Australia’s Coronavirus Evacuation Plan: A Tiny Island 1,000 Miles Away - Wall Street Journal

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, center right, and Australian Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy, center, left, at a press conference about the coronavirus, Canberra, Australia, on Wednesday. Photo: mick tsikas/Shutterstock

By

Rachel Pannett and

Rachel Pannett
The Wall Street Journal
• Biography
• @RachelPannett
• rachel.pannett@dowjones.com
• rachel.pannett@wsj.com

Mike Cherney

Mike Cherney
The Wall Street Journal
• Biography
• @Mike_Cherney
• mike.cherney@wsj.com

Jan. 29, 2020 5:55 am ET

SYDNEY—Australia will try to pull out citizens stuck in Wuhan, the epicenter of China’s coronavirus outbreak, and quarantine them in an immigration detention center on a remote island nearly 1,000 miles off its coast.

Evacuees will be sent to the center on Christmas Island, an Australian territory near Indonesia that has long been used to detain asylum seekers as part of an offshore-processing system that has been criticized by human-rights groups and the United Nations.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said being quarantined on Christmas Island would be a condition of assisted departure.

The quarantine plan is one of the most extreme isolation measures undertaken by governments outside China so far to limit the virus’ spread. Australia’s government says it is acting on the advice of health authorities, who on Wednesday said anyone who has traveled in the Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, should self-isolate for 14 days after leaving the area, avoiding work, school, restaurants, shops and other public places.

Officials said any evacuees from Wuhan will be kept separate from the Christmas Island community for about two weeks—the period health officials believe it takes for someone infected with the virus to develop symptoms.

Mr. Morrison said he can’t guarantee the evacuation plan, which Beijing still hasn’t agreed to, will succeed.

WSJ’s Shan Li and Stephanie Yang traveled to Hubei, the Chinese province at the center of the new coronavirus epidemic. As authorities impose tighter quarantine rules, they were asked to spend 14 days indoors and undergo a strict routine. Photo: Arek Rataj/Associated Press

“There are many complications and many issues that we’re going to have to overcome,” he told reporters. The focus, he said, will be on isolated and vulnerable citizens in Wuhan and the Hubei province, particularly young people, infants and the elderly. “There is rather a limited window here and we are moving very, very swiftly to ensure we can put this plan together.”

Just over 600 people have registered with Australia’s foreign affairs department as being in Hubei province.

It is not known how many will be extricated, or if people will want to go to the isolated island. The prime minister said the evacuation will be carried out on a last in, first out basis—aimed at short-term travelers who don’t have local support networks.

It means the planned evacuation would have broader focus than that carried out by the U.S., which has extricated diplomats, their family members and a limited number of private U.S. citizens from the virus-hit city.

Australian consular officials are setting up a temporary office in Wuhan to work with local authorities and are seeking approval from Beijing to send a plane to the city.

Dave Watchorn, 49, who manages a dive shop on Christmas Island, said it was good to help people fleeing the virus in China and he wasn’t worried about contracting the virus himself. He said the main detention center is about half an hour’s drive from the main town, called Flying Fish Cove.

A detention center on Christmas Island. Photo: lukas coch/Shutterstock

Mr. Watchorn hoped the quarantine wouldn’t affect tourism, noting the island has struggled to attract visitors because of its reputation as a detention area—even though it has a plethora of wildlife.

“You could be in central Melbourne or central Sydney and you’d be at greater risk,” Mr. Watchorn said of the virus. “It’s everywhere now.”

Seven people are confirmed to have the virus in Australia. Health officials confirmed the country’s first case on Saturday, a Chinese man in his 50s who had flown into Melbourne recently after having spent time in Wuhan. Australia’s foreign affairs department this week upgraded its travel advice for all of China, urging people to reconsider their need to travel to the country.

Scientists in Melbourne said Wednesday they have successfully grown the virus from a patient sample. It is the first time the virus has been grown in a culture outside China, a breakthrough they said that will provide international laboratories with crucial information to help combat the virus.

More than 130 people have died, with about 6,000 cases confirmed—most of which have come in mainland China.

