The co-founder of NXIVM, a US self-help organisation that concealed a "sex cult", has asked that she receive no jail time, claiming she too was a victim of the group's leader.

Lawyers for Nancy Salzman, 66, argued that she had been "fooled, controlled, humiliated and ultimately led to engage in criminal conduct by an egotistical, self-important sex fiend", the New York Daily News reported.

Keith Raniere, the organisation's leader, has already been jailed for 120 years.

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Followers of the organisation included millionaires and Hollywood actors.

Members of NXIVM paid Raniere thousands of dollars for invitation-only self-help retreats.

Additionally, some were inducted into a "harem" where they were branded with Raniere's initials and made to act as his sex slaves.

Prosecutors said Raniere led what amounted to a criminal enterprise, inducing shame and guilt to influence and control co-conspirators who helped recruit and groom sexual partners for Raniere.

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He was convicted on charges including racketeering, alien smuggling, sex trafficking, extortion and obstruction of justice.

Salzman – whose daughter Lauren earlier this year avoided jail for her role in the organisation – has pleaded guilty to committing identity theft against perceived NXIVM enemies, and to editing video recordings before surrendering them to the authorities.

She maintained she knew nothing about the Raniere's sex cult, the Daily News reported.

However, prosecutors have asked for her to face jail time.

TV actress Allison Mack, of Smallville fame, was recently jailed for three years for her role in recruiting women to the organisation.

A koala who survived the black summer bushfires of 2019 has been pictured in the wild – and she had a very special companion in tow.

"Ember" has welcomed a joey after being released back into the New South Wales bush in April 2020.

She was spotted by the person who rescued – Ros Irwin, former president of Friends of the Koala.

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The then 18-month-old marsupial was found wondering the scorched ground of Whiporie in northern NSW, November 2019.

She was so badly injured vets didn't think she'd make it.

IFAW are "heartened" by the fact she's adjusted to life in the wild.

"So many koalas were lost in the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, and we honestly thought Ember would be another casualty," said International Fund for Animal Welfare-sponsored vet nurse Marley Christian.

"It is truly heartening to see her thriving in the wild and contributing to the wild population."

A study published late last year found three billion native animals died in the unprecedented fires of 2019 and 2020.

This includes mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs.

More than 60,000 koalas were impacted.

In NSW koalas are listed as a vulnerable species.

Some of Australia's biggest news organisations could face defamation claims for third-party social media comments, following a landmark ruling by the High Court in Canberra today.

News Corp, Fairfax Media (now owned by Nine, the publisher of this website) and Australian News Channel lost a bid to distance themselves from Facebook comments written on news articles about former Northern Territory prison detainee Dylan Voller.

The ruling opens the organisations to be sued for defamation by Mr Voller, who alleges comments on articles about his treatment in prison, which sparked a royal commission into youth detention in the Northern Territory, were defamatory. 

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Images of Mr Voller shackled to a chair while in prison first surfaced in 2016.

Lawyers for the media groups argued they were not publishers of any defamatory material and did not have knowledge or control over the comments on their Facebook pages.

Today's ruling mirrored the findings of the Supreme Court, which stated the media companies facilitated the communication and are therefore liable.

In a statement, a Nine spokesperson said: "Nine recognises the decision of the High Court which makes news businesses liable for any post made by the general public on their social media pages as 'the publisher' of those comments.

"We are obviously disappointed with the outcome of that decision, as it will have ramifications for what we can post on social media in the future."

There is still yet to be a ruling about whether the comments posted on social media were defamatory.

The case will now return to the Supreme Court, where the media companies will seek to rely on other defences to the claim.

The Department of Conservation is warning pet owners to keep their dogs on a tight leash in coastal areas, after the spotting of a dead little blue penguin in Napier.A kororā was found dead at Perfume Point in Ahuriri on Tuesday,…

Wildfires and bushfires burn millions of acres of land every year, leaving changed landscapes that are prone to flooding.

Less well known is that these already vulnerable regions can also intensify and in some cases initiate thunderstorms.

Wildfire burn scars are often left with little vegetation and with a darker soil surface that tends to repel rather than absorb water.

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These changes in vegetation and soil properties leave the land more susceptible to flooding and erosion, so less rainfall is necessary to produce a devastating flood and debris flow than in an undisturbed environment.

Burn scars can also initiate or invigorate thunderstorms, raising the risk both of flooding and of lightning that could spark more fires in surrounding areas, as my research with fellow atmospheric scientist Elizabeth Page has shown.

Factors contributing to thunderstorms

Three things contribute to the potential for burn scars to fuel thunderstorms: lack of vegetation, reduced soil moisture and lower surface albedo – essentially how well it reflects sunlight. When burned soil is darker, it absorbs more energy from the sun.

