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"Unidentified life form" found off New Zealand coast

<p>Ah, the deep sea, where the mysteries of the ocean lurk in the shadows, waiting to be discovered by intrepid marine scientists armed with nets, trawls and a healthy dose of confusion...</p> <p>Recently, a team of brave souls embarked on a journey off the coast of New Zealand, armed with curiosity and a fervent desire to find Nemo's distant relatives. What they found, however, was not just Nemo's cousins – but a veritable treasure trove of potential new species. Or at least, they think so.</p> <p>In a saga that could rival any aquatic adventure film, the scientists stumbled upon approximately 100 potential new species, including one particularly enigmatic life form that has left them scratching their heads in bewilderment.</p> <p>Initially mistaking it for a sea star – or perhaps a particularly flamboyant sea cucumber – they now suspect it might be a deep-sea coral. Or a cosmic jellyfish. Or a lost prop from a sci-fi movie. The possibilities are as endless as the ocean itself.</p> <p>Dr Michela Mitchell, a taxonomist with a penchant for the dramatic, declared it could be "a whole new group outside of the octocoral." Because why settle for identifying just one species when you can potentially create an entire taxonomic order?</p> <p>Dr Daniel Moore, another member of the expedition and self-proclaimed captain of the confusion ship, confessed, "We can't even describe it to family." One can only imagine the perplexed expressions at family gatherings as they attempt to explain their latest discovery: "Well, it's sort of like a sponge, but not really. And it might have tentacles. Or wings. We're not entirely sure."</p> <p>Their research vessel, the <em>Tangaroa</em>, became a floating laboratory of befuddlement as they collected nearly 1,800 samples from the abyssal depths. Armed with modified sleds and a healthy dose of optimism, they trawled the ocean floor, hoping to snag the elusive creatures that lurked below.</p> <p>"It was true exploration, very exciting," Dr Moore boasted, his enthusiasm undiminished by the fact that they still couldn't <em>definitively</em> identify half of what they'd found.</p> <p>Among their discoveries was a new species of fish, dubbed the "eelpout", which was "instantly recognised as being different to the others." Because, apparently, it had a flair for the dramatic and refused to conform to traditional fish norms.</p> <p>In a surprising revelation, Dr Moore admitted, "Finding new vertebrates is rare." One can only assume that the eelpout, upon hearing this declaration, puffed out its chest (or whatever passes for a chest in fish anatomy) and proclaimed itself the king of the ocean.</p> <p>As the expedition came to a close, the scientists reflected on the vastness of the ocean and the infinitesimal fraction of its inhabitants they had encountered. With only 240,000 species identified out of an estimated 2.2 million, they realised they had barely scratched the surface. Or, in this case, the sea floor.</p> <p>And so, armed with their nets, their sleds, and their unshakeable sense of optimism, the intrepid scientists set sail once more, ready to delve deeper into the mysteries of the ocean and perhaps stumble upon another baffling creature that defies explanation. After all, what's science without a little bit of confusion?</p> <p><em>Image: Ocean-Census | NIWA</em></p>

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Prominent Aussie doctor fighting for life after violent home invasion

<p>Dr. Michael Yung, a distinguished 61-year-old Adelaide doctor and former head of the intensive care unit at Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital, is fighting for his life following a brutal home invasion early on Monday morning.</p> <p>The assault, deemed "life-threatening" by South Australia Police, unfolded within the confines of Dr Yung's opulent $2 million residence on James Street, Gilberton, at approximately 4:20am. Transpiring in one of the city's most affluent suburbs, the incident has been elevated to the status of a "major crime", prompting an expansive manhunt.</p> <p>Upon the arrival of emergency services, Dr Yung, suffering from severe injuries, was promptly transported to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he currently remains in critical condition.</p> <p>A comprehensive investigative effort is underway, involving Major Crime Detectives, Eastern District Detectives and patrol officers. Specialised forensic officers have diligently combed through the crime scene, with their efforts extending well into the night.</p> <p>Despite the intensive search, no suspects have been apprehended. Authorities suspect the involvement of multiple offenders, though the investigation is still in its early stages. Officers are actively pursuing leads and appealing to the public for assistance, requesting dashcam footage recorded between 3:30am and 5am on Monday in the vicinity of James Street and Nottage Terrace at Gilberton.</p> <p>CCTV footage has been secured, revealing a group of youths attempting a break-in at a nearby residence in Medindie hours before the assault on Dr Yung. Residents in the area have recently experienced a series of break-ins, although it remains uncertain if this incident is linked to other offences.</p> <p>Dr Yung's 30-year-old son emerged unscathed from the ordeal and is being treated as a witness, not a suspect, by detectives. Additional family members, including his second son, are reportedly en route from interstate to stand vigil by Dr Yung's bedside.</p> <p>This tragedy compounds the family's grief, as it follows the sudden death of Dr Yung's wife, Kathryn Browne-Yung, in March 2020. The wider medical community, as well as the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and SA Health family, are extremely distressed by the attack.</p> <p>SA Health Minister Chris Picton expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, "Dr Michael Yung has been there for so many South Australian children and families at their darkest times – now it is time for all of us to be there for him and his family."</p> <p><em>Images: SA Police / Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital</em></p>

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Marine species are being pushed towards the poles. From dugong to octopuses, here are 8 marine species you might spot in new places

