By Liu Chen of RNZ There have been high levels of discrimination and racism experiences among Asian New Zealanders due to Covid-19, according to a survey.Massey University senior lecturer Sally Liu, who lead the research, said…

A New South Wales national park is set to be renamed after a request from Indigenous communities.

Ben Boyd National Park, on the state's far south coast, was named for a Scottish landowner who was involved with the historical practice of "blackbirding", which involved the coercion of people – typically Pacific Islanders and Indigenous Australians – through deception or kidnapping to work as slaves or poorly paid labourers.

NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean said it was time to acknowledge the "real history" of Boyd.

READ MORE: Handcuffed man escapes police custody in South Australia

"It is clear from the expert historical analysis, that Ben Boyd's association with 'blackbirding' should not be reflected or celebrated in any way in our National Parks," he said.

"There are many people from NSW's early history who are worth remembering and celebrating but it is clear from this historical analysis that Ben Boyd is not one of them."

The park is set to be renamed in the language of the traditional custodians.

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"By re-naming the park, we not only celebrate ancient Aboriginal culture but also recognise its importance to Aboriginal people in recent history," Mr Kean said.

The next step will be to work with elders and Aboriginal community representatives to identify a new name for the park.

Consultation on a new name is expected to start in the coming weeks.

READ MORE: Care package dropped to Perth family stranded in Simpson Desert

Last year, the NSW government engaged independent historian Dr Mark Dunn to provide a report on the history of Ben Boyd on the NSW South Coast.

Dr Dunn's report confirmed Ben Boyd's involvement in "blackbirding" was viewed by many at the time as a form of slavery.

Boyd arrived in New South Wales in 1842, and became one of the largest landholders in the colony.

He was killed in a skirmish in the Solomon Islands in 1851, after being taken captive.

There is no threat of a tsunami to Western Australia's Pilbara despite the area enduring a 5.4 magnitude earthquake overnight.

The Bureau of Meteorology noted that around 9pm last night Marble Bar near Port Hedland and Karratha was hit by the earthquake, which lasted around 20 seconds.

Geoscience Australia said the earthquake was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometres and produced three aftershocks with preliminary magnitudes ranging between 2.6 and 3.2.

READ MORE: More aftershocks rock Victoria, weeks after large earthquake

https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1459513617452130306

There have been no reports of significant damage.

"In the last five years there have been only two earthquakes larger than magnitude 4.0 recorded within 200 kilometres of this earthquake's epicentre," Geoscience Australia noted.

"The state of Western Australia has had 23 earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or larger since 2000. The largest was offshore Broome in July 2019, at magnitude 6.6.

"On average, around 100 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or larger are recorded in Australia each year."

READ MORE: New Zealand PM keeps cool as earthquake rattles press conference

https://twitter.com/GeoscienceAus/status/1459657144450445315

Approximately every 10 years, Australia experiences a potentially damaging earthquake of magnitude 6.0 or larger such as the Meckering earthquake in October 1968.

Australia experiences fewer earthquakes than other countries due to the distance of the continent from the boundaries of the world's tectonic plates.

In a little under two weeks the launch window for NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission opens.

In a world, maybe even universe first, plan the space agency will slam a spacecraft into the non-hazardous moonlet asteroid Dimorphos, which is about 160 metres in diameter.

The goal is to see whether it's possible to knock the space rock off its orbit.

Planetary scientist at the University of Queensland Trevor Ireland told 9news.com.au this is one of two methods humanity has to stop a potentially hazardous object (PHO) from slamming into Earth.

READ MORE: Why more auroras could be on the way

The other option would be to use a nuclear blast to blow the asteroid apart, Professor Ireland explained.

"What we've discovered over the last couple of years is a lot of the near-Earth asteroids are potentially rubble piles," he said.

"So if you put a lot of energy into them, they are just going to fly apart.

"They are not well held together."

Professor Ireland said this then prompts the question: "Do you let it come in as a bullet or as shotgun scatter?"

"You don't want it blowing up too close to Earth as that generates debris," he said.

READ MORE: Search for life on other worlds tops astronomy to-do list

Professor Ireland said he believes deflection, through the DART method, is humanity's best option to defend Earth.

