Cruiser Locations: Australia, Darwin, Northern, Brisbane

☆ Tesla warns Core Lithium of potential lawsuit over failed deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of car manufacturer Tesla is seen at a branch office in Bern, Switzerland October 28, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - Core Lithium (CXO.AX) has received a notice from electric-vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA.O) over a 2022 supply agreement that failed to materialize within the set deadline, the Australian miner said. The two companies failed to reach a deal by Oct. 26, 2022, as decided earlier, and now Tesla would take "all available legal remedies" unless the parties mutually resolve the matter, Core lithium said in a presentation on Wednesday. Tesla and Core Lithium did not respond to Reuters' requests for comments. The lithium producer was negotiating with Tesla to supply 110,000 tonnes of spodumene from its Finniss project in Australia's Northern Territory.

Persons: Arnd, Tesla, Elon, Sourasis Bose, Shinjini Organizations: REUTERS, Tesla, General Motors, Ford, Australia's Liontown, Thomson Locations: Bern, Switzerland, Northern Territory, Bengaluru

REUTERS/David GrayLONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto (RIO.L) is finding out just how hard it is to produce low-carbon aluminium. The company's biggest carbon headache is its aluminium business, which last year accounted for 21.1 million metric tons of carbon emissions out of a group total of 30.3 million metric tons. The pilot plant will produce around 6,000 metric tons of alumina per year while cutting carbon dioxide emissions by about 3,000 metric tons per year. Capacity at the low-carbon AP60 smelter, also in Quebec, will be expanded by 160,000 metric tons per year, with commissioning expected in 2026. Rio is investing heavily in recycled aluminium, which can be remelted using just 5% of the power needed to produce virgin metal.

Persons: David Gray, Rio, we're, Jakob Stausholm, Peter Cunningham, Jan Harvey Organizations: Rio Tinto, REUTERS, David Gray LONDON, Queensland Aluminium, Japan's Sumitomo Corp, International Aluminium Institute, Alcoa, Giampaolo, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Rio, Gove, Darwin, Australia's Northern, Pacific, Queensland, Australia, Portland, U.S, Canada, Quebec, North

☆ Golf, Aussie-style: How to play alongside crocodiles, snakes and kangaroos
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Steve Storm / Anglesea Golf ClubWater hazardsThere is no need for a no-petting rule for other animals that commonly inhabit Australian golf course – chief among them, crocodiles. “Everyone asks about crocodiles – some out of fear, others excitement,” Half Moon Bay’s general manager Tim Mackrill told CNN. Half Moon Bay Golf ClubOperating in the course’s favor is a “crocwise” nature built into the majority of the club’s players. The last big crocodile to be removed by rangers from Half Moon Bay was in 2019. Half Moon Bay Golf ClubHissing holeSometimes though, it’s inquisitive wildlife that brings potential danger to patrons.

Persons: ‘ Roos, ‘ roos, It’s, Marg Lacey, …, ” Anglesea, ” Lacey, roos, you’ve, ”, Steve Storm, Tim Mackrill, ” Mackrill, Amanda Jayne, Jayne, Jayne’s, Luke Goodier, ” Jayne, it’s Organizations: CNN, Golf, “, birdlife, The Locations: Australia, Melbourne, –, England, Australian, Northern Territory, Queensland, Cairns, Eastern Australia

☆ Fireworks for All, One Day Only, in Australia’s Last Frontier
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As fireworks lit up the three-mile stretch of coastline in the capital of Australia’s remote Northern Territory, a swath of grass along the beach went up in flames. A few revelers used tree branches to beat down the blaze; one man poured water on the fire with one hand, clutching a beer in another. But most, having judged that the fire probably would not spread, were content to carry on setting off fireworks and waiting for firefighters to arrive to douse the conflagration, which they did after about 15 minutes. About three feet from the fire, close enough to feel its heat, a couple lit sparklers and danced with their two young children. Welcome to Territory Day in the Northern Territory, the one time and place in mainland Australia where anyone can set off fireworks, no permits needed and no questions asked.