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gretta-pecl-128477">Gretta Pecl</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/curtis-champion-1373045">Curtis Champion</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zoe-doubleday-393169">Zoe Doubleday</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p>If you take a plunge in the sea this winter, you might notice it’s warmer than you expect. And if you’re fishing off Sydney and catch a tropical coral trout, you might wonder what’s going on.</p> <p>The reason is simple: hotter water. The ocean has absorbed the vast majority of the extra heat trapped by carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases. It’s no wonder heat in the oceans is building up rapidly – and this year is <a href="https://theconversation.com/ocean-heat-is-off-the-charts-heres-what-that-means-for-humans-and-ecosystems-around-the-world-207902">off the charts</a>.</p> <p>That’s even without the likely arrival of El Niño, where the Pacific Ocean gets warmer than usual and affects weather all over the world. Our coastal waters <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/oceantemp/sst-outlook-map.shtml">are forecast</a> to be especially warm over the coming months, up to 2.5℃ warmer than usual in many places.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=482&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=482&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=482&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=605&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=605&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=605&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Oceans around Australia are forecast to be much warmer than usual. SSTA stands for projected Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly, the difference between forecast ocean temperatures and a historical baseline period encompassing 1990–2012.</span> <span class="attribution">Bureau of Meteorology</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Many marine species live within a narrow temperature range. If the water heats up, they have to move, and if they don’t, they might die. So those that can move, are moving. In Australia, at least 200 marine species have <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.15634">shifted distributions</a> since 2003, with 87% heading south.</p> <p>This pattern is happening all around the world, both on land and <a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-photos-captured-by-everyday-australians-reveal-the-secrets-of-our-marine-life-as-oceans-warm-189231">in the ocean</a>. This year, the warmer ocean temperatures during winter mean Australia’s seascapes are likely to be more like summer. So, the next time you go fishing or diving or beachcombing, keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready. You may glimpse the enormous disruption happening underwater for yourself.</p> <h2>Here are eight species on the move</h2> <p><strong>1. Moorish idol (<em>Zanclus cornutus</em>)</strong></p> <p>Historic range: northern Australia</p> <p>Now: This <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/1/204/">striking fish</a> can now be seen south of Geraldton in Western Australia and Eden in New South Wales.</p> <p>This is a great fish for divers to spot on hard-bottomed habitats.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="moorish idol" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Moorish Idols are heading south to escape the heat.</span> <span class="attribution">Shutterstock</span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>2. Branching coral (<em>Pocillopora aliciae</em>)</strong></p> <p>Historic range: northern NSW</p> <p>Now: Look out for this <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/255">pale pink beauty</a> south of Port Stephens, not far from Sydney.</p> <p>Seemingly immovable species like coral are fleeing the heat too. They’re already providing habitat for a range of other shifting species like tropical fish and crab species.</p> <p><strong>3. Eastern rock lobster (<em>Sagmariasus verreauxi</em>)</strong></p> <p>Historic range: common in NSW</p> <p>Now: South, as far as <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/167">it can get.</a> It’s now found in Tasmania and even in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/westward-range-expansion-of-the-eastern-rock-lobster-sagmariasus-verreauxi-in-australia/8DE945E58E1DDA1A2BB7431065AAC8EC">South Australia</a>.</p> <p>This tasty greenish crustacean <a href="https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v624/p1-11/">doesn’t like heat</a> and has moved south into the territory of red southern rock lobsters (<em>Jasus edwardsii</em>).</p> <p><strong>4. Gloomy octopus (<em>Octopus tetricus</em>)</strong></p> <p>Previous range: common in NSW</p> <p>Now: As far south as Tasmania.</p> <p>Look out for this slippery, smart invertebrate in <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/127">Tasmanian waters</a> this winter. You might even spot the octopus nestled down with some eggs, as this looks to be a <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/mf14126">permanent sea change</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=462&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=462&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=462&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=581&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=581&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=581&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="gloomy octopus" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The gloomy octopus is also known as the common Sydney octopus.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Niki Hubbard, Wikimedia</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>5. Whitetip reef shark (<em>Triaenodon obesus</em>)</strong></p> <p>Previous range: northern Australia</p> <p>Now: <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/3/185">South of K'gari</a> (formerly known as Fraser Island).</p> <p>Classed as vulnerable in parts of the world, this tropical shark is a slow swimmer and never sleeps. It poses very little danger to humans.</p> <p><strong>6. Dugongs (<em>Dugong dugon</em>)</strong> Previous range: northern Australia</p> <p>Now: As far south as Shark Bay in WA and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-17/tweed-river-dugong-sighting-boaties-warned/102355438">Tweed River</a> in New South Wales.</p> <p>Our waters are home to the largest number of dugong in the world. But as waters warm, they’re heading south. That means more of us may see these elusive sea-cows as they graze on seagrass meadows.</p> <p>Some of the most adventurous have gone way out of their normal range – in 2014, a kitesurfer <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/articles/2021/07/26/are-dugongs-hitching-a-ride-south/">reported</a> passing a dugong at City Beach, Perth. As a WA wildlife expert says, dugongs may occasionally stray further south of Shark Bay but “given the recent warming trend […] more dugong sightings might be expected in the future”</p> <p><strong>7. Red emperor (<em>Lutjanus sebae</em>) and other warm water game fish</strong></p> <p>Previous range: northern Australia</p> <p>Now: Appearing much further south – especially in WA.</p> <p>Look for <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/1/108/">red</a>, threadfin, and redthroat emperors in southwest WA as the Leeuwin current carries these <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/articles/2021/07/26/game-fish-follow-warm-route-south/">warm water species</a> south. As WA fisheries expert Gary Jackson has said, this current is a warming hotspot, acting like a warm water highway for certain marine species.</p> <p>These fish are highly <a href="https://goodfish.org.au/species/red-emperor/">sought after</a> by fishers.</p> <p><strong>8. Long-spined sea urchin (<em>Centrostephanus rodgersii</em>)</strong></p> <p>Historic range: NSW and Victoria</p> <p>Now: Tasmania</p> <p>Look out for these <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/34/">spiky critters</a> in southern and western Tasmania. The larvae of these urchins have crossed the Bass Strait and found a new home, due to warming waters. Urchins are grazers and can scrape rocks clean, creating urchin barrens where nothing grows. That’s bad news for kelp forests and the species which depend on them. In response, Tasmanian authorities are working to create a <a href="https://fishing.tas.gov.au/community/long-spined-sea-urchin-management/long-spined-sea-urchin-strategy#:%7E:text=%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8BTackling%20the%20longspined%20sea%20urchin&amp;text=Unchecked%2C%20the%20urchin's%20presence%20is,at%20around%2020%20million%20individuals.">viable urchin fishery</a> to keep numbers down.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="long spined sea urchins" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Long-spiked sea urchins are voracious eaters of seaweed.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnwturnbull/32131133496/in/photostream/">John Turnbull/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>You can help keep watch</h2> <p>For years, fishers, snorkellers, spearfishers and the general public have contributed their unusual marine sightings to <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/">Redmap</a>, the Australian citizen science project aimed at mapping range extensions of species.</p> <p>If you spot a creature that wouldn’t normally live in the waters near you, you can upload a photo to log your sighting.</p> <p>For example, avid spearfisher Derrick Cruz logged a <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/sightings/1624/">startling discovery</a> with Redmap in 2015: A coral trout in Sydney’s waters. As he told us: “I’ve seen plenty of coral trout in tropical waters, where they’re at home within the coral. But it was surreal to see one swimming through a kelp forest in the local waters off Sydney, much further south than I’ve ever seen that species before!”</p> <p>How does tracking these movements help scientists? Many hands make light work. These vital observations from citizen scientists <a href="https://data-blog.gbif.org/post/gbif-citizen-science-data">have helped</a> researchers gain deeper understanding of what climate change is doing to the natural world in many places, from bird migrations to flowering plants to marine creatures.</p> <p>So, please keep an eye out this year. The heat is on in our oceans, and that can mean sudden change. <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;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207115/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gretta-pecl-128477">Gretta Pecl</a>, Professor, ARC Future Fellow &amp; Director of the Centre for Marine Socioecology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/curtis-champion-1373045">Curtis Champion</a>, Research Scientist, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zoe-doubleday-393169">Zoe Doubleday</a>, Marine Ecologist and ARC Future Fellow, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>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/marine-species-are-being-pushed-towards-the-poles-from-dugong-to-octopuses-here-are-8-marine-species-you-might-spot-in-new-places-207115">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Benedict Cumberbatch fearing for his life after terrifying home invasion

<p>Benedict Cumberbatch and his family have reportedly been left fearing for their lives as a knife-wielding man broke into the star’s North London home and threatened him.</p> <p>The <em>Daily Mail </em>reported that 35-year-old Jack Bissell, who previously worked as a chef at the Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair, kicked his way through the front gate of the Marvel star’s multimillion-dollar property, allegedly shouting, “I know you’ve moved here. I hope it burns down.”</p> <p>Cumberbatch, 46, his wife, Sophia Hunter, 45, and their three children were reportedly in the home at the time of the break-in and could hear the intruder screaming outside, according to <em>Page Six</em>.</p> <p>Bissell also allegedly took one of the family’s plants and threw it at the garden wall, and ripped the intercom off the building after spitting on it.</p> <p>The intruder reportedly fled the scene before police arrived but, authorities were able to track him down due to DNA evidence he left on the intercom.</p> <p>Bissell was reportedly arrested, fined and slapped with a three-year restraining order from the Cumberbatch family.</p> <p>A source told the outlet, “Naturally all of the family were absolutely terrified and thought this guy was going to get in and hurt them.</p> <p>“Luckily it never went that far. Benedict and Sophie have had many sleepless nights since, worrying that they may be targeted again,” the insider said.</p> <p>“The fact that it was a targeted intrusion makes it a lot more scary.”</p> <p>During the trial, prosecutors said Bissell allegedly told a nearby shopkeeper that he had planned to break into the actor’s home and burn it down.</p> <p>Bissell pleaded guilty and was sentenced on May 10. However, details surrounding the date of the incident have not been disclosed.</p> <p>According to the Daily Mail, facts of the case could not be reported until they “successfully challenged blanket reporting restrictions this week”.</p> <p>No clear connection between Bissell and Cumberbatch has been established.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Instagram</em></p>