Related

• China Strains to Stamp Out Coronavirus Criticisms at Home
• China’s Xi Gives His No. 2 a Rare Chance to Shine in Coronavirus Fight, With Risks for Both
• China’s Coronavirus Response Is Questioned: ‘Everyone Was Blindly Optimistic’
• China Locks Down City at Center of Coronavirus Outbreak

Write to Rachel Pannett at rachel.pannett@wsj.com and Mike Cherney at mike.cherney@wsj.com

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2020-01-29 10:55:00Z
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A unique pink slug feared wiped out by Australia's bushfires has been found alive and well - CNN

The unique, eye-catching creature only lives on the slopes of an isolated inactive volcano in New South Wales, Mount Kaputar, from which they take their name.

After recent rainfall, rangers from New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service found "about 60" Mount Kaputar slugs alive, according to a recent post on the organization's Facebook page.

The survival of the Mount Kaputar slug comes after ecologists at the University of Sydney estimated that around half a billion animals in New South Wales alone have been affected by the bushfires.

The Facebook post added that there had been fears for this "unusual species" after the fires impacted "much of its alpine habitat." "They may not be as cute as koalas or wallabies, but this species also plays an important role in its ecosystem," the post said.

The Mount Kaputar slug, measuring up to 20 centimeters (7.9 inches), went mostly unstudied until 2013, when it was identified as a new species. Researchers had previously thought it was a variation of the red triangle slug, also found in New South Wales.

The slugs have never been spotted anywhere but the summit area of Mount Kaputar, located in the state's northeast. The effects of a volcanic eruption on the mountain 17 million years ago kept that small summit area wet and full of greenery, as other areas of the country changed to dry desert-like conditions -- meaning the animals living on the mountaintop were marooned for millions of years, unable to live anywhere else.

But these species are under threat -- including the pink slug, listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Their high-elevation habitat is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and may shrink as temperatures increase, according to the IUCN.

Frank Kohler, senior research scientist in malacology at the Australian Museum, told CNN that Mount Kaputar National Park is home to about 20 endemic species of slugs and snails, and is known to be an endangered ecological community.

Kohler said: "This is good news that they've found these slugs. They give us hope that maybe the impact of some of the fires are not as great as we thought."

However, he acknowledged that the park was not among the "more severely affected" areas of the Australian bushfires and can only provide "just a glimpse" of the overall picture of devastation.

Kohler also cited the survival of the Wollemi pines, a prehistoric tree species in a national park near Sydney, as another rare piece of positive news.

Speaking about the slugs, Kohler said that they, like many other species, have evolved to deal with fire. In their case, they would have retreated into "protective crevices," such as rocks.

Although their main food source -- fungi and lichen -- will have been affected by the fire, Kohler believes that these will grow back "relatively quickly" under the right conditions.

Mount Kaputar National Park is currently closed to members of the public because of the damage caused by bushfires.

Since the fire season began in late July, large swaths of Australia have been devastated by the worst bushfires in decades.

More than 20 people have been killed and millions of acres of land have been destroyed. The state of New South Wales is the worst-affected state, with thousands of homes destroyed or damaged.

Ecologists at the University of Sydney estimate that more than 1 billion animals have been impacted across Australia -- meaning killed, displaced, without food or shelter, or otherwise affected.

That number is likely to be even higher in reality, as these estimates don't include insects, frogs, and other invertebrates.

"It's a monstrous event in terms of geography and the number of individual animals affected," said University of Sydney ecologist Christopher Dickman in a news release. "It's events like this that may well hasten the extinction process for a range of other species. So, it's a very sad time."

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2020-01-29 06:44:00Z
CAIiEDolIkW5NDg9SSmoDX8xxdAqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

Man and child die after family camping accident in Australia - CNN

The family of three -- a man, woman, and child -- had been camping at Wedge Island, a beachside suburb in Western Australia state, said police in a statement.

Police were notified on Monday morning that a child was not breathing on the beach. When they arrived, they located the boy and a man, both deceased, as well as a woman in need of urgent medical assistance. A rescue helicopter flew the woman to a hospital in Perth, about 100 miles south of Wedge Island.

The deaths aren't being treated as suspicious, police said. The ongoing investigation suggests they may have died as a result of a fault with their camping equipment, inside the tent they were sleeping in.

Emergency and fire services staff have since removed the equipment.

Wedge Island refers to both an island off the coast of Western Australia and the nearby peninsula, a popular holiday area for fishing, camping, and water sports. The deaths happened on the mainland, police said.

Authorities are looking for any other people who may have been in the area at the time, and will prepare a report for the coroner.