Locations: Northern Territory, Australia

☆ Hotter, drier weather likely across Australia for winter and early spring
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, June 29 (Reuters) - Dry and warm weather is forecast across large chunks of Australia through the southern hemisphere winter and into spring, the Bureau of Meteorology said on Thursday. Hot and dry weather is associated with the El Nino weather pattern, which the bureau earlier this month said had a 70% chance of developing this year. Below median rainfall is also "likely to very likely" across parts of eastern and western Australia over the same period, the bureau said, adding there was a 60% to 80% chance. July is set to be an exception to the dry spell, with above median rainfall likely for much of the Northern Territory, Queensland and northern South Australia state. The forecast reflected a tropical Pacific Ocean warming beyond El Nino thresholds, record ocean temperatures globally and the potential development of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, it said.

Persons: Lewis Jackson, Christina Fincher Organizations: SYDNEY, Meteorology, El, Thomson Locations: Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, El

Rey Steve Mabiala and his wife, Liz Gouari, taking refuge at the Roberval emergency center after being ordered to evacuate Chibougamau, Quebec, as a fire approached. Of the more than 400 fires now burning in Canada, more than one-third are in Quebec, which has already registered its worst wildfire season on record. Credit... Carlos Osorio/Reuters“We are facing some unprecedented events, including droughts, accelerated fires and heat waves, and there will be more over time, especially forest fires,” Ms. Mohsin said. But perhaps most surprised were newcomers to Chibougamau, like Mr. Mabiala, from the Republic of Congo, who came to work in logging. “They were asking, “Oh, is there such a thing in Canada?’ ’’ Ms. Cabrera said.

Persons: Rey Steve Mabiala, Liz Gouari, Gouari, Mabiala, Prince Edward Island, ” Mr, “ It’s, ”, Josée Poitras, Tanzina Mohsin, Carlos Osorio, Ms, Mohsin, Poitras, “ I’ve, I’ve, Francis Côté, “, Chibougamau, Renaud Philippe, Côté, Guy Boisvert, Winters, Boisvert, Shirley, Jonathan Mattson, Mr, Mattson, Ruth Cabrera, Anna Huerte, —, Cabrera, Huerte Organizations: Wildfire, University of Toronto, ., Reuters, The New York Times, “, Credit Locations: Chibougamau, Quebec, Africa, Canada, North America, Republic of Congo, Prince, Nunavut, Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Toronto, Val, Montreal, Roberval, East Coast, United States, Philippines

☆ Aussie billionaires’ solar spat enters new phase
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, May 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The battle between two of Australia’s richest men for control of bankrupt renewables startup Sun Cable has ended in a whimper. Surprisingly absent from the final bout was Squadron Energy, one of Fortescue Metals (FMG.AX) founder Andrew Forrest’s investment companies. Both were early investors in Sun Cable; their spat over its strategy plunged the firm into administration in January. Cannon-Brookes wants to stick to the original plan of sending most of the energy it produces to Singapore via an undersea cable. Now the race is on to see which of the two men is first to flick the on switch.

☆ A plane in Australia was forced to turn back after a fight broke out among passengers. After several hours it took off again, and there was another fight, reports say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A plane was forced to turn round after fighting broke out on board, News.com.au reported. Fights allegedly broke out on an Australian domestic flight last week that ultimately led to the plane being turned round, a window getting smashed, and four passengers being charged, News.com.au reported. A spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police told News.com.au that the flight had to be turned around because of an "incident." Three passengers were arrested and charged when the plane landed on Groote Eylandt, the outlet reported. Though the flight was chartered by Groote Eylandt Mining Company, Insider understands that the passengers involved in the incident were members of the public.

