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Qantas connects two destinations for the first time in 50 years

Qantas has announced a new international route that will see Aussies connected to a popular holiday destination for the first time in 50 years. Two return flights will operate each week between Sydney and Papua New Guinea's Port Moresby, adding to the service already running to the island nation from Brisbane. “These flights will meet the growing demand from the business community for travel between Australia and Papua New Guinea,” Cam Wallace, CEO of Qantas International and Freight, said. “Our new Sydney service will save customers at least three hours in travel time on return trip by avoiding a stopover in Brisbane.” The route is the latest international service to be added to Qantas’ network out of Sydney, with the airline suggesting it will support both business and trade between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Trailing behind island nations such as Fiji and Indonesia, Papua New Guinea's tourism industry is steadily growing in popularity largely due to containing the world’s third largest rainforest, crystal clear waters, and 45,000km of coral reefs. As the number of annual travellers to PNG increases, so does accommodation options, with Marriott International announcing earlier this year that they would be expanding their accommodation into Papua New Guinea, marketing those wishing to have an “extended stay”. “We are thrilled to establish our inaugural foothold in Papua New Guinea with this milestone opening”, said Sean Hunt, area vice-president of Australia, New Zealand and Pacific for Marriott International, in a statement. “This is also a debut for the Marriott Executive Apartments brand in the region, allowing us to diversify our offering to cater to ambitious and adventurous travellers who seek a premium, trusted extended-stay experience.” While the new tourism initiatives have been put in place to help boost the economy of PNG, Papua New Guinea currently has travel advisory warnings in place, with SmartTraveller urging visitors to “exercise a high degree of caution in Papua New Guinea overall due to high levels of serious crime, with “higher levels” applying in some areas. Image credits: Shutterstock

International Travel

How air travellers can cut their door-to-door emissions right now – by as much as 13% on the Sydney-Melbourne route

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rico-merkert-90253">Rico Merkert</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-li-1460445">David Li</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Our climate is changing, and airlines are under pressure to reduce emissions from air travel. For many of us, especially in Australia, flying is an essential form of transport, so how can we reduce its environmental impact? Getting to and from the airport is an overlooked aspect of air travel that offers an immediate way to cut total carbon emissions from the trip by a surprisingly large amount. Our newly published <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920923002468">research</a> shows for an average economy passenger flying from Sydney to Melbourne, the carbon emissions from using a fossil-fuelled car to get to and from the airports make up a staggering 13.5% of the total door-to-door emissions. At a global scale, this number reaches 12.1% for long-haul flights and up to 22.8% for short-haul air journeys. For comparison, in the International Air Transport Association’s <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/programs/environment/roadmaps/">2050 net-zero emission roadmap</a>, 13% of global airline decarbonisation will come from electric and hydrogen propulsion. A further 65% is to come from mass adoption of sustainable aviation fuel. This is fuel produced from non-petroleum-based renewable sources such as some municipal solid waste, woody biomass, fats, greases and oils. Each of these big lifters requires a mammoth level of investment and technological breakthroughs, and comes with limitations and risks. Some solutions might make air travel prohibitively expensive. Airlines are moving mountains to decarbonise, but there are increasing concerns their net-zero plans might not stack up. In contrast, a 13.5% emission reduction on a Sydney-Melbourne door-to-door journey today may sound like a dream. Yet our research shows it’s easily achievable if travellers can be persuaded to change how they get to and from the airport. <h2>So how can travellers be convinced to switch?</h2> <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/agricultural-and-resource-economics-review/article/future-of-carbon-labeling-factors-to-consider/FDBC62244F2ACA29A7602886085B4A91">Research</a> has shown carbon “labelling” helps shift consumer behaviour towards greener choices. It’s a bit like how the nutrition label on the back of our cereal box helps us choose healthier options. For instance, when searching for a flight on online travel platform Skyscanner, all flight options are displayed with carbon emissions, so consumers can make a more informed choice. Two <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5n53672m">recent</a> <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03611981211046924">studies</a> at the University of California, Davis, suggest showing consumers the emission outcomes of different gate-to-gate flight choices, such as aircraft types and transit stops, can prompt them to choose greener flights, reducing emissions by up to 3.8%. But air journeys don’t start or end at airports. They start at home and end at destinations, or vice versa. Our air-travel carbon emissions are divided into ground and air segments and counted as airport and airline emissions respectively. While airlines focus on gate-to-gate decarbonisation through future technologies, the door-to-door emissions produced by travel to and from airports can be reduced immediately. Let’s look at an example of a Sydney-to-Melbourne trip. Say you travel from North Sydney to Sydney Airport by car, then fly to Melbourne Airport and catch a taxi to the city centre. That trip emits 82 kilograms of CO₂ door-to-door. But if you use a train, bus or electric vehicle (charged from a renewable source) to travel to and from the airport, the emissions from your trip drop to 71kg: a 13.5% fall door-to-door. Although travel platforms are increasingly communicating gate-to-gate emissions to consumers, we’re not aware of any that are including door-to-door emissions. Helping climate-conscious consumers understand the door-to-door carbon impact of airport ground connections could drive them to choose greener options such as public transport and electric vehicles. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541364/original/file-20230807-15-mp3dlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541364/original/file-20230807-15-mp3dlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541364/original/file-20230807-15-mp3dlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541364/original/file-20230807-15-mp3dlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541364/original/file-20230807-15-mp3dlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541364/original/file-20230807-15-mp3dlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541364/original/file-20230807-15-mp3dlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541364/original/file-20230807-15-mp3dlr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Google Flights chart of air travel options showing emissions and cost" /></a><figcaption>Travel aggregator search platforms are now labelling carbon emissions when offering flight options. Google Flights</figcaption></figure> <h2>Give airlines an incentive to inform passengers</h2> Governments and airports have long collaborated in driving consumers towards greener ground transit options. For instance, Transport for NSW has set a 50% emission-reduction <a href="https://www.future.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-09/Future_Transport_Strategy_2.pdf">target</a> for 2030. However, consumer adoption of these options has remained low. <a href="https://www.ttf.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/TTF_Accessing_Sydney_Airport.pdf">Most airport trips</a> in Australia today are still made by conventional car. As consumers, we have relationships with airlines that we don’t have with airports. When it comes to flying, we choose our airline carefully. Yet we rarely think about how we get to the airport. Airlines are experts in customer communication and engagement. They operate some of the largest frequent-flyer programs in the world. Last time we checked, Qantas had <a href="https://www.finder.com.au/frequent-flyer/qantas">15 million</a> program members and Virgin had <a href="https://newsroom.virginaustralia.com/release/velocity-frequent-flyer-soars-11-million-members">11 million</a>. Through these channels, airlines learn about us and how we tick when it comes to making flying choices. This puts them in an ideal position to keep us informed about door-to-door travel and drive the transition towards greener airport ground-connection options. To give them an incentive to do so, their efforts should be recognised through emission accounting. <h2>A cost-effective way to cut emissions</h2> Travellers using the Sydney Airport train station must pay an <a href="https://www.opal.com.au/en/opal-fares/airport_station_access_fee/">access fee</a>, which adds <a href="https://airportlink.com.au/trip-information/price/">A$15.74</a> to the cost of the journey. As our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920923002468">paper</a> highlights, the average customer using the airport train removes 2.7kg of CO₂. Achieving the same amount of decarbonisation during the flight using more sustainable aviation fuel – which is more expensive – would cost the customer about the same: between $10 and $16. So there is an opportunity for airlines to highlight this decarbonisation outcome as a way to persuade travellers to reconsider driving a car or catching a taxi, and instead take the airport train or bus. Airlines could also consider collaborating with airports to build airport charging facilities for electric vehicles as uptake in Australia approaches a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/31/australian-electric-vehicles-ev-sales-rise-increase">double-digit share</a> of new vehicle sales. This overlooked opportunity to cut door-to-door emissions from air travel has a substantial upside. It deserves far more attention from airlines, airports and consumers.<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/211099/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rico-merkert-90253">Rico Merkert</a>, Professor in Transport and Supply Chain Management and Deputy Director, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS), University of Sydney Business School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-li-1460445">David Li</a>, PhD Candidate, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/how-air-travellers-can-cut-their-door-to-door-emissions-right-now-by-as-much-as-13-on-the-sydney-melbourne-route-211099">original article</a>.

