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☆ Australia appoints special envoys as antisemitism, Islamophobia rise over Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —The Australian government is appointing the country’s first envoys to fight antisemitism and Islamophobia in an attempt to prevent further fraying of social cohesion over the war in Gaza. “I have spoken with members of the Jewish community here, in Melbourne, right around Australia, who have not felt safe, members of the Jewish community whose children are worried about wearing their school uniform in our capital cities. David Gray/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), which represents the Jewish community, recorded a spike in antisemitic incidents from October to November 2023. The group said Tuesday reports of antisemitic incidents in Australia are still running 400-500% higher than before the conflict. Protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza are continuing in Australia with four people arrested for climbing onto the roof of Parliament House last week.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, “, ”, Albanese, Jillian Segal, ” Albanese, David Gray, Fatima Payman, Matt Jelonek, ” Sen, Labor’s Organizations: Australia CNN, “, Albanese’s, Labor Party, Jewish Museum, Getty, of Australian, Australian, Hamas, Palestinian, United, West, Australian Labor Party, Greens Party, University Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Gaza, Israel, Sydney, Melbourne, That’s, AFP, United Nations, Perth, West Australian

☆ Finally, an answer to a mystery surrounding these 1,000-year-old trees
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Tom Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A team of international academics successfully sequenced the genomes of each of the eight baobab species, examining their relationship with one another and concluded that they originated in Madagascar. "Avenue of the Baobabs" in Western Madagascar is one of the most spectacular collections of the unusual trees. Gavinevans/Creative CommonsOnly one baobab species is not included in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species: A. digitata, which populates mainland Africa. The likelihood of finding fossil evidence to rubberstamp the conclusions of the genetic data is slim, Dr. Wan conceded. So perhaps these majestic trees may retain some of their mystery after all.

Persons: ”, Wan Jun, Nan, Wan, Seheno, Andriantsaralaza, “, Dr, Organizations: CNN, Biologists, Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, University of Antananarivo, Queen Mary University of London, IUCN, USAID Locations: Madagascar, Africa, Australia, Wuhan, Hubei, China, baobabs, Queen, Western Madagascar, “

☆ Qantas pilots landed a plane with just one working engine, and the airline says it was safe to do so
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Qantas pilots safely landed a plane with a single engine in Perth. Engine failure is rare, but it's not the first time a Qantas engine has had issues. These aircraft are designed to safely operate with one engine," Qantas told The West Australian. AdvertisementIt's not the first time Qantas pilots have had to turn off an engine to land safely. In January 2023, pilots landed a Qantas flight flying from Auckland to Sydney after one of the engines failed while crossing the Tasman Sea.

Persons: it's, —, they'd, Lachlan Britt, Darrell Weekes, Doug Drury, you'd, Drury Organizations: Qantas, Service, West, The West Australian, Airbus, West Australian, Business, The West, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, University of Bologna, Federal Aviation Administration, Central Queensland University, CNN Locations: Perth, Melbourne, Australia, Auckland, Sydney

☆ An airline passenger was escorted away by police after sparking a fight in the aisle and 'demanding drinks' from flight attendants
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Scoot passenger was "demanding drinks" and ranting for "hours," per The West Australian. AdvertisementA man was escorted by police from a Scoot flight on Friday after fighting with another passenger in the aisle, The West Australian first reported. The man who's filming says he's going to record an "ass whooping" before the man challenges him to a "one-on-one, right now" and slaps him. The incident took place when the Scoot flight from Singapore landed in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, per The West Australian. The West Australian reported that the man had "demanded drinks" from flight attendants and had been ranting for "hours" before the fight.

Persons: —, Scoot Organizations: West Australian, Service, West, The West Australian Locations: Perth, Australia, Singapore, Manila, Philippines

☆ Mysterious ‘fairy circles’ of Namibia and Australia aren’t so rare after all, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Round discs of barren dirt known as “fairy circles” look like rows of polka dots that can spread for miles over the ground. Fairy circles were previously spotted only in the arid lands of Southern Africa’s Namib Desert and the outback of Western Australia. The results showed 263 dryland locations where there were circular patterns similar to fairy circles in Namibia and Australia. Fairy circles’ mysterious originsThe study authors also compiled environmental data where circles were spotted, collecting evidence that might hint at what causes them to form. But the question “What shapes fairy circles?” is complex, and factors that create fairy circles may differ from site to site, the study authors reported.