☆ Western Australia assesses Cyclone Ilsa's 'path of destruction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 15 (Reuters) - Emergency authorities in Western Australia were assessing damage on Saturday from a tropical cyclone that hit the state's northwest, sparing heavily populated areas but affecting several remote communities. Ilsa, downgraded to a severe weather system, made landfall in the sparsely populated Pilbara region of Western Australia early on Friday with an intensity rating of 5, the highest. Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services Assistant Commissioner Rick Curtis said crews were surveying damage in the "very large area" hit by Ilsa. "It’s quite a remote part of Western Australia so getting support services to the area will take some time and effort." Australia's weather forecaster warned of possible severe weather on Saturday in parts of the neighbouring Northern Territory, including potential flooding in the outback town of Alice Springs, as the ex-cyclone tracked east.

☆ Cyclone Ilsa hits Australia's northwest, misses iron ore export hub
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 14 (Reuters) - A tropical cyclone smashed into Australia's northwest coast as a category 5 storm, setting new wind speed records, but has largely spared populated regions including the world's largest iron ore export hub at Port Hedland, authorities said on Friday. "Port Hedland ... escaped the brunt of the cyclone at this stage. "As it moves inland and the sun comes up, we can expect it to still be a severe tropical cyclone," the weather bureau's hazard response manager Shenagh Gamble said. Ilsa is expected to weaken to a tropical low overnight and move into the southern parts of the Northern Territory. Destructive winds could hit the remote inland mining town of Telfer, where Newcrest Mining (NCM.AX) operates a fly-in-fly-out gold and copper mine.

Rio Tinto, the majority shareholder in ERA which owns and operates the Ranger mine site, has been under pressure to fund the cleanup costs. Rehabilitation costs are estimated at A$1.6 billion to A$2.2 billion, ERA said in a statement. ERA shares declined 9.8% to A$0.185, their lowest since June 2022, while the benchmark index (.AXJO) was marginally higher. ERA will also use the proceeds to partly repay a A$100 million loan from Rio Tinto. (This story has been corrected to state that Rio Tinto is majority shareholder of the mine's owner and operator, not the mine's operator, in paragraph 2, and to state that the target of the protests was the mine and the Jabiluka project, not Rio Tinto, in paragraph 7)Reporting by Harish Sridharan in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu SahuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LAUNCESTON, Australia, March 27 (Reuters) - The Australian natural gas sector believes it has the solution to warnings of a shortfall in domestic supplies in coming years. But a recent report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AMEO) warned the domestic market may have insufficient supplies from this year out to 2025. The second is that if the LNG producers are forced by legislation to satisfy the domestic market first, they risk undermining Australia's reputation in Asia as one of the most reliable suppliers of energy. There is also a time factor, with it likely to take far longer to explore, develop and build the infrastructure than is available to avoid shortfalls in the domestic market. The first is to risk Australia's reputation as an energy supplier and future investment by forcing the LNG producers to supply the domestic market and curtail exports.

☆ Heavy rain in Australia triggers flood evacuations in Queensland
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 11 (Reuters) - Emergency services in Australia's Queensland state evacuated residents to higher ground on Saturday, as record-breaking floods sparked by heavy rain lashed the region's northwest. Fifty three residents of the isolated Gulf Country town of Burketown, about 2,115 km (1,314 miles) northwest of state capital Brisbane, had been evacuated since heavy rain triggered floods earlier this week, police said Saturday. At Burketown, the flood topped the March 2011 record of 6.87 metres after up to 293 mm of rain fell on Thursday and Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology previously said. Police were co-ordinating the evacuation via helicopter to the mining town of Mount Isa, about 425 km (264 miles) south. Flood alerts were current on Saturday for large swaths of Queensland, and there were also warnings for severe storms, heavy rainfall, and potential flash flooding in many parts, including the Gulf Country.

☆ More than 300 passengers were forced to stay on a plane for almost 7 hours after it diverted for a medical emergency
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Jetstar passengers were forced to stay on a plane for close to seven hours on Sunday. The flight from Bangkok to Melbourne diverted due to a passenger's medical emergency. The Jetstar flight from Bangkok to Melbourne landed in Alice Springs, in Australia's Northern Territory, at about 7.20 a.m. on Sunday. The 320 passengers on flight JQ30 had to wait on the plane for almost seven hours because the airport didn't have "customs processing facilities," Jetstar said in a statement. One passenger, Paul Tarrant, told ABC that the plane had issues with its air conditioning and the entertainment system was turned off.