If time and proximity is not an issue, Professor Ireland said placing a sail on an asteroid could also potentially change it's orbit.

"You could attach a parachute effectively to the asteroid, and I say attach rather glibly, that sail could produce solar wind to push and pull on it a bit," he explained.

"But most of these methods, beyond hitting [a potentially hazardous object] with something to try and bash it out of the way, require force over a long period of time."

Is Earth currently at risk from a potentially hazardous object?

Kelly Fast is a planetary defence expert and a manager in NASA's Planetary Defence Coordination Office.

She with certainty an asteroid would hit our planet again.

"Asteroids have hit Earth over the course of its history, and it will happen again," Dr Fast said on the space agency's website.

"Dust, meteoroids, and even small asteroids hit Earth all the time.

"But impacts of asteroids that affect the surface are much rarer and happen on time scales of hundreds to thousands to millions of years."

Professor Ireland said the asteroid Bennu poses the greatest risk to Earth.

The space rock is about 492 metres in diameter.

The good news is, it won't pose a risk for more than 100 years.

READ MORE: NASA detects signs of possible first planet beyond our galaxy

Should it hit though, studies show it would create a crater between 10 to 20 times its size – and cause an area of devastation that could reach 100 times the size of the crater.

Professor Ireland said civilisation-ending asteroids are much rarer and would have to measure more than a kilometre in diameter, at least, to be "extinction-level".

For reference, the Chicxulub impactor that wiped out the dinosaurs was about 9.6 kilometres.

NASA estimates about 40 per cent of asteroids larger than 140 metres have been found to date.

But this is no cause for alarm.

The better news is these large asteroids are easier for astronomers to find, meaning it's unlikely one should suddenly "pop up" and pose a risk.

"There's about a million one kilometre asteroids in the asteroid belt," Professor Ireland said.

"The likelihood of one of those suddenly meandering down to Earth is very remote."

Contact Raffaella at rc*********@******om.au.

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder where a person experiences an irrational fear about something. Here are some of the most unique phobias you may not know about.

Warragamba Dam in Sydney's south west has hit 100 per cent capacity overnight following the wet weather during the week.

As a result of the rainfall the dam commenced spilling shortly before midnight.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon the dam was just 13cm from full shortly before 3pm and was at 5cm from full around 9pm, tipping capacity around 11pm.

Warragamba Dam began releasing water through the crest gates around midnight Water NSW said, with the spill from the dam expected to continue for one week.

As a result river heights may increase over this period.

Elsewhere in NSW, the SES is sandbagging around Forbes and Cowra where the Wyangala Dam is spilling.

The Lachlan River peaked at over 12 metres in Cowra on Saturday, major flooding expected at Nanami from early Sunday morning, where it's expected to exceed the major flood level (10.70 m).

The river level is likely to reach around 12.30 metres late Sunday evening, with major flooding, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).

These flood waters from Cowra and upstream are expected to combine with flood waters from the Belubula River and result in major flooding at Nanami and downstream from Sunday.

While Forbes will be the focus on Monday and Tuesday, with the BoM warns that levels on Monday in Forbes could be similar to those seen in the region back in September 2016.

Downstream of Forbes, major flooding is also expected at Cottons Weir and Jemalong from Sunday night.

The Lachlan River levels are likely to exceed the major flood level (6.60 m) on Monday afternoon at Cottons Weir and may reach around 7.20 metres during Tuesday, with major flooding.

While the Jemalong Weir Downstream is likely to reach the major flood level (7.70 metres) during Wednesday.

A number of flood watches and warnings remain in place across the state.

A stranded family-of-four have received a care package, including a satellite phone to call home, while trapped in the Simpson Desert.

It could take two weeks for Ori Zavros, wife Lindsey and children Zane and Zoe to be rescued from the barren backroads after their homemade truck became bogged along Purni Bore Track
in Witjira National Park, South Australia.

Ori's parents in Kallaroo, Theo and Lagis Zavros, feared the worst.

READ MORE: Young family trapped in outback by floodwaters face long wait for rescue

"It was awful Josh, absolutely awful," Theo told 9News. "My mind was going through illness, accident."