Persons: ”, Emilio Guirado, Guirado, “, Stephan Getzin, Getzin, Fiona Walsh, Walsh, ” Walsh, ” Guirado, Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, National Academy of Sciences, Multidisciplinary Institute, Environmental Studies, University of Alicante, University of Göttingen, University of Western, “, Scientific Locations: Southern, Western Australia, Spain, Namibia, Australia, Africa, Western Sahara, of Africa, Madagascar, Midwestern Asia, Southwest Australia, Germany, University of Western Australia, Northern Territory

Chevron's Gorgon and Wheatstone projects account for more than 5% of global LNG capacity, and news of the possible strikes sent European natural gas prices surging. "It's set to cost Chevron their LNG exports as (the industrial action) starts to bite," said the alliance that groups together the Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Workers' Union. The unions last week warned that work stoppages could cost Chevron billions of dollars. "Ten hour work stoppages: it is a harsher initial industrial action than what the unions contemplated for Woodside," he said. Last week, Offshore Alliance and Woodside (WDS.AX) resolved worker disputes at North West Shelf, Australia's largest LNG facility, after negotiating higher wages, job security and employee-friendly rosters, averting industrial action.

Persons: Gaby Oraa, Wheatstone, Saul Kavonic, Renju Jose, Lewis Jackson, Florence Tan, Alasdair Pal, Chris Reese, Shri Navaratnam, Tom Hogue Organizations: Chevron, U.S, REUTERS, SYDNEY, Workers, Reuters, Offshore Alliance, Maritime Union of Australia, Australian Workers ' Union, Shell, Energy, Woodside, North West Shelf, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Caracas, SINGAPORE, Australia, Woodside, WDS.AX, Asia, Chevron, Sydney, Singapore

☆ Chevron, Woodside in talks to avert strikes at Australian LNG operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Concerns over potential industrial action at three Australian LNG operations - North West Shelf, Gorgon and Wheatstone - sent European gas prices to a nearly 2-month high on Wednesday. Any industrial action would disrupt Australia's LNG exports and increase competition for the super-chilled fuel, forcing Asian buyers to outbid European buyers to attract LNG cargoes. About 99% of workers at offshore platforms that supply gas to the Woodside-operated North West Shelf LNG plant, Australia's biggest LNG plant, have voted in favour of a planned strike. Chevron said it was reviewing the applications from the union to Australia's independent Fair Work Commission (FWC) over planned strikes at its Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG plants. Gorgon, the country's second largest LNG plant, has capacity of 15.6 million metric tons a year and Wheatstone 8.9 million.

Persons: David Gray, Gorgon, Wheatstone, Brad Gandy, Woodside, Renju Jose, Jacqueline Wong, Sonali Paul Organizations: Woodside Petroleum, REUTERS, Northwest Shelf, Chevron, Woodside Energy Group, North West, North West Shelf, LNG, West Shelf, Offshore Alliance, Shell, Wheatstone, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, SYDNEY, Japan, Woodside, Chevron

Some opponents, however, argue the move would hand excessive powers to the Indigenous body, while others have described it as tokenism and toothless. A Guardian poll this week showed more Australians are planning to vote no in the referendum than yes, a first in the survey. Parties on both sides of a debate released official pamphlets last month, and are holding road shows about the upcoming vote. "I believe Australia is ready," he said in a radio interview on Wednesday, which marked World Indigenous Day. Albanese has said the referendum will be held between October and December, but has given no fixed date.

Persons: Albanese, Matt Qvortrup, Anthony Albanese, Warren Mundine, Dean Parkin, Qvortrup, Praveen Menon, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Guardian, ANU College of Law, West, Thomson Locations: Australia, Torres, West Australia

☆ Solar eclipse tourism in Exmouth, Western Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Thursday’s hybrid solar eclipse will last for 62 seconds. That’s the hope for Exmouth and the surrounding Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia, which are hoping that April 20th’s once-in-a-decade natural phenomenon could kick off a tourism boom that lasts well beyond the eclipse. “They’re pretty intimidated but also very excited,” Roger Cook, Deputy Premier of Western Australia state, tells CNN about the residents of Exmouth. And there’s some evidence of the region’s growing prominence on the international stage: CNN Travel selected Western Australia for our list of the best places to visit in 2023. Altogether, Western Australia state spent 20 million AUD ($13.5 million) on infrastructure updates for the eclipse, which included everything from water and sanitation services to additional parking.

☆ Missing radioactive capsule found on remote road in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Authorities scanning a remote Australian highway for a tiny missing radioactive capsule have found it by the roadside, after a challenging search likened to trying to find a needle in a haystack. Search teams found the missing capsule not far from the Rio Tinto mine, suggesting it fell off the truck soon after departure. On Thursday it would start its journey south again – this time to a health department facility in Perth. Department of Fire and Emergency Services/APRadiation Services WA says radioactive substances are transported throughout Western Australia on a daily basis without any issues. A member of the Incident Management Team coordinates the search for a radioactive capsule lost in transit.

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