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Rebel Wilson exposes A-lister who "threatened" her over book release

Rebel Wilson has slammed a Hollywood A-lister for allegedly threatening her over the release of her new memoir. The Aussie actress is set to release her autobiography Rebel Rising on April 2nd, which details her rise to stardom from Australia to the US. In the book, she has dedicated a chapter to one particular actor who she had an unfortunate experience with on the set of a movie in 2014. Now, Rebel claims Sacha Baron-Cohen, husband of Aussie actress Isla Fisher, has "threatened" her about the release of such information in the upcoming book. Taking to her Instagram, Rebel named and shamed the actor, writing, “I will not be bullied or silenced with high priced lawyer or PR crisis managers. The ‘a**hole’ that I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is Sacha Baron Cohen.” "Now the a**hole is trying to threaten me. He’s trying to stop press coming out about my new book. But the book WILL come out and you will all know the truth.” Sacha Baron-Cohen was quick to release a statement in response to the allegations, with his representative sharing the statement with <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/03/25/rebel-wilson-calls-out-sacha-baron-cohen-book-memoir/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a>. “While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence, including contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness accounts from those present before, during and after the production of The Brothers Grimsby,” the statement said. Wilson and Baron-Cohen worked on the comedy film The Brothers Grimsby in 2014, where Rebel alleges that Baron-Cohen acted sexually inappropriate towards her for the duration of the shoot. Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

"I'm done": Why Ed Sheeran is threatening to quit music

Ed Sheehan has made a bold statement about the future of his career, while fighting an "insulting" court case. The British singer-songwriter is currently embroiled in a copyright case which has seen him take the stand in a New York City courtroom to defend his music. Sheeran, 32, is being sued over his 2014 single Thinking Out Loud by Structured Asset Sales, who claim that Sheeran's hit took elements directly from Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On. On Monday morning local time, Sheeran took to the stand for a second time, expressing his exasperation over the case, and saying he will quit music if he loses the case. "If that happens, I'm done, I'm stopping," Sheeran said, per <a title="People" href="https://people.com/music/ed-sheeran-done-if-he-loses-lets-get-it-on-copyright-lawsuit/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">People</a>, on the stand when his lawyer, Ilene Farkas, asked him what he would do if the court found Thinking Out Loud to be too similar to Gaye's Let's Get It On. "I find it to be really insulting," Sheeran added. "I work really hard to be where I'm at." Sheeran didn't clarify his comments once court has adjourned, leaving many fans concerned over the future of his career. Structured Asset Sales launched the lawsuit against Sheeran in 2018 after purchasing a third of the shares of Let's Get It On from the family of the song's co-writer, Ed Townsend. During the courtroom proceedings, Sheeran was also cross-examined in court by the plaintiff's lawyer, Robert Frank – which prompted the award-winning singer to complain. "You're trying to diminish my success," Sheeran told Frank on the stand in response to his line of questioning. "Thinking Out Loud was my first Grammy." "It was pretty devastating and pretty frightening because it's something we did not do," Thinking Out Loud co-writer Amy Wage said on the stand about the copyright allegations. Sheeran also referenced the plaintiff's musicologist Alexander Stewart's testimony from last week, which saw Stewart argue Thinking Out Loud and Let's Get It On were "very, very similar". "I think what he's doing is criminal here," Sheeran said of Stewart's testimony. "I don't know why he's allowed to be an expert." Image credits: Getty Images

Music

Meghan Markle’s life threatened

A senior police officer has revealed the Duchess of Sussex was subject to several "disgusting" threats on her life, adding they were “very real” and led to prosecutions. Neil Basu, the outgoing assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police, told Channel 4 News that the threats were all deemed credible, saying Meghan Markle would've felt “under threat all of the time”. These threats were made while Prince Harry and Meghan were still living in the UK, and working as senior members of the royal family. His comments on the threat to Meghan's life could shed new light on Harry's determination to grant the couple extra security for any future visits to the UK. Earlier this year, Prince Harry claimed his family would not feel safe in England under the current security agreements, and The Duke of Sussex subsequently won the right to challenge a Home Office decision not to grant him automatic police protection when he is in the UK – despite offering to pay for it himself. When asked if there had been many credible threats against Meghan’s life, Basu answered, “Absolutely, and if you’d seen the stuff that was written and you were receiving it … the kind of rhetoric that’s online, if you don’t know what I know, you would feel under threat all of the time.” He added, “We had teams investigating it. People have been prosecuted for those threats.” Image credits: Getty Images

News

“You have been warned nicely before”: Neighbours threaten to poison dogs

A Queensland family has been left devastated after a neighbour left an anonymous letter with poisonous treats threatening their dogs if they don’t stop barking. Anthony and Jessica Tuite did not think having pets in their suburban home in Graceville would be an issue until they received a letter. The letter explained to the couple that they have been told “many times” to control their black great dane called Barney and a brown great dane cross ridgeback named Donnie. “If the barking of your dogs does not stop, the chocolate in this envelope will be thrown over your fence in greater amounts ... which will kill them,” it read. “You have been warned nicely many times by people ... but you do nothing.” The letter contained pieces of chocolate which is known to be poisonous and potentially lethal to dogs if consumed. Jessica said she was shocked at the letter and begged that no one hurt her pet dogs. “These dogs are our family .... please, please don’t hurt my dogs,” she told 7News. “They only bark when someone comes into their yard but that’s their job.” Other neighbours rallied with the family saying it is disgusting to leave a threat when they could be working as a community toward a solution. “You just don’t make those threats,” neighbour Phill Keleman said. “You just kind of say ‘Hey listen, how do we work together to make it better?’” Images: 7News

