Welfare Coronavirus supplement cut from January 1

More than 1 million Australians will have their welfare payments shaved from tomorrow as the Government continues to wind back coronavirus assistance.

The coronavirus supplement — a top-up payment for more than a million welfare recipients — will decrease from $125 per week to $75 per week on January 1 and it will disappear entirely on March 31. It was as high as $275 per week between April and September. Analysis by the Grattan Institute found the coronavirus supplement, at its peak, lifted those on unemployment benefits above both the relative poverty line — equivalent to 50 per cent of the median income — and the Henderson poverty line. It was the first time in more than 20 years that Australian welfare payments had exceeded either poverty measure. Source: ABC News

Fox News Poll

Bawley Point, Australia

Rainbow lorikeets bring a splash of colour in New South Wales. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Iceland's trees lost to the Vikings

The country lost most of its trees more than a thousand years ago, when Vikings settlers harvested the forests to build their homes and boats, and as fuel. As climate change has become a greater concern, Iceland’s leaders have viewed reforestation as a way to help the country meet its climate goals. Reforesting the Icelandic countryside has benefits for farmers, and counteract erosion and sandstorms. Thanks to the reforestation initiatives 3m or more trees were planted in recent years Photograph: Simone Tramonte

Eider down harvesting in Iceland.

These precious feathers have created a peculiar bond between human and duck.

Erla collects eider down in her farm in the Westfjord. Eider down harvesting is based on a sustainable relationship between the farmers and the eiders. Eider are seabirds that spend most of their lives in the Arctic Circle. In late May, they nest close to human settlements to seek shelter and protection, using down to create a nest. During the egg incubation, the farmers guard the flock from predators, and only when birds waddle back to the sea, the farmers collect the down – which is traded at about €2,000/kg. About 70% of the world down production comes from Iceland Photograph: Simone Tramonte

Banana plantation in Iceland

Iceland is a volcanic island, located on a hotspot on the mid-Atlantic ocean ridge, where the north American and Eurasian plates meet.

Kjartan, a researcher at the Icelandic Agricultural University, in the banana plantation in Hveragerði. This greenhouse has been growing bananas for research purposes since the 1950s and it is one of Europe‘s largest plantations. Hveragerði means hot springs garden. In this area, geothermal energy has been used for decades to heat the greenhouses and to provide illumination during the darkest months. Photograph: Simone Tramonte

Minsk, Belarus

President Alexander Lukashenko dances during a youth new year ball Photograph: Pavel Orlovski/AP

Dr Li Wenliang remembered

A year ago today, Dr. Li Wenliang revealed what is now known as COVID-19. He died 2 months later. RIP. Source: Reddit

Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine approved

The vaccine is cheaper and easier to transport than the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna.(Reuters: Francis Mascarenhas)

UK Department of Health accepted a recommendation from medical regulators to authorise the vaccine. The developers of the easy-to-handle shot hope it will become the "vaccine for the world

Where did the money go?

Roman Catholic bishops in Australia are to formally request that the Pope launches an investigation into how A$2.3 billion (£1.3 billion) was transferred from the Vatican to Australia over six years without their knowledge. The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference said that it was “astonished at the scale of the transfers” from the Holy See’s secretariat of state between 2014 and this year. No Australian Catholic, diocese, charity, religious order or church entity received any of the billions of dollars, according to Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Brisbane and the president of the Conference. Source: The Times

Glass House Mountains

Mount Ngungun, in the Glass House Mountains, is part of Australia's ancient volcanic past.

The Glass House Mountains, are hard to miss. These ancient volcanic plugs are all that is left of eruptions that occurred around 25 million years ago. They are among hundreds of ancient volcano remnants that extend 3,500 kilometres from Tasmania to northern Queensland….. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2020-12-29/australias-ancient-volcanoes-form-geology-cradle-mountain/12987192

Turkish long-haul driver's breakfast set up

Source: Reddit

Russia admits deaths three times higher than reported

New figures show that more than 186,000 Russians have died from the virus, up from the 55,265 the country officially reported. This means that Russia has the third-highest number of fatalities, moving ahead of India and sitting behind only the US and Brazil.