These factors contribute to higher surface temperatures over the burn scar area relative to unburned areas nearby.

https://twitter.com/NSWRFS/status/1208268044667162624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1208268044667162624%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.9news.com.au%2Fwild-weather%2Fhow-bushfires-create-their-own-dangerous-thunderstorms%2Fb26cc4e3-d955-4714-8efa-2c60ca76f887

The temperature difference can drive air currents, causing convection – the motion of warmer air rising and cooler air sinking.

When that rising warm air draws in more humid air from surrounding areas, it can produce cumulonimbus clouds and even thunderstorms that can trigger rain and flooding.

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In an analysis of a flash flood that occurred on burn scars in Australia in 2003, scientists found that the soil’s moisture was low and its albedo in the burn area had fallen from 0.2 to 0.08.

To put that into perspective, charcoal has an albedo of about 0.04 and fresh snow is nearly the maximum of one. When the scientists simulated those changes in a computer model, they found that if the land hadn’t been burned, just over a tenth of an inch of rain would have fallen. Instead, those changes led to 1.25 inches and severe flooding.

Studies have found that the intensity of this effect of burn scars on storm potential decreases over time, but the risk remains until the vegetation regrows.

Riding the thermals

When I used to pilot sailplanes, also known as gliders, I often rode the thermals – upward currents of warm air – in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson and in Colorado’s Front Range.

The best locations for catching thermals were on the south and southwest slopes of rugged terrain, where the thermals became chutes of rapidly rising air.

A wildfire in one of these locations would burn more intensely because of the swift air currents, leaving a dark, water-repelling surface with little vegetation behind.

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With moisture from the Southwest Monsoon that arrives in the region in late summer, these thermal chutes, intensified by burn scars, are prime locations for initiating or intensifying storm-producing cumulonimbus clouds and flooding.

In these arid regions, plant recovery may take three to five years or more, particularly in locations where intense fires burned on south- and west-facing slopes where sunlight is more intense.

Many of the record-breaking 2020 wildfires in Colorado and Arizona occurred in mountainous terrain where flash flooding on burn scars has been deadly in the past. These areas will continue to be of particular concern over the next few years.

The effects can linger

How long burn scars will continue to fuel storms depends on how arid the region is and how quickly vegetation recovers.

Forecasters, emergency responders and people living in and near wildfire burn scars need to be aware that these areas are at risk both for potential major flooding and debris flows, and for invigorated storms with a potential for heavy precipitation.

This article by William R Cotton from Colorado State University is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.

A woman who received backlash for filming moments after shoppers were stabbed at Auckland’s LynnMall on Friday has explained why she did it.Speaking to media for the first time, the mother of three explained the split-second decision…

What once was an iconic slide on Wellington’s waterfront at Frank Kitts Park now lies in pieces and will be turned into a firewood chute. Etched into its fibreglass are memories of two different lives. By day, delighted squeals…

A man has been charged with attempted murder after an alleged stabbing at a Perth backpackers.

At the hostel on Hay Street at about 11.05pm last night, two men were in the communal kitchen area, when one of the men allegedly stabbed the other multiple times with a knife.

A 27-year-old man was taken to Royal Perth Hospital in a critical condition.

A 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with one count of attempted unlawfully to kill.

He is set to appear in court today.

Six people have so far been slapped with $5452 fines each for illegally gathering at a Melbourne synagogue where some rule-breakers climbed roofs to dodge police.

The ultra-Orthodox group is believed to have gathered to mark Jewish New Year, entering the Ripponlea synagogue about 5am yesterday and refusing to leave until nightfall in a 14-hour standoff.

Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett said more fines were expected to be issued over the coming days after up to 30 people breached lockdown restrictions.

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"My instruction to my investigators today is every person at the gathering will receive a penalty notice (aside from children)," he said.

Victoria Police manned the exits of the synagogue, anticipating the exit of the rule-breakers inside.

But a number of people allegedly fled the scene by climbing over "neighbouring roofs" in an attempt to evade police.

Police did not break into the synagogue as a number of children were understood to be present.

https://twitter.com/cassieemorgan/status/1435193827610882053

"The best approach was to wait and try and contact the people inside and negotiate with them to come out," Assistant Commissioner Barrett said.

"I'm appalled, to be fair."

A number of other people at the gathering are yet to be spoken to by police, with investigators working to identify them.

"If you were there yesterday and have not spoken to police, you should come forward," Assistant Commissioner Barrett said.

A news camera operator was injured during the clash with worshippers and is recovering in hospital.

Police confirmed they were investigating the alleged assault of the cameraman.

"The victim, a 45-year-old man, was assaulted by an unknown man outside a property on Glen Eira Road about 7pm," a Victoria Police statement read.

"The investigation is ongoing."

Premier Daniel Andrews today said the incident where the cameraman was injured involved "appalling, appalling conduct".