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2020-01-28 14:21:00Z
CAIiECsUY-b1AO2cVGT5RoOm60AqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

Man and child die after family camping accident in Australia - CNN

The family of three -- a man, woman, and child -- had been camping at Wedge Island, a beachside suburb in Western Australia state, said police in a statement.

Police were notified on Monday morning that a child was not breathing on the beach. When they arrived, they located the boy and a man, both deceased, as well as a woman in need of urgent medical assistance. A rescue helicopter flew the woman to a hospital in Perth, about 100 miles south of Wedge Island.

The deaths aren't being treated as suspicious, police said. The ongoing investigation suggests they may have died as a result of a fault with their camping equipment, inside the tent they were sleeping in.

Emergency and fire services staff have since removed the equipment.

Wedge Island refers to both an island off the coast of Western Australia and the nearby peninsula, a popular holiday area for fishing, camping, and water sports. The deaths happened on the mainland, police said.

Authorities are looking for any other people who may have been in the area at the time, and will prepare a report for the coroner.

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2020-01-28 14:07:00Z
CAIiECsUY-b1AO2cVGT5RoOm60AqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

Man and child die after family camping accident in Australia - CNN

The family of three -- a man, woman, and child -- had been camping at Wedge Island, a beachside suburb in Western Australia state, said police in a statement.

Police were notified on Monday morning that a child was not breathing on the beach. When they arrived, they located the boy and a man, both deceased, as well as a woman in need of urgent medical assistance. A rescue helicopter flew the woman to a hospital in Perth, about 100 miles south of Wedge Island.

The deaths aren't being treated as suspicious, police said. The ongoing investigation suggests they may have died as a result of a fault with their camping equipment, inside the tent they were sleeping in.

Emergency and fire services staff have since removed the equipment.

Wedge Island refers to both an island off the coast of Western Australia and the nearby peninsula, a popular holiday area for fishing, camping, and water sports. The deaths happened on the mainland, police said.

Authorities are looking for any other people who may have been in the area at the time, and will prepare a report for the coroner.

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2020-01-28 13:24:00Z
CAIiECsUY-b1AO2cVGT5RoOm60AqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

Man and child die after family camping accident in Australia - CNN

The family of three -- a man, woman, and child -- had been camping at Wedge Island, a beachside suburb in Western Australia state, said police in a statement.

Police were notified on Monday morning that a child was not breathing on the beach. When they arrived, they located the boy and a man, both deceased, as well as a woman in need of urgent medical assistance. A rescue helicopter flew the woman to a hospital in Perth, about 100 miles south of Wedge Island.

The deaths aren't being treated as suspicious, police said. The ongoing investigation suggests they may have died as a result of a fault with their camping equipment, inside the tent they were sleeping in.

Emergency and fire services staff have since removed the equipment.

Wedge Island refers to both an island off the coast of Western Australia and the nearby peninsula, a popular holiday area for fishing, camping, and water sports. The deaths happened on the mainland, police said.

Authorities are looking for any other people who may have been in the area at the time, and will prepare a report for the coroner.

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2020-01-28 07:08:00Z
CAIiECsUY-b1AO2cVGT5RoOm60AqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 12:15:03Z
52780574934747

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 11:13:08Z
CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hdXN0cmFsaWEtNTEyNTk4MTnSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3MvYW1wL3dvcmxkLWF1c3RyYWxpYS01MTI1OTgxOQ

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 10:11:32Z
CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hdXN0cmFsaWEtNTEyNTk4MTnSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3MvYW1wL3dvcmxkLWF1c3RyYWxpYS01MTI1OTgxOQ

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 09:53:39Z
52780574934747

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 09:25:33Z
52780574934747

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 09:03:23Z
52780574934747

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 08:33:43Z
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Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 08:05:24Z
52780574934747

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 07:31:17Z
52780574934747

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 07:05:35Z
52780574934747

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

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2020-01-27 06:36:20Z
52780574934747

Woman dies in Australia Day lamington-eating contest - BBC News

A woman has died in Australia while taking part in a contest to eat as many lamingtons as possible.

The woman, aged 60, is reported to have had a seizure during the event at a hotel in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to mark Australia Day on Sunday.

Contestants had earlier been filmed speed-eating the lamingtons, a traditional sponge cake covered in chocolate and desiccated coconut.

She was given CPR at the scene and taken to hospital but later died.

Witnesses said the woman had crammed one of the cakes into her mouth when she appeared to get into difficulties.

Footage has emerged showing other patrons of the pub cheering on the eaters, who have glasses of water next to them, before the accident.

The Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay posted a message on Facebook expressing condolences to the family and friends of the woman, who has not been named.

They thanked the ambulance service for their "prompt and professional response while this tragic incident was unfolding".

Eating competitions are a popular game during Australia Day, a national holiday marking the arrival of the first Europeans to Australia.

Contestants usually win prizes for eating as many cakes, pies, hot dogs or other food in a limited time.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

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2020-01-27 06:04:43Z
52780574934747

Australia Day’s Reckoning: ‘This Is Our Day of Mourning’ - The Wall Street Journal

The Invasion Day rally in Melbourne. Photo: james ross/Shutterstock

By

Mike Cherney

Mike Cherney
The Wall Street Journal
• Biography
• @Mike_Cherney
• mike.cherney@wsj.com

Updated Jan. 26, 2020 5:58 am ET

SYDNEY—Tens of thousands of people skipped the usual picnics and barbecues during Australia’s national holiday on Sunday and marched in solidarity with indigenous Australians, as the country wrestles with whether it is doing enough to recognize the nation’s colonial past.

The holiday, called Australia Day, is at the center of the debate because it is held every year on Jan. 26, the date British settlers landed in what is now downtown Sydney in 1788. In recent years, at least six municipalities have canceled festivities out of respect for indigenous Australians, who call the day Invasion Day or Survival Day.

Supporters of Australia Day, which like the Fourth of July is often celebrated with fireworks and flag waving, are also taking action. New rules from the conservative government require municipalities to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day. A new ad campaign from a government-owned nonprofit focused on the country’s multiculturalism to ramp up support for the holiday.

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“We acknowledge that we are people of an ancient land, with ancient stories, drawing on an ancient culture,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during his Australia Day address on Sunday. “We also acknowledge our stories of more recent times.”

Mr. Morrison, who has defended holding Australia Day on Jan. 26, used Sunday’s holiday to announce a new service medal for firefighters who have battled the country’s devastating wildfires this season.

Protesters at the indigenous-rights march in Sydney, the country’s largest city, said that if the government wants to unite people, it should change Australia Day to a date that isn’t painful for indigenous Australians. They make up about 3% of the population but face higher unemployment, lower homeownership and higher incarceration rates than other Australians. Marchers brought signs that said, “I live on stolen land” and “Australia is a crime scene.”

Muriel Green’s shirt sports the indigenous national flag. Photo: Mike Cherney/The Wall Street Journal

“This is our day of mourning,” said Muriel Green, 48, an indigenous Australian who attended Sunday’s rally. “It’s pretty sad the government doesn’t acknowledge us.”

One organizer estimated about 50,000 people attended, and some marchers said the turnout appeared to be about the same as last year. Police didn’t provide an estimate.

In contrast, the waterfront along Sydney Harbour—across town from the indigenous march—had a carnival atmosphere on Sunday afternoon, including food stalls and street performers on stilts. Drinking a beer in a bar nearby, Ian McNab, 62, said he supported celebrating Australia Day on Jan. 26 because of the historical connection to the day the first British settlers arrived.

“A lot of bad things happened throughout the world, and we don’t change things,” said Mr. McNab, a retired police officer who was wearing a shirt with the word “Aussie” and the Australian flag on it. “It’s a beautiful place, Australia. People should live together and be happy.”

The country’s political leaders are routinely asked whether Australia Day should be moved. Anthony Albanese, the leader of the opposition Labor Party, said in a radio interview Thursday that Australia Day should remain on Jan. 26—noting that it has been used to educate people about how the arrival of Europeans affected indigenous people.

Richard Di Natale, the leader of the Australian Greens, which is the third-largest party and has campaigned to change the date, said on Twitter that the “only thing we should be celebrating on Jan. 26 is the resilience of indigenous communities and culture since invasion.”

Some have suggested holding Australia Day on May 8, shortened as M8, honoring the oft-used “mate” in Australian English. Jan. 26 has been a public holiday in Sydney since at least 1818 but wasn’t established as a nationwide holiday in its current form until 1994.

The debate over Australia Day has parallels to shifting attitudes about Columbus Day in the U.S. That holiday honors the arrival of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus to the Americas in 1492 but is being recast as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in some places.

Celebrating Australia Day in Sydney. Photo: peter parks/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

There is no disputing that indigenous Australians were violently kicked off their land, said Joy Damousi, a history professor at the University of Melbourne and president of the Australian Historical Association. Australians are realizing that the modern country’s origin story can’t be told without acknowledging the experience of indigenous people, she said.