Domestic Travel

Cruise navigates world's most dangerous route

Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity has successfully completed its controversial voyage through the treacherous Northwest Passage, a route inaccessible 100 years ago. The Northwest Passage is a sea route connecting the northern Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, via waterways that extend through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The route has traditionally been blocked by ice, but global warming has changed this and many sections of the water which were previously too tricky to cross can now be navigated. For 32 days the 1,000 passengers and 600 crew aboard the Crystal Serenity witnessed sights few others have seen over the 7,000 natural miles of remote Arctic waterways and as the ship arrived in New York the voyage was hailed as a success. Captain Birger J. Vorland told Cruise Critic, “The voyage was very successful, and there were no surprises. There was actually less ice than we anticipated… I never felt the enthusiasm wane. Everything clicked. I never experienced an atmosphere like this before in my 38 years at sea.” So what’s next for cruising in this part of the world? Well, the Crystal Serenity is set to sail the Northwest Passage again in the summer of 2017, and other lines have signalled their intent to try their hand at this itinerary. But not everybody’s happy. Bernie MacIsaac of Nunavut's Department of Economic Development, the region most hit by the influx of cruise passengers, contends clear restrictions must be in place. MacIsaac said, “The [territory] is considering new marine tourism regulations that would mitigate some of the impacts of larger ships like the Crystal Serenity. A size limit and a number should be included. We cannot do a 1,000-passenger ship for three days in a row. There just aren't that many people here. We're not going to fly in drum dancers.” Daniel Skjeldam, head of the Norway-based Hurtigruten cruise, also called for size limits, so ships no bigger than 500 passengers could visit. Skjeldam said, “This has to do with safety — search and rescue – but also to do with the small communities that you come in to. “We are concerned about the impact they have on these villages.” Crystal Cruises spokeswoman Molly Morgan contended enough had been done to consult the locals when the company began planning the historic voyage three years ago. Morgan said, “Crystal team members made multiple trips to the region to collaborate with the local communities and ensure that, as a company, we were well educated on the culture, history and ecosystem that makes up this delicate region.” What’s your take? Do you think it’s wrong to be sending massive cruise liners through that sensitive part of the world? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Image: YouTube / Crystal Cruises

Cruising

Qantas announces new direct routes overseas

After international travel returns following years of closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Qantas has announced a way to help travellers get to their destinations more efficiently. The airline giant recently announced plans to grow its international network out of Sydney by unveiling new direct routes to India and Korea, which will be taking off this year. A direct route will be introduced between Sydney and Bengaluru (Bangalore) in southern India from September 14th. This will be the first non-stop flight between Australia and southern India by any airline. Qantas and Jetstar have also announced the launch of direct flights between Sydney and Seoul, South Korea. The flights will commence from November 22nd and will occur three times a week, making Jetstar the only budget airline to make the direct flight. Qantas will also make direct flights from Australia to South Korea from December 10th, making the airline’s first scheduled service to Seoul since 2008. The introduction of these new direct routes are designed to help kickstars New South Wales’ post-Covid tourism recovery. "Sydney is one of the world's truly global cities and these new direct flights to India and Korea will make it easier for millions of people to come here," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce says. "It's clear that Australia is back on the map for international travellers. Demand for our international flights has rebounded since borders reopened, and that's giving us the confidence to launch these new routes together with the marketing support from Destination New South Wales." "With expected strong business, premium leisure and low-cost travel demand on the route, we see an opportunity for both Qantas and Jetstar to fly on the route." Image credits: Getty Images

International Travel

Invasive species may travel trade routes

<div> <div class="copy"> Invasive species could increase their global presence via China’s developing trade routes, researchers warn. A new study models the distribution and likelihood of invasion of terrestrial vertebrate species along China’s Belt and Road Initiative (<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/regional-integration/brief/belt-and-road-initiative" target="_blank">BRI</a>), a massive infrastructure development project involving six proposed economic corridors and 121 countries. The largest project of its kind ever attempted, the BRI has an estimated cost of an unprecedented US$4 trillion for road development, shipping routes and ports. A research team led by Yiming Li from the Chinese Academy of Sciences used species distribution modelling to assess the introduction risks for a suite of 816 known invasive terrestrial vertebrate species, as well as habitat suitability across the BRI regions. Habitat suitability is an indicator of the likelihood a species will become established after introduction. The findings, reported in a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)31670-1" target="_blank">paper</a> published in the journal Current Biology, reveal that more than two thirds of BRI countries have a lethal combination of introduction risk and high habitat suitability. “Of particular concern, we find that the majority of both introduction hotspots and areas with high habitat suitability fall along the six proposed Economic Corridors,” says Li. The team identified 14 “invasion hotspots” where biosecurity efforts might best be directed. They are located across the BRI countries, from the Caribbean Islands, northern Africa and Eastern Europe to Southeast Asia and New Zealand. Australia is not a member country or signatory to the scheme. One of the 816 <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/100_worst.php" target="_blank">species of concern</a> is the large North American bullfrog, (Lithobates catesbeianus or Rana catesbeiana), which is originally from east of the Rocky Mountains. It is a voracious predator of local frogs and other reptiles, and a carrier of chytrid fungus, which decimates local frog populations. The bullfrog is now established in over 40 countries, and very <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2004/09/news-bullfrogs-invading-nearly-unstoppable/" target="_blank">difficult to eradicate</a> once established. The findings have prompted the researchers to urgently recommend “the initiation of a project targeting early prevention, strict surveillance, rapid response and effective control of alien species in BRI countries to ensure that this development is sustainable.” This proposed biosecurity plan and its implementation could be funded by the establishment of a dedicated fund, they suggest. In separate <a rel="noopener" href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0452-8" target="_blank">correspondence</a> to the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, Alex Lechner from the University of Nottingham Malaysia and two colleagues suggest that as the 50-year BRI is still only five years old, there is an opportunity to incorporate biodiversity conservation as one of its core values. For example, they suggest, the Chinese government could plan and implement a network of protected areas and wildlife corridors across Eurasia, as well as preventing and/or controlling alien species invasion effectively. China has embraced renewable energy and technology enthusiastically, and could potentially be a world leader in biodiversity conservation, they write. Image credits: Getty Images </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/sustainability/invasive-species-may-travel-chinas-new-trade-routes/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Tanya Loos. </div> </div>