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“Rarest species of feline on Earth”: Unique cat mystifies the internet

<p dir="ltr">A photo of the “rarest species of feline on Earth”, a cat with black and neon yellow stripes, has mystified the internet.</p> <p dir="ltr">The incredible photo of the “Amazon snake cat” is truly unbelievable.</p> <p dir="ltr">The image of the so-called “Serpens Cattus”, a feline with black and neon-yellow stripes resembling a snake, made waves online, with social media posts claiming it was the “rarest species of feline on Earth”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Serpens Cattus is the rarest species of feline on Earth. These Animals live in hard-to-reach regions of the Amazon rainforest, and therefore they are relatively poorly studied,” a Twitter user claimed. “The first images capturing the snake cat appeared only in 2020. Weighs up to 4 stone (25kgs).”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://t.co/rpeMQKCF4I">pic.twitter.com/rpeMQKCF4I</a></p> <p>— Jeff_kamara2 (@Kamara2R) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kamara2R/status/1635669633553367040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">A now-deleted Reddit post of the “Serpens Cattus” attracted several comments who flagged the feline as not being real. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Obvious fake. No known gene can produce natural hair or fur of those (navy and bright yellow) colours,” one commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Really rough attempt at a fake Latin name,” a second person chimed in. “One google about species naming would have made this a lot less obvious.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The post caught the eye of zoology experts to verify the authenticity of the photo.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the colours and patterns on the female bare a strong resemblance to the reptilian boiga dendrophila, which is commonly referred to as the “gold-ringed cat snake”.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo &amp; Conservation Biology Institute, the snake is found in the same countries where the “Amazon snake cat” was rumoured to be found. </p> <p dir="ltr">The serpent-like feline slid over to TikTok, where one user claimed that the species lived in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He’s in the next fantastic beasts,” laughed one user referencing the Harry Potter spin-off franchise.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Use this s**t for good not to misinform,” another user wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stop sharing bulls**t,” a third commented. </p> <p dir="ltr">It's clear to see the mysterious feline has certainly left some in hiss-belief.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-919797d4-7fff-89ab-2d2e-e88b391d041a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Photos released as men sought over violent pitch invasion

<p>Police have released photos of the men they want to speak to following a protest on the pitch of an A-League game in Melbourne. </p> <p>On Saturday night's game between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory, fans stormed the pitch in protest of The Australian Professional League's (APL) decision to host the A-League grand final in Sydney for the next three years. </p> <p>Around 150 football fans ran onto the field around 8pm after flares were thrown into the crowd.</p> <p>Three men were injured and Melbourne City's goalkeeper was taken to hospital with a head injury after being hit by a metal bucket of sand allegedly thrown at him.</p> <p>Police have now released a photo of a man they want to speak to in relation to the incident. </p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/a-league-men.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Police are looking for this man, who they allege threw the metal bucket at players. Image credits: Victoria Police</em></p> <p>A match official was hurt and a cameraman was also injured after being hit on the head with a flare, police said.</p> <p>As investigators launch their probe into how the protest started, they have released a photos of men they may help their investigation into ripping of flares, assaults, criminal damage and invading the field.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/a-league-men-2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Police want to talk to these men to gather more information about the incident. Image credits: Victoria Police</em></p> <p>North-West Metro Region Specialist Operations Acting Superintendent Jason Goddard called the events "disgraceful" and "disgusting," and said the fans "lacked total respect for the game of football."</p> <p>"I'm a lover of the game and I actually feel sad about what I saw play out on the pitch last night," he said.</p> <p>"Along with thousands of supporters, Victoria Police condemn the behaviour."</p> <p>He said he has "no doubt" police will be "knocking on a few doors soon."</p> <p>Witnesses of the incident, or anyone who recognises the men, have been urged to contact Crimestoppers. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Victoria Police</em></p>

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Kate Ritchie hits out at the Daily Mail for invasion of privacy

<p dir="ltr">Kate Ritchie has hit out at the Daily Mail for invading her privacy and publishing photos of her leaving a mental health facility.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former <em>Home and Away</em> star recently announced she will be taking a break from her radio show to focus on her mental health.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 43-year-old confirmed that she will be back in 2023 alongside co-hosts Joel Creasey and Tim Blackwell.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a lengthy post on Instagram, the mother-of-one confessed that she is seeking help after realising she was relying on alcohol too much.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, things became too much when the Daily Mail published photos of her leaving a mental health facility, invading her privacy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As announced previously, I am taking a break until next year,” her post began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The last year has been incredibly emotionally challenging, as well as a relentless schedule, stress, and a lack of sleep. I came to realise that this led to an unhealthy reliance on alcohol.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So I decided to use this time to do something positive by getting the help I need from professionals who specialise in this area.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As everyone would understand, this is a very big step for me to take. I want to sincerely thank everybody who is supporting me.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl4ytUJy_jB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl4ytUJy_jB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kate Ritchie (@kateritchieofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“It is a shocking invasion of my privacy that the Daily Mail, through their unrelenting stalking of me, has forced me to issue this public statement, in their blatant attempt to publicly shame me on a private health matter.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Her post was met with extreme support from fellow actors, comedians and hosts who wished Kate the best in getting better.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Much love,” comedian Tommy Little wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Love love love you sista! Do what you gotta do to put your health and happiness first. Cheering you on always and excited for all that lies ahead x,” fellow radio host Ash London commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s so much strength to be found in vulnerability. Luckily you are a very strong woman and I have no doubt this time of healing will reveal an even better version of you! We love you @kateritchieofficial,” Aussie swimmer Leisel Jones wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Cats declared an “invasive alien species” in Poland

<p dir="ltr">A scientific institute in Poland has categorised domestic cats as an “invasive alien species”, joining a menagerie of animals on their invasive species list.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Polish Academy of Sciences has deemed the house cat (Felis catus) as an “alien” species as it was domesticated in the Middle East, and “invasive” due to the “negative influence of domestic cats on native biodiversity”, according to a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cats join a long list of animals and plants deemed an “invasive alien species” by the institute, including Japanese knotweed, racoons, clearwing moths and mandarin ducks.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Academy states that cats pose “an unpredictable risk to local wildlife”, citing <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989418303196?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a study</a> that shows cats kill 41.1 million mammals and 8.9 million birds each year, eating an additional 583.4 million mammals and 135.7 birds.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the state-run institute, told <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-poland-wildlife-cats-birds-b942a55135832d085375de73c9cc2e23?user_email=d892765ed707c6b27af3429c2e8ec0607119ec5a15758542d760a9bac7b882a8&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=July27_MorningWire&amp;utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AP</a> that the criteria to be declared an alien invasive species “are 100 percent met by the cat”.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, cat owners and lovers have expressed outrage at the decision, arguing it could incite abuse or mistreatment of cats, with concerned commenters declaring it “simply stupid and harmful” on the Academy’s Facebook page.</p> <p dir="ltr">AP has also reported that some media reports have incorrectly given the impression that the Academy was calling for cats to be euthanized.</p> <p dir="ltr">Solarz told the outlet he hadn’t expected such a response, adding that no other entry on their database of invasive and alien species had resulted in such an emotional response.</p> <p dir="ltr">He suggested that the negative feedback may be due to a misunderstanding that the Academy was implying that people harm their cats.</p> <p dir="ltr">In actuality, the Academy has only recommended that cat owners limit the amount of time their pets spend outdoors during bird breeding season.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3485969e-7fff-54f6-de1d-11099865d6bb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