Polls show there is still support for Australia Day. Last year, the conservative Institute of Public Affairs found that 75% support marking Australia Day on Jan. 26. But a 2018 poll from the left-wing Australia Institute found that 56% of respondents didn’t care when Australia Day was held.

Angela Morsley, 42, attended the indigenous-rights march for the first time Sunday after her daughter saw an ad for it on social media.

Australia Day was “the start of a lot of trauma for a whole bunch of Australians,” said Ms. Morsley, a lawyer. “We just passed some people on the way here who had Australian-flag paraphernalia, and the more you see that these days the more distasteful to us it becomes.”

Write to Mike Cherney at mike.cherney@wsj.com

Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

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2020-01-26 10:58:00Z
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Authorities recover the bodies of three American firefighters killed in Australia plane crash - CNN

Investigators on Saturday also retrieved the plane's cockpit voice recorder and are analyzing data to determine what caused the crash, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said.

The firefighters were killed when their C-130 plane collided with terrain near the town of Cooma, Australia, on Thursday, the bureau said.

The water-bombing tanker had been chartered by the NSW Rural Fire Service, state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a news conference last week. It was called in to fight a bushfire near Cooma.

The three victims were identified by their employer, Oregon-based Coulson Aviation, as Capt. Ian McBeth, 44, of Great Falls, Montana, who was piloting the plane; First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson, 42, of Buckeye, Arizona; and Flight Engineer Rick DeMorgan Jr., 43, who lived in Navarre, Florida.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of McBeth, CNN affiliate WDAF reported.

"Ian was a devoted father and husband, a brave first responder, and a selfless service member who made the ultimate sacrifice helping the people of Australia combat the catastrophic fires devastating their country," the governor said in a statement, according to the news station. "Our service members and their families already sacrifice so much, and Ian took his call of duty even further to help those in need across the world."

On Sunday, the NSW Rural Fire Service said it was "brilliant" seeing Coulson Aviation aircraft back up today after "what has been a tragic week."

"Both 737 Large Air Trackers have flown three missions today on fires burning in the states south. Once again providing valuable assistance to crews," it said on Twitter.

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2020-01-26 09:37:00Z
CAIiEEO7LP8q30brbgUh70cTPRoqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU

American Firefighters Who Died in Australia Crash Identified - TIME

(SYDNEY) — The three American firefighters who were killed when the aerial water tanker they were in crashed while battling wildfires in Australia have been identified by their employer.

The men who died Thursday in the crash of the C-130 Hercules were Capt. Ian H. McBeth, 44, of Great Falls, Montana; First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson, 42, of Buckeye, Arizona; and Flight Engineer Rick A. DeMorgan Jr., 43, of Navarre, Florida, Canada-based Coulson Aviation said in a statement.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the deaths in the state’s Snowy Monaro region, which came as Australia grapples with an unprecedented fire season that has left a large swath of destruction.

In its statement, Coulson said McBeth was “was a highly qualified and respected C-130 pilot with many years fighting fire, both in the military and with Coulson Aviation.”

McBeth, who is survived by his wife and three children, also served with the Montana and Wyoming National Guard, the company said.

Hudson “graduated from the Naval Academy in 1999 and spent the next twenty years serving in the United States Marine Corp in a number of positions including C-130 pilot,” Coulson said. He is survived by his wife.

DeMorgan served in the U.S. Air Force with 18 years as a flight engineer on the C-130, the company said. He had had more than 4,000 hours as a flight engineer with nearly 2,000 hours in combat,

“Ricks passion was always flying and his children,” Coulson said. He is survived by two children, his parents and his sister.

Coulson said in a statement that one of its Lockheed large air tankers was lost after it left Richmond in New South Wales with retardant for a firebombing mission. It said the accident was “extensive” but had few other details.

“The only thing I have from the field reports are that the plane came down, it’s crashed and there was a large fireball associated with that crash,” Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she had conveyed Australia’s condolences to U.S. Ambassador Arthur Culvahouse Jr.

“Our hearts go out to their loved ones. They were helping Australia, far from their own homes, an embodiment of the deep friendship between our two countries,” she said in a statement.

Payne added: “Thank you to these three, and to all the brave firefighters from Australia and around the world. Your service and contribution are extraordinary. We are ever grateful.”