Travel Tips

Barbados announces new museum of slavery

Just days after cutting ties with the British monarchy, Barbados has announced plans to build a major new heritage site dedicated to the history of the transatlantic slave trade. The museum is set to house the largest collection of British slave records outside of the United Kingdom, as well as a research cebtrew and a memorial adjacent to a burial ground where the remains of 570 enslaves West African men, woman and children were discovered. “Barbados is authentically enshrining our history and preserving the past as we reimagine our world and continue to contribute to global humanity. It is a moral imperative but equally an economic necessity,” Barbados’s Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said in a statement. Construction of the museum is set to begin on November 30th 2022, on the first anniversary of Barbados becoming a parliamentary republic. The site will be located outside of the country’s capital city, next to the Newton Enslaved Burial Ground Memorial, a former sugar plantation and the site of the island’s largest and earliest slave burial ground. Upon its completion, the district will be the first of its kind in the Caribbean, as it will combine research and extensive documentation from the existing Barbados Archives. The new archive will “enable Barbados to authoritatively map its history in lasting, healing and powerful ways,” Mottley said. “It will unearth the as-yet-untold heritage embedded in centuries-old artifacts, revealing both Barbados’ history and trajectory into the future.” According to a statement from David Adjaye, the site’s architect, the design for the district “draws upon the technique and philosophy of traditional African tombs, prayer sites and pyramids.” In order to commemorate the victims of the slave trade, the grounds above the grave will feature 570 individual timber beams, capped with brass plates and angled towards the sun. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Unseen photos released to commemorate 9/11 attacks

The US Secret Service recently released six new images of 9/11 which have never been seen before, to mark the event’s 20th anniversary. The Secret Service released six images, including an eerie photo taken at Ground Zero after the Tower’s collapse. The Service also released a video commemorating the attack, on Twitter. Another photo, taken by a Secret Service employee, shows smoke billowing from the World Trade Centre towers after both planes had struck the buildings. During the attacks which changed the world on the morning of September 11, 2001, almost 3000 people were killed, including more than 2600 at the World Trade Centre in New York. Another 125 people died at the Pentagon and 265 on the four planes that were hijacked. More than 20,000 people were injured. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 🇺🇸9/11: U.S. Secret Service reveals previously unpublished photos of 9/11 The photographs were taken by employees of the service: they show the twin towers after the tragedy, damaged limousines and the area on which the World Trade Center complex was located. <a href="https://t.co/MXXd9xW6Br">pic.twitter.com/MXXd9xW6Br</a> — The RAGEX (@theragex) <a href="https://twitter.com/theragex/status/1436670434288754693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2021</a></blockquote> 'Scars forever' for Jack Grandcolas and his family Twenty years after the attack, Jack Grandcolas still remembers waking up at 7.03 that morning. He looked at the clock, then out the window where an image in the sky caught his eye - a fleeting vision that looked like an angel ascending. He didn’t know it yet, but that was the moment his life changed. On the other side of the country, it was 10.03 am and United Flight 93 had just crashed into a Pennsylvania field. His wife, Lauren, was not supposed to be on that flight. So, when he turned on the television and saw the chilling scenes of September 11, 2001, unfolding, he was not worried for her. Then he saw the blinking light on the answering machine. Lauren had left two messages that morning, as he slept with the phone ringer off in the bedroom. First, with good news that she was taking an earlier flight from New Jersey home to San Francisco. Then she called from the plane. There was “a little problem”, his wife said, but she was “comfortable for now”. She did not say she would call back, Grandcolas recalls. She said: “I love you more than anything, just know that. Please tell my family I love them too. Goodbye, honey.” “That moment I looked over at the television and there was a smouldering hole on the ground in Pennsylvania. They said it was United Flight 93,” said Grandcolas, 58. “That’s when I dropped to the ground.” <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4f5444d2294344dbaf77fd9159c11cc0" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843999/9-11-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4f5444d2294344dbaf77fd9159c11cc0" /> All 44 people on board were killed. Lauren was 38 years old and three months pregnant with their first child. She had travelled east to attend her grandmother’s funeral in New Jersey, and then stayed a few extra days to announce the pregnancy - a little “good news to lift the spirits of her parents and sisters after burying their grandmother”, Grandcolas said. Flight 93 was the fourth and final plane to be hijacked on September 11 by four al-Qaeda terrorists on a suicide mission aimed at the Capitol in Washington DC. Passengers and crew members used seatback phones to call loved ones and authorities and learned of the first two attacks, on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC. Realising their hijacking was part of a broader attack, they took a vote to fight back and try to gain control of the plane. It was a heroic act that spared countless more lives. “What they did was amazingly dramatic,” Grandcolas said. It was “a selfless act of love to conquer hate”. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BTD1tSEo8gU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> 20th anniversary this year For years, Grandcolas has bristled at the term ‘9/11 anniversary’ because he feels an anniversary is something to celebrate. But the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack is an important one, Grandcolas said, adding he plans to travel to Pennsylvania to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial for the first time since 2003. “Every year it’s a gut punch,” he said in an interview near his home in Pebble Beach, south of Santa Cruz in California. “We will live with the scars the rest of our lives.” Grandcolas struggled with depression and survivor’s guilt in the aftermath of the tragedy. With the help of therapy, he came to see Lauren’s message from the plane as meant to reassure him and her family and “to let us know that she was OK with what was transpiring”. That unworldly image he saw in the sky the morning of September 11 took on new meaning as he healed. “It didn’t dawn on me until later that the vision was Lauren.” He would hear her voice in times of struggle, telling him to get up and keep living his life. Grandcolas eventually remarried. Today, he’s semi-retired from his career as an advertising executive. He is writing a book about the grieving process which will be a tribute to his unborn child with Lauren. On the 20th anniversary, Grandcolas finds himself thinking back to how the country came together after 9/11, which he sees as a stark contrast to the division plaguing America today. “This country was united from sea to shining sea, and today, maybe now, would be a good time to let the divisiveness drop,” he said. Images: U.S. Secret Service/Twitter