☆ Factbox: Five things to know about Australia's planned Indigenous referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Praveen Menon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Australia's government plans to hold a referendum between August and December this year on recognising the nation's Indigenous people in its constitution. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who represent about 3.2% of Australia's population, are currently not mentioned in the constitution. * The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to Parliament and the Executive Government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. WHAT IS THE PROPOSED REFERENDUM QUESTION? To change the constitution, the government must secure what is known as a double majority in the referendum.

☆ Australia limits alcohol sales in Alice Springs amid crime wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The new rules in the town of Alice Springs, 2,000 km northwest of Sydney, and the surrounding region, mean that the sale of takeaway alcohol will be restricted on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and sales will be reduced on other days. A fifth of the citizens of Alice Springs are Indigenous. Community leaders across Australia have long identified alcohol abuse as a huge factor behind violence and health problems. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who met politicians, police and community leaders in Alice Springs earlier on Tuesday, said the steps on alcohol had to be seen in a broader context. Domestic violence, assaults and property damage in Alice Springs rose between 43% and 60% in the 12 months to November 2022, according to the latest crime statistics from the territory government.

☆ Sun Cable project: Billionaires' feud over Australia-Singapore cable escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The proposed Sun Cable project would see a subsea cable stretch from Darwin to Singapore. A statement from Cannon-Brookes’ private investment arm, Grok Ventures, suggested all investors except Forrest’s investment arm Squadron Energy remain committed to the cable. Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, says the export of green hydrogen (hydrogen generated from renewable energy) is at least a decade away. “The market for green hydrogen exports has sort of deflated quite dramatically when people realize there’ll be a decade or two before you can actually ship green hydrogen anywhere overseas,” he said. For example, Xlinks plans to run a cable almost as long and powerful from Morocco to the United Kingdom.

☆ With eye on China, US to boost military forces in Australia – and ‘invite’ Japan to join in
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The United States will increase the rotational presence of air, land and sea forces in Australia, including bomber aircraft and fighter jets, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday, amid shared concerns about China. Australia’s Northern Territory is already host to frequent military collaborations with the US. Thousands of US Marines rotate through the territory annually for training and joint exercises, started under former President Barack Obama. Just before last year’s AUSMIN talks, the US, United Kingdom and Australia created a security deal, known as AUKUS, that will provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines. The two sides said they had further discussions on that issue and Britain’s Defense Minister Ben Wallace will attend a first in-person meeting of AUKUS ministers on Wednesday in Washington.

☆ Australia's Arafura inks rare-earth supply deal with Hyundai and Kia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Slideshow ( 2 images )(Reuters) -Australia’s Arafura Rare Earths Ltd said on Monday it had signed a binding supply deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co and its unit Kia Corp to supply up to 1,500 tonnes of a rare-earth oxide per year. Neodymium-Praseodymium (NdPr) oxide, an element used in the making of electric motors for electric vehicles, is prized by automobile companies making the green energy transition. Supply of the element is currently anticipated to commence in 2025 subject to project financing, construction and commissioning of the project. The Perth-based miner also signed an agreement to begin talks for strategic investment with Hyundai and its affiliates, it said. In July, Arafura signed a non-binding agreement to help GE Renewable Energy build a supply chain that it will need to manufacture offshore wind turbines.

SYDNEY, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The United States is planning to deploy up to six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to an air base in northern Australia, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday, amid heightened tensions with Beijing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia engages with the United States on defence alliances "from time to time." Australia's Northern Territory is already host to frequent military collaborations with the United States. Last year, the United States, Britain and Australia created a security deal that will provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, riling China. This year, the U.S. deployed four B-52s to its Andersen Air Force base in Guam.

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