New polling has boiled the public’s views towards climate change down to five types of Kiwi: with a quarter of us labelled “the alarmed”.While most of us now accept climate change is happening and caused by our own activity, we…
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Scientists awed as squid 'bigger than human' swims past ship
Ocean researchers on an expedition to examine a shipwreck in the Red Sea have shared footage of the surprising moment an enormous squid also swam in to get a closer look.
The OceanXplorer research vessel was drifting about 850 metres below the ocean's surface so crew could get a look at the wreck of the passenger ship Pella late last year.
At the time, the awed researchers were not sure what type of squid happened to swim past its remote-vehicle camera, although they suspected it might be a "giant" squid.
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OceanX science program lead Mattie Rodrigue originally estimated was larger than a human being.
"I was frozen in absolute shock," she said.
Now, zoologist and squid expert Mike Vecchione has provided the team with answers.
The creature was not a giant squid, but rather a jumbo version of a purpleback flying squid – or the stenouteuthis oualaniensis, for the scientists playing at home.
Dr Vecchione said they represent "the giant form" of the purpleback flying squid.
The purpleback flying squid is typically much smaller than a giant squid, reaching on average 35 centimetres, according to the Australian Museum.
Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Auckland moves to top 5 in vaccination, Dunedin number one
Dunedin City continues to lead the way on Covid-19 vaccination while Auckland is steadily climbing its way up the ranks.New data from the Ministry of Health shows 69 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated, with Marlborough trailing…
Sir Peter Gluckman's influential new role in global science
One of New Zealand’s best-known experts is taking up the reins of a major global science body, just as it prepares to launch a sweeping report into the future of the pandemic.Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, who served as New Zealand’s…
How an elephant was moved across Sydney 100 years ago
More than 100 years ago, a cacophony of wild animals was transported across Sydney to their new home at what is now Taronga Zoo.
What sea level rise will look like around the globe
The planet is warming rapidly, resulting in historic drought, deadly floods and unusual melting events in the Arctic. It is also causing steady sea level rise, which scientists say will continue for decades.
Divers scour river in fourth day of search for missing boy in WA
Police divers will resume the search for a missing schoolboy last seen near Walpole in Western Australia this morning.
The land search for the boy was called off yesterday afternoon, but divers will continue to scour the river for a fourth day.
It was originally presumed the boy had gone missing while kayaking, but police revealed yesterday that nobody had actually seen the boy enter the water.
Police have confirmed clothing belonging to the child was found near the river at Fernhook Falls shortly after he disappeared, but nothing has been discovered since.
Divers have also faced challenging conditions underwater, with visibility extremely limited.
It was hoped conditions would improve today, with water levels decreasing.
However, police have said the chances of finding the boy alive are dwindling.
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Inspector Glenn Spencer said yesterday there were "lots of obstructions" in the way for police divers.
"The water is very high flowing and there's lots of obstructions … very turbulent water, very tumultuous ground," he said.
"Lots of rocks, lots of logs, and very low visibility of 30 centimetres, so it is hands and knees searching."
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SES volunteers have returned to help, but the land search was called off this afternoon.
"The search on the land was based on if the boy had self rescued," Inspector Spencer said.
"SES have searched 600 metres either side of the bank and about a kilometre downstream, and they've maximised every opportunity we've had to locate the boy on land."
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The boy's family, originally from Denmark, is struggling to come to terms with the situation.
"The family are in the grieving process," Inspector Spencer said.
"They are obviously in shock and as the days go on their anxiety levels are of course quite high," Superintendent Kim Travers said.
With a break in the bad weather police were able to deploy drones first thing this morning, scouring the river banks for the young boy.
The schoolboy was last seen at his family's campsite in Fernhook Falls around 9am on Sunday.
It's believed he had been kayaking moments before he disappeared, but police today said no one saw him going into the water.
It is not known whether the boy could swim.
Northern Lights shimmer farther south than usual
A geomagnetic storm triggered by a flare of solar energy hit Earth yesterday, making the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, light up the sky at lower latitudes than usual.
More people will be able to see the dazzling display, with auroras visible in Scotland and the north of England and as far south as New York, Wisconsin and Washington states, according to United States and United Kingdom authorities.
The effects are expected to continue over the next few days, according to the UK's Met Office, which said there could be a "rather active period of geomagnetic activity.
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"Geomagnetic storms are large disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field caused by changes in the solar wind and the structure of the interplanetary magnetic field.
This latest storm was triggered on Saturday by a strong coronal mass ejection – a hugely energetic explosion of light, solar material and energy from the Sun.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center said this geomagnetic storm was a "moderate" one, calling it a "G2" event on its 1 to 5 scale.
The US agency also noted that the storm's impact would be felt above 55 degrees latitude, and it was possible that power grid fluctuations could occur.