"It was just the unknown – we didn't know what state they were going to find things in," Lagis added.

After activating an emergency beacon, it took four hours for a maritime safety plane sent from Melbourne, to find the family and relay home the good news – all four were safe and healthy.

A satellite phone was dropped from the skies, so Theo and Lagis could hear their son's voice.

Footage captured from the plane showed a Ori in the form of a single speck in the desolate outback, shuffling towards the care package.

"You could really hear the anxiety in their voices – we were really going through it ourselves," Theo said.

"He said please don't worry we're all okay and we had every confidence he was very well equipped."

The family has been travelling around Australia since last year, setting off from Birdsville on Monday and making their way through a remote National Park, near the Northern Territory border.

But then the entire region was ravaged by unprecedented storms.

Flash flooding leaving towns isolated and heavy rain soaking everything from the border right down to Coober Pedy.

The wild storms have now passed but the wait for the Zavros family isn't over.

It's expected it could take as long as two weeks to rescue the Perth couple and their kids as SA Police wait for flooded roads to clear.

In the meantime, another air-drop is scheduled for Sunday with more supplies for the children and even some chocolate, along with messages from family.

Two people have been rescued after they were trapped in floodwaters in Melbourne's south-west.

A Toyota four-wheel-drive was stuck with water rising up to the top of its tyres on Koroit Creek Road, Williamstown North.

Emergency services responded to the incident and safely rescued the pair.

READ MORE: Young family trapped in outback by floodwaters

It comes as Victoria has been hit by an intense low-pressure system that lashed New South Wales and Queensland as it moves south-east of the country across the weekend.

Parts of the state will experience heavy rain and unseasonably cold temperatures.

Yesterday was the coldest November day on record in parts of Victoria.

The system, which has already caused heavy rain and strong winds, is set to move off the south-east coast of the country this afternoon.

But a strong cold front is forecast to set in on Sunday afternoon that will bring more rainfall and possible thunderstorms to Victoria.

The main concern is the Gippsland region, in the state's east, where there has been flash flooding and strong winds.

The region has recorded 100mm of rain in the last 24 hours.

State Emergency Service (SES) teams have already been busy.

They've fielded more than 400 calls for help – mainly for trees down and for building damage.

Victoria SES Chief Executive Officer Tim Wiebusch said rivers in Gippsland have started to swell due to rain.

"We now have a major flood warning out on the Mitchell River in Gippsland and a range of moderate and minor flood warnings coming today in the north east of the state."

Mr Wiebusch urged anyone camping in affected regions to avoid pitching a tent near rivers and to check routes on the VicTraffic app.

As the low moves off the east coast it will continue to bring heavy rain to Tasmania, Victoria and NSW before easing and clearing off-shore on Saturday night.

Onshore winds ahead of a front will bring showers to southern SA and southeast WA, while a trough will lead to a few storms in the north as well as drawing heat across WA.

'Don't drive through floodwaters'

A number of flood warnings remain in place across Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

NSW SES has responded to over 770 requests for help so far, Deputy Commissioner Daniel Austin said.

"The busiest areas so far have been around Armidale, Bathurst and also Orange," he said.

"Crews are largely responding to flood or storm related calls. Over the last few days (we've had) some 21 flood rescues.

"We ask people to really stop and check or not the risk is worth it. Don't drive through floodwaters."

Record-breaking rain falls on outback

States were hit with some of their highest rainfall totals in years, sparking flash flooding and rising rivers.

Parts of outback Queensland saw falls of over 100mm, with the highest being 157mm at Red Hill.

But the deluge wasn't limited to the eastern states with a Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) weekly rainfall total map showing much of the country got a soaking.

Most notably, Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

In the five days to 9am Thursday, Alice Springs Airport received 153.4mm of rain, which is around five months' worth of rain for this time of year.

Weatherzone reports that this included 100.2mm in 24 hours – their heaviest daily rain in 21 years at Alice Springs.

– Reported with Australian Bureau of Meteorology and Weatherzone

A Los Angeles judge has ended the conservatorship that has controlled Britney Spears’ life and money for nearly 14 years.