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Food blogger eats protected species

<p dir="ltr">A Chinese food blogger has landed herself in hot water after illegally cooking and eating a protected great white shark.</p> <p dir="ltr">The foodie, known as Tizi, shared a video of herself eating the protected species which authorities believe she bought illegally from a seafood shop in the southwestern city of Nanchong in Sichuan province.</p> <p dir="ltr">She then recorded herself laying down next to the 2 metre long great white shark to show its size in comparison to her. </p> <p dir="ltr">The shark was then cut into several pieces before it was barbecued and the head boiled in a broth. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It may look vicious, but its meat is truly super tender,” Tizi says in the video. </p> <p dir="ltr">Viewers were outraged at Tizi for eating the protected species, with some challenging her to prove that the animal was “bred in captivity”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tizi has since removed the video from her account and is being investigated by authorities for illegally cooking and eating the protected species.</p> <p dir="ltr">If found guilty, Tizi faces five years’ imprisonment or criminal detention and a fine for purchasing rare and endangered wildlife products.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Weibo</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Murdered schoolgirl’s mum charged with home invasion

<p dir="ltr">The mother of murdered school girl Charlise Mutten has been charged for allegedly breaking into a home in the Blue Mountains. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police will allege Kallista Mutten, 39, accompanied her fiancé Justin Stein with breaking into a home in the Blue Mountains and taking firearms. </p> <p dir="ltr">Stein, 31, is accused of murdering Kallista’s daughter Charlise and is in custody where he maintains his innocence. </p> <p dir="ltr">The nine-year-old schoolgirl was staying with Stein over the summer holidays and was reported missing on January 14. </p> <p dir="ltr">Four days later, her body was found stuffed inside a barrel near the Colo River with a gunshot wound.</p> <p dir="ltr">There is no suggestion that her mother had anything to do with the murder.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, as investigations ensued, police found two firearms and ammunition near where Charlise was brutally murdered. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police are yet to confirm whether or not the firearms were used in Charlise’s murder.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police will further allege that Stein broke into a home in the Blue Mountains and stole the firearms in August last year. </p> <p dir="ltr">In May, police charged Stein with acquiring the two weapons during a home invasion in Mount Wilson.</p> <p dir="ltr">On July 26, police charged Kallista with allegedly accompanying Stein, with the break and entering of the property. </p> <p dir="ltr">“A woman’s been charged over her alleged role in a home invasion that was uncovered as part of ongoing investigations into the alleged murder of a girl in the Blue Mountains earlier this year,” NSW police said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A 39-year-old woman attended Campbelltown Police Station on Tuesday where she was charged with aggravated break and enter in company.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: NSW Police/ABC</em></p>

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Australia’s greater glider now an endangered species

<p>This week’s assignment of ‘endangered’ status to the greater glider may surprise many Australians, but for experts it’s hardly unexpected.</p> <p>On Tuesday, Australia’s environment minister Tanya Plibersek accepted advice from the government’s threatened species scientific committee to ‘uplist’ the conservation status of the southern and central <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/greater-glider-glide-into-your-heart/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="post" data-id="193138">greater glider</a> (Petauroides volans), a large marsupial that calls forests along Australia’s east coast home.</p> <p>It’s the largest of eastern Australia’s gliding possums (at least another eight are found here), known for its furry body, teddy bear-esque ears, and a canopy-like membrane that allows it to slide through the air. Individuals typically reside in ‘dens’ provided by old eucalyptus tree hollows. Some eucalypts provide the leaves that serve as their primary source of food.</p> <p>But the destruction of vital habitat during the catastrophic <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/what-fuelled-australias-black-summer-fires/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/what-fuelled-australias-black-summer-fires/">Black Summer</a> bushfires in 2019-20 has pushed glider populations of the species to the brink.</p> <h2>Extended family: greater gliders are separate species and are all likely under threat</h2> <p>The greater glider was first listed as vulnerable in 2016, and was considered one species – P. volans. But since 2020, experts consider the glider to be at least three distinct species.</p> <p>P. volans inhabits forests from Proserpine in the Whitsunday region of Queensland down the continent’s east coast to the forested areas surrounding Melbourne, Victoria. P. minor occupies the wet-dry tropical region near Townsville and Cairns north-eastern Australia, and has been now added to the threatened species list as ‘vulnerable’.</p> <p>A third species – P. armillatus – is considered vulnerable by Queensland’s government, and likely faces the same pressures as the others.</p> <p>“The taxonomy of the gliders is not completely resolved as yet,” explains Professor David Lindenmayer of the Australian National University, Canberra. “There may be up to five species of greater gliders, and it’s unlikely that any of them will be secure in number.</p> <p>“We’re going to have to work hard to make sure that we can conserve all of those species because it’s all an important part of Australia’s natural heritage.”</p> <p>There is encouraging language from the Australian government, with environment minister Plibersek publicly backing efforts to help gliders recover from the Black Summer bushfires. But while those fires had a devastating effect on numerous plant and animal populations, other factors like climate change, habitat clearing and fragmentation and timber harvesting pose existential threats to glider survival.</p> <p>“All these various threats and factors interacting in different ways ultimately increase the risk of extinction,” says Luke Emerson, a researcher at Deakin University’s Centre for Integrative Ecology who specialises in the ecology of arboreal marsupials like the glider.</p> <p>“Rising temperatures, increasing fire severity, shorter fire intervals, logging on top of that, conversion and fragmentation of habitat… all these things are interacting to put greater pressure on arboreal marsupials.</p> <p>“These multiple threats are interacting in ways that we can predict, but there’s probably ways that we can’t predict that are going to negatively impact them as well.”</p> <h2>The bad list: more Australian icons added or re-graded in 2022</h2> <p>The greater glider isn’t alone in being uplisted on the nation’s threatened species register in 2022.</p> <p>Populations of the iconic koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) living in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory were notably transferred from vulnerable to endangered status <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/explainer-koalas-endangered-nsw-qld-act/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earlier this year.</a> The yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis australis) and long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus trisulcatus) were listed as vulnerable in March.</p> <p>And many species other than mammals have been added to the list in 2022.</p> <p>Watson’s (Litoria watsoni) and Littlejohn’s tree frog (L. littlejohni), the gang-gang cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) and the South Australian Bassian thrush (Zoothera lunulata halmaturina) have been either added or uplisted to endangered, while the pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus) was added as vulnerable.</p> <p>The work to protect animal species from spiraling further towards extinction is a difficult business at the best of times. Triumphs are rare.</p> <p>One of note is Zoos Victoria’s 33-year-old captive breeding program for eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii), which was retired in 2021 when the species – previously extinct in the wild – was downlisted to endangered. The species is now regenerating itself in specially fenced, predator free release sites across Victoria.</p> <p>For Zoos Victoria reproductive biologist Dr Marissa Parrot, the success of the bandicoot program was a career high point. But alongside these all-too-rare moments of success are declines in other species.</p> <p>“It’s such an amazing feeling to know that you’ve made a difference to a species… but it’s just one of thousands that do need help,” Parrott says. “When an animal is added to the endangered species list, they’re going to hopefully get more focus and more funding, and they need that long-term care.</p> <p>“But it also means that they’ve got to the point where they need to be added to an endangered list, and that’s quite devastating.”</p> <p>Parrott believes that improving public knowledge of both the existence of species and the threats that exist in the wild may improve outcomes for many animals.</p> <p>That knowledge-building can extend to people taking individual action – such as providing suitable food trees to support endangered animals that lose habitat, participation in citizen science programs or even turning outdoor lights off to support threatened moths.</p> <p>While the uplisting of species like the greater glider is a troubling event, Parrott say it can serve to draw people’s attention to the challenges confronting lesser-known animals.</p> <p>“Animals like the greater glider are beautiful, and they’re fluffy, and they can really grab people’s attention,” she says. “It’s great that they’re getting that attention, but we also have many species no one’s ever heard of, like the pookila (New Holland mouse), and the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/australia/missing-the-bogong-moth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/australia/missing-the-bogong-moth/">bogong moth</a>, which is also a tiny little animal, but an amazing species.</p> <p>“Just last week I’ve seen gang gang cockatoos and grey-headed flying foxes in my own suburb – showing that these endangered species that are in trouble are actually around us [is important].”</p> <h2>Common causes and solutions for endangerment</h2> <p>The challenges confronting greater gliders are shared by these other, less prominent animals.</p> <p>While addressing climate change requires largescale transformation across society, there are other actions that can be implemented to provide more immediate relief for native species.</p> <p>Government conservation advice provided for all animals added or uplisted so far in 2022 notes land and vegetation clearing as a survival threat. For gliders, it poses a catastrophic risk.</p> <p>That’s why moving the forestry industry to an entirely plantation-based sector is a critical solution Lindenmayer believes needs to be implemented, and soon.</p> <p>“It’s time to exit native forest logging,” he says. “The Western Australians have done this: on the 31st of December 2023, [WA] will no longer be logging native forests.</p> <p>“Victoria needs to do that at the same time, so does New South Wales. It’s really important that we tackle that issue, which renders huge areas of forest unsuitable for animals like greater gliders, either permanently or for periods of up to 200 years.”</p> <p>Lindenmayer also points to non-forestry land clearing and coal mine construction in the eastern states as adding pressure to threatened forest-dwellers. But he also wants to see the government to take biodiversity seriously.</p> <p>“The federal minister can actually get involved in this seriously and not unravel, but improve, environmental laws, to make sure that more biodiversity is not lost. That’s critical.”</p> <p>Australia <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1417301112" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accounts for 35%</a> of global modern mammal extinctions. Over the past 200 years, about 10% of our terrestrial endemic mammals have gone extinct.</p> <p>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/greater-glider-now-endangered/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Kevin Rudd sounds alarm over Chinese invasion

