After years-long discussion, birds in North America will no longer be named after people, a decision meant to dissociate the animals from problematic eponyms.

The American Ornithological Society (AOS) announced that all common English-language names of bird species named after people will be changed, along with other monikers that have been deemed offensive.

In total, approximately 70 to 80 birds — primarily in the US and Canada — will be renamed.

READ MORE: Mushroom cook charged with murder and attempted murder

"There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today," said Colleen Handel, president of the AOS.

Many birds sport names that come from White men with "objectively horrible pasts", according to the group Bird Names for Birds, a grassroots initiative that has been advocating for this change.

Having their names memorialised in this manner is similar to building a statue in their honour, the group argues.

The Hammond's flycatcher, for example, is named for William Alexander Hammond, a former US surgeon general and head of the nation's public health system. Hammond held racist views toward both Black and Indigenous people, writing that Black people specifically were of "little elevated in mental or physical faculties above the monkey of an organ grinder."

Judith Scarl, the executive director of AOS, said that there has long been historic bias in how birds have been named, and scientists should work to eliminate that bias.

"Exclusionary naming conventions developed in the 1800s, clouded by racism and misogyny, don't work for us today, and the time has come for us to transform this process and redirect the focus to the birds, where it belongs," she said.

Though efforts toward renaming birds existed before, the movement gained momentum in 2020, in the midst of large-scale cultural upheaval surrounding racist or otherwise offensive names, including those of sports teams and school buildings.

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That same year, Christian Cooper, a Black birdwatcher, made headlines after a White woman called the police on him, highlighting some of the prejudices Black people face in the outdoors.

In 2021, the AOS announced an ad-hoc committee to make recommendations regarding these common English names. The committee was formed in 2022 and released its guidance earlier this year.

Wednesday's move by the AOS is in response to those recommendations, and the renaming project is set to begin next year.

Experts say employers have been forced to up their offers recently – a situation which will ease soon as more workers return to the economy and the skills shortage weakens.

When Katie Bryant, 49, first went to see various GPs with what she describes as "thumping back pain", she was told it was probably anxiety, indigestion or even just a bad back.

But a few weeks later, when the pain became so bad she went to hospital, the mother of one was diagnosed with one of Australia's deadliest cancers.

The prognosis is something the Sydney government worker was shocked to find when she googled the disease.

READ MORE: Subtle sign little boy had devastating disease

Pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of just 12 per cent, a figure which hasn't changed much for decades.

In fact, most patients live for less than a year after diagnosis.

Bryant said how the cancer was described online was confronting.

"It was like 'death sentence', 'definite death,' 'worst cancer around'," she said.

"I didn't realise how serious it was."

Bryant's cancer was classed as stage three as it had spread to her lymph nodes.

She was one of the few patients with that kind of cancer to be able to have surgery.

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Bryant underwent chemotherapy at the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse in Camperdown.

That was five years ago and she's preparing to celebrate her 50th birthday in February.

Since then, her scans have been clear and she has been able to see son Otto, 14, into his teenage years.

But she knows her odds of remaining cancer-free are not great.

If the disease returns, there will be few options to save her life.

"It's still a pretty bleak outlook. It's not curable," she said.

In a devastating twist, her mother-in-law Barbara, 74, died from the same cancer after Bryant was diagnosed.

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Now Bryant is backing a plea from a cancer charity for a new drug trial to come to Australia.

Doctors who work with charity the GI Cancer Institute want a trial being done in the UK to be done here too, saying it could provide "hope" for some pancreatic cancer patients.

The trial, called PemOla, is using what's known as a combined immunotherapy treatment.

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps the immune system fight cancer and is successfully used to treat various types of the disease.

Melbourne-based pancreatic surgeon Dr Daniel Croagh said while there are no results yet from the UK trial, he has seen positive results using immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer patients.

One of his patients is still alive three years after being given a similar treatment to that being used on the UK trial, even though their cancer had spread.