The Northern Lights are driven primarily by solar winds – particles emitted from the sun that flow out through space and tear through Earth's magnetosphere, creating a colorful light show.
Australia to build lunar rover for NASA mission to the Moon
An Australian-made lunar rover will be sent to the Moon in a new deal struck with NASA to build the $50 million vehicle for a future mission.
The semi-autonomous rover will collect lunar soil that contains oxides, and using separate equipment, NASA will aim to extract oxygen from the soil.
The government says it is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon and supporting future missions to Mars.
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Up to $50 million in funding will be available to Australian teams developing the rover through the government's Trailblazer program, and will form one component of the $150 million Moon to Mars initiative.
No Australian has ever step foot on the Moon.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was just one step towards Australia innovating in the "space economy".
"This is an incredible opportunity for Australia to succeed in the global space sector, and is central to our government's vision to secure more jobs and a larger share of the growing space economy," Mr Morrison said in a statement.
"By 2030, we want to triple the size of our space sector — adding $12 billion to our economy and creating up to 20,000 new, high-skilled jobs — providing more opportunities for Australians and industries.
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"Our government has invested more than $700 million in the civil space sector since July 2018, supporting core industries including manufacturing, robotics, engineering, mining and resources.
"This mission to the Moon is just one exciting way that we can create opportunity and jobs for the future, and our government will ensure Australians reap the benefits."
The rover and its deployment system must weigh 20 kilograms or less and perform its task "with a high level of autonomy".
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the partnership with Australian teams was a continuation of a friendship that stretches back more than 50 years.
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"This agreement will serve to strengthen the long-time relationship between the United States and Australia in areas related to space exploration – a relationship that goes back more than half a century to the days of the Apollo program," Mr Nelson said.
"By working together with the Australian Space Agency and our partners around the world, NASA will uncover more discoveries and accomplish more research through the Artemis program."
Under the agreement, NASA will fly the rover to the Moon as early as 2026, provided it meets a range of conditions during its development.
Enrico Palermo, head of the Australian Space Agency, said world-leading skills were drawn from expertise in the resources and mining sector.
"Australia is at the cutting-edge of robotics technology and systems for remote operations, which are going to be central to setting up a sustainable presence on the Moon and eventually supporting human exploration of Mars," Mr Palermo said.
US: Biden Allocates 15,000 Refugee Admissions from Latin America and Caribbean
CNW- United States President Joe Biden on Friday allocated 15,000 refugee admissions from Latin America and the Caribbean “for special humanitarian concern” for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.
In a Memorandum for the Secretary of State on Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2022, Biden said he was affirming “the United States’ deeply-held commitment to welcoming refugees,” raising the overall refugee admissions target to 125,000 for the forthcoming fiscal year.
“The admission of up to 125,000 refugees to the United States during Fiscal Year 2022 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest,” said Biden in the White House Memorandum.
Besides Latin America and the Caribbean, the US president said the admissions numbers shall be allocated among refugees of “special humanitarian concern” to the United States in accordance with the following regional allocations: Africa, 40,000; East Asia, 15,000; Europe and Central Asia, 10,000; Near East/South Asia, 35,000; and Unallocated Reserve, 10,000.
Biden said the 10,000 unallocated refugee numbers shall be allocated to regional ceilings, as needed.
“Upon providing notification to the Judiciary Committees of the Congress, you are hereby authorized to use unallocated admissions in regions where the need for additional admissions arises,” Biden told US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in the memorandum.
“Additionally, upon notification to the Judiciary Committees of the Congress, you are further authorized to transfer unused admissions allocated to a particular region to one or more other regions, if there is a need for greater admissions for the region or regions to which the admissions are being transferred,” he added.
Biden said he has determined that assistance to, or on behalf of, persons applying for admission to the United States, as part of the overseas refugee admissions program, “will contribute to the foreign policy interests of the United States”, urging Blinken to, therefore, “designate such persons for this purpose.”
The US president also said that, if otherwise qualified, persons from Cuba, Eurasia and the Baltics, Iraq, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras may be considered refugees “for the purpose of admission to the United States within their countries of nationality or habitual residence.”
In response, Blinken said in a statement that the US “is, and will continue to be, a global leader in international humanitarian response, including in refugee resettlement.
“Not only are we the largest single humanitarian donor, but we also seek to promote stability in regions experiencing crisis, advance protection and durable solutions for refugees, and facilitate international collaboration to address global refugee and humanitarian crises,” he said, disclosing that, in Fiscal Year 2020, the US provided more than US$10.5 billion in humanitarian assistance, including assistance for refugees.
In consultations with members of the US Congress, Blinken said he underscored that the State Department is “committed to rebuilding our US Refugee Admissions Program in line with our long tradition of offering hope and safe haven to those fleeing persecution.”