<p dir="ltr">Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has spoken out about the chance of Taiwan being invaded by China and detailed several ways Australia can avoid “sleepwalking into war”, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/former-pm-kevin-rudds-chilling-china-warning/news-story/feadbf7e68e90a4c3789a59802eb59af" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Appearing on ABC’s <em>7.30 </em>on Wednesday night, Mr Rudd said few in the West realised how much Chinese leader Xi Jinping wanted to gain control of Taiwan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s right up there next to Xi Jinping’s desire for the party to remain in power and for him to be the predominant leader within the Communist Party of China,” he said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-374d4e77-7fff-21ab-e2d0-138f8ec508ae"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Rudd said there were only two things preventing China from invading Taiwan: questions of militaristic dominance and the risk of being slapped with similar sanctions to Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.</p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMrKRudd%2Fvideos%2F804940963809595%2F&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="429" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">“There has been a little too much excited commentary in the West about how China will seize on this strategic opportunity to move on Taiwan. I don’t think that’s the case,” Mr Rudd said.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the former PM did note that the dynamic could shift if the balance of both military and economic power “continues to change in China’s favour”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He added that an invasion of Taiwan would likely be amphibious, unlike Russia’s land-based “blitzkrieg” invasion of Ukraine, and that war game modelling conducted by the US suggests that China would come out on top by just a thin margin.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In most of the war gaming which has been done so far - and these are desktop exercises by and large - if you look at what various US officials have said off the record and partly reported in the American media, the Chinese at this stage win most of the time,” Mr Rudd said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said recent events meant the situation was being watched very closely by all parties, and that a potential invasion would depend on what the Taiwanese and US does next.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Taiwanese, for the first time in a very long time, I think, are now readdressing their national defence idea needs and I think they will be looking very carefully at the fight which the Ukrainians have put up against Russia,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think it really does depend … on how much more the Taiwanese and the Americans do.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Rudd said Australia’s role should be to encourage the US and other allies towards deterring any invasion, and that working with allies in Japan, South Korea and India was crucial to avoid “sleepwalking into war”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5e2d1395-7fff-51cf-8223-dca3ce5c7818"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Kevin Rudd (Facebook)</em></p>

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Energy bills are spiking after the Russian invasion. We should have doubled-down on renewables years ago

<p>Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is happening half a planet away from Australia. </p> <p>But the ripple effects are plain to see at every petrol station and, potentially soon, your electricity bill. </p> <p>As a result of the invasion and Western sanctions on Russian exports, energy prices have skyrocketed. </p> <p>If that makes you think nations should have taken steps to secure alternatives to fossil fuels years ago, you’re not alone. As it is, the much higher energy prices are likely to accelerate the exit of coal – and gas – from our energy grids. </p> <p>This should be a wake-up call. It doesn’t matter that Australia is far from the battlefield. Everyone in the world will be affected in some way.</p> <h2>What’s the link between the invasion and Australian energy prices?</h2> <p>You might think Australia’s domestic supply of coal and gas means we’d be immune to price rises. Not so. </p> <p>Due to formal sanctions and informal shunning of Russian exports, oil, coal and gas are now extremely expensive on a global scale. Thermal coal prices have increased five-fold to an unprecedented ~$A500 per tonne. Oil is ~$140 a barrel and up 60% year on year. Natural gas in Europe is around 50% higher than last October, but since the invasion, prices have spiked as high as ~200% higher than 2021 levels. </p> <p>Coal buyers are locking in supply, concerned that Russian sanctions will continue. Russia is the <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/market-insights/latest-news/metals/030722-factbox-russian-metals-industrys-reliance-on-china-set-to-rise-as-sanctions-disrupt-supplies">third largest exporter of coal</a> and its existing customers are now under pressure to find alternative supplies. </p> <p>Russia’s aggression is not just resulting in a major humanitarian and political crisis. It is also causing pain at the bowser for Australian consumers due to the surge in oil pricing and may soon result in higher electricity bills. </p> <p>Australia’s east-coast electricity market is still heavily reliant upon coal. While many coal-fired power stations have existing supply contracts, the much higher global coal price may increase the cost of any extra coal purchases by existing power stations. </p> <p>Not only that, but our gas-fired power stations are facing potential increases in operating costs due to much higher global gas prices. </p> <p>Unfortunately, we may see the result in rising power bills. The price of future contracts for wholesale electricity next year in NSW are now twice what they were a year ago. Assuming this flows through to end-users, prices for residential customers could increase by as much as 10–15%. </p> <h2>So what should Australia do?</h2> <p>While it’s too late to dodge this bullet, we can prepare for future shocks by doubling down on firmed renewables. The faster we move, the less we’ll be hit by the price and reliability risks of coal. </p> <p>Already under pressure from cheaper renewable technologies, coal power station operators now find themselves potentially facing much higher costs in the short-term. There’s no relief for coal in the long term either, with the rapid rise of renewables and other zero-carbon technologies.</p> <p>Not only that, but most of our coal power stations are near the end of their lives, and industry doesn’t want to build new ones. That means coal will become more and more expensive, as the plants become <a href="https://www.aemo.com.au/-/media/files/electricity/nem/planning_and_forecasting/inputs-assumptions-methodologies/2020/aep-elical-assessment-of-ageing-coal-fired-generation-reliability.pdf">increasingly unreliable</a>. </p> <p>Wind and solar technologies are now much cheaper per unit of energy generated and can be integrated with energy storage to provide dispatchable “firmed” energy. The faster we transition to renewables firmed by storage, the better.</p> <p>If we do this, our new grid will also be more reliable. Continuing to rely upon coal is like relying upon a 1970s car to travel from Sydney to Melbourne on the hottest day of the year. </p> <p>State governments around the nation are already embracing this approach, with the New South Wales government moving ahead with plans for 12 gigawatts (GW) of new renewables and storage and the Victorian government announcing plans for 9GW of offshore windfarms. </p> <p>Governments must carefully design policies to avoid guaranteeing profits for private sector players while socialising any losses across taxpayers and energy consumers. In NSW, <a href="https://econpapers.repec.org/article/blaajarec/v_3a66_3ay_3a2022_3ai_3a1_3ap_3a136-163.htm">alternatives</a> are being considered.</p> <p>As European and many other nations scramble to reduce their dependency on Russian coal, oil and gas, Australia now has a once in a generation opportunity to become a leading exporter of new clean energy. </p> <p>We have truly enormous clean energy resources in the form of free sunlight and wind. To export it, we can either run underseas cables to neighbouring countries, or convert cheap renewable power into <a href="https://theconversation.com/green-hydrogen-is-coming-and-these-australian-regions-are-well-placed-to-build-our-new-export-industry-174466">green hydrogen</a> and ship this to the world just as we currently do with LNG.</p> <h2>What else can we expect to see?</h2> <p>Surging fossil fuel prices has supercharged the existing disruption to an already rapidly changing domestic energy industry. In the past month, Origin announced it would abandon coal more rapidly, with the closure of its NSW coal-fired power station, Eraring, in 2025. </p> <p>Meanwhile, AGL has been pursuing a “demerger” with a view to splitting off its coal assets and pursuing new energy technologies. This comes as Australian tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and Canadian asset fund Brookfield <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-06/brt-agl-brookfield-bid-rejected/100887042">offered to buy AGL</a> for $8.25 a share, though they were not successful. Their plan was to accelerate the closure of AGL’s coal assets, which would move AGL from the <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org.au/news/new-government-data-reveals-agl-as-australias-biggest-climate-polluter/">highest carbon emitter in Australia</a> to a clean energy company. The age of coal power is ending, and much faster than most of us realise.</p> <p>This crisis should spur us to build a future-proofed fleet of “firmed” and well-distributed renewables with a known cost structure. </p> <p>By doing this, we will protect ourselves from the pain of geopolitically driven fossil fuel prices. And we will have a platform ready if we want to provide clean energy to the world in the form of green hydrogen.</p> <p>We have had decades to make full use of our wealth of renewable energy resources. We haven’t embraced this as fully as we should have. </p> <p>It turns out localised clean energy production is not just necessary to tackle climate change. It will prove a vital resource as we navigate the highly turbulent decade we have found ourselves in.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/energy-bills-are-spiking-after-the-russian-invasion-we-should-have-doubled-down-on-renewables-years-ago-179336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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World first painless and non-invasive skin cancer treatment trialled in Australia