While such treatments can cost thousands of dollars, successful trials would eventually allow the drugs to become more accessible.

Croagh is keen to get the study from the UK running in Australia but needs funding, either via philanthropic cash or the government's Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

"There aren't a lot of targeted therapy options at the moment for pancreatic cancer," Croagh said.

"It's probably been under-resourced over many years.

"Only five per cent of metastatic pancreatic cancer patients are suitable for immunotherapy.

"But for that small group, this treatment can be life-changing and assist us in developing further treatments."

Because the disease can kill patients so fast, there is often little time for clinical trials.

Professor Lorraine Chantrill, GI Cancer Institute chair, said getting the money for a trial is "vital".

"Pancreatic cancer unfortunately has a very poor prognosis, but that doesn't mean we can't work to improve the quality of life of those affected.

"Researchers have been working hard in the background on alternative treatments, but the PemOla trial would be instrumental to the progress, with receiving funding to implement the trial in Australia a vital next step."

The federal government has been contacted for comment.

Do you have a story? Contact journalist Sarah Swain at ss****@******om.au

What is pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer develops in the pancreas, the organ which helps the body digest food and makes hormones to control blood sugar levels.

Pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of just 12 per cent – numbers which have only increased by eight per cent over the past 30 years.

It's projected to be the second-most common cause of cancer death by 2030 according to government figures. 

Symptoms include jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), pale bowel movements, itchy skin, dark urine, stomach and back pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting and unexplained weight loss.

It has provided almost 90 years of fun but now Sydney's iconic Luna Park is entering the digital age with a new immersive attraction pegged to be the next chapter of the park's history.

Luna Park opened in 1935 on Sydney Harbour during a time of economic and political turbulence during the Great Depression.

The theme park offered "escapism, wonder and joy" for residents during that difficult time, CEO John Hughes said.

"Born in the midst of the great depression, Luna Park was built in Sydney out of this need for being social to escape through some of that frivolity," he told 9news.com.au.

Eighty-eight years later, torrid times have hit again but Luna Park remains to offer a similar escape.

"Now in 2023 with what is happening globally on the back of a pandemic, we think that there is this innate need again to escape, somewhere to go have fun and somewhere to go socialise."

From December 22, Luna Park will have upgraded the Big Top to an immersive experience attraction, opening with a locally created experience called the Dream Circus.

The park has made the $15 million investment into redeveloping the Big Top to compete with the globally growing demand for immersive experiences.

Luna Park will offer a 3000-square-metre fully accessible multi-purpose entertainment venue within the Big Top with "Barco projection technology, a spatially mapped audio system, hologram technology, motion-activated LED screens and the latest in lighting technology".

It provides a 360-degree visual and audio experience in the Big Top that will initially be used to show the Dream Circus production and later for live music, product launches, fashion week and other corporate connections.

The move into the immersive and digital space is the future for the amusement park, the CEO added.

"We know globally that Gen Z, Gen Alpha are craving these highly social and immersive experiences," he said.

He acknowledged that simply relying on rollercoasters and rides at Luna Park isn't sustainable for the future of the theme park and moving into the digital space and creating an "Instagrammable" experience will attract a new wave of visitors.

"Luna Park has historically pushed what is possible creatively it has always been a leader in the next best thing," Hughes said.

"It is in our DNA. We are replicating it in a 2023 way to a 2023 audience who are largely digital natives," he said.

The park already welcomes 1.1 million visitors per year – a return to pre-COVID-19 numbers, Hughes said – but with this new experience it hopes to attract 50,000 visitors this summer alone.

Luna Park is sticking closely to its history honouring the best of the new technology while remaining a heritage Art Deco amusement park with classic rides and attractions.

But as the CEO noted, with Australia and the globe facing difficult economic times again in 2023 and the cost of living crisis squeezing budgets, the park believes it has hit the right balance on pricing with the new experience.

Starting at $35 for kids and $45 for adults, the team said it is pricing "comparable to a movie".