“We recognize the tremendous social, economic and cultural contributions refugees make to communities across the United States, and we are committed to rebuilding a robust US Refugee Admissions Program while ensuring its integrity and protecting our national security interests,” the US Secretary of State said.
“A robust refugee admissions program is a cornerstone of the president’s commitment to rebuilding a safe, orderly and humane migration system,” he added.
But, amid the Haitian refugee and migration crises, the Biden administration last week announced new immigration enforcement priorities.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said the new Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law aims to “better focus the department’s resources on the apprehension and removal of noncitizens who are a threat to our national security, public safety, and border security and advance the interests of justice by ensuring a case-by-case assessment of whether an individual poses a threat.”
“For the first time, our guidelines will, in the pursuit of public safety, require an assessment of the individual and take into account the totality of the facts and circumstances,” Mayorkas said.
He said enforcement priorities for apprehension and removal remain focused on noncitizens who are a threat to US national security, public safety and border security.
But he said the guidelines are a break from a “categorical approach to enforcement.
“They require an assessment of the individual and the totality of the facts, and circumstances to ensure resources are focused most effectively on those who pose a threat,” said the US Homeland Security Secretary.
“There is also recognition that the majority of the more than 11 million undocumented or otherwise removable noncitizens in the United States have been contributing members of our communities across the country for years,” he added. “The fact an individual is a removable noncitizen will not alone be the basis of an enforcement action against them. The department’s personnel are to use their discretion and focus the department’s enforcement resources in a more targeted way.”
Last week, Mayorkas with Haitian Ambassador to the United States Bocchit Edmond to discuss the nations’ continued cooperation.
“I appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with Ambassador Edmond about our shared commitment to ensuring that Haitian migrants are treated with dignity and respect,” Mayorkas said. “I look forward to continuing to work with the government of Haiti and other partners throughout the hemisphere as we work toward safe, orderly and humane management of migration in the region.”
Mayorkas thanked the Government of Haiti for supporting the safe return and re-integration of Haitian nationals.
He said he and Edmond agreed that “much work remains to be done to address the drivers of migration,” and that both acknowledged that “the displacement of people is a global crisis and needs worldwide attention.”
Mayorkas said he assured the Haitian ambassador that “the dignified and humane treatment of all individuals, regardless of their immigration status, is his top priority.”
The Secretary also said he shared that the investigation into mistreatment of Haitian migrants in Del Rio, Texas, is ongoing.
Last week, a Haitian legislator in Brooklyn, New York dispatched a letter to Biden, appealing to him to stop the deportation of Haitian migrants and to end what he described as “the cruel treatment of Haitians.”
“I remain deeply troubled by the treatment of Haitian immigrants arriving at the Texas border as they travel north through South America and are subsequently being deported back to Haiti,” said New York City Council Member Dr. Mathieu Eugene, the first Haitian to be elected to the City Council, in his letter to Biden.
“Since 2010, Haiti has been subjected to several natural disasters, including tropical storms, two catastrophic earthquakes that caused significant devastation, and continued political unrest and socioeconomic instability,” added Dr. Eugene, chair of the Council Committee on Civil and Human Rights, who represents the predominantly 40th Council District in Brooklyn.
“As I have stated on many occasions, Haiti is not prepared to handle an influx of deportees,” continued Eugene in his letter, a copy of which was made available to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). “The country is hurting, and the Haitian people are struggling every day to cope with a substantial amount of personal loss, including emotional and physical trauma, and financial uncertainty.”
The legislator said the Haitian refugees, who are traveling through Mexico into Texas, are “enduring extremely unsafe living conditions and are putting their lives at risk.
“They are human beings, and they have embarked on a very dangerous and treacherous journey to reach what they hope is a safe and stable environment,” he said. “I am urging you to stop their deportation, to help them, and to give Haitian immigrants the due process that they are entitled to.”
Earlier this month, New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general across the United States in dispatching a letter to Biden and Mayorkas expressing deep concern over the treatment of thousands of Haitian refugees currently seeking humanitarian aid along the border in Texas.
The coalition also urged the administration to reevaluate its rush to unfairly expel refugees to Haiti.
Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke had also joined her Massachusetts congressional colleague, Ayanna Soyini Pressley, in expressing deep concern over the resignation of US Special Envoy to Haiti Daniel Foote amid Washington’s decision to deport thousands of Haitian migrants at the Texas border.
Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, and Pressley are co-chairs of the US House of Representatives’ Haiti Caucus.
Clarke represents the predominantly Caribbean 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, while Pressley represents Massachusetts’s 7th Congressional District.
“The Haitian state is still reeling from a series of compounding and emergent crises,” said Clarke and Pressley in a joint statement. “It is unconscionable the administration would choose to deport refugees to Haiti in its current capacity, and it must immediately reverse course and halt these cruel deportations indefinitely.”
CMC
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