Family & Pets

This single spending habit could threaten your savings

As inflation rates hit record highs - at 7.75 percent for Australia and 7.3 percent for New Zealand - many are finding their savings are taking a hit under the soaring cost of living. But it isn’t just rising fuel and food prices you need to worry about, according to ANZ Plus team member Danielle Curry. In fact, there’s one commonly forgotten expense that’s making staying on top of our finances even trickier: phone apps. Apps like Uber Eats, Afterpay services, and those for your favourite stores, along with “must-have” shopping trends are making it so that mobile apps are driving our desire to spend money easily and beyond our means. According to new research from ANZ Plus, over recent years Aussies have consistently “overspent” the most on eating out and takeaway, with 53 percent noting that their top expenses were food-related. “There’s this real immediacy of spending that is becoming very normal for Australians,” Ms Curry told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/budgeting/out-of-control-the-spending-habit-threatening-your-savings/news-story/f38d98db818c8f01191a4069106eb6af" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “And especially during the pandemic, we saw a lot of restaurants convert to home delivery services so people were still ‘eating out’ but just a bit differently.” A noticeable surge in online shopping and subscribing to streaming services also coincided with thousands starting to work from home during pandemic-induced lockdowns, accounting for Aussies’ overspending by 35 percent and 19 percent respectively. “And with the advent of things like buy now, pay later services it has really allowed that real immediacy of spending,” Ms Curry added. “Twenty years ago you couldn’t order something from Amazon and have it arrive the next day … so if you’re not tracking your expenses, are you really sure exactly how much you’re spending on things like Amazon?” Ms Curry said one of the most concerning findings from the research was that a third of Ausies struggle to manage their finances, with 1.5 million of those surveyed admitting they “don’t feel in control of their money at all”. Though data from Westpac suggests that the average Australian has around $22,000 in savings, big savers that skew the data means that a more realistic figure is closer to $3500. In response to skyrocketing electricity bills and other living expenses, many have chosen to cut down on “unnecessary expenses” and try to save any way they can. Ms Curry said that even though most are trying to make ends meet, poor budgeting skills could leave many blindsided. “We know that a lot of people don’t feel in control and it’s because they don’t have the knowledge about their own finances,” she said. “But the first thing to understand is that it’s going to be different for every single Australian … and it’s important that everyone understands their own situation. “(It’s different) for some who might be financially struggling to make ends meet has to make choices between food and the electricity bill versus someone who is financially comfortable and is quite able to make a luxury purchase.” But, there are some ways we can take back control of our finances, such as tagging and categorising your spending through your banking app. This can help you identify “unnecessary” or passive purchases that can be stopped, such as forgotten subscriptions. “Everyone is at a different stage in their lives and make custom everyday expenses,” Ms Perez said. “(But) once we can really understand what we’re doing with that money we can see if there are trade-offs … to find that extra five dollars to add towards our savings.” Digital budgeting apps and tracking tools, including those offered in banking apps can also help you set up savings goals, a budget, and a savings buffer based on your financial situation. “Using these kinds of nifty features that we’ve got around expense categorisation and setting up savings goals, really help push your finances to the next level,” Ms Curry said. Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

5 times the Mona Lisa was threatened

Since the Mona Lisa began hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1804, many have attempted to either vandalise or steal the priceless artwork. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is widely considered one of the most beloved artworks in the world, with millions of people each year flocking to see her elusive smile. This level of fame has left the Mona Lisa vulnerable to threats of vandalism and theft, with five notable attempts leaving the artwork subject to much higher security. 1911: The Mona Lisa is stolen In 1911, Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia and his two accomplices hid in a closet in the Louvre until the museum closed to steal the Mona Lisa. The artwork, which was considered a minor work by da Vinci at the time, was taken by the men and stashed in the floorboards beneath Peruggia’s Paris apartment. Two years after the theft, Peruggia attempted to sell the work to a dealer in Florence, Italy, who inevitably called the police on the thief. Peruggia spent six months in prison and the painting was returned to the Louvre. 1956: A rock is thrown at the Mona Lisa In the year of 1956, the Mona Lisa was vandalised twice by two different assailants. First, the vandal attempted to take a razor blade to the painting, though no damage ended up being inflicted. Then, a Bolivian man named Hugo Unjaga Villegas tossed a rock at the painting. “I had a stone in my pocket and suddenly the idea to throw it came to mind,” he said at the time. Thankfully, the painting was already behind glass, meaning the rock did no permanent damage. 1974: The Mona Lisa is nearly damaged while on tour in Tokyo When da Vinci’s masterpiece was on display for a limited time at the National Museum in Tokyo, 1.15 million people came to see the painting. One of those people was Tomoko Yonezu, a 25-year-old Japanese woman who tried to spray paint the canvas in red on its first day on view. In the days before the opening, the presentation had been the subject of discussion among disability activists, who claimed that in refusing access to those who needed assistance in the name of crowd control, the National Museum was discriminating against the disabled. In an act of defiance, Yonezu managed to spray between 20 and 30 droplets of paint on the artwork, which was able to be restored. Yonezu was convicted of a misdemeanour and made to pay a fine of 3,000 yen, as the National Museum set aside a day when the disabled could exclusively visit the Mona Lisa. 2009: The Mona Lisa is hit with a teacup On an otherwise ordinary day at the Louvre, a Russian woman came to the gallery in 2009 and smashed a teacup against the iconic artwork. She had come to the museum with the cup concealed in her bag, with representatives at Louvre claiming she had let loose because she had been denied French citizenship. Thanks once again to her glass case, the Mona Lisa was not damaged. Still, some took the attempted vandalism as proof that greater security was needed, as the Louvre eventually upgraded the glass on the Mona Lisa in 2019. 2022: The Mona Lisa gets caked In May 2022, the painting was targeted by climate change activists who <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/mona-lisa-gets-caked-in-climate-activist-stunt">smeared cake</a> on the protective glass of the artwork. The 36-year-old man who staged the vandalism had arrived at the museum in a wheelchair dressed as a woman, as some caught the aftermath of the event on video and posted it to social media. “There are people who are destroying the Earth,” the man said in one video, speaking in French. “All artists, think about the Earth. That’s why I did this. Think of the planet.” The man was immediately detained, and the Louvre has filed a criminal complaint, with the Mona Lisa once again remaining intact. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

10-year-old arrested for threatening to carry out mass shooting

A 10-year-old boy has been arrested for threatening to carry out a mass shooting via text message. The 5th grader from Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral, in the state of Florida, was pictured in handcuffs and being walked to a police car on Saturday evening. He was interviewed and charged with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting, coming just days after 19 children and two of their teachers were killed in a mass shooting in Texas. “This student’s behaviour is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement. “Right now is not the time to act like a little delinquent. It’s not funny. This child made a fake threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.” The sheriff’s office’s School Threat Enforcement Team was tipped off about the message and quick to act. “Making sure our children are safe is paramount,” Sheriff Macreno said. "My team didn’t hesitate one second, not one second, to investigate this threat.” While police in Texas were on the scene within minutes of the shooting at Robb Elementary School, officers have come under fire for waiting almost 80 minutes to enter the classroom and kill gunman Salvador Ramos. The Texas Department of Public Safety has since admitted that law enforcement’s response fell disastrously short. “From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course it was not the right decision,” Director Steve McCraw said on the delay. Image: Lee County Sheriff's office

Legal

Boss threatens to sue employees over wage talk

An employee has called out her manager after he threatened to fire staff for talking about their wages. The business owner of Planet Fitness gym in Kentucky, US, hung a poster on the wall informing staff not to talk about their wages because it is illegal. However, under the National Labor Relations Act, employees are entitled to speak about their wages freely. “ATTENTION ALL SUBORDINATES,” the letter, which was shared to Reddit began. “Effective immediately, conversing about wages (both on duty and off duty) is strictly forbidden, “This is considered proprietary information and as such, it is protected legally. “If you are overheard speaking (OR LISTENING TO!!) a conversation in which wages are discussed, you will receive disciplinary action up to and including termination.” One of the gym’s employees, Shelly, did not accept her boss's premise and decided to get back at him. Another photo shared to the post shows multiple hammers and sickles drawn on it - representative of the communist party. “Seeing as you’re a manager in the great illustrious word (sic) of Planet Fitness gym franchises, it may behoove (sic) you to become familiar with the laws pertaining to it,” Shelly wrote. “Sprinkling legalese and word-salad across an 8.5x11 paper you printed does not make a legal doc. “Needless to say, you can’t legally tell us not to discuss wages in the good ol’ U.S. of A. We will continue to do so.” She ended the note with “Love, $10.50 an hour Shelly” which then saw her colleagues write their own wages. Viewers commended Shelly for the move which showed a united front against the boss who was very much in the wrong. "I LOVE $10.50 an hour Shelly!" someone wrote. "Long Live Shelly. I hope she is $25.00 an hour Shelly very very soon,” another commented. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of SHELLY SHELLY!" another joked. Images: Reddit