Mr Andrews slammed the decision to convene.

"This is very bad behaviour," he said.

"It is just not smart. It prolongs the lockdown and it potentially puts people in hospital."

"Let's hope we don't see people getting very, very unwell as a result of those choices."

Mr Andrews thanked Jewish community leaders who had called out the illegal conduct.

Melbourne's Lord Mayor slammed those gathering at the synagogue as "selfish".

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Speaking to Today this morning, Sally Capp said she was shocked by the scenes.

"I don't know what planet these people live on," Ms Capp said.

"We are a city that has been in lockdown for more days than any other city around the world.

"The need for ongoing diligence and for us to be united in reducing the spread of this virus and getting ourselves out of lockdown continues. And we need everybody to make that commitment."

The Lord Mayor praised the community for "really calling out this sort of behaviour".

"It seems that there are some people that are determined to be selfish and to flout the restrictions," Ms Capp said.

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"It is just not fair that some members of the community feel that they can flout the rules and get away with it.

"We are grateful to the police and the community for raising these issues so that we can get on top of them and we can really help people remain unified around our ultimate quest to open and to stay open."

The activity follows reports that a large group of maskless men and children gathered at another synagogue in the same street on Monday night after curfew.

A witness filmed footage of the mostly mask-less group pouring through temporary fencing and into the Adass Israel building.

Steve Davis was walking past when he noticed the congregation appearing as though they were setting up for an event.

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"It would have been 20 to 30 and then another 20 to 30 coming and going as I was there waiting for the police to come," he said.

"I just think this behaviour from anyone in society at this time is just appalling, it's disgusting really because small businesses are already hurting, and this is just extending what's already happening."

Sundown on Monday represented the beginning of Jewish New Year celebrations.

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria declared its disapproval of gathering in breach of lockdown prior to the beginning of the celebrations.

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A video on the council's website tells viewers: "This Roshanah we need to stay home and celebrate only with the poeple we live with."

The President of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, Daniel Aghion, previously defended the community when some of its members were found to have breached lockdown at an illegal engagement party.

At the time, Mr Aghion said the community was disappointed at the breach of restrictions and that the community as a whole had been very compliant with the lockdown.

"The community itself has been doing the hard yards," he said.

An Australian musk duck has been recorded saying "you bloody fool" in the first documented instance of the species mimicking human speech.

A hand-reared male named Ripper was recorded imitating the phrase during a courtship display, according to a study published Monday.

The authors said he could have learned it from his caretaker.

"The Australian musk duck demonstrates an unexpected and impressive ability for vocal learning," the study said.

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The report also details how Ripper imitated the sound of a door opening and closing.

There are many species of ducks and geese that are bred in captivity, and there haven't been any reports of them showing an ability to mimic human sounds, study author Carel ten Cate told CNN.

"It's quite exceptional then to come across a species which apparently has the ability to mimic these sounds," he said.

Songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds are known to exhibit this vocal learning ability, but this is the first fully documented instance of musk ducks exhibiting vocal learning, said Professor ten Cate, a researcher and professor of animal behaviour at the Institute of Biology Leiden, at Leiden University, the Netherlands.

"It's not exactly a human voice, but very voice like," he said.

"It's mimicking quite well."

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Some species are better mimics than musk ducks, but there are many songbirds and parrots that are worse at copying, Professor ten Cate said.

Ripper was hand-reared at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve near Canberra, where the recordings were made in 1987 by now-retired ornithologist Peter J Fullagar, who was formerly at the division of ecosystem sciences at The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

While some observations of musk ducks mimicking human sounds were documented in Australian bird journals, they never made it to the scientific community that studies vocal learning, Professor ten Cate explained.

The recordings were made during displays to attract a mate that combine sounds and physical movements such as splashing in the water.

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In the recordings, Ripper appeared to imitate the sound of a door a few meters from the sink he was kept in for a few weeks after he was born, as well as what sounds like: "You bloody foo."

The last word could be either "fool" or "food," Professor ten Cate said.

"It's in the ear of the beholder so to speak," he said, explaining that it was likely a phrase Ripper heard repeatedly from his caretaker.

In a separate recording made in 2000, a second male duck at Tidbinbilla appears to imitate a Pacific black duck.

Musk ducks live in two separate areas in western and south-eastern Australia, according to the study. These birds are rarely bred in captivity due to the fact that mature males are prone to attacking other waterfowl.

The study also details two other instances of captive musk ducks imitating sounds in their environment, but the birds were not recorded, and therefore the observations not independently confirmed.

Wild musk ducks are unlikely to imitate human sounds, Professor ten Cate said.

"If you only recorded these animals in the field you wouldn't realize that they were actually vocal learners and imitating one another, it's just when they are reared under these special conditions," he said.

The study was published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.