The tragedy brings the death toll from the blazes to at least 31 since September. The fires have also destroyed more than 2,600 homes and razed more than 10.4 million hectares (25.7 million acres), an area bigger than the U.S. state of Indiana.

Coulson grounded other firefighting aircraft as a precaution pending investigation, reducing planes available to firefighters in New South Wales and neighboring Victoria state. The four-propeller Hercules drops more than 15,000 liters (4,000 gallons) of fire retardant in a single pass.

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The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the national air crash investigator, and state police will investigate the crash site, which firefighters described as an active fire ground.

“There is no indication at this stage of what’s caused the accident,” Fitzsimmons said.

Berejiklian said there were more than 1,700 volunteers and personnel in the field, and five fires were being described at an “emergency warning” level — the most dangerous on a three-tier scale — across the state and on the fringes of the national capital Canberra.

Also Thursday, Canberra Airport closed temporarily because of nearby wildfires, and residents south of the city were told to seek shelter. The airport reopened after several hours with Qantas operating limited services, but Virgin and Singapore Airlines canceled flights for the rest of the day.

The blaze started Wednesday, but strong winds and high temperatures caused conditions in Canberra to deteriorate. A second fire near the airport that started on Thursday morning is at a “watch and act” level — the middle of the three tiers.

Residents in some Canberra suburbs were advised to seek shelter and others to leave immediately.

“The defense force is both assisting to a degree and looking to whether that needs to be reinforced,” Chief of Defense Angus Campbell told reporters.

“I have people who are both involved as persons who need to be moved from areas and office buildings that are potentially in danger, and also those persons who are part of the (Operation) Bushfire Assist effort,” he said.

Contact us at editors@time.com.

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2020-01-24 03:11:47Z
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Australians warned of possible deadly spider "bonanza" - CBS News

Australians, already reeling from months of devastating bushfires, have been warned they face a potential "bonanza" of "super dangerous" funnel-web spiders. While experts have voiced fears that the bushfires have killed as many as a billion wild animals, and pushed as many as a 100 species closer to extinction, the deadly spiders are apparently thriving.

An Australian funnel-web spider is seen at the Australian Reptile Park in a January 23, 2006 file photo. Getty

Jake Meney, of the Australian Reptile Park, north of Sydney, told Australia's 9 News on Wednesday that hot temperatures and days of rain have increased humidity, creating perfect conditions to lure the spiders out of their hiding places.

He said the park has seen an increase in the number of funnel-web spiders, which are native to eastern Australia, being brought into the park by members of the public. The increase prompted the park to issue a warning for Australians to keep an eye out for the creatures.

FUNNEL WEB SEASON IS HERE!

🚨WARNING! FUNNEL-WEB SEASON IS HERE! 🚨 We are issuing a message of warning to the public as recent wet weather conditions followed by hot days have created perfect conditions for funnel-web spiders to thrive. We're asking for any collected spiders to be brought to the park to contribute to our lifesaving antivenom program! 🕷️

Posted by Australian Reptile Park on Monday, January 20, 2020

Male funnel-web spiders are of particular concern, as they are more likely to emerge seeking mating partners — and their venom is six-times more potent than that of their female counterparts.

Trending News

"Females don't move around too much," Meney, who looks after spiders and reptiles at the park, told 9 News. "They mostly wait for the males to come and find them, but that's bad news because it's the males that are super dangerous."

"A male funnel-web bite is extremely dangerous and extremely serious and has caused deaths in the past," he noted.

In a video post on the Australian Reptile Park's Facebook page, a staff member warned that "funnel-web spiders are potentially one of the most dangerous spiders on the planet in terms of a bite towards a human," but he noted there had not been any confirmed deaths from the spider's bite since the 1980s.

Officials airdrop vegetables from helicopters for animals amid Australia's fires

Meney said anyone bit by a funnel-web should "apply immediate first aid, which would usually be applying pressure or a compression bandage to stop limit circulation to the entire limb." He added that anyone bitten by a fennel-web should immediately be taken to a hospital.

Meney said funnel-webs don't jump and can't climb on smooth surfaces, so they are most likely to be found at ground level.

"Piles of clothing, and shoes (are) a tempting retreat for them especially when they've wandered too far away from their burrow and they can't find their way back before daylight," he said.

Australia wildfires: Animals in peril across the country 35 photos

For those with the nerve, Meney said the spiders aren't difficult to catch. "If you see one on the ground just slowly put a jar over it or just put the jar in front of it and it will usually just crawl straight in."