Money & Banking

Man who threatened to kill Jacinda Ardern causes stir in court

A man who threatened to kill New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made claims he had been “kidnapped” by police and illegally detained during an outburst in court. Richard Trevor Sivell was arrested at a rural property in Te Puke, in the Western Bay of Plenty on the North Island, which is owned by the Ministry of Education. He claimed he owned the property through “allodial title”, an archaic law meaning that the property had no owner. His arrest was filmed by his supporters and shared online and later re-shared by anti-conspiracy theorist groups on social media. <iframe style="overflow: hidden; border: initial none initial;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=315&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDebunkingConspiraciesAotearoa%2Fvideos%2F381405037137867%2F&show_text=true&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="430" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> He was later charged with three offences, including intentionally obstructing a police officer during the arrest, failing to comply with police, and threatening to kill. The details of the threatening to kill charge have been suppressed and cannot be reported, per the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/court-outburst-richard-sivell-charged-with-threatening-to-kill-pm-forced-by-police-into-dock/JFTRYCT6MOCWOC5FGRQDAZH5Y4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. Mr Sivell went on to appear before the Tauranga District Court on Monday, where he repeatedly chose to stand in the public gallery and refused to enter the dock when instructed by Judge Thomas Ingram. Prior to his appearance in the courtroom, Mr Sivell arrived with a Bible and a one-page document which he called a “counterclaim”, as reported by <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300557520/man-who-threatened-to-kill-pm-dragged-into-dock-by-police-after-refusal-to-move?fbclid=IwAR2-VkhHDyZXBR1xATPr33YsTvYHoBQcFcS6QGMvfMtTaizRX0na0GmrYOg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff</a>. After presenting the document to the court office, he sat in the courtroom, maskless, and asked to be referred to by his first name rather than his last name by the judge. When he still refused to go beyond the public gallery, two police officers and a court security officer forcibly moved him to the dock - a distance of about 10 metres - and even carried him by the arms and legs at one stage. After continuing to resist the officers, Mr Sivell was pinned to the ground and handcuffed, at which point he accused the officers of assaulting him. “I’m a man of peace, stop assaulting me, I haven’t done anything, I haven’t broken the law. You guys are traumatising me again,” he said. When he was in the dock, Judge Ingram asked if he wanted a few minutes to catch his breath. “I appreciate this is not a lot of fun for you,” the judge said. “You certainly will be somewhat traumatised … by what’s occurred.” Mr Sivell then asked if the judge had received “the data”, to which Judge Ingram replied, “I’ve seen a piece of paper from you, yes.” “Without receiving the data we can’t proceed, your honour,” Mr Sivell replied. Judge Ingram said: "You can parrot that as much as you want Mr Sivell, but I'm going to proceed with the matter on the basis that the law of the land applies to you as it applies to everybody else." After refusing to acknowledge the judge's questions, the case was adjourned for half an hour. When he reappeared, he continued to refuse to speak, even when asked whether he wanted legal representation. "I'm a man of peace, I'm here under duress. I've been assaulted and kidnapped," Mr Sivell said. The case was then adjourned for two weeks, and Mr Sivell was remanded on bail on the condition that he made no contact with Ms Ardern or used a device capable of connecting to the internet. Threats appeared on Telegram Mr Sivell tracked the arrival of police through a series of posts on Telegram - the encrypted messaging app which has become home to conspiracy theorists and Nazi sympathisers. According to the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-stand-off-with-richard-sivell-who-allegedly-made-death-threats-against-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern/VUJLWAJCY3LWQZBMMIE3ANMBG4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZHerald</a>, Mr Sivell used the same account to post what could be considered as threats to kill Ms Ardern and several journalists. “They are going to die. We are not going to allow them to share this world with us anymore,” Mr Sivell said in an audio message posted to the Counterspin channel on Telegram. “Same as Jacinda. She is going to die. Execute these motherf***ers. I look forward to hearing their necks snap.” Fake journalists and accusations of communism Outside the court, Mr Sivell was met by his supporters, as well as members of the public posing as journalists. One of the 'journalists' interviewed Mr Sivell, who said New Zealand was becoming a "communist police state" and accused Ms Ardern of being a communist. He said those responsible for the vaccination program, which he described as a "bioweapon", should be held accountable under "Nuremberg law". Image: Getty Images

Legal

SAS soldier claims Ben Roberts-Smith threatened to shoot him in the head

A former soldier who served alongside Ben Roberts-Smith <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ben-roberts-smith-defamation-trial-new-witness-claims-bullying-death-threat/7df734b2-d86b-44c5-ab2d-a57f1e26a7d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has testified</a> in the SAS soldier’s ongoing defamation trial, claiming Roberts-Smith bullied and threatened to kill him during their time serving together. The soldier, known as Person 1, told the Federal Court he was a victim of a seven-year intimidation campaign while giving evidence for Nine newspapers. During the trial, the court heard of a mistake Person 1 made during a 2006 mission in the Chora Valley, with the same mission seeing Mr Roberts-Smith receiving a Medal for Gallantry for single-handedly fighting off 16 Taliban insurgents. Person 1 admitted that his machine gun jammed at least three times during the mission because he forgot to bring his weapon oil. His error later prompted a commanding officer to issue him a warning for “not performing to standard”. The incident was followed by several alleged run-ins between Person 1 and Mr Roberts-Smith which the witness claimed became threats. “[He] said words to the effect of ‘if your performance doesn’t improve on the next patrol, you’re gonna get a bullet in the back of the head’,” Person 1 said. Nine’s barrister Nicholas Owens SC <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-17/soldier-tells-oourt-ben-roberts-smith-threatened-to-shoot-him/100833982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> the witness what he understood Mr Roberts-Smith to mean by that comment, to which Person 1 replied: “That he was going to shoot me in the back of the head on the next patrol if my performance doesn’t improve”. Person 1 told the court he lodged a formal complaint about the remark, which he said led to another confrontation. “If you’re going to make accusations **** you better have some f***ing proof,” he claimed Mr Roberts-Smith said to him. “Not only did I have to worry about the Taliban, but I also had to look over my own back at my own people,” Person 1 told the court. He also claimed that even after he switched patrols and climbed the ranks, Mr Roberts-Smith described him to other soldiers as “incompetent” and a “coward”. When they entered mediation in 2013, the soldiers agreed to disagree and shook hands. Mr Roberts-Smith has denied the claims while giving evidence last year and said Person “just wasn’t a very good soldier”. He also accused the witness of attempting to “cover up his poor performance”. The soldier’s testimony comes as part of Mr Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial, in which he is suing Nine newspapers over articles alleging he is a war criminal. Image: 9News

