Job Insecurity in Australia's Science Sector

​​An annual snapshot of Australia's scientific workforce reveals widespread job insecurity, a sharp spike in workloads and concerns about fatigue during the pandemic.

Nearly 2 in 3 scientists say morale at their workplace has also dipped over the past year, compared to 1 in 2 in the previous survey.

The research comes off the back of figures revealing that more than 17,000 jobs were lost in Australian universities during 2020.

Hendra Virus in Flying Foxes

Scientists at the CSIRO have confirmed a new strain of Hendra virus within Australia’s flying fox population.

The paper comes just days after a horse in New South Wales was found to possess this new strain, meaning it had been transmitted to the equine through a flying fox.

Horses are able to transmit Hendra virus to people if horse owners do not maintain proper vaccination and wearing of protective gear.

 

Bow and Arrow Attack in Norway

A man armed with a bow and arrow has killed several people and wounded a number of others yesterday morning in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg. 8 ambulances and 3 air ambulances were dispatched to the scene and both Oslo university hospital accident and emergency department and the local hospital were on standby to receive victims. The man has not yet been questioned but police have said that the attacker’s motives are not yet clear, however they are not ruling out terrorism.

Mindy Meng Wang 王萌: Phoenix Rising

<p>- For some people it’s like difficult circumstances don’t seem to exist. Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 is back with her third release of the pandemic period. It’s not any old bedroom recording either, but a collection of improv duets, the kind of thing that you imagine would’ve been hard to put together over email. Mindy Meng Wang 王萌, however, has spent her career defying expectations.

Grace Petrie: Connectivity

<p><span><span>- English folk singer Grace Petrie has been gradually rising in profile over the last decade - with songs of left-wing politics, queer female experience, and poppy singalong hooks</span></span></p>

<p><span><span><em>Connectivity</em> is Petrie’s 8th album. The promo material describes it as her “most personal record to date”. I guess like so many of us, Grace has taken the last 18 months of Covid restrictions as a chance for some internal reflection.</span></span></p>

Month of the Super-Cell Storms

Several super-cell storms are expected to sweep in from the west tomorrow, bringing ‘giant hail’, larger than five centimetres.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that south east Queensland now faces a new destructive weather system, that will be slow moving but bring various thunderstorms this October. 

This comes as a relief to some, as on Sunday there were rising concerns around southern coastal Queensland's severe rainfall deficiency. During September, the region received an unpredicted below average rainfall.

 

Controlled Burns Warning

Energex and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services are urging locals to use caution around electricity network infrastructure when conducting controlled burns on their property. 

Energex Area Manager Matt Hilder says damage to power poles is their biggest concern, due to the potential risk of falling power lines injuring or killing people and livestock. 

Brisbane's New NRL Team Official

The Redcliffe-based dolphins have officially been announced as the NRL’s newest franchise. The club will enter the league in 2023. 

The Dolphin’s recent bid was preferred over ones put forward by rival’s Firehawks and the Jets. 

This will be Brisbane’s second national based team, adding to a total of four teams in the NRL from Queensland.

 

Old Mobile Phones Donations To Assist Domestic Violence Charity

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Domestic Violence charity DV Safe Phone is calling for Australians to donate old mobile phones to people in need. 

Throughout October, the charity hopes to receive over 1,000 working mobile phones to distribute to people in dangerous domestic situations as part of their one phone one life campaign