Woman who escaped Perth quarantine is conspiracy theorist

Jenny D'Ubios, who on Facebook goes by the name Jennifer Gonzalez, soaked up online conspiracies before escaping hotel quarantine.CREDIT:FACEBOOK

Trapped under quarantine and ravaged by allergies in a Perth hotel room, Jenny D'Ubios slid into an internet vortex of conspiracy theories in the week before her Boxing Day escape. The self-described "fringe scientist" shared with her Facebook followers articles about the dangers of 5G, a post by an anti-fluoride group that suggested coronavirus was a hoax, a video about the COVID-19 test (which was blocked by Facebook) and support for Reignite Democracy Australia, an activist group that sprang up in protest against the Melbourne lockdown. Source: The Age

Palestinian groups fire rockets into the sea

REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian armed groups staged military exercises in Gaza on Tuesday, including firing rockets into the sea, to mark the anniversary of the start of the 2008 conflict with Israel. The goal of the exercise, the first of its kind, is to "strengthen the skills of combatants" and demonstrate the "unity" of armed groups in Gaza, said the spokesman, whose face was almost entirely covered by a traditional headscarf. Hamas, the Islamist group that has controlled Gaza since 2007, was also taking part.

China Wades Into Nepal’s Political Crisis

Nepalese supporters of the splinter group in the governing Nepal Communist Party participate in a protest in Kathmandu.

Only a week ago President Bhandari dissolved the House of Representatives on the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli and announced fresh elections to be held on April 30 and May 10. The 275-member house, which was elected in 2017 for a five-year term, has been dissolved two years ahead of the completion of its term. https://thediplomat.com/2020/12/china-wades-into-nepals-political-crisis/ .

Crossing the Irish border

ANIMAL CROSSING: A group of horse riders crosses the Border from the Republic into Northern Ireland at Carrickcarnan in Co Louth. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

More frescoes revealed in Roman Palazzo

Frescoes painted over centuries ago are being revealed as part of a €35 million refurbishment of the Palazzo Silvestri-Rivaldi in Rome.

In a crumbling and abandoned Rome palazzo restorers are scraping grey paint off the walls to reveal brightly coloured frescoes of pagan goddesses, bloody battles and proud Roman emperors. “We knew this place was famous for beautiful frescoes in the Renaissance, and we are now discovering really high quality 16th-century work from the school of Raphael,” Daniela Porro, the city’s chief archaeologist, said. Source: The Times

EU Chiefs sign trade deal with Britain

[File: Olivier Hoslet/Reuters] EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel sign the trade deal agreed with Britain yesterday (Wednesday).

European Union governments have approved a trade deal regulating relations between the 27-nation bloc and the UK, paving the way for its provisional application from January 1, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said.

Will the US Senate buck their President?

The US Senate is expected to vote in the coming days on whether to override President Donald Trump’s veto of an annual defence policy bill, potentially dealing Trump his first veto override and putting Republicans in the unfamiliar position of publicly bucking the president. Senate Republicans are in a political bind after a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives approved an increase in stimulus cheques sought by President Donald Trump to $2,000 per US citizen. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was unable to get quick consent in the Senate to move forward with a veto override as Democrats sought to pressure Republicans to add another $484 bn in direct stimulus payments to US citizens. Source: Aljazeera

Wild dog fence extension ready to go

The NSW Government has opened a $17 million tender to extend the NSW Border Wild Dog Fence by 742 kilometres. When finished, the fence will total 1,325km, making it one of the longest of its kind. Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the tender was now open. Straddling the shared NSW, Queensland and South Australian borders, it is also expected to bring an economic boost to struggling country towns.