Legal

"I'm so angry": Man fumes after threatened with fine for sleeping in his van

A Queensland man has taken to social media to share his fury at the local council after he was issued a move-on directive while sleeping in his van.Mark Pemberton shared his story on the Facebook page Van Life Australia, recounting how council workers shone a torch into the window of his van which was parked on a suburban street.“I’m so angry,” he wrote.“Last night (Tuesday) I parked in a very quiet spot at around 8pm. (Gold Coast) 10.50pm, council came around and knock (sic) on the door.“They were very nice, but told me it was a $680 fine for sleeping in the street in a van and I had to move.”He then questioned why he had been approached while countless other people who were sleeping rough in Surfers Paradise were left alone by Gold Coast Council workers.“Now the thing is, I live in a unit in Surfers Paradise. I was in the van for various reasons,” he continued.<img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/53992333-10492397-His_Facebook_post_on_the_page_Van_Life_generated_plenty_of_discu-m-1_1644461096527.jpg" alt="" width="634" height="476" />Image: Daily Mail Australia“I see the homeless drunk, swearing, begging and sleeping in the street on a daily basis in the middle of Surfers.“I also see a guy who I won’t name, but is semi-famous and walks around in a bikini, sleeps in the street cuddling a teddy.”Mr Pemberton questioned why the council thought it was acceptable to let that individual walk around in public in front of kids, when he wasn’t allowed to sleep “down a dark street in a registered vehicle”.“This is ridiculous. This is not about an individual, this is about the stupidity of the Council,” he concluded.Though his post generated plenty of discussion, it has since been deleted by page administrators.The former business executive who once earned a $200,000 salary is now unemployed, with the pandemic and other personal circumstances seeing him “lose everything”.“My van is registered and roadworthy and was also legally parked on a street in Paradise Point,” he told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10492397/How-fined-sleeping-car-Australia.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>.He recalled being almost asleep when two council workers shone a torch into his van. “I explained my situation and I will say they were sympathetic, but I was told I had to move on elsewhere,” he told the publication.“I understand they are doing their job, but surely the council could focus on other issues at hand?”<img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/217397376_1146034059251748_5444362758567874310_n.jpg" alt="" width="652" height="960" />Mark Pemberton was inspired to take up living the van life after his travels through Europe. Image: Herc the Merc (Facebook)Mr Pemberton said the council should focus on addressing issues such as “homelessness and mental health”, rather than “people minding their own business in a registered van”.Having lived out of a van during his previous travels through Europe, Mr Pemberton is convinced it is the lifestyle for him.“After my personal dramas, van life was great for mental health,” he said.“I understand it isn’t for everyone, but in my eyes it is a great opportunity to see the world differently.”Image: Mark J Pemberton (Facebook)

Legal

More than 200 Australian birds are now threatened with extinction – and climate change is the biggest danger

Up to 216 Australian birds are now threatened – compared with 195 a decade ago – and climate change is now the main driver pushing threatened birds closer to extinction, landmark new research has found. The <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Animals-and-plants/Scientific-Committee/Determinations/Preliminaries/conservation-assessment-mukarrthippi-grasswren.pdf">Mukarrthippi grasswren</a> is now Australia’s most threatened bird, down to as few as two or three pairs. But 23 Australian birds became less threatened over the past decade, showing conservation actions can work. The findings are contained in a new <a href="https://ebooks.publish.csiro.au/content/action-plan-australian-birds-2020">action plan</a> released today. Last released in 2011, the action plan examines the extinction risk facing the almost 1,300 birds in Australia and its territories. We edited the book, written by more than 300 ornithologists. Without changes, many birds will continue to decline or be lost altogether. But when conservation action is well resourced and implemented, we can avoid these outcomes. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434641/original/file-20211130-21-1i8g2ou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="small bird perches on twig" /> Without change, threatened birds such as the southern emu wren, pictured, will be lost. Barry Baker <h2>The numbers tell the story</h2> The 216 Australian birds now at risk of extinction comprise: <ul> <li>23 critically endangered</li> <li>74 endangered</li> <li>87 vulnerable</li> <li>32 near-threatened.</li> </ul> This is up from 134 birds in 1990 and 195 a decade ago. We assessed the risk of extinction according to the <a href="https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/RL-2001-001-2nd.pdf">categories and criteria</a> set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in its <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/red-list-index">Red List</a> of threatened species. As the below graph shows, the picture of bird decline in Australia is not pretty – especially when compared to the global trend. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434586/original/file-20211129-22-xrs2e5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> Authors supplied <h2>What went wrong?</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434618/original/file-20211130-24-11eplat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="two black birds nuzzling" /> Birds are easily harmed by changes in their ecosystems. Dean Ingwersen/BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA Birds are easily harmed by changes in their ecosystems, including introduced species, habitat loss, disturbance to breeding sites and bushfires. Often, birds face danger on many fronts. The southeastern glossy black cockatoo, for example, faces no less than 20 threats. Introduced cats and foxes kill millions of birds <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/media/eeufmpqx/112-the-impact-of-cats-in-australia-findings-factsheetweb.pdf">each year</a> and are considered a substantial extinction threat to 37 birds. Land clearing and overgrazing are a serious cause of declines for 55 birds, including the swift parrot and diamond firetail. And there is now strong evidence climate change is driving declines in many bird species. A good example is the Wet Tropics of far north Queensland. Monitoring at 1,970 sites over 17 years has <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.23.453540v1">shown</a> the local populations of most mid- and high-elevation species has declined exactly as climate models predicted. Birds such as the fernwren and golden bowerbird are being eliminated from lower, cooler elevations as temperatures rise. As a result, 17 upland rainforest birds are now listed as threatened – all due to climate change. The Black Summer <a href="https://www.awe.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/pages/ef3f5ebd-faec-4c0c-9ea9-b7dfd9446cb1/files/assessments-species-vulnerability-fire-impacts-14032020.pdf">bushfires</a> of 2019-20 – which were <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00065-8">exacerbated</a> by climate change – contributed to the listing of 27 birds as threatened. We estimate that in just one day alone – January 6, 2020 – about half the population of all 16 bird species endemic or largely confined to Kangaroo Island were incinerated, including the tiny Kangaroo Island southern emu-wren. Some 91 birds are threatened by droughts and heatwaves. They include what’s thought to be Australia’s rarest bird, the Mukarrthippi grasswren of central west New South Wales, where just two or three pairs survive. Climate change is also pushing migratory shorebirds towards extinction. Of the 43 shorebirds that come to Australia after breeding in the Northern Hemisphere, 25 are now threatened. Coastal development in East Asia is contributing to the decline, destroying and degrading <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14895">mudflat habitat</a> where the birds stop to rest and eat. But rising seas as a result of climate change are also <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2013.0325">consuming</a> mudflats on the birds’ migration route, and the climate in the birds’ Arctic breeding grounds is <a href="https://www.fullerlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Wauchope-et-al-2017.pdf">changing</a> faster than anywhere in the world. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434625/original/file-20211130-17-1o8c7vz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="dead bird lies one charred ground" /> The Black Summer bushfires devastated some bird populations. James Ross/AAP <h2>The good news</h2> The research shows declines in extinction risk for 23 Australian bird species. The southern cassowary, for example, no longer meets the criteria for being threatened. Land clearing ceased after its rainforest habitat was placed on the World Heritage list in 1988 and the population is now stable. Other birds represent conservation success stories. For example, the prospects for the Norfolk Island green parrot, Albert’s lyrebird and bulloo grey grasswren improved after efforts to reduce threats and protect crucial habitat in conservation reserves. Intensive conservation efforts have also meant once-declining populations of several key species are now stabilising or increasing. They include the eastern hooded plover, Kangaroo Island glossy black-cockatoo and eastern bristlebird. And on Macquarie Island, efforts to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/26198759.pdf">eradicate</a> rabbits and rodents has led to a spectacular recovery in seabird numbers. The extinction risk of nine seabirds is now lower as a result. There’s also been progress in reducing the bycatch of seabirds from fishing boats, although there is <a href="https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/conservation/marine-and-coastal/marine-conservation-services/reports/final-reports/antipodean-albatross-fisheries-overlap-2020.pdf">much work</a> still to do. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434639/original/file-20211130-13-1suwehz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="lyrebird under leaves" /> The Albert’s lyrebird has been a conservation success. Barry Baker <h2>Managing threats</h2> The research also examined the impact of each threat to birds – from which we can measure progress in conservation action. For 136 species, we are alarmingly ignorant about how to reduce the threats – especially climate change. Some 63% of important threats are being managed to a very limited extent or not at all. And management is high quality for just 10% of “high impact” threats. For most threats, the major impediments to progress is technical – we don’t yet know what to do. But a lack of money also constrains progress on about half the threats. What’s more, there’s no effective monitoring of 30% of the threatened birds, and high-quality monitoring for only 27%. Nevertheless, much has been achieved since the last action plan in 2010. We hope the new plan, and the actions it recommends, will mean the next report in 2030 paints a more positive picture for Australian birds.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172751/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-garnett-4565">Stephen Garnett</a>, Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/barry-baker-1295242">Barry Baker</a>, University associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-200-australian-birds-are-now-threatened-with-extinction-and-climate-change-is-the-biggest-danger-172751">original article</a>. Image: Shuttershock