"When you look at the broad spectrum of going to the cinema, going to other attractions or going to shows that come to town we think that is priced quite low given the experience and quality," Hughes said.

"Hopefully people can see the value proposition of coming to the park for a ride pass and an experience pass for the Dream Circus for a fairly affordable price."

Israeli troops advanced toward Gaza City on Thursday, as the Palestinian death toll rose above 9000.

With no end in sight after weeks of heavy fighting, US and Arab mediators intensified efforts to ease Israel's siege of the Hamas-ruled enclave and called for at least a brief halt to the hostilities in order to aid civilians.

US President Joe Biden suggested a humanitarian "pause" the day before, as an apparent agreement among the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, allowed hundreds of Palestinians with foreign passports and dozens of wounded to leave Gaza for the first time. Dozens more left on Thursday.

READ MORE: Aussie teacher trapped in Gaza despite being allowed to leave

Israel did not immediately respond to Biden's remarks, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously ruled out a cease-fire.

Arab countries, including those allied with the US and at peace with Israel, have expressed mounting unease with the war. Jordan recalled its ambassador from Israel and told Israel's envoy to remain out of the country until there's a halt to the war and the "humanitarian catastrophe" it is causing.

More than 3700 Palestinian children have been killed in 25 days of fighting, and bombings have driven more than half the territory's 2.3 million people from their homes, while food, water and fuel run low.

Israeli troops pushed into Gaza in larger numbers over the weekend after three weeks of heavy airstrikes that have demolished entire neighborhoods. The war, the fifth and by far deadliest in Gaza, began when Hamas launched a bloody October 7 rampage into Israel, killing hundreds of men, women and children. Some 240 were taken captive.

The US has pledged unwavering support for Israel as it seeks to end Hamas' rule over Gaza and crush its military capabilities, even as the two allies seem to have no clear plan for what would come next.

White House officials said a pause in fighting would allow for more aid to be sent in and potentially facilitate the release of hostages. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected back in the region on Friday.

The departure of Palestinians through the Rafah crossing into Egypt on Wednesday came after weeks of talks. It was first time people left Gaza other than four hostages released by Hamas and another rescued by Israeli forces. Israel has also allowed more than 260 trucks carrying food and medicine through the crossing, but aid workers say it's not nearly enough.

At least 335 foreign passport holders left Wednesday and approximately another 100 left Thursday, according to Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority. Seventy-six Palestinian patients, along with their companions, were also evacuated, he said.

The US has said it is trying to evacuate 400 Americans with their families.

Egypt has said it will not accept an influx of Palestinian refugees, fearing Israel will not allow them to return to Gaza after the war.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain in the path of the fighting in northern Gaza, despite Israel's repeated calls for them to evacuate to the territory's south, which is also being bombarded.

Israeli troops appear to be advancing on Gaza City along three main routes: from the northeast, from the northwest along the Mediterranean coast, and from the south after reaching the territory's main north-south highway. Israeli officials have provided only vague statements about troop movements.

Airstrikes on Tuesday and Wednesday destroyed apartment buildings in the Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City, but the number of dead and wounded remained unknown. Israel said the strikes killed militants and demolished Hamas tunnels.

Palestinian militants fired antitank missiles, set off explosive devices and hurled grenades at Israeli troops during an overnight battle, the Israeli military said on Thursday. It said soldiers returned fire and called in artillery, as well as strikes. The report could not be independently confirmed.

Casualties on both sides are expected to rise as Israeli troops advance toward the dense residential neighbourhoods of Gaza City. Israeli officials say Hamas' military infrastructure, including tunnels, is concentrated in the city and accuse Hamas of hiding among civilians.

At least 9,061 Palestinians have been killed in the war, mostly women and minors, and more than 32,000 people have been wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday, without providing a breakdown between civilians and fighters.

The death toll is without precedent in decades of Israeli-Palestinian violence, and is around four times the figure from the 2014 Gaza war, which lasted over six weeks.