Travel Trouble

Australian journalist held in Chinese detention with no near end date in sight

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has said that the reasons behind detaining high-profile Australian journalist Cheng Lei in Beijing have not been made clear by Chinese authorities. Mr Birmingham told Today that the Federal Government is offering consular support to Cheng and her family. "We are doing everything we can in providing her and her family with assistance through what is no doubt a difficult time for them,” he said. Mr Birmingham confirmed the Federal Government had been made formally aware of her being in detention by authorities on August 14. However they have not revealed why the television anchor with Chinese state-run channel CGTN was being held. "But we will continue to work to ensure that the right assistance is provided to give her and her family every support," Mr Birmingham said. Australian consular officials spoke with Cheng at the detention facility via video link last Thursday. The detention is likely to further the strain on the already fraught relationship between Canberra and Beijing. The communist state is now investigating Australian wine makers over what it calls fair trading practices. However Mr Birmingham has said that Australia's values "are not for sale". <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837611/daily-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0dba36f7df504e8c80344f28ddf1f719" /> Trade Minister Simon Birmingham "Our government has been very clear that our values are not for sale. We will always defend our interests and Australia's security interests in particular." He said Australia desired to have a "constructive relationship" with China. "We have different systems of government. We bring different approaches to those systems of government but we respect their sovereignty and we simply ask for that to be reciprocated." Cheng has not been charged with any crime but is under "residential surveillance at a designated location" in Beijing, the ABC has reported. Residential surveillance is essentially detention without legal access. It can last up to six months before a suspect is formally arrested or charged. "We ask that you respect that process and understand there will be no further comment at this time,” authorities have stated. Cheng has been working with CGTN since 2012. She has reported on Asian affairs in China since 2002. She has reported major Chinese events including Beijing's 2008 Olympics and Shanghai's 2010 World Expo.

News

Insider trading has become more subtle

Insider trading comes in two main forms: arguably legal and clearly illegal. But, as with drugs in sport, it’s hard to tell when arguably legal ends and clearly illegal begins. It is generally accepted that it is wrong to buy shares in the company you run when you know something about it that the market does not. It’s especially wrong to buy shares when you are telling the market that things are much worse for the company than you know them to be. Join 130,000 people who subscribe to free evidence-based news. Get newsletter But what about suddenly sharing everything – an avalanche of information – in the lead-up to a share purchase in order to muddy the waters and create enough uncertainty to lower the price? Chief executives have enormous discretion over the tone and timing of the news they release, generally answering to no one. A linguistic analysis of twelve years worth of news releases by 6764 US chief executives just published by myself and two University of Queensland colleagues in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378426620300881">Journal of Banking and Finance</a> suggests they are using this discretion strategically. Not clearly illegal (how can oversharing be illegal?) their behaviour can have the same effect as talking down their share price while buying, something that is clearly illegal. Spreads matter, as well as signs Earlier analyses of insider trading have looked at only the “sign” of the information released to to the share market. On balance was the tone of one month’s news releases positive or negative? We have looked at the “spread”, the range from positive to negative as well as the net result. It doesn’t make sense to treat as identical a month’s worth of releases which are all neutral tone in tone (sending no message) and a month’s worth of releases of which half are strongly positive and half are strongly negative (stoking uncertainty). Our sample of discretionary (non-required) news releases is drawn from those lodged with <a href="https://web.stevens.edu/hfslwiki/index.php?title=Thomson_Reuters_News_Analytics">Thomson Reuters News Analytics</a> between January 2003 to December 2015. It includes firms listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the AMEX American Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ technology-heavy exchange. The archive scores the tone of each release as positive, negative or neutral. We used the <a href="https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/press-releases/2014/thomson-reuters-starmine-model-predicts-us-stock-performance.html">Thomson Reuters Insiders Filing Database</a> to obtain information on chief executive buying, limiting our inquiries to significant purchases of at least 100 shares. Strategic uncertainty About 70% of the chief executives proved to be opportunistic traders in the sense that they bought with no particular pattern, rather than at the same time every year. We found that news releases by these chief executives increased information uncertainty by 5.8% and 3.6% in the months before they bought and in the month they bought. In the months following their purchases, the positive to negative spread of their news releases returned to the average for non-purchase months. The unmistakable conclusion is that their behaviour is strategic. We obtained similar results when we used other measures of buying and the tone of news releases. Our results provide no evidence to support the contention that chief executives behave in this strategic way when selling shares. This is consistent with other findings suggesting that the timing of sales is often out of the hands of the sellers. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Insider%20trading%20and%20voluntary%20disclosures&publication_year=2006&author=Q.%20Cheng&author=K.%20Lo">Previous studies</a> have found only <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Voluntary%20disclosures%20and%20insider%20transactions&publication_year=1999&author=C.F.%20Noe">weak links</a> between executive share purchases and the news they release to the market. This might be because those studies have looked for more easily detected (and more clearly problematic) negative news releases. But that’s an old and (with the advent of linguistic analysis) increasingly risky approach. Our research suggests that by saying many things at once chief executives can achieve much the same thing. Written by Barry Oliver. Republished with permission <a href="https://theconversation.com/insider-trading-has-become-more-subtle-142981">of The Conversation.</a>

Legal

“No dogs”: Bus company apologises after blind woman told she can’t ride with guide dog

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Louise Pearson’s usual trip to work turned into an hour-long standoff as a bus driver refused to let her get on a bus with her guide dog, Arthur. Pearson said to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://10daily.com.au/shows/10-news-first/melbourne/a200218hdatv/bus-company-apologises-after-blind-woman-told-she-cant-ride-with-guide-dog-20200218" target="_blank">10 Daily</a> that she flagged down the bus and the driver said, “no dogs”. She then tried to explain that she had been catching the same bus route for four years and said that Arthur needed to come with her for the journey. "This is Melbourne, Australia, and I always think that we are at the forefront ... that we've got around these issues," she said of the incident. "I didn’t get angry at all with him this morning or say anything that was in any way rude to him, but I just wasn't going to let the point go because otherwise, people don’t learn." Another passenger tried to sway the driver by saying that they see Pearson on the same route every day. "He was sort of moving up and down the bus saying, 'no dogs, you can't have dogs on this bus'," Pearson said. After the hour-long stand off, police officers in Victoria were called to the scene and offered Pearson a ride in their car. However, she refused and was eventually allowed to continue on her bus trip. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Louise says she feels frustrated about being denied entry to a Dysons bus this morning, with her guide dog Arthur. She said more education is needed about ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/GuideDogsVIC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GuideDogsVIC</a>⁩ laws <a href="https://t.co/Mr70Zj9AT2">pic.twitter.com/Mr70Zj9AT2</a> — Yasmin Paton (@yaspaton) <a href="https://twitter.com/yaspaton/status/1229568350667194368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote> Victoria’s head of transport services Jeroen Weimar told reporters that he was “distressed and disappointed” by the incident. "Everybody who uses a guide dog is entitled to travel on our public transport system, whether it be a bus, train or tram," Weimar told reporters. "This is a reminder of how important it is that we continue to educate not only drivers but everyone in society about the importance of guide dogs and also the importance of enabling everybody to live freely and independently." Guide Dogs Victoria chief executive Karen Hayes says that the organisation’s main role is to ensure there is a “voice at the table” for accessible transport for all members in the community. "We need to keep the message out there that we need to continue to educate the community about the fact guide dogs aren't pets," Hayes said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Today our CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/karenlhayes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KarenLHayes</a> fronted the media to address an incident where a Guide Dog handler was refused access to a bus. We are supporting our client through this and acknowledge the need for continued public education about Guide Dog access. Learn more: <a href="https://t.co/ws4edPNKoS">https://t.co/ws4edPNKoS</a> <a href="https://t.co/8eAnVxKfJc">pic.twitter.com/8eAnVxKfJc</a> — Guide Dogs Victoria (@GuideDogsVIC) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuideDogsVIC/status/1229650589199556609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote> "They are working guide dogs to provide freedom and independence to somebody who has blindness or low vision." Bus company Dysons said that the driver misunderstood the rules for assistance animals on public transport and confirmed that the driver had been stood down as investigations continue. "We would like to apologise to the passenger for any distress caused by this morning's incident," it said in a statement. "To ensure this doesn't happen again, we will engage with Guide Dogs Victoria and other applicable organisations to see what training opportunities are available to our company." </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