Family & Pets

Strong police presence deters threatened COVID lockdown protest

Police officers set up an exclusion zone around the city from 9 am to 3 pm with thousands of police officers on the streets of the CBD area, including three Public Order & Riot Squad teams. Taxi and rideshare companies were banned from entering the area and faced $500,000 fines if they took passengers into the CBD. Cars were stopped by police at key check points entering the CBD area and people were asked where they were going. As a result, there were very few citizens in the CBD area and there was no repeat of last Saturday’s protest where thousands marched in protest in the city centre. The police still made eight arrests and more than 250 Penalty Infringement Notices were issued, the majority for breaching stay-at-home directions. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.1696658097687px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842776/police-um-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/dbf3612c4aa34891a36dcde11bb1edf9" /> Image: Pamela Connellan Taxi and rideshare companies faced fines of up to $500,000 dollars if they took passengers into the CBD. Seven taxi and rideshare services received a prohibition notice banning them from taking passengers to the CBD over the six-hour period. A notice in the Uber app said the orders prohibited transit through the large area, as well as any pick-ups and drop-offs. “This is likely to cause significant disruption and we advise you to consider alternatives for any essential travel to and from these areas during this period,” the notice read. The show of force coincided with news a man in his 60s died that same evening from COVID at his southwestern Sydney home, taking the death toll from the state’s current outbreak to 14. Images: Pamela Connellan

News

Now Kate’s friend threatens to sue Christian Porter

In walking away from his defamation action against the ABC, cabinet minister Christian Porter has opened a fresh round in the battle over the allegation of historical rape against him by a now-deceased woman, known just as Kate. Jo Dyer, a friend of Kate – whose claim Porter denies – on Tuesday threatened to sue him, accusing him of impugning “my honesty and integrity”. There is also now a battle over the settlement concluded between Porter and the ABC. The federal court has yet to ratify the settlement, which involves expunging from the court record part of the ABC’s defence in the defamation case. But news organisations are seeking to have the material made public. Justice Jayne Jagot said on Tuesday the issue might not be a matter for the parties. “There has to be a reason for the removal of a document from a court file,” she said. “It’s not done just because a party wants to do it.” If a document is removed from the court file, there cannot be applications to see it. ABC journalist Louise Milligan, who Porter also sued in his case against an ABC article reporting the accusation without naming him, tweeted on Monday “We are still absolutely committed to the 27 redacted pages being in the public domain”. Dyer brought the successful legal action that resulted in Porter’s high profile barrister Sue Chrysanthou being prevented from appearing in the defamation case because of a conflict of interest. Dyer said in her statement her lawyers had sent a second “concerns notice” to Porter over his “continuing defamatory comments”. “He should be on notice that if I launch legal proceedings, I tend to see them through to their conclusion,” she said. She alleged two defamations by Porter. She said that on May 12, he implied her legal proceedings were “part of an improper last minute legal strategy to disrupt his now discontinued action”. “He did this despite knowing the real reason for the court action, and the lengths to which I had gone over the preceding two months to avoid court,” she said. “Yesterday Mr Porter alleged that, after ‘coaching’ from Ms Milligan, I had destroyed important communications that may have had a bearing on his now discontinued action against Ms Milligan and the ABC. "This is absurd. As I stated in court under oath, a number of people, of whom Ms Milligan was but one, encouraged me to treat all communications about our dear friend Kate, and the allegations she made against Mr Porter, with the care and respect she and they warranted. "I endeavoured to do so by both filing and deleting correspondence between me and other individuals as appropriate. "There was nothing improper, illegal or sinister in my decisions to save or delete certain messages, decisions that were taken well before Mr Porter launched his now discontinued action against Ms Milligan and the ABC.” Dyer said the allegations Kate made against Porter “remain completely untested. Until they have been investigated, it is untenable for Mr Porter to remain in cabinet.” Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said an independent inquiry was needed into whether Porter was fit to continue as a cabinet minister. Dreyfus also said the ABC material should be publicly available.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161911/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-grattan-20316">Michelle Grattan</a>, Professorial Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/now-kates-friend-threatens-to-sue-christian-porter-161911">original article</a>.