Canada’s aboriginal communities to receive vaccine

Dany Fortin, a retired general, has been given the task of providing the vaccine across the country BLAIR GABLE/REUTERS

Canada is to deploy helicopters, boats, snowmobiles and dog sleds in its drive to immunise indigenous communities. Many remote tribes are accessible via logging roads or by aircraft, but those in the high Arctic are harder to reach. Both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines, approved by Canada, require two doses days apart, and the communities do not have adequate storage facilities. Multiple trips across challenging terrain are therefore needed. Dany Fortin said that the army and the Red Cross would help. Canada’s aboriginal communities have a high risk of complications from Covid-19. Many lack access to clean water and nutritious food, while housing shortages make social distancing all but impossible.

British investors in slave trade to be named

The Duke of Chandos invested in a slave company.

The largest ever database of investors in the slave trade will be created by British academics in a project highlighting ties to modern firms and backed by £1 million of government funding. The Dictionary of British Slave Traders will provide detailed biographies of investors across its 250-year history, including shareholders in slave-trading companies and those investing through syndicates in independent slave-trading voyages. It will also illustrate the “entanglement” of slave wealth across the economy and its financial legacy on balance sheets down to the present, adding to pressure for institutions to take action to redress historic wrongs. The team, from the universities of Lancaster and Manchester and University College London (UCL), said that it would identify more than 6,500 Britons. Source: The Times

Justin Trudeau blocks China from buying Arctic goldmine

A Chinese state-owned company has been blocked from purchasing a goldmine in the strategic Canadian Arctic in a move that is expected to plunge already frosty relations between the two countries into a deep freeze. In May Shandong Gold Mining had offered C$230 million ($179 million) to purchase TMAC Resources, which owns the Hope Bay mine in Nunavut, about 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The offer was accepted by the shareholders. However, last Monday TMAC, which is based in Toronto, announced that the government had blocked the takeover and Shandong said that the decision was made for the “purpose of safeguarding national security”. Deals of this kind are subject to the Investment Canada Act, under which they are evaluated for security implications.

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

Cradle Mountain is one of at least 120 areas of ancient volcanism in Tasmania.(ABC Open: Vicki Smith) The craggy walls of Cradle Mountain rise above the Tasmanian wilderness.

This scenic spot is peaceful now, but that was not the case 70 million years ago. The iconic rock is the remnants of an ancient volcano that shaped the landscape with lava and ash. Cradle Mountain is just one of hundreds of ancient volcano remnants that extend 3,500 kilometres from Tasmania to northern Queensland………… https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2020-12-29/australias-ancient-volcanoes-form-geology-cradle-mountain/12987192

Peter Slipper forced to apologise

The Legal Profession Board of Tasmania has upheld one complaint made against former speaker of the house, Peter Slipper, after the Hobart barrister texted the complainant's uncle with what the board characterised as "an indirect threat". Two international students had engaged Mr Slipper for legal services after they were subject to a restraining order. The trio parted ways after Mr Slipper revealed his appearance at a scheduled conciliation conference would cost $650 — a sum one of the students repeatedly queried and ultimately did not pay after engaging an alternate barrister. Mr Slipper told the complainant he was still owed the fee because of the time he had spent preparing for the conference. At 10:03pm on July 15, 2019, Mr Slipper wrote to the student's uncle: "I'm inclined to write to the Minister for Home Affairs as I'm not convinced we need people like these guys in the country." Source: ABC News

Russia’s ultimatum to Navalny

Russia’s prison service has given Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny a last-minute ultimatum: fly back from Germany at once and report at a Moscow office early on Tuesday morning, or be jailed if you return after that deadline. Russia has said it has seen no evidence he was poisoned and has denied any involvement in the incident. The Federal Prison Service (FSIN) on Monday accused Navalny of violating the terms of a suspended prison sentence he is still serving out over a conviction dating from 2014, and of evading the supervision of Russia’s criminal inspection authority. Source: Aljazeera

