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TRANSCRIPT
- Australia and its AUKUS partner holds a joint conference in California.
- Opium imports to Australia have doubled this year.
- North Melbourne's AFLW on its way to success.
Australia held defence talks with the United States and the United Kingdom this week focusingon advanced warfare technology.
The three countries have their defence ministers holding a press conference in California which touched on the various aspects of AUKUS.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles stressed out the importance of the conversation he had with his two counterparts.
"Having strike capabilities are really important and when you look at something like resilient precision targeting, which forms part of the announcements today, that is critically important. When you look at the maritime autonomy measures that are contained in the announcements today, that's hugely beneficial for a country like Australia. "
In March, the United States, Australia and Britain announced a plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.
The multi-stage project would culminate with British and Australian production and operation of a new submarine class based on Britain's next-generation design that would be built in Britain and Australia and include what has been referred to as "cutting edge" American technologies.
The Pentagon says the U-S State Department had approved the potential sale of training and training devices to Australia for an estimated $2 billion.
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Opium imports are on the rise in Australia, as drug traffickers include the highly addictive substance into everyday items to avoid detection.
Since the start of this year, Australian Federal Police seized 155kg of opium from more than 125 attempted imports via air, parcel and sea.
This is more than double the amount seized in 2022 and roughly six times the amount detected in 2021.
Authorities are concerned criminal groups in Australia are using connections in the United Kingdom, India and Pakistan to source the illicit drug.
Two men, an Australian and Iranian man, aged 38 and 41, were arrested and charged last June after attempting to collect a shipment from Iran containing 23 mats which had been soaked and infused with opium.
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A new study by over a hundred researchers around the world has found that global inaction on the climate crisis will lead to a four-fold increase in heat-related deaths.
The report was published ahead of the United Nation's 28th climate change conference in Dubai, where the health effects of climate change will be addressed.
The Lancet report notes that the threat is particularly high in Europe, and that with the world currently on track for a 2.7 degrees temperature increase by 2100, and energy-related emissions reaching a new record high in 2022, the lives of current and future generations hang in the balance.
Dr Marina Romanello, Executive Director at Lancet Countdown on Climate and Health, says the change is already being felt.
“Heat-related mortality of adults over 65 years of age, a very vulnerable age group, have increased by 85% since the nineties alone. And we now know that more than half of that increase wouldn’t have occurred if temperatures hadn’t increased so we know that it’s climate change caused this today. We’re also seeing for example that food insecurity is on the rise. Nutrition is at risk and we know that malnutrition has permanent effects, particularly on children.”
Despite involving the World Meteorological and Health Organisations, the report’s authors say there isn’t yet enough information to show exactly whether the increasing weather hazards are resulting in increased hospitalisation.
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And to sports,
The AFLW players of North Melbourne are embracing the hype and opportunity to become the club's first premiership team this century.
The Kangaroos are in their first AFLW grand final since the competition formed in 2017.
It is also North's first appearance in any decider since the men's team won the 1999 flag, giving the club's long-suffering fans something to cherish.
After being close to reaching the grand final for the last four years, North finally booked a spot with memorable victories over Melbourne and Adelaide.
All that stands between the Kangaroos and premiership glory is the incomparable Brisbane Lions, who are in their fifth AFLW grand final from seven completed seasons.
In beating the Demons and Adelaide, North banished their reputation as being a step below the AFLW's Big Three.
