Europe coronavirus spike
Europe has seen a major spike in new coronavirus infections, with Spain and France becoming the first European countries to record one million cases. Polish President Andrzej Duda has become the latest public figure to test positive. The World Health Organisation has warned of the exponential rise in infections threatening health systems’ ability to cope with the second wave.
UN nuclear weapons treaty ratified
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will come into force as Honduras has become the 50th country to ratify. Many nuclear-armed states such as the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia have not signed the treaty. Japan is the only country to have been attacked with atomic weapons to have not signed the treaty, questioning the effectiveness of the treaty where major nuclear powers have not joined.
Tasmania's economy "best-performing" in nation
A new CommSec report has revealed Tasmania’s economy is outperforming the rest of the nation for the third month in a row. CommSec Chief Economist Craig James attributed the state’s economic success to population growth and the suppression of COVID-19. This comes as Tasmanian borders open today to travelers from South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and the ACT with no quarantining required.
Dan Andrews delays easing Vic restrictions
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced a delay in easing coronavirus restrictions while the state waits for more test results from the city’s northern outbreak. The next easing of restrictions was set to be significant, but the Premier said this may be pushed back until Wednesday. Today Victoria recorded no new cases of COVID-19 and no further deaths, bringing the 14-day rolling case average in metropolitan Melbourne to 3.6.
Cargo ship crew test positive to COVID
Health officials are investigating a mystery coronavirus strain on a cargo ship off the coast of Queensland, anchored off the Sunshine Coast. The Sofrana ship left New Zealand earlier in the month, before stopping in New Caledonia. New Zealand requested Australian health officials perform testing on the crew after an engineer who previously worked on the ship tested positive in Auckland.
Wild storms lash South East Queensland
Wild storms hit South East Queensland yesterday afternoon, with almost 200,000 lightning strikes, 93 kph winds, and hail recorded across the region. During the height of the storm, Energex reported 33,000 homes were without power and a person was transported to the Princess Alexandra Hospital after being struck by a tree. The Bureau of Meteorology says it can’t rule out more wild weather across the South East this week.
COVID Consolations - Part III (the final episode): Sunny Street
It's easy to take the Australian healthcare system for granted, but for many, it is difficult to approach it in the first place.
Dr Nova of Sunny Street chats with 4ZZZ reporter Kloe Phelan about the challenging but highly rewarding role Sunny Street play in providing mobile healthcare services, bringing light to healthcare on the streets.
Hop over to the 12pm Brisbane Line recording for 24 OCT 2020.
"Vincent River" - The Curators Theatre
To tell a story of loss, the first need for the hearer (and the teller) is to enunciate the loss. Explain the loss, why it matters, why the hearer needs to care about the loss. British playwright Philip Ridley takes a different pathway with his late 1990s two-hander. We know immediately that Vincent is dead, but, we don't know much more than his mother is being stalked by a scrawny teenager, "a school kid", she derisively taunts him.
Mimi Gilbert: Grew Inside The Water
<p><span><span><span><span>- I think of Mimi Gilbert as a stranger to these shores, an old-school folk rambler who’s never in one place for long. It’s interesting to notice that nearly every place she turns up -walking long distances alone in Coffs Harbour, embracing vagabond freedom in Santa Cruz, recording a record in Wellington, or getting back to home for now in Melbourne- they’re all coastal towns, never too far from the sea. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
Pallbearer: Forgotten Days
<p><span lang="en-GB">- Prior to the release of </span><span lang="en-GB"><strong>Pallbearer’s </strong></span><span lang="en-GB">new record, nearly half of it had either been put out as singles or as part of the </span><span lang="en-GB"><em><span>Quicksand of Existing</span></em></span><span lang="en-GB"><strong> </strong></span><span lang="en-GB">EP.