Riding on the kangaroo’s back: Animal skin fashion, exports and ethical trade

The Versace fashion house recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/15/versace-bans-kangaroo-skin-after-pressure-from-animal-activists">announced</a> it had stopped using kangaroo skins in its fashion collections after coming under pressure from animal rights group <a href="https://www.lav.it/en">LAV</a>. Kangaroo meat and skin has an annual production <a href="http://www.kangarooindustry.com/industry/economic/">value</a> of around A$174 million, with skins used in the fashion and shoe manufacturing industries. There are legitimate questions regarding the ethical manner in which kangaroos are killed. But Indigenous people have long utilised the skins of kangaroos and possums. Versace’s concerns may have been allayed by understanding more about our traditions and practices. Reviving skills There has always been concern around how native animals are treated while alive and how they are killed to cause as little distress, pain and suffering as possible. Campaigners say <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australia-versace-kangaroos">2.3 million</a> kangaroos in Australia are hunted each year. Official <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives/wild-harvest/kangaroo-wallaby-statistics/kangaroo-2000">sources</a> cite this figure as the national quota, but put the number actually killed at around 1.7 million. Australian Aboriginal people have for many thousands of years utilised native animals, predominantly kangaroos and possums. Consciously and sustainably, every part of the animal was used. The kangaroo meat was eaten, the skins used to make cloaks for wearing, teeth used to make needles, sinew from the tail used as thread. The cloaks were incised with designs on the skin side significant to the wearer representing their totems, status and kinship. Cloaks were made for babies and added to as the child grew into adulthood, and people were buried in their <a href="https://www.nationalquiltregister.org.au/aboriginal-skin-cloaks/">cloaks</a>when they died. Aboriginal women from New South Wales and Victoria have begun <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/museums/images/content/exhibitions-events/where-we-all-meet/djon-mundine-essay-sectioned.pdf">reviving</a> the tradition of kangaroo and possum skin cloak-making to pass down knowledge of this important practice to future generations. Interestingly, possum skins can only be purchased from New Zealand for these crafts. As an introduced species, they have wreaked havoc on NZ animal populations and the environment, but are a protected species in Australia. Culls and trade In Australia, kangaroos are not farmed but are harvested for meat and fur in the wild under a voluntary <a href="https://www.viva.org.uk/under-fire/cruelty-kangaroos">code of conduct</a>. The code is difficult to monitor and enforcement is <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/thinkk_production/resources/29/Kangaroo_Court_Enforcement_of_the_law_governing_commercial_kangaroo_killing_.pdf">complicated</a> by federal and state sharing of responsibility. This code is currently under <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/kangaroo-commercial-code-review/">review</a>. The export and import of wildlife is <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives">regulated</a> under Australia’s national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act. In practice, kangaroos are shot in the wild by professional licensed shooters with an intended single shot to the head to kill them quickly. There are <a href="http://thinkkangaroos.uts.edu.au/issues/welfare-and-enforcement.html">concerns</a> over whether shooters should be trained better and whether nighttime shoots with poor visibility result in the killing of alpha males or mothers with joeys in their pouches. If mothers are accidentally shot, the code dictates the joey should be shot too. Sometimes the shot does not kill them instantly and they are then clubbed over the head. Traditionally, Aboriginal people speared kangaroos. This was unlikely to kill them instantly, so they were swiftly killed with a blow to the head by a boondi(wooden club). Why kangaroo? Kangaroo skin is extremely strong and more flexible than other leathers, including cow hide. It is routinely used in the production of soccer boots as they mould to the feet extremely well and don’t need to be worn in like harder leathers. This has led to an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-07-12/kangaroo-skin-hits-fashion-capitals/1799602">increase</a> in the use of kangaroo. LAV <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">reports</a> Italy is the biggest importer of kangaroo leather in Europe, where it is used to produce soccer shoes and motorbike suits. They are <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">lobbying</a> brands Lotto and Dainese to stop using kangaroo, arguing that shooting animals is not sustainable given the estimated <a href="https://theconversation.com/bushfires-left-millions-of-animals-dead-we-should-use-them-not-just-bury-them-129787">1 billion</a> creatures killed in bushfires this season. In terms of environmental sustainability, kangaroos cause less damage to the environment than cattle. Cows contribute methane gas, their hard hooves destroy the earth, they eat the grass to a point that it does not regenerate. Kangaroos eat the grass leaving a small portion to re-flourish, they bounce across the land without causing damage to it, and don’t produce methane gases. The use of kangaroo skins in fashion can be done ethically if the code is reviewed in consultation with Aboriginal people and enforced properly. The industry has the <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">potential</a> to produce and support sustainable business opportunities for Aboriginal communities. While celebrities are <a href="https://www.idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/fur/latest-news/kardashians-shamed-among-10-worst-celebrities-fur-animals/">shamed</a> for wearing fur fashion, this relates to the unregulated and inhumane treatment of coyotes, chinchillas, foxes, mink, rabbits, and other fur-bearing animals. In contrast, scientists <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">consider</a> kangaroo harvest as “one of the few rural industry development options with potential to provide economic return with minimal environmental impact”. Only natural Versace, along with most fashion retailers across the high-end to ready-to-wear spectrum, use synthetic fibres in their fashion products. Such materials eventually <a href="https://theconversation.com/time-to-make-fast-fashion-a-problem-for-its-makers-not-charities-117977">cause more damage</a> to the environment than natural fibres and skins. They don’t biodegrade and many of these fibres end up in landfill, our oceans or in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749119348808">stomachs of fish</a>. Animal skins will always be used in fashion and other products because of the unique properties the skins bring to design and function. While the bushfires have killed millions of Australian native animals, kangaroo culls are managed to have limited impact on the population. We should focus our energy on saving Australian native animals that are <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-bushfires-could-drive-more-than-700-animal-species-to-extinction-check-the-numbers-for-yourself-129773">close to extinction</a> and lobbying for a stricter ethical code for shooters that can be legally enforced to ensure kangaroos are killed humanely. Written by Dr Fabri Blacklock. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/riding-on-the-kangaroos-back-animal-skin-fashion-exports-and-ethical-trade-130207">The Conversation.</a>