Trump signs COVID relief bill but adds conditions

“I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child,” Trump said in a statement announcing he had signed the bill. White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said the president was “sending a strong message” that “wasteful items” needed to be removed from the bill and added that a “redlined” version would be sent back to Congress with a requirement that such items be removed from the bill. Other conditions include a review and possible repeal of Section 230, under which social media giants cannot be held legally responsible for objectionable words, photos or videos that people post to their platforms. Source: Aljazeera

Russia Admits to ‘World’s Largest’ Arctic Oil Spill

Kirill Kukhmar / TASS. Russian authorities said the fuel spill at an Arctic power station earlier in 2020 was the largest in world history, a top emergencies official said Thursday. Some 21,000 tons of oil poured into the surrounding ground and waterways near the city of Norilsk after a diesel oil tank belonging to a subsidiary of Russian metals giant Nornickel collapsed on May 29. “Such an amount of liquid diesel fuel has never been spilled in the history of mankind,” the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted Deputy Emergency Minister Alexander Chupriyan as telling reporters. “We already trapped [the fuel] in the Arctic zone,” he said.

Zhang Zhan has been jailed for four years

Ms Zhang was critical of the early response to the virus outbreak in Wuhan, writing in February that the government 'didn't give people enough information' and 'violated human rights'. She was jailed for her livestream reporting from Wuhan as the COVID-19 outbreak unfurled, her lawyer said Monday, almost a year after details of an "unknown viral pneumonia" surfaced in the central China city. Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, was sentenced at a brief hearing in a Shanghai court for allegedly "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" for her reporting in the chaotic initial stages of the outbreak. Her live reports and essays were widely shared on social media platforms in February, grabbing the attention of authorities, who have punished eight virus whistleblowers so far as they defang criticism of the government's response to the outbreak.

Hundreds of British skiers flee Swiss Verbier quarantine

Switzerland caused controversy by deciding, despite the pandemic, to keep its ski resorts open. Verbier is one of the most popular Alpine resorts for British skiers

A spokesman in Valais canton said 420 British guests had booked into Verbier accommodation before Christmas and now only about a dozen were left. Switzerland imposed a 10-day quarantine backdated to 14 December because of the new virus strain spreading in the UK. "We understand their anger," Jean-Marc Sandoz told the SonntagsZeitung. "Suddenly families with small children were locked into 20 sq m (215 sq ft), and that's intolerable."

Billionaire heiress Francesca Packer's new love

The granddaughter of late media mogul Kerry Packer confirmed she is dating Adam Cooper, Pilates instructor and head of training and performance at Vive Active studio in Double Bay. “Adam is a really great guy,” she said. “We’ve been dating for a while.” Last month, it was revealed Ms Packer had separated from personal trainer boyfriend Sam Zacharia, the son of celebrity plastic surgeon Michael Zacharia.

Apple pie for Christmas

Poster made an apple pie for Christmas and wanted someone to see it. Source: Reddit

Birds who play smarter than those who don't

Corellas involved in play fighting.(Supplied: Bobbi Marchini)

Cockatoos communicate with their comb as well as body posture, say bird experts.(Supplied: Gisela Kaplan)

Professor Kaplan said "When I compared the play behaviour species with non-play behaviour species, I was absolutely blown away by the results," she said. "Those that play socially had the largest brains and those that do not play at all, the smallest brains…… https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-26/birds-that-play-are-smarter-finds-gisela-kaplan-research/12990902

Richard Pusey creates havoc on roof of his home

Porsche driver, Richard Pusey, accused of filming a dying police officer after a fatal crash on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway has been taken to hospital after a disturbance at his home in which police had to negotiate with him to get off the roof. Richard Pusey has been committed to stand trial on driving charges and one count of outraging public decency over allegations he used his mobile phone to film the aftermath of a crash on the Eastern Freeway in Kew on April 22. Four police officers were killed in the crash. "Due to concerns for the welfare of the occupants Critical Incident Response Team police forced entry to the warehouse-style residence before finding the male on the roof," the police spokeswoman said. The 42-year-old surrendered to police "without incident" and was taken to hospital for assessment.