Relationships

Urgent recall on life-threatening toy

Parents have been urged to “completely destroy” a silicone teething toy sold on eBay over fears it could cause severe injury or death. The Xinda Pty Ltd sold a “necklace cross chewy teether toy pencil chew kids topper sensory biting silicone” on eBay which has been recalled by Product Safety Australia because it fails to meet basic safety requirements. “The product does not meet the requirements of the mandatory standard … (for) toys for children up to and including 36 months of age,” PSA said <a href="https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recall/xinda-pty-ltd-necklace-cross-chewy-teether-toy-pencil-chew-kids-topper-sensory-biting-silicone">in a statement</a>. “The product may pose a choking or suffocation hazard for young children, which can lead to severe injury or death.” Consumers have been told to dispose of the toy and seek a full refund from Xinda Pty Ltd. “To obtain a refund, consumers will be requested to provide Xinda Pty Ltd with a photograph or video to show that the product has been completely destroyed,” PSA said.

Legal

Woman shocked by threatening note left in backyard

A Sydney woman has revealed the sinister note left next to a bone she found in her backyard. Cheri Blair, 66, found the bone on Monday when she let her puppy out into her backyard in Sydney’s northern suburb Lane Cove. Feeling suspicious about discovering the bone, she then found a nearby envelope containing a note. Opening the unsealed letter, she was “shocked” to read the threat to her puppy. The note read, “Your dog is to be poisoned, too much barking, sorry but no choice, your fault”. Ms Blair told 7news.com.au about the “sickening” discovery. “If they had a problem with us, they should have said,” she told the publication. Claiming the bone was specifically a dog treat available in pet shops, Ms Blair speculated the neighbour would have had to specially buy it. Ms Blair said she rushed her pet to the vet. After inducing vomiting, Jolene was unharmed. After sharing the threatening note, Ms Blair said she had received messages from neighbours saying they had not heard her dog barking. However, she does recall one incident on Saturday where Jolene had been barking for about 20 minutes. She said she remembered hearing a female voice yelling “shut up” and wondered if they may be behind the incident. After sharing her experience on Facebook, comments poured in with messages of support and outrage, with many calling it “horrifying”. “What a [cowardly] thing to do … hide behind a note! This makes my blood boil,” one wrote. “How disgusting is this?” another commented. “Absolutely terrible to hear that someone would stoop so low as to put poison in the backyard for the pup to ingest,” a third said. Image credit: 7News

Legal

Marine protected area is long overdue: Humans threaten the Antarctic Peninsula’s fragile ecosystem

Antarctica, the world’s <a href="https://media.nature.com/original/magazine-assets/d41586-018-07183-6/d41586-018-07183-6.pdf">last true wilderness</a>, has been protected by an <a href="https://www.ats.aq/e/antarctictreaty.html">international treaty</a> for the last 60 years. But the same isn’t true for most of the ocean surrounding it. <a href="https://www.asoc.org/advocacy/marine-protected-areas">Just 5%</a> of the Southern Ocean is protected, leaving biodiversity hotspots exposed to threats from human activity. The Western Antarctic Peninsula, the northernmost part of the continent and one of its <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0011683">most biodiverse regions</a>, is particularly vulnerable. It faces the cumulative threats of commercial krill fishing, tourism, research infrastructure expansion and climate change. In an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02939-5">article</a> published in Nature today, we join more than <a href="https://homewardboundprojects.com.au/about/">280 women in STEMM</a> (science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine) from the global leadership initiative Homeward Bound to call for the immediate protection of the peninsula’s marine environment, through the designation of a <a href="https://www.antarcticanow.org/">marine protected area</a>. Our call comes ahead of a meeting, due in the next fortnight, of the <a href="https://www.ccamlr.org/en">international group</a> responsible for establishing marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean. We urge the group to protect the region, because delays could be disastrous. Threats on the peninsula The Southern Ocean <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-the-antarctic-circumpolar-current-helps-keep-antarctica-frozen-106164">plays a vital role</a> in global food availability and security, regulates the planet’s climate and drives global ocean currents. Ice covering the continent stores 70% of the earth’s freshwater. Climate change threatens to unravel the Southern Ocean ecosystem as species superbly adapted to the cold struggle to adapt to warmer temperatures. The impacts of climate change are especially insidious on the Western Antarctic Peninsula, one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. In February, temperatures reached a record high: <a href="https://theconversation.com/anatomy-of-a-heatwave-how-antarctica-recorded-a-20-75-c-day-last-month-134550">a balmy 20.75℃</a>. The peninsula is also the <a href="https://theconversation.com/humans-are-encroaching-on-antarcticas-last-wild-places-threatening-its-fragile-biodiversity-142648">most-visited part of Antarctica</a>, thanks to its easy access, dramatic beauty, awe-inspiring wildlife and rich marine ecosystems. Tourist numbers have doubled in the past decade, increasing the risk of introducing invasive species that hitch a ride on the toursts’ gear. More than <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/470576496/Polar-Perspectives-No-1-Is-it-time-for-a-paradigm-shift-in-how-Antarctic-tourism-is-controlled#download&from_embed">74,000 cruise ship passengers</a> visited last year, up from 33,000 in the 2009-10 season. <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-wants-to-build-a-huge-concrete-runway-in-antarctica-heres-why-thats-a-bad-idea-139596">The expansion of infrastructure</a> to accommodate scientists and research, such as buildings, roads, fuel storage and runways, can also pose a threat, as it displaces local Antarctic biodiversity. Eighteen nations have science facilities on the Antarctic Peninsula, the highest concentration of research stations anywhere on the continent. There are 19 permanent and 30 seasonal research bases there. Another big threat to biodiversity in the peninsula is the commercial fishing of Antarctic krill, a small, shrimp-like crustacean which is the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2017.2015">cornerstone of life</a> in this region. A cornerstone of life Krill is a foundation of the food chain in Antarctica, with whales, fish, squid, seals and Adélie and gentoo penguins all feeding on it. But as sea ice cover diminishes, more industrial fishing vessels can encroach on penguin, seal and whale foraging grounds, effectively acting as a competing super-predator for krill. In the past 30 years, colonies of Adélie and Chinstrap penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula have <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41242231?seq=1">declined by more than 50%</a> due to reduced sea ice and krill harvesting. Commercial Antarctic krill fishing is largely for omega-3 dietary supplements and fish-meal. The fishery in the waters of the Western Antarctic Peninsula is the largest in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-2979.2011.00406.x">Southern Ocean</a>. The krill catch here has <a href="https://www.ccamlr.org/en/fisheries/krill">more than tripled</a> from 88,800 tonnes in 2000 to almost 400,000 tonnes in 2019 — the third-largest krill catch in history and a volume not seen since the 1980s. How do we save it? To save the Antarctic Peninsula, one of critical steps is to protect its waters and its source of life: those tiny, but crucially important, Antarctic krill. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838471/antarctica-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b40e7f32cd174fa39cb137d91ce94e0f" /> Image caption: A map of the current and proposed marine protected areas under consideration. Cassandra Brooks, Author provided This can be done by establishing a marine protected area (MPA) in the region, which would limit or prohibit human activities such as commercial fishing. An MPA around the peninsula was first proposed <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336888437_Protecting_Antarctica_through_Co-production_of_actionable_science_Lessons_from_the_CCAMLR_marine_protected_area_process">in 2018</a>, <a href="https://www.ccamlr.org/en/science/mpa-planning-domains">covering</a> 670,000 square kilometres. But the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (the organisation responsible for establishing MPAs in the Southern Ocean) has yet to reach agreement on it. The proposed MPA is an excellent example of balancing environmental protection with <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-take-marine-areas-help-fishers-and-fish-far-more-than-we-thought-119659">commercial interests</a>. The area would be split into two zones. The first is a general protection zone covering 60% of the MPA, designed to protect different habitats and key wildlife and mitigate specific ecosystem threats from fishing. The second is a krill fishery zone, allowing for a precautionary management approach to commercial fishing and keeping some fishing areas open for access. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838472/antarctica-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/be0da721223d49479b289f835fa16b2b" /> Image caption: A map of the current and proposed marine protected areas under consideration. Cassandra Brooks, Author provided The proposed MPA would stand for 70 years, with a review every decade so zones can be adjusted to preserve ecosystems. No more disastrous delays The commission is made up of 25 countries and the European Union. In its upcoming meeting, the proposed MPA will once again be considered. Two other important MPA proposals are also on the table in the East Antarctic and Weddell Sea. In fact, for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/02/antarctic-marine-park-conservationists-frustrated-after-protection-bid-fails-for-eight-time">eight consecutive years</a>, the proposal for a marine park in Eastern Antarctica has failed. Delays like this are potentially disastrous for the fragile ecosystem. Protecting the peninsula is the most pressing priority due to rising threats, but the commission should adopt all three to fulfil their <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269874896_Competing_values_on_the_Antarctic_high_seas_CCAMLR_and_the_challenge_of_marine-protected_areas">2002 commitment</a> to establishing an MPA network in Antarctica. If all three were established, then more than 3.2 million square kilometres of the Southern Ocean would be protected, giving biodiversity a fighting chance against the compounding threats of human activity in the region. Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marissa-parrott-561432">Marissa Parrott</a>, University of Melbourne; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carolyn-hogg-1166504">Carolyn Hogg</a>, University of Sydney; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cassandra-brooks-419939">Cassandra Brooks</a>, University of Colorado Boulder; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justine-shaw-299755">Justine Shaw</a>, The University of Queensland, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melissa-cristina-marquez-1166518">Melissa Cristina Márquez</a>, Curtin University. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/humans-threaten-the-antarctic-peninsulas-fragile-ecosystem-a-marine-protected-area-is-long-overdue-147671">The Conversation.</a>