The Australian Reptile Park said anyone who captures a funnel-web can bring them to the park or one of the drop zones set up around Sydney.

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2020-01-23 14:34:00Z
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Three Americans dead after firefighting water bomber crashes in rural Australia - CNN

The water-bombing tanker had been chartered by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS), state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a news conference on Thursday. It was called in to fight a bushfire near the town of Cooma, in the state's southeast.

The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council told CNN the casualties were American. The crew members belonged to Coulson Aviation, an aerial firefighting company that owned the aircraft contracted to the NSW RFS.

Coulson Aviation said in a statement that the crew had been on a firebombing mission when the accident occurred.

"Today is a stark and horrible reminder of the dangerous conditions that our volunteers, our emergency services personnel across the number of agencies take on a daily basis," Berejiklian said. "It demonstrates the dangerous work currently being undertaken. It also demonstrates the conditions that our firefighters are working under."

According to the NSW RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, contact was lost with the C-130 water-bombing plane shortly before 1:30 p.m. local time on Thursday.

"Tragically, there appears to be no survivors as a result of the crash down in the Snowy Monaro area," Fitzsimmons said in the news conference. "It's impacted heavily with the ground. And initial reports are there was a large fireball associated with the impact of the plane as it hit the ground."

The cause of the crash is not yet clear.

Traci Weaver, a United States public information officer with firefighting teams on the ground, called the crash a "heartbreaking" incident.

"We're just here taking care of our folks," she told CNN. "And it hits close to home when it's Americans too -- as tight a family as we are in the firefighting community -- it's just hard."

Fires have been burning in the state for months, and several countries have sent personnel and firefighting assistance, including the US and New Zealand.

The US announced Wednesday it was sending two more 20-person crews to Australia, only days after sending air support personnel and other emergency management teams. So far, the US has deployed more than 200 staff to Australia, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Fires are still raging in several states, particularly in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory, home to the national capital Canberra.

The Canberra airport closed on Thursday, with arrivals and departures grounded as bushfires burned nearby. One of the fires, only a few miles away, is "out of control" and has reached an emergency alert level, according to the territory's emergency agency.

The airport has not been evacuated, but closed "due to aviation firefighting operations," it said in a tweet. Photos from the airport show planes grounded on smoky runways, and the entire city shrouded in a thick, reddish haze.

Authorities have advised residents in the area to seek shelter, warning that roads are closed and that "it is too late to leave."

"The fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path," the ACT Emergency Services Agency said. "People in these suburbs are in danger and need to seek immediate shelter as the fire approaches."

The emergency-level fire began on Wednesday, but worsened on Thursday due to strong winds and high temperatures, according to CNN affiliate Seven News.

It rained mud in Melbourne

Much of southeastern Australia -- where Canberra is located -- has been battered by severe weather for the past week. Canberra was hit by a hailstorm on Monday, with hailstones the size of golf balls shattering car windows and injuring scores of birds.

There have also been heavy winds all week -- apart from exacerbating the persistent and widespread fires, the wind created apocalyptic scenes of massive dust storms engulfing towns last Sunday.

Australia has been gripped by a devastating drought since 2017 -- which has not only destroyed livelihoods, but has left the land parched and dry, full of loose soil and dust that are easily whipped up into the air by wind.

In normal conditions, dust storms are not common occurrences. But because of the drought and wind, they are happening more and more frequently in Australia. The major city of Melbourne, south of Canberra in the state of Victoria, was hit with a dust storm on Wednesday night and then rain on Thursday, creating a whole new kind of weather disaster.

The dust had been spread in the air by the wind -- so when the rain came, it combined into a rust-colored sludge of mud that coated the city. Photographs from Melbourne show the Yarra River turned completely brown with the dust-mud, and cars covered with dirt. People woke up to see their household pools and bird baths filled with brown dusty water.

The Australian Open, now in its fourth day, even had to delay matches for several hours because the outdoor courts were covered with mud. Staff at the tennis tournament rushed to clean the court with towels, hoses, and "high pressure cleaning," finally opening it back up to matches in the late afternoon.

There are "damaging winds" across much of the state on Thursday, with the strongest wind gust reaching 85 miles per hour in a national park northeast of Melbourne, according to the Victoria Bureau of Meteorology. Milder winds are forecast for Friday and across the weekend.

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2020-01-23 10:24:00Z
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