The decision capped a stunning five-month odyssey that saw Spears publicly demand the end of the conservatorship, hire her own attorney, have her father removed from power and finally win the freedom to make her own medical, financial and personal decisions for the first time since 2008.

“As of today, the conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is hereby terminated,” Judge Brenda Penny said.

READ MORE: COVID-19 cases climb in Victoria, while NSW has first day in months without a death

Jubilation erupted outside the courthouse, with fans cheering and shouting after the decision was announced.

The crowd chanted “Britney! Britney! Britney!” and fans sang and danced to Spears’ song “Stronger.”

The move was widely expected, with little support left for prolonging the legal arrangement.

But Penny offered no clear signals about what she would decide.

As recently as last spring, it appeared that the conservatorship could continue for years.

Then it unravelled with surprising speed.

Key to the unravelling was a speech Spears made at a hearing in June when she passionately described the restrictions and scrutiny of her life as “abusive.”

She demanded that the conservatorship end without any prying evaluation of her mental state.

READ MORE: Victoria in firing line as intense low pressure system moves south

Legal experts at the time said that was unlikely to happen, and would represent a departure from common court practice.

But a judge allowed her to hire an attorney of her choice, Mathew Rosengart, at a July hearing in which she again complained about the grief the conservatorship caused and demanded that it end.

Rosengart made it his goal first to have James Spears removed from his role as conservator of his daughter’s finances before working to end the conservatorship altogether.

The judge suspended James Spears at a September hearing, citing the “toxic environment” his presence created.

But more courtroom battles could lie ahead.

Rosengart has further vowed to pursue an investigation of James Spears’ role in the conservatorship.

He said he and his team have found mismanagement of Britney Spears’ finances, suggesting she could pursue further legal action.

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Court records put her net worth at more than $60 million.

He also said that law enforcement should investigate revelations in a New York Times documentary about a listening device placed in her bedroom.

James Spears’ attorneys said Rosengart’s allegations ranged from unsubstantiated to impossible, and that he only ever acted in his daughter’s best interest.

The post-conservatorship fight has in some ways already begun.

James Spears has parted ways with the attorneys who helped him operate it, and he has hired Alex Weingarten, a lawyer specializing in the kind of litigation that may be coming.

In court filings last week, Britney Spears’ former business managers, Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, pushed back against Rosengart’s demands for documents about the firm’s involvement in the conservatorship from 2008 to 2018.

The group also denied any role in or knowledge of any surveillance of the singer.

Jodi Montgomery, the court-appointed conservator who oversaw the singer’s life and medical decisions starting in 2019, developed a care plan with her therapists and doctors to guide Spears through the end of the conservatorship and its aftermath.

Britney Spears was a 26-year-old new mother at the height of her career when her father established the conservatorship, at first on a temporary basis, in February 2008 after a series of public mental health struggles.

READ MORE: Young family trapped in outback by floodwaters face long wait for rescue

It ends a few weeks before her 40th birthday, with her sons in their mid-teens and her career on indefinite hold, as she is engaged to be married a second time.

A turning point came early in 2019, when she cancelled a planned concert residency in Las Vegas.

Convinced she was put in a mental hospital against her will, fans began coalescing and demanding that the court #FreeBritney.

At first, they were dismissed as conspiracy theorists, but the singer herself gave them validation in 2020 in a series of court filings that said they were correct to demand greater transparency and scrutiny of her legal situation.

Those filings proved to be the first indication from Spears, who had remained silent on the conservatorship for years, that she would seek major changes.

A pilot and their passenger made a lucky escape after a light aircraft plunged into the ocean off popular City Beach in Perth on Saturday.

The incident came after the pilot reported engine troubles and was forced to ditch the small plane.

The pair were able to get out of the aircraft and swim approximately 20 metres to shore following the controlled manoeuvre.

WA Police say neither suffered any serious injuries.

Police received reports of an aircraft crashing into the water around 3.30pm (6.30pm AEDT) with multiple units responding on the ground, along with Water Police and a helicopter.

It's understood the incident may have been witnessed by a number of people, with the beach busy amid temperatures of 31C in the city.