Cruising

Chinese residents threatened with jail for sharing news about coronavirus on social media

Chinese people are being threatened with seven years in prison if they share news about what is happening in their country about the killer epidemic of the coronavirus on social media. The punishment has been introduced as a measure to stop information and images being leaked that show the true extent of the virus as well as the desperate attempts to keep it under control. The ruling Chinese Communist Party wants to control just what the world knows about their attempts to control the coronavirus. The country’s state-controlled People Daily newspaper ran an article warning people against spreading “rumours” on social media. The article said that those who “disrupt social order” by posting information that doesn’t come from official sources risked up to seven years behind bars. China’s massive censorship system is used to block any information that the government deems to be a “rumour” or not from an official government source. However, footage has been leaking out with hospital workers posting traumatic clips where they are struggling to cope with the outbreak. Other footage has been filmed by concerned citizens that shows people violently being forced to wear masks as well as being barricaded inside their own homes to stop the spread of the bug. The whistleblowers from Wuhan have since been detained. Another man who showed the true scale of the coronavirus as body bags piled up inside a Wuhan hospital has also been tracked down and arrested for posting the video on social media. Human Rights Watch said that police across China have detained dozens of people for posting what is really happening in the country and their response to the coronavirus on social media. “Authorities should recognise that censorship only fuels public distrust, and instead encourage civil society engagement and media reporting on this public health crisis,” Human Rights Watch China researcher Yaqiu Wang said to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/censorship/china-cops-threaten-to-jail-people-for-seven-years-for-sharing-news-on-social-media-about-coronavirus-spread/news-story/de61e5b20f32ddf2b2f7fa6f878db51b">news.com.au</a>. “The coronavirus outbreak requires a swift and comprehensive response that respects human rights.”