<p>Skin cancer patients in Australia are the first to be enrolled in a global trial of a new painless non-invasive treatment.</p> <p>The therapy called Rhenium-SCT uses a resin paste containing radioactive particles to kill non-melanoma skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma.</p> <p>South Coast Radiology on the Gold Coast is the first to offer the new treatment as part of a study recruiting 200 patients, also involving patients in Sydney and Perth.</p> <p>Small published studies overseas have shown the therapy to be effective and well-tolerated but more evidence is needed.</p> <p>"The Rhenium-SCT has advantages in that it's a single treatment that is painless with a really good cosmetic outcome," said Dr Sam Vohra, OncoBeta Australia Medical Director.</p> <p>GenesisCare's Radiation Oncologist Associate Professor Sid Baxi treated the first patients in the study.</p> <p>"This is particularly useful for thin skin cancers, around three millimetres in-depth," he said.</p> <p>"We're looking at an approximate 90 percent clearance rate."</p> <p>He said about 500 patients around the world have already received the therapy with a follow-up of about two years.</p> <p>The latest trial will shed more light on its effectiveness, the side-effect profile and the patient's quality of life. Jan McGrath travelled from Sydney to the Gold Coast after she jumped at the chance to take part in the trials.</p> <p>"It just sounded amazing to be able to cure it without having to be cut, chopped and sewn," she said.</p> <p>"It was really easy, it didn't hurt at all."</p> <p>Jan wanted to avoid having a surgical graft after a basal cell carcinoma developed inside her ear.</p> <p>She has had about ten skin cancers removed in the past, including major surgery on her nose which took weeks to heal.</p> <p>"It's invasive, painful and takes a long time to recover," she said.</p> <p>The German-based innovators have partnered with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation to manufacture and deliver the radioactive particles at Lucas Heights.</p> <p><em>Image: 9News</em></p>

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Meet the Aussie student who fled the Ukraine Russian invasion

<p>Conrad Siziba moved from Western Australia to Ukraine in September of 2019, where he was eager to begin his studies to pursue a career in medicine.</p> <p>The medical student never could have imagined he would survive the risks of Covid-19, only to be forced out of the country by the tragedy of war.</p> <p>Conrad was among the first arrivals into Perth on Thursday, when the long-awaited quarantine travel ban finally lifted, after the state’s hard border opened.</p> <p>The sweet embrace with his father Conrad Siziba Senior and mother Noma brought a close to a nail-biting journey home.</p> <p>His parents were all smiles as they welcomed their son back from Ukraine.</p> <p>The process home “wasn’t easy”, Mr Siziba said.</p> <p>“The last few days when he was just about to come out, it was challenging,” he said.</p> <p>“He was facing a huge threat,” Mrs Siziba said. “We’re excited he’s home.”</p> <p>The medical student dropped his studies to flee the university town Dnipro in Eastern Ukraine - a key region named as a target by Russia.</p> <p>The safety risk of the invasions meant he had to bypass Kyiv, instead making his way to Lviv.</p> <p>“He was meant to fly on Thursday but that’s when they closed the flights and then he couldn’t fly,” Mr Siziba said.</p> <p>Conrad joined the student exodus on packed trains through a rough Ukrainian winter. This journey of risk included a 30km walk on foot to Poland before he could make it back to home to Baldivis.</p> <p>His parents were on edge as they waited during the “challenging time”, Mr Siziba said.</p> <p>“Thank God for the foreign affairs department, they were really supportive,” he said.</p> <p>Conrad appeared unphased by his journey upon his arrival home, simply focusing on the fact that he was home safe.</p> <p>“We’re happy he’s home,” his father said, Mrs Siziba adding it’s “the best thing ever”.</p> <p><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

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Harry and Meghan speak out against Russian invasion

<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released a statement addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine.</p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Sussex broke their silence on the ongoing conflict in Europe with a message of support for the Ukraine on their charity website Archewell.</p> <p>"Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law and encourage the global community and its leaders to do the same," the statement read.</p> <p>Harry and Meghan's statement comes after Russia launched an invasion on Ukraine on Thursday, marking the biggest attack on a European country since World War II.</p> <p>In response, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensk declared martial law and asked citizens to volunteer to fight for their country. The political message follows Harry and Meghan's departure as senior members of the royal family.</p> <p>Other members of the royal family, including the Queen, have remained silent on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as it is Royal precedent is to remain neutral on political matters.</p> <p>"The Queen has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters," the royal family has stated in the past.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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"The invasion of Ukraine has begun": The world responds to Russia