Beauty & Style

Australia as a nation is spending less on diplomacy

Ten years ago, the Lowy Institute <a href="https://archive.lowyinstitute.org/publications/australia-diplomatic-deficit">published a report</a> on the state of Australia’s diplomatic capacity that painted a “sobering picture” of overstretched foreign missions and declining resources. In the words of then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was quoted in the report: <blockquote> Given the vast continent we occupy, the small population we have and our unique geo-strategic circumstances, our diplomacy must be the best in the world. </blockquote> However, since then we haven’t put enough resources into our diplomacy as we should. New research by Asialink at the University of Melbourne published in <a href="https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/essay/2019/10/china-dependence">Australian Foreign Affairs</a> shows continuing under-investment in Australia’s diplomatic capacity, with funding for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) now at a new low of <a href="https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/articles/the-fix/2019/10/the-fix-melissa-conley-tyler-on-how-to-rebuild-australias-diplomatic">just 1.3% of the federal budget</a>. Still in deficit? According to Allan Gyngell, the founding director of the Lowy Institute, the reason for its 2009 report, Diplomatic Deficit, was simple. <blockquote> For Australia to do things in the world, it needs a number of assets. These include the instruments of foreign policy, including the overseas network of posts. </blockquote> The idea for the report was to go beyond the usual suspects and involve people like business leaders in making the case for diplomacy. It made 24 recommendations, many of which were not specifically about funding. These have mostly been met. Sadly, the situation is less positive for recommendations that called for additional funding. Since 2013, Australia’s total diplomatic, trade and aid budgets have fallen from 1.5% of the federal budget to 1.3%. In pure dollar terms, this is a fall <a href="https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/articles/the-fix/2019/10/the-fix-melissa-conley-tyler-on-how-to-rebuild-australias-diplomatic">from A$8.3 billion to A$6.7 billion</a>. At the same time, the budgets for defence, intelligence and security have ballooned. In the almost two decades since the September 11 terror attacks, the Department of Defence budget has increased by 291%, while the allocation for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has grown by 528% and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service by 578%. Lost opportunities This systematic under-funding of DFAT has run down Australia’s diplomatic capacity to the point that it is under-resourced to confront current foreign policy challenges. To give an idea of what this means, these are some examples of what Australia’s diplomats do on a day-to-day basis: <ul> <li> consular work assisting Australians in trouble with law enforcement, such as visiting them in prison and advocating for fair treatment </li> <li> counter-terrorism cooperation, working with overseas governments to build capacity and help keep Australian travellers safer </li> <li> business promotion of Australian products and services and investment promotion for companies considering setting up operations in Australia </li> <li> networking with influential politicians and business people to try to impact decisions that will affect Australians. </li> </ul> When Australia’s diplomats are asked to accomplish more with fewer resources, they have to cut back what they can do. Scaling back has a real effect on Australia’s influence. If Australia reduces the scholarships to bring future regional leaders to study in Australia, for instance, they’ll likely study and form bonds elsewhere. If Australia reduces its investment in Indonesia’s education system, it will be dominated by the country’s other major funder, Saudi Arabia. When Australia pulls back on its diplomacy, other countries take up the slack. One impetus for the Morrison government’s much-vaunted “<a href="https://dfat.gov.au/geo/pacific/engagement/Pages/stepping-up-australias-pacific-engagement.aspx">Pacific Step Up</a>” was the realisation that cuts in aid and diplomacy had led to lessened Australian influence in its neighbourhood. In the words of one diplomat I spoke to, “China had been eating our lunch”. The problem is that the “step up” did not come with increased funding for diplomats, meaning that DFAT’s new <a href="https://dfat.gov.au/geo/pacific/Pages/office-of-the-pacific.aspx">Office of the Pacific</a> is being formed by taking staff and resources from other parts of department. Getting back in black We recommend an immediate increase in spending on diplomacy, trade and aid to 1.5% of the federal budget. This is closer to the spending of countries such as <a href="https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/articles/the-fix/2019/10/the-fix-melissa-conley-tyler-on-how-to-rebuild-australias-diplomatic">Canada (1.9%) and the Netherlands (4.3%)</a>, though still much lower than the challenging era after the second world war, when Australia was <a href="https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/articles/the-fix/2019/10/the-fix-melissa-conley-tyler-on-how-to-rebuild-australias-diplomatic">spending 9% of the federal budget</a> on diplomacy, trade and aid. If nothing else, DFAT should be granted an exemption from the efficiency dividend – an annual funding reduction for government agencies – until its budget rises to a more normal, historical level. This measure, usually levied at 1% to 1.25% of the administrative budget, reached 4% in 2012–13. With DFAT cut to the bone, the focus should be on increasing its budget, not constant cuts. The aspirations for our diplomacy must be upgraded beyond the bare minimum. Ten years on from <a href="https://archive.lowyinstitute.org/publications/australia-diplomatic-deficit">Diplomatic Deficit</a>, Australia must resist the magical thinking that foreign affairs and trade somehow happen by themselves. In the 2009 report, former DFAT Secretary Richard Woolcott is quoted as saying: <blockquote> I do feel that the Department of Foreign Affairs … has been allowed to run down to a dangerously low level … we can’t go on doing more with less … these sorts of undertakings do need to be properly resourced. </blockquote> If only this had changed in the last 10 years. Mitchell Vandewerdt-Holman, a Master of International Relations student at the University of Melbourne, contributed to this report.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125722/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melissa-conley-tyler-747506">Melissa Conley Tyler</a>, Director of Diplomacy at Asialink, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722">University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-is-spending-less-on-diplomacy-than-ever-before-and-its-influence-is-suffering-as-a-result-125722">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

5 things you need to see at the Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail

The third annual <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.bathurstregion.com.au/bathurstheritagetradestrail" target="_blank">Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail</a> will be back bigger than ever this weekend with 100 artisans coming together to pay homage to the trades and traditions that have helped shape the region from the 18th-19th May. Artisans will showcase rare trades and crafts including blacksmithing, whip cracking, glass artistry, embroidery, carpentry, cigar box guitar making, violin making and more, across four of Bathurst’s most historic venues. Here are five things you can’t miss at the Bathurst Heritage Trail this weekend: <ol> <li>Rediscover craftsmanship: step back in time to find out about the trades of 200 years ago from carpentry, lacemaking, musical instrument building, blacksmithing and more.</li> <li>Get hands-on at a workshop: have you ever wanted to learn how to upholster your own furniture, or try your hand at vintage printmaking techniques? There is a selection of great workshops available all weekend.</li> <li>Sip on a local wine: at one of the wine appreciation sessions held by local award-winning winemaker, Mark Renzaglia.</li> <li>Snack on a yummy local treat: try a yummy scone from the Country Women’s Association, a hearty locally made soup, or grab a coffee from Bathurst locals, Long Point Coffee.</li> <li>Explore Bathurst: Australia’s oldest inland settlement is also home to the Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum, Chifley Home and Abercrombie House, or simply take a stroll through the historic Town Square while listening to the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/bathurst-step-beyond/id1436831330?mt=8" target="_blank">Bathurst audio tour</a> narrated by Grant Denyer.</li> </ol> Written by Alison Godfrey. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.mydiscoveries.com.au/stories/bathurst-regional-trades-trail/">MyDiscoveries</a>.