Four Palestinians, including three teenagers, were shot dead in different parts of the occupied West Bank early on Thursday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. More than 130 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the war, mainly in violent protests and gun battles during Israeli arrest raids.

An Israeli man died after a suspected militant opened fire on his car near a settlement in the West Bank on Thursday, the military and medics said.

Over 1400 people have died on the Israeli side, mainly civilians killed during Hamas' initial attack, also an unprecedented figure. Seventeen Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation.

Rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, and daily skirmishes between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militants, has disrupted life for millions of Israelis and forced an estimated 250,000 to evacuate border towns. Most rockets are intercepted or fall in open areas.

Those remaining in Gaza face an increasingly dire situation amid a territory-wide blackout. The World Health Organisation said the lack of fuel for hospitals' generators puts at risk 1000 patients on kidney dialysis, 130 premature babies in incubators, as well as cancer patients and patients on ventilators.

Israel has refused to allow fuel in, saying it fears Hamas would steal it for military purposes. The military released a recording of what it said was a Hamas commander forcing a hospital to hand over some fuel. The recording could not be independently verified.

Only hours of electricity remained at Gaza City's largest hospital, Shifa, according to its director, Mohammed Abu Salmia, who pleaded for "whoever has a liter of diesel in his home" to donate it.

The Turkish-Palestinian Hospital, Gaza's only facility offering specialised treatment for cancer patients, was forced to shut down on Wednesday because of lack of fuel, leaving 70 cancer patients in a critical situation, the Health Ministry said.

The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, where many of those wounded in the Jabaliya strikes were being treated, was forced to turn off most lights and its mortuary refrigerators.

"If we cannot secure electricity or fuel then we will face a disaster," Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.

Erin Patterson, the woman at the centre of a mushroom lunch that resulted in the deaths of three people, has been charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.

The 49-year-old has spent hours being questioned by homicide detectives after police arrested and drove her from her Leongatha home in the state's Gippsland region to Wonthaggi police station.

She has this evening been charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.

READ MORE: Former detective says mushroom poisoning case is complex

The murder charges and two of the attempted murder charges relate to the mushroom lunch earlier this year, while the remaining three attempted murder charges relate to historical incidents.

"The murder charges and two attempted murder charges relate to an incident on 29 July where four people were taken to hospital after they fell ill following a meal at a private residence in Leongatha," a statement from police reads.

"The further three attempted murder charges relate to three separate incidents in Victoria between 2021-2022.

"It's alleged a 48-year-old Korumburra man became ill following meals on these dates."

Patterson has strenuously denied any wrongdoing previously.

Earlier today Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said the arrest was the "next step" in what has been a long investigation.

"While we do want to provide timely updates about this matter, it is critical that doing this does not adversely impact the current investigation or any future processes," he said.

"I encourage people to be particularly mindful of unnecessary speculation and the sharing of misinformation."

A search warrant was executed at Patterson's Gibson Street address today with the help of technology detector dogs from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

Patterson was previously questioned and released without charge by detectives from the Homicide Squad in August.

Thomas said over the last three months the investigation has been subject to "incredibly intense levels" of public scrutiny and curiosity.

READ MORE: Surviving victim of mushroom poisoning farewells wife at emotional service

"I cannot think of another investigation that has generated this level of media and public interest, not only here in Victoria but nationally and internationally," he said.

"I think it's particularly important that we keep in mind that at the heart of this, three people have lost their lives. 

"These are three people, who by all accounts were much beloved in their communities, are greatly missed by their loved ones.

"These deaths also continue to have a significant impact on the immediate families of those involved and I ask that people are particularly mindful of this over the coming days.

"In smaller communities, such as Leongatha and Korumburra, a tragedy such as this can reverberate for years to come."

On July 30 four people were hospitalised after they shared a meal at Patterson's Leongatha home the day prior.

Heather Wilkinson, 66, her sister Gail Paterson, 70, and her husband Don, also aged 70, died in hospital after the incident.

A fourth man, Reverend Ian Wilkinson, was recently released from hospital after weeks of extensive treatment.