French Muslim attacked for attending Christmas Party

A young Muslim was attacked by fellow Muslims after he posted photos online of a Christmas party he had attended. The incident, which occurred in the northeastern city of Belfort, was reported by local media on Saturday. The 20-year-old victim is the son of law enforcement officers.

Shortly after posting the photos of the party, he was threatened by an acquaintance who blasted the young man as a “dirty son of white, son of a snake, son of police” and promised to “show” him what a “real Arab” should be. Although the tone of the conversation was far from friendly, the young man agreed to meet his accuser in person who showed up with four other mn, who beat up the 20-year-old and threatened him with further violence if he reported the incident to the police. Despite the intimidation, the young man filed a complaint against his attackers, and his mother has vowed to pursue the suspects. “He walked into an ambush,” she was cited by local media as saying.

Russian vaccine rolls out to people over 60

The Kremlin said on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to soon receive the country’s pioneering coronavirus vaccine. The comments came as eligibility for Sputnik V was broadened to those over the age of 60.

Sputnik V, created by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, made headlines in August, when it became the first vaccine against Covid-19 to be registered anywhere in the world. There had been initial hesitancy about rolling it out to all age groups, and the very vulnerable, without extensive research, but with more than 700,000 Russians having received the jab already, and clinical trials completed, regulators now feel there is sufficient evidence to extend it to more and more people.

Indian Prime Minister speaks to protesting farmers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held virtual talks with Indian farmers and asked them to explain how the government's agricultural policies have benefited them, a month into massive farmer protests that have rattled his administration.

Protesting farmers fear the government will stop buying grain at minimum guaranteed prices and corporations will then push down prices. The government says the three laws approved by Parliament in September will enable farmers to market their produce and boost production through private investment. “Through these agricultural reforms, we have given better options to the farmers,” Modi said in his live address. He reiterated that the laws were a much-needed reform that would benefit farmers and accused opposition parties of spreading fears of farmers' exploitation by corporations. However, many Indian farmers believe the overhaul will lead to lower prices and pave the way for corporate takeovers of their small farms, which average less than three acres in size.

Syrian refugee camp set on fire in Lebanon

Syrian refugees salvage belongings from the wreckage of their shelters at a camp set on fire overnight in the northern Lebanese town of Bhanine on Sunday 27 December 2020. Ibrahim Chalhoub / AFP - Getty Images

On 26 December, angry youths set the refugee campsite on fire. Lebanon has over one million Syrian refugees who fled since the beginning of the conflict in 2011 and many Syrians have long been migrant workers and a main source of cheap labour for the construction and agriculture sectors. Lebanese workers are angry at refugees for taking their jobs.

Volunteer Brits to be infected with coronavirus

The world’s first “human challenge COVID trials” will see 2500 hero Brits deliberately being infected with coronavirus for research. The trial comes as new evidence shows that Covid-19 immunity for those suffering a mild version of the disease lasts at least four months, say experts. Imperial College said its joint human challenge study involves volunteers aged 18 to 30, with the project starting in January – and results expected in May. Initially, 90 volunteers will be given a dose of an experimental nasal vaccine. They will then be deliberately infected with COVID-19.

Stranded trucks in Dover cross the Channel

A lorry driver entering the Port of Dover on the southeast coast of England, shows his credentials to a member of the British Army on December 25, 2020, as Covid-19 testing of drivers queueing to depart from the ferry terminal to Europe continues. © Niklas Halle'n, AFP.

More than 4,500 lorries, among a huge backlog of trucks stranded for days in the British port of Dover, crossed the Channel on Friday after nearly 1,000 British troops were deployed Christmas Day to step up coronavirus testing. The port remained open despite the Christmas holiday so that ferries, as well as the trains bringing trucks through the Channel Tunnel, could operate -- but only for trips from Britain to France. "Yesterday, we had 1,000 lorries cross over from Dover. As of 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) we had 1,400 lorries from Britain," Benoit Rochet, head of the Calais port operator, told AFP.