<p dir="ltr">Tensions between the West and Russia have reached a boiling point, with UK government officials <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/tanks-roll-into-ukraine-as-europe-makes-first-big-moves/K3GVV5BWIA5WXBI5NCHUAN2Q6A/">declaring</a> that “the invasion of Ukraine has begun”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The declaration comes after Russia recognised the sovereignty of two areas of eastern Ukraine which have declared themselves as breakaway states - effectively annexing them from Ukraine.</p> <p dir="ltr">Russian president Vladimir Putin has also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/22/is-russia-invading-ukraine-what-next" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent troops</a> on a “peacekeeping mission” in these areas, which call themselves the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and have been financed by Russia since 2014.</p> <p dir="ltr">Until now, Russia has recognised the two regions as part of Ukraine.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7f5bf5d7-7fff-5a1e-c99b-ea359b9c0701"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">On Tuesday, footage emerged of Russian military convoys entering the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with around three-quarters of the country’s total forces reportedly deployed against Ukraine.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Columns of equipment from the Russian Federation entered the territories of the republics of Donbas. <a href="https://t.co/El7ZAYed6n">pic.twitter.com/El7ZAYed6n</a></p> <p>— 301🇦🇲 (@301_AD) <a href="https://twitter.com/301_AD/status/1495876497827147787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“We are waking up to a very dark day in Europe,” UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Sky News. “It’s clear from what we have already seen and found out today that Russia’s President Putin has decided to attack the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territorial integrity.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You can conclude that the invasion of Ukraine has begun.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Shelling has also been reported, with Ukraine’s Defence Ministry claiming its territories were shelled 80 times within 24 hours from Luhansk and Donetsk.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement, the ministry alleged that 58 of those incidents came from weapons which are banned under the Minsk agreements - a ceasefire pact made in 2014 - which Putin claims “no longer exists”.</p> <p dir="ltr">At least one fatality and several injuries have been recorded.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>The West responds</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Russia’s actions have sparked widespread condemnation, sanctions and the killing-off of a multi-billion-dollar energy project.</p> <p dir="ltr">German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the end of the Nod Stream 2 pipeline project which was designed to double the flow of gas from Russia to Germany and ease the pressure on European consumers, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/germanys-scholz-halts-nord-stream-2-certification-2022-02-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The situation has fundamentally changed,” he said, noting that Putin’s actions were a “grave breach” of international law.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Britain imposed sanctions on five Russian banks and three “very high net-worth individuals”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The UK and our allies will begin to impose the sanctions on Russia that we have already prepared using the new and unprecedented powers granted by this House to sanction Russian individuals and entities of strategic importance to the Kremlin,” Mr Johnson said overnight.</p> <p dir="ltr">The US confirmed they would join the UK in sanctioning two of Russia’s largest financial institutions, the military bank and investment company VEB, as well as Russian elites and their families.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmyto Kuleba further encouraged the use of tough sanctions against Russia, claiming that recognising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent was an attack on the world order.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ukraine strongly believes the time for sanctions is now,” Mr Kuleba said at a press conference alongside US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The world must respond with all its economic might to punish Russia for the crimes it has already committed and ahead of the plans it plans to commit.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hit Russia’s economy now and hit it hard.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Wednesday that Canada will also impose sanctions on Russia, including sanctioning members of the Russian parliament who voted to recognise the two Ukrainian regions as independent.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9e2bd6bc-7fff-7a48-94dd-89c6c5a68ce9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Trudeau said up to 460 additional Canadian Armed Forces members will be sent to Latvia and the surrounding regions to bolster NATO forces, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called up army reservists to bolster their military numbers.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="rtl" lang="ar">الجزيرة تعرض صورا حصرية لدخول قافلات عسكرية روسية إلى المناطق الانفصالية شرقي <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#أوكرانيا</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#الأخبار</a> <a href="https://t.co/JcKndGDXjm">pic.twitter.com/JcKndGDXjm</a></p> <p>— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) <a href="https://twitter.com/AJArabic/status/1495931495634116608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The United Nations has also condemned Russia’s actions and has said its troops are not peacekeepers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When troops of one country enter the territory of another country without its consent, they are not impartial peacekeepers,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They are not peacekeepers at all.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also slammed Russia’s claims of conducting a peacekeeping mission, and has said Australia will “be in lockstep and moving just as quickly” when other countries begin implementing sanctions.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-694cab03-7fff-986b-2352-3e16cd935c31"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Russia should step back. It should unconditionally withdraw. It’s unacceptable, it’s unprovoked, it’s unwarranted,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Russian invasion of Ukraine "imminent": What you need to know

<p dir="ltr">The threat of Russia invading Ukraine grows as diplomatic relations between Moscow and the US feel the pressure, with Russia expelling the US’s second most senior diplomat in what the US State Department has described as “an escalatory step”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We can confirm that Russia expelled US Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) to Russia, Bart Gorman,” a State Department spokesperson said.</p> <p dir="ltr">President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/russia-accused-of-launching-mortars-in-eastern-ukraine/news-story/80cfce6535f96fd5f1a5e45cd01565c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters the threat of Russia invading Ukraine is “very high” and that he believes it could occur in the next “several days”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Western leaders have accused Russia of attempting a false-flag operation to discredit the Ukraine government, after it was reported that a kindergarten was shelled in a spate of shelling incidents in Donbas, in eastern Ukraine.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Kremlin accused Ukraine of firing first, while Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, described the shelling of the kindergarten as “a big provocation”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Tensions between Russia and Ukraine explained</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Ukraine has been in conflict with pro-Moscow rebels in the country’s east since 2014, after the then-Ukraine leader decided not to join the European Union.</p> <p dir="ltr">Russia has been accused of supplying the rebels with funds, weapons and even troops, but has denied this and said any soldiers who joined the movement did so voluntarily.</p> <p dir="ltr">The rebel movement eventually grew so much that Russia was able to annex the peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine and take control of it, prompting the US and other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies to send weapons to Ukraine.</p> <p dir="ltr">Relations between the two nations have worsened since.</p> <p dir="ltr">The most recent tensions <a href="https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/russia-ukraine-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have come</a> after Ukraine said it wanted to join NATO to access more protection in the form of military force.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Why are the US and other Western countries involved?</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Russia has demanded the West refuse Ukraine’s request - and prevent other former Soviet states from joining - believing its neighbour will try to regain control of Crimea among other concerns.</p> <p dir="ltr">The US and NATO responded separately to Russia’s demands at the end of January, with <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/26/us-nato-deliver-responses-to-russian-demands-over-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Al Jazeera</em></a><em> </em>reporting that the US ruled out agreeing to exclude Ukraine and other eastern states from NATO.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Russia has replied to the US and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/feb/17/russia-ukraine-news-troops-border-latest-live-putin-biden-kyiv-russian-invasion-threat?filterKeyEvents=false&amp;page=with:block-620e55758f08fc958652839e#block-620e55758f08fc958652839e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> the Western nation of ignoring its core demands and threatened to take “a military-technical response”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">"The American side has not given a constructive response to the basic elements of Russia's draft agreement," the letter says. If that continues, "Russia will be forced to respond, including through measures of a military-technical nature."</p> <p>— max seddon (@maxseddon) <a href="https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/1494320352394051590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><strong>What’s happening now?</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Since January, as many as 130,000 Russian troops have been stationed along parts of the Ukrainian border, despite Russia repeatedly denying it is planning an invasion.</p> <p dir="ltr">On February 12, the US warned “we are in the window where an invasion could begin at any time”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Three days later, Russian president Vladimir Putin confirmed the troops would be pulled back from the border, despite Western intelligence reporting that its forces are continuing to build up.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, on February 16 a German convoy reached Lithuania as part of planned reinforcements for the country’s Germany-led NATO battlegroup, which has been authorised to defend Lithuania if a threat emerges.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Australia's cutest marsupials are now an endangered species