All four had shared a meal, understood to be a beef Wellington, allegedly cooked by Patterson.

Investigators were exploring if the four had consumed death cap mushrooms, a rare but poisonous mushroom that is thought to be responsible for 90 per cent of mushroom-related deaths globally.

Some of the 20 Australian citizens, two family members and one permanent resident who were able to escape Gaza through the Rafah crossing have spoken of their ordeal in the warzone, but one who had been given permission to leave remains in the besieged enclave.

Retired teacher Abdullah Dahlan and his wife, Samah, are two of the more than 60 Australians who remain stranded in the Palestinian territory.

His name was on the list of foreign nationals allowed through the Rafah crossing when it opened overnight for the first time since the conflict in Gaza escalated on October 7, but his wife's wasn't.

READ MORE: Thousands of Australians in Lebanon urged to leave immediately

"I presented my passport and my wife's passport and they said 'no, only you can go'," he told 9News.

"I can't escape on my own and leave my wife behind."

Samah has an Australian visa but not an Australian passport. Dahlan is hoping the Australian government will be able to secure their passage out of Gaza.

"All I can hope (is) for them to try and keep trying to get me out of here," he said.

"It's such a nightmare and I would be so grateful, so thankful to Australia."

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said today Australia was "very conscious of people in this sort of situation".

"We have put to the Egyptians and others some 85 names which include citizens, permanent residents, visa holders and family members," she said.

"So we are working to ensure those family groups are able to come out.

"Obviously we don't control the border crossing and it's taken a broad international effort to get the border crossing open, it's taken weeks, I wish that were not so but I am very pleased that it has finally occurred."

Sara El-Masri, her husband and two young children were four of the Australians lucky enough to make it out of Gaza.

READ MORE: 'Bizarre': Woman arrested after running onto tarmac at Canberra Airport

"Living in this war, these past 25 days have been really difficult," she said.

"Every day we wake up in fear, every day we sleep in fear, every day we go to sleep and we say the Shahada.

"We don't know if we're going to wake up."

Mona Sakr is another Australian citizen who was in Gaza, visiting her family, when war broke out.

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"I can't describe the situation, it's bombing everywhere," she said.

"They asked us to leave Gaza to the north and unfortunately they kept on bombing all night.

"I haven't slept for the past 25 days."

While she was able to escape, her family remains in Gaza.

"Please, if you can help, all my family is still there," she said.

The Australians who crossed through Rafa are now in Cairo following a seven-hour bus trip. They'll be given free travel back home from the Egyptian capital.

READ MORE: 'Criminal act or sheer accident': Former detective says mushroom case is complex

The border opening followed a deal brokered by Qatar and the United States between Egypt, Israel and Hamas.

Wong said while the government is working to get the remaining Australians out of the Palestinian territory, the situation is becoming increasingly complex as phone and internet blackouts make communicating with people on the ground more difficult.

"There are thousands of foreign nationals in Gaza. Thousands," she said.

READ MORE: 'Children carrying injured children': Witness describes refugee camp horror

"I think around 350 were permitted passage finally overnight and obviously, 20 Australians plus the additional three were on that first list… but there are a lot more foreign nationals to get out.

"We hope that the parties who have broken this arrangement can continue to assure passage for civilians out of Gaza.

"We will continue to do what we can… to press for Australians to have safe passage."

The foreign minister also continued a shift in language from the last few days, criticising Israel for the number of civilian deaths inflicted in its attacks on Gaza and warning that the international community will not tolerate continuing casualties of innocent Palestinians.

READ MORE: Woman arrested over mushroom lunch arrives at police station

"Even in war, there are rules," she said, after acknowledging Israel's right to defend itself and confront Hamas.

"And I again would make this point: the international community will not accept ongoing civilian deaths.

"So when Israel's friends urge Israel to exercise restraint, when Israel's friends urge Israel to protect civilian lives, it is critical Israel listens.

"It matters for Israel's own security, which faces grave risks if the conflict spreads."

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