Hot food stall found in Pompeii

The paintings on this counter have been preserved for nearly two millennia'

REUTERS. A "fast food" shop from the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, which was destroyed in a volcanic eruption almost 2,000 years ago, is to open to the public - for viewings only - next year. The food counter, known as a termopolium, would have served hot food and drinks to locals in the city. The shop, with its bright frescoes and terracotta jars, was discovered in 2019 and unveiled on Saturday.

British double agent dies in Russia

George Blake, a former British intelligence officer who worked as a double agent for the Soviet Union, has died in Russia at 98. MOSCOW -- George Blake, a former British intelligence officer who worked as a double agent for the Soviet Union and passed some of the most coveted Western secrets to Moscow, has died in Russia. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, known as SVR, announced his death Saturday in a statement, which didn't give any details. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences, hailing Blake as a “brilliant professional” and a man of “remarkable courage.”

China boasts about Covid management

The Chinese government has gloated about the "extraordinary glory" of its COVID-19 management ahead of an investigation into the origins of the disease spearheaded by the World Health Organisation. The novel coronavirus, COVID-19 first emerged in China's Hubei province last year before spreading across the globe.

Small business wants new law to stand down workers who refuse jab

Small businesses are calling for a new law to stand down workers without pay if they refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer-bioNtech vaccine is set to be rolled out across Australia in March. Business owners fear employees won't come to work if co-workers have not received the jab. Industrial relations minister Christian Porter says a number of issues are yet to be discussed by the government.

The Story of the WWI Christmas Truce

Riflemen Andrew and Grigg (center)—British troops from London—during the Christmas Truce with Saxons of the 104th and 106th Regiments of the Imperial German Army.

The same basic understanding seems to have sprung up spontaneously at other spots. For another British soldier, Private Frederick Heath, the truce began late that same night when “all down our line of trenches there came to our ears a greeting unique in war: ‘English soldier, English soldier, a merry Christmas, a merry Christmas!’” Then–as Heath wrote in a letter home–the voices added:

‘Come out, English soldier; come out here to us.’ For some little time we were cautious, and did not even answer. Officers, fearing treachery, ordered the men to be silent. But up and down our line one heard the men answering that Christmas greeting from the enemy. How could we resist wishing each other a Merry Christmas, even though we might be at each other’s throats immediately afterwards? So we kept up a running conversation with the Germans, all the while our hands ready on our rifles. Blood and peace, enmity and fraternity—war’s most amazing paradox. The night wore on to dawn—a night made easier by songs from the German trenches, the pipings of piccolos and from our broad lines laughter and Christmas carols. Not a shot was fired…… https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-story-of-the-wwi-christmas-truce-11972213/

Wealthy patients scramble for COVID-19 vaccine

California Governor Gavin Newsom holds up a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. CREDIT:AP.

The COVID-19 vaccine is here - and so are the wealthy people who want it first. California's stern messaging about serving the neediest first hasn't stopped the rich from trying to leap ahead of teachers, farmworkers and firefighters. Watchdogs have been warning that the COVID-19 vaccine's initial scarcity could create a thriving black market, particularly if well-connected people in the healthcare industry skim off a few doses here and there for friends, family or the highest bidder. But getting earlier access to the shot may not even require much backroom deal-making. Some wealthy patients may get the shots sooner than the average person because they're members of exclusive healthcare groups that offer the kind of high-quality, primary care most Americans can't afford…. https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/wealthy-patients-scramble-for-covid-19-vaccine-if-i-donate-25000-would-that-help-me-20201219-p56oxz.html

Australia wins the toss in Boxing Day test

Australia has won the toss and will bat first in today's Boxing Day cricket test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The pitch has a light covering of grass and a fine day is forecast with a top temperature of 28 degrees Celsius (82 Farhenheit). Missing skipper Virat Kohli for personal reasons, India has made four changes to its side, including naming two debutants.