Technology

Six million hectares of threatened species habitat up in smoke

More than <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/01/08/australian-bushfires-more-than-one-billion-animals-impacted.html">one billion mammals, birds, and reptiles</a> across eastern Australia are estimated to have been affected by the current fire catastrophe. Many animals and plants have been incinerated or suffocated by smoke and ash. Others may have escaped the blaze only to die of exhaustion or starvation, or be picked off by predators. But even these huge losses of individual animals and plants do not reveal the full scale of impact that the recent fires have had on biodiversity. Plants, <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-bushfires-could-drive-more-than-700-animal-species-to-extinction-check-the-numbers-for-yourself-129773">invertebrates</a>, freshwater fish, and frogs have also been affected, and the impact of the fires is likely to be disproportionately greater for <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-season-in-hell-bushfires-push-at-least-20-threatened-species-closer-to-extinction-129533">threatened species</a>. To delve deeper into the conservation impact, we used publicly available satellite imagery to look at the burnt areas (up to January 7, 2020) and see how they overlapped with the approximate distributions of all the threatened animals and plants listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. We restricted our analysis to the mediterranean and temperate zone of south-east and south-west Australia. The bad news We found that 99% of the area burned in the current fires contains potential habitat for at least one nationally listed threatened species. We conservatively estimate that six million hectares of threatened species habitat has been burned. Given that many fires are still burning and it is not yet clear how severe the burning has been in many areas, the number of species affected and the extent of the impact may yet change. What we do know is that these species are already on the brink of extinction due to other threats, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/environment-laws-have-failed-to-tackle-the-extinction-emergency-heres-the-proof-122936">land clearing</a>, invasive species, climate change, disease, or previous fires. Approximately 70 nationally threatened species have had at least 50% of their range burnt, while nearly 160 threatened species have had more than 20% of their range burnt. More threatened plants have been affected than other groups: 209 threatened plant species have had more than 5% of their range burnt compared to 16 mammals, ten frogs, six birds, four reptiles, and four freshwater fish. Twenty-nine of the 30 species that have had more than 80% of their range burnt are plants. Several species have had their entire range consumed by the fires, such as the Mountain Trachymene, a <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/9367-conservation-advice.pdf">fire-sensitive</a> plant found in only four locations in the South Eastern Highlands of NSW. Other species that have been severely impacted include the Kangaroo Island dunnart and the Kangaroo Island glossy black cockatoo. These species’ entire populations numbered only in the hundreds prior to these bushfires that have burned more than 50% of their habitat. Glossy black cockatoos have a highly specialised diet. They eat the seeds of the drooping sheoak <a href="https://ecos.csiro.au/glossy-black-cockatoos/">(Allocasuarina verticillata).</a> These trees may take anywhere from 10 to 50 years to recover enough to produce sufficient food for the black cockatoos. The populations of many species will need careful management and protection to give their habitats enough time to recover and re-supply critical resources. The figures above do not account for cumulative impacts of previous fires. For example, the critically endangered western ground parrot had around 6,000 hectares of potential habitat burnt in these fires, which exacerbates the impact of earlier extensive fires in 2015 and early 2019. Threatened species vary in their ability to cope with fire. For fire-sensitive species, almost every individual dies or is displaced. The long-term consequences are likely to be dire, particularly if vegetation composition is irrevocably changed by severe fire or the area is subject to repeat fires. More than 50% of the habitat of several species known to be susceptible to fire has been burnt – these include the long-footed potoroo and Littlejohn’s tree frog. Some species are likely to thrive after fire. Indeed, of the top 30 most impacted species on our list, almost 20% will likely flourish due to low competition in their burnt environments – these are all re-sprouting plants. Others will do well if they are not burnt again before they can set seed. Rising from the ashes For fire-sensitive threatened species, these fires could have substantially increased the probability of extinction by virtue of direct mortality in the fires or reducing the amount of suitable habitat. However, after the embers settle, with enough investment and conservation actions, guided by evidence-based science, it may be possible to help threatened species recover. Protection and conservation-focussed management of areas that have not burned will be the single most important action if threatened species are to have any chance of persistence and eventual recovery. Management of threatening processes (such as weeds, feral predators, <a href="https://theconversation.com/double-trouble-as-feral-horse-numbers-gallop-past-25-000-in-the-australian-alps-128852">introduced herbivores</a>, and habitat loss through logging or thinning) must occur not just at key sites, but across the landscapes they sit in. Maintaining only small pockets of habitat in a landscape of destruction will lock many species on the pathway to extinction. In some cases, rigorous post-fire restoration will be necessary to allow species to re-colonise burnt areas. This may include intensive weed control and assisted regeneration of threatened flora and specific food sources for fauna, installing nest boxes and artificial cover, or even targeted <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/massive-food-drop-to-help-save-endangered-wallabies-in-fire-affected-areas-20200112-p53qss.html">supplementary feeding</a>. Unconventional recovery actions will be needed because this unique situation calls for outside-the-box thinking. Playing the long game These fires were made larger and more severe by <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/drought/">record hot, dry conditions</a>. Global temperatures have so far risen by approximately 1°C from pre-industrial levels. <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2865/a-degree-of-concern-why-global-temperatures-matter/">Current projections indicate that we are on track for a 3°C increase.</a> What will that look like? We are in a moment of collective grief for what has been lost. A species lost is not just a word on a page, but an entire world of unique traits, behaviours, connections to other living things, and beauty. These losses do not need to be in vain. We have an opportunity to transform our collective grief into collective action. Australians are now personally experiencing climate impacts in an unprecedented way. We must use this moment to galvanise our leaders to act on climate change, here in Australia and on the world stage. The futures of our beloved plants and animals, and our own, depend on it. Written by Michelle Ward, Aaron Greenville, April Reside, Ayesha Tulloch, Brooke Williams, Emily Massingham, Helen Mayfield, Hugh Possingham, James Watson, Jim Radford and Laura Sonter. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/six-million-hectares-of-threatened-species-habitat-up-in-smoke-129438">The Conversation.</a>

Caring

Husband shocked as cabin crew threaten to kick wife off flight

British journalist Mehdi Hasan was furious as he watched his wife leave the flight in tears after she was told she would be “escorted off the plane” allegedly because she wanted to sit with her family. The horrific incident took place on a Southwest Airlines flight between Houston, Texas and Washington DC and was shared online by her husband. Hasan explained that him and his family were flying home when the incident occurred. The airline in question operates on an open-seating policy, which means that here are no allocated seats. Passengers can sit in any available seat on a first-come-first-served basis. Hasan explained that his wife had asked another passenger “politely” if they could switch seats so that the family could sit together, which the other passenger agreed to. The Twitter thread, which has now gone viral, explains the situation as it happened. “Hey @SouthwestAir: not a good look for your flight attendant on SW5539 to DC last night to loudly tell a brown woman in a headscarf she’ll be “escorted off the plane” for making people feel “uncomfortable” – because she wanted to sit with her husband & kids!” he wrote. “The flight attendant called ground staff onto the plane, complained about the Muslim woman – my wife! – to them, & escalated rather than de-escalated the situation – simply because my wife politely asked a guy if he’d give up his seat for our family (which he was fine with!).” Hasan added that another flight attendant who was called to the incident agreed with the family. “Even her own @SouthwestAir colleague from the ground staff who came onboard to check things wondered why the flight attendant wouldn’t shut up & let things go so we could take off,” he said. He then sarcastically thanks the airline for “ruining the end of our Thanksgiving trip”. “Thanks @SouthwestAir for ruining the end of our Thanksgiving trip and leaving my wife in tears – because she wanted us all to sit together as a family while your flight attendant wanted to single her out and humiliate her. Thanks a lot. “FYI: @SouthwestAir flight staff seem to have form when it comes to mistreating brown/Muslim passengers. Hadn’t flown with them for years and, at this point, don’t plan to do so again anytime in the near future. Not worth it.” Hasan’s thread struck a chord and received many messages of support. “I’m so sorry this happened to your wife. How upsetting for her & distressing for your children to see,” one person wrote. “I hope the airline takes action against their staff member. @SouthwestAir Isn’t it quite normal for a family to want to sit together? This is totally unacceptable behaviour.” An airline spokesperson said that they had started to “gather information internally” about the incident. “Once we learned about the customer’s social media message, we began to research the flight and gather information internally. “We also reached out to the customer directly to discuss his family’s experience prior to departure. “From our initial discussions, we understand that some passengers on Flight 5539 were involved in a disagreement over seat selection near the end of boarding. (Southwest does not assign seats; customers select their seats as they board the aircraft.) “The flight crew requested a customer service supervisor come on-board to help address the situation, and the conversation was resolved before the plane left the gate. “The family was able to sit together, and the flight arrived safely in Washington, D.C. on Sunday night. We remain in communication with the customer who sent the tweet and are working to address his concerns directly.” Hasan has rejected this statement entirely, saying that the airline have made up a “totally false narrative”. “Update & a new thread from me: @SouthwestAir have apologized privately but refuse to apologize publicly; offered travel vouchers to fly with them (!) that don't cover the costs of our flights; & have made up a totally false narrative,” he wrote. “.@SouthwestAir told The Sun "we understand that some Passengers...were involved in a disagreement over seat selection." This is false. There was no disagreement, only a flight attendant who was trying to incite passengers against my hijab-wearing wife.”

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