Domestic Travel

“Despair and devastation”: John Edward's gut feeling about 9/11 weeks before it happened

John Edward, well known psychic medium, had a gut feeling he just couldn’t shake as he was in a ballroom back in 2001. He shared with <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/john-edward-medium/?utm_source=Mamamia.com.au%20-%20All%20Newsletters&utm_campaign=b6079f2877-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_07_22_05_54&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9dc62997a2-b6079f2877-211561537&mc_cid=b6079f2877&mc_eid=c10f87c072" target="_blank">Mamamia’s No Filter Podcast</a> about the weird sensation he felt as he ducked into a nearby lobby to take a phone call from a friend. “It was the most eerie, ominous, evil feeling. I can’t even tell you,” he said. “I get goose bumps as I tell you this. I looked around and I looked at the security guard, and then I remember looking everywhere around, and I just was like, ‘Oh’. “I walked out of the building, and I went to my wife. I go, ‘I need to talk to you… You have to find a new place [for the competition]; you can’t do it here next year.’ And she’s like, ‘What?’ I go, ‘I don’t want you to come down here. Go talk to your boss. You’ve got to get it moved’.” His wife was surprised at his sudden panic and kept pressing for an answer. “I go, ‘Death, despair and devastation’.” The nearby lobby he was standing in happened to be the World Trade Center. The feelings Edward felt that day in mid-August, 2001 – just weeks before tragedy struck on September 11 – sat with him for a long time. They reappeared when he was dining with friends and his wife, Sandra, suggested brunch at the World Trade Center restaurant, View of the World. It was here that Edward erupted. “I turned to her and snapped. I bit her head off, like a lunatic. She like looked at me, like, ‘I’m gonna be polite because we’re in front of other people right now, but I want to push your arse in front of an oncoming bus for the way you just spoke to me.’ “But I just really erupted. [I said] ‘There’s no way you’re getting me in that building! There’s no way I’m going up there.’ I can’t even convey to you how it came out. It was like a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde moment. It was really weird.” Edward then spend the next days in a deep depression. It was so noticeable that even strangers, who recognised him from his show Crossing Over, asked him if he was OK. “I was really struggling. It was a debilitating doom-and-gloom feeling, like I didn’t want to get out of bed if I didn’t have to,” he said. It was only when Edward recorded an episode of CNN interview program Larry King Live that the fog within him lifted. The pair had spoken about loss, grief and how to cope. However, the following day was one that plunged the world into a state of shock and unease as two planes that were hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists flew into the World Trade Center twin towers on September 11. The attack killed 2,977 people and reduced the buildings to toxic dust that still claims victims to this day. After the attack, Edward was contacted by several New Yorkers as well as people from the surrounding areas. “They literally said to me, ‘You were the last thing we watched, my husband and I. You were the last thing that we watched, us together. We had a conversation about grief. We had a conversation about the afterlife because of you. It was the last thing that we did.’"

Mind

The 4 most dangerous travel routes revealed around the world

Shipping company 1st Move International has utilised data from the Aviation Safety Network and the World Health Organisation to figure out what the most dangerous travel routes are around the globe. Some of them will surprise you. 1. Yungas Road, Bolivia This road is commonly referred to as “The Death Road” and clings to the Bolivian mountainside. With sheer drops, frequent mudslides and terrifyingly narrow sections, the road is responsible for up to 300 deaths a year. However, it’s an essential shipping route for locals and businesses so they must use the road. <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHVhEG0Dmoo/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHVhEG0Dmoo/" target="_blank">uno mas from the death road, as I sit on the toilet in Peru battling food poisoning 💩 #deathtoilet</a> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/lukegram/" target="_blank"> Luke Gram</a> (@lukegram) on Jul 1, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT </div> </blockquote> 2. Sichuan-Tibet Highway, China This route along China is 2,028 kms and is littered with lofty segments and dissects through a staggering 14 of the highest mountains between Changdu and Lhasa. Complete with unexpected landslides and multiple potholes, the route is one that truck drivers take regularly. There are also sharp mountain-side hair pins making travelling along the single-track sections in bad weather challenging for those who are inexperienced. <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaEJFBQg8Ra/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaEJFBQg8Ra/" target="_blank">Between Lhasa and Chengdu lies the famous Sichuan-Tibet Highway. The 2,142 kilometre-long road is prone to earthquake-triggered landslides that can cause traffic disruption, affecting the livelihoods of many living in the region. Despite all, it promises to be a breath-taking route for the adventurous. 📸 by Research Fellow Shi Xuhua.</a> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/earthobservatorysg/" target="_blank"> Earth Observatory of Singapore</a> (@earthobservatorysg) on Oct 10, 2017 at 3:48am PDT </div> </blockquote> 3. The Canning Stock Route, Australia The Canning Stock Route spans over three deserts in Australia: The Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert and the Great Sandy Desert. The route attracts rev-heads who are keen for a 4WD adventure, but the sandy stretch is paved with graves. The road stretches over 1,700 kilometres and the track was created in 1910 to connect a string of wells. It’s recommended that you allow at least 21 days for this extreme outback journey. <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYJ3-BhBTcx/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYJ3-BhBTcx/" target="_blank">A post shared by Gavin Gillett (@gavin.gillett)</a> on Aug 23, 2017 at 4:11pm PDT </div> </blockquote> 4. Bermuda Triangle, Bermuda Although the destination is now a hot-spot for tourists, this region in the North Atlantic Ocean is well known all over the world due to people disappearing in the region. Over the years, an alarming rate of ships and planes have vanished without a trace, but is still a very popular route around the world. <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BynUhoshoR6/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BynUhoshoR6/" target="_blank">Surfs Up 🤙🏾 Happy Hump day! 📸 @princessbermuda #bermuda #summer #bermudasummers #ptix #surfsup #wednesdaywaves</a> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/ptixbm/" target="_blank"> Ptix | Premier Tickets Limited</a> (@ptixbm) on Jun 12, 2019 at 8:15am PDT </div> </blockquote>

Travel Trouble

5 things you need to see at the Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail

The third annual <a href="http://www.bathurstregion.com.au/bathurstheritagetradestrail">Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail</a> will be back bigger than ever this weekend with 100 artisans coming together to pay homage to the trades and traditions that have helped shape the region from the 18th-19th May. Artisans will showcase rare trades and crafts including blacksmithing, whip cracking, glass artistry, embroidery, carpentry, cigar box guitar making, violin making and more, across four of Bathurst’s most historic venues. Here are five things you can’t miss at the Bathurst Heritage Trail this weekend: <ol> <li>Rediscover craftsmanship:step back in time to find out about the trades of 200 years ago from carpentry, lacemaking, musical instrument building, blacksmithing and more.</li> <li>Get hands-on at a workshop:have you ever wanted to learn how to upholster your own furniture, or try your hand at vintage printmaking techniques? There is a selection of great workshops available all weekend.</li> <li>Sip on a local wine:at one of the wine appreciation sessions held by local award-winning winemaker, Mark Renzaglia.</li> <li>Snack on a yummy local treat:try a yummy scone from the Country Women’s Association, a hearty locally made soup, or grab a coffee from Bathurst locals, Long Point Coffee.</li> <li>Explore Bathurst:Australia’s oldest inland settlement is also home to the Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum, Chifley Home and Abercrombie House, or simply take a stroll through the historic Town Square while listening to the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/bathurst-step-beyond/id1436831330?mt=8">Bathurst audio tour</a> narrated by Grant Denyer.</li> </ol> Tickets can be purchased here:<a href="http://www.bathurstregion.com.au/bathurstheritagetradestrail">www.bathurstregion.com.au/bathurstheritagetradestrail</a>. Written by Alison Godfrey. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.mydiscoveries.com.au/stories/bathurst-regional-trades-trail/">MyDiscoveries</a>.

Travel Tips

Man offers to trade truck for liver to save his dying wife

A California man has taken to Facebook to make a desperate plea to help save his dying wife. Verlon Robinson, 55, offered to give away his pick-up truck and trailer to anyone who could donate a healthy section of liver that would save his wife. He even offered to throw in one of his kidneys to the deal. Verlon’s wife, Marie, suffers from cirrhosis of the liver. She is on an organ transplant waiting list but Verlon says he is worried she won’t get a liver in time. “To all that don’t know I have a very sick wife, with a non-reversible liver disease,” Verlon wrote in a post last week. “I do have an 04 Dodge pick-up that I would gladly trade anyone,” he said. “Plus I could throw in a nice tent trailer. “I would do anything to trade places with her but as you know that’s impossible. So please if you are O-positive or negative blood type and would consider giving her some of your liver we have insurance that would cover all surgeries. “PS I have good kidneys and I would throw in one.” <img width="439" height="585" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/989513d7a833c363a2f55297ca6176ee?width=650" alt="Man offers to trade truck for liver to save dying wife. Picture: Verlon Robinson/Facebook" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Verlon had to later change his proposal after being told it was “against the rules to offer my material stuff”. “Since most of you do not want my truck or trailer, it’s probably OK,” he quipped. “However they did say I could still offer my kidney. So kidney is still out there.”

Caring

5 train routes you should try this year

These days when most people start planning their holidays they turn to budget flights as the quickest, cheapest option. And while this is often the case, one thing you don’t get when you’re flying with a budget airline is a sense of adventure, like you get when you’re standing at a platform waiting for your train to come in. Train travel is becoming an increasingly popular option for intrepid seniors looking for a holiday with a point of difference, and there are more options than you might think. Here’s our rundown of the rail adventures that were big in 2017. We’ve also included a rundown of five emerging rail-based destinations that aren’t on traveller’s radars yet. 1. The Rocky Mountaineer – Canada The Rocky Mountaineer was one of the best sellers last year, and if you look at some of the scenery these trains wind through it’s easy to understand why. With a range of itineraries available, the Rocky Mountaineer looks like it’s going to be just as popular in 2018 with travellers looking to get acquainted with the natural beauty of Canada. 2. The Ghan – Australia The Ghan may well be Australia’s most famous train journey, and if you haven’t experienced it yet 2018 is shaping up as a great year to give it a try. Rail Plus reported a 75 per cent surge in interest for Australian based train trips last year, and few routes showcase the rugged beauty of our sunburnt country as convincingly as The Ghan. 3. The Canadian – Canada Interest for rail travel in Canada is surging, and The Canadian provides a luxurious option for those who are looking to explore the country’s five most southern provinces; British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. 4. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express The famous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express saw a substantial increase in interest last year, with travellers turning away from the sardine treatment of European budget airlines, to enjoy a more refined look at the history and culture of the continent. 5. Grand Train Tour of Switzerland Switzerland isn’t the cheapest destination to visit by any stretch of the imagination, but senior travellers are making huge savings by utilising the value of a Swiss Travel Pass. With it, you get unlimited travel on all Swiss public transport and a range of the country’s most idyllic scenic routes, as well as bonus discounts and add-ons.

International Travel

10 busiest flight routes in the world

Air travel has become big business over the years, with thousands of flights taking off every day to ferry scores of travellers to far-flung destinations around the world. And as you can imagine, some routes are more popular than other. Flight data website OAG.com has done all the hard work, rounding up data on the busiest airline routes in the world. And interestingly, two of the top 10 are in Australia! To see the world’s busiest airline flight routes, scroll through the gallery above. Have you ever taken flights along any of these routes?

International Travel

Australia’s favourite tourist hotspot is more dangerous than ever

Statistics released by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) suggest that one of Australia’s favourite tourist hotspots is now its most dangerous. Thailand topped the charts when it came to Aussie incidents abroad, with the south east Asian country the most likely place for Australian travellers to end up in hospital overseas, with over 200 admissions in the last year. Far more gruesome numbers show just how dangerous the country can be, with 212 of the 612 Australians who died on holidays last year, meeting their fate in Thailand. DFAT numbers also showed the US was the country where Australians were most likely to get into trouble with the law, with 170 arrests and 54 people jailed last year. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 11 Of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Thailand?src=hash">#Thailand</a>'s Most Stunning National Parks (Without A Tourist In Sight) <a href="https://t.co/sv8MHMjzzD">https://t.co/sv8MHMjzzD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/travel?src=hash">#travel</a> <a href="https://t.co/DFgGq2Qjem">pic.twitter.com/DFgGq2Qjem</a> — What's On Sukhumvit (@WOSBangkok) <a href="https://twitter.com/WOSBangkok/status/869053204142714881">May 29, 2017</a></blockquote> Interestingly, the number of deaths and injuries occurring to Aussie travellers in Thailand saw a 26 per cent increase, despite a five per cent drop in tourist numbers. What do you make of the research? Have you ever been to Thailand? Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Tailor your cover to your needs and save money by not paying for things you don’t need. <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-insurance/?utm_source=over60&utm_campaign=travel-insurance&utm_medium=content&utm_content=travel-insurance" target="_blank">To arrange a quote, click here.</a> For more information about Over60 Travel Insurance, call 1800 622 966.

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