<p>The fight is on to save Australia’s cutest icons.</p><p>Koalas are now officially an “endangered” species in NSW, Queensland and ACT after the federal government upgraded their status from “vulnerable.</p><p>The much-loved marsupials’ population has plummeted in those states over recent years and they are now at serious risk of being wiped out.</p><p>“Today I am increasing the protection for koalas in NSW, the ACT and Queensland listing them as endangered rather than their previous designation of vulnerable,” federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said on Friday.</p><p>An endangered listing recognises that a species is at high risk of extinction.</p><p>“The impact of prolonged drought, followed by the black summer bushfires, and the cumulative impacts of disease, urbanisation and habitat loss over the past twenty years have led to the advice,” Ms Ley added.</p><p>The environment minister wants Queensland, NSW and Victoria to sign up to a national recovery plan worth $50 million over four years.</p><p>“We are taking unprecedented action to protect the koala, working with scientists, medical researchers, veterinarians, communities, states, local governments and traditional owners,” Ms Ley said.</p><p>The Australian Koala Foundation has estimated there are fewer than 100,000 koalas remaining in the wild, with feral predators and land clearing for development to blame.</p><p>The 2019-20 bushfire crisis and the drought that followed has also contributed to a rapid decline in population. In 2020, a NSW parliamentary inquiry warned the marsupial would likely become extinct before the middle of the century without urgent intervention.</p><p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Some endangered species can no longer survive in the wild. So should we alter their genes?

<p>Around the world, populations of many beloved species are declining at increasing rates. According to one <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/30/world-plant-species-risk-extinction-fungi-earth">grim projection</a>, as many as 40% of the world’s species may be extinct by 2050. Alarmingly, many of these declines are caused by threats for which few solutions exist.</p> <p>Numerous species now depend on conservation breeding programs for their survival. But these programs typically do not encourage species to adapt and survive in the wild alongside intractable threats such as climate change and disease.</p> <p>This means some species can no longer exist in the wild, which causes major downstream effects on the ecosystem. Consider, for example, how a coral reef would struggle to function without corals.</p> <p>What if there was another way? My colleagues and I have developed an intervention method that aims to give endangered species the genetic features they need to survive in the wild.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411140/original/file-20210714-13-1bf7ccv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="bleached coral with fish" /> <span class="caption">Genetically altering coral may help them survive in a warmer world.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rick Stuart-Smith</span></span></p> <h2>Bringing theory into practice</h2> <p>Over generations, natural selection enables species to adapt to threats. But in many instances today, the speed at which threats are developing is outpacing species’ ability to adapt.</p> <p>This problem is especially apparent in wildlife threatened by newly emerging infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis in amphibians, and in climate-affected species such as corals.</p> <p>The toolkit my colleagues and I developed is called “targeted genetic intervention” or TGI. It works by increasing the occurrence or frequency of genetic features that impact an organism’s fitness in the presence of the threat. We outline the method in a recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534721003384">research paper</a>.</p> <p>The toolkit involves <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/artificial-selection">artificial selection</a> and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2019.00175/full">synthetic biology</a>. These tools are well established in agriculture and medicine but relatively untested as conservation tools. We explain them in more detail below.</p> <p>Many tools in our TGI toolkit have been discussed in theory in conservation literature in recent decades. But rapid developments in genome sequencing and synthetic biology mean some are now possible in practice.</p> <p>The developments have made it easier to understand the genetic basis of features which enable a species to adapt, and to manipulate them.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442166/original/file-20220124-19-xc82dx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="frog on wet rock" /> <span class="caption">Some animal species cannot adapt in time to survive threats such as disease.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></p> <h2>What is artificial selection?</h2> <p>Humans have long used artificial (or phenotypic) selection to promote desirable characteristics in animals and plants raised for companionship or food. This genetic alteration has led to organisms, such as domestic dogs and maize, that are dramatically different from their wild progenitors.</p> <p>Traditional artificial selection can lead to outcomes, such as high inbreeding rates, that affect the health and resilience of the organism and are undesirable for conservation. If you’ve ever owned a purebred dog, you might be aware of some of these genetic disorders.</p> <p>And when it comes to conservation, determining which individuals from a species are resistant to, say, a deadly pathogen would involve exposing the animal to the threat – clearly not in the interests of species preservation.</p> <p>Scientists in the livestock industry have developed a new approach to circumvent these problems. Called genomic selection, it combines data from laboratory work (such as a disease trial) with the genetic information of the animals to predict which individuals bear genetic features conducive to adaptation.</p> <p>These individuals are then chosen for breeding. Over subsequent generations, a population’s ability to survive alongside pervasive threats increases.</p> <p>Genomic selection has led to disease-resistant salmon and livestock that produce more milk and better tolerate heat. But it is yet to be tested in conservation.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442161/original/file-20220124-27-11vyq0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="cows in green field" /> <span class="caption">Artificial selection has been used to develop traits that humans desire in livestock.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></p> <h2>What is synthetic biology?</h2> <p><a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Synthetic-Biology">Synthetic biology</a> is a toolkit for promoting change in organisms. It includes methods such as transgenesis and gene editing, which can be used to introduce lost or novel genes or tweak specific genetic features.</p> <p>Recent synthetic biology tools such as <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/genomeediting/">CRISPR-Cas9</a> have created a buzz in the medical world, and are also starting to gain the <a href="https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/48408">attention</a> of conservation biologists.</p> <p>Such tools can accurately tweak targeted genetic features in an individual organism – making it more able to adapt – while leaving the rest of the genome untouched. The genetic modifications are then passed on to subsequent generations.</p> <p>The method reduces the likelihood of unintended genetic changes that can occur with artificial selection.</p> <p>Synthetic biology methods are currently being trialled for conservation in multiple species around the world. These include the <a href="https://www.esf.edu/chestnut/resistance.htm">chestnut tree</a> and black-footed <a href="https://neo.life/2021/05/cloning-wildlife-and-editing-their-genes-to-protect-them-and-us/">ferrets</a> in the United States, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/gene-editing-is-revealing-how-corals-respond-to-warming-waters-it-could-transform-how-we-manage-our-reefs-143444">corals</a> in Australia.</p> <p>I am working with researchers at the University of Melbourne to develop TGI approaches in Australian frogs. We are trialling these approaches in the iconic southern corroboree frog, and plan to extend them to other species if they prove effective.</p> <p>Worldwide, the disease chytridiomycosis is devastating frog populations. Caused by the fungal pathogen <em>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</em>, it has led to the extinction of about <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus">90 frog species</a> and declines in as many as 500 others.</p> <p>Many frog species now rely on conservation breeding for their continued survival. No effective solution for restoring chytrid-susceptible frogs to the wild exists, because the fungus cannot be eradicated.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442155/original/file-20220124-23-cebr8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="gloved hand removed portion of DNA strand" /> <span class="caption">CRISPR technology could potentially be used to edit the genes of endangered species.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></p> <h2>Looking ahead</h2> <p>As with many conservation approaches, targeted genetic intervention is likely to involve trade-offs. For example, genetic features that make a species resistant to one disease may make it more susceptible to another.</p> <p>But the rapid rate of species declines means we should trial such potential solutions before it’s too late. The longer species are absent from an ecosystem, the greater the chance of irreversible environmental changes.</p> <p>Any genetic intervention of this type should involve all stakeholders, including Indigenous peoples and local communities. And caution should be taken to ensure species are fit for release and pose no risk to the environment.</p> <p>By bringing the concept of TGI to the attention of the public, government, and other scientists, we hope we will spur discussion and encourage research on its risks and benefits.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. 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More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tiffany-kosch-1304685">Tiffany Kosch</a>, Research Fellow, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></span></p> <p>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/some-endangered-species-can-no-longer-survive-in-the-wild-so-should-we-alter-their-genes-175226">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Melbourne Zoo</em></p>

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