#Sydney Thackray

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Sunday, July 4, 2021

Out-Group Hostility (The Present Age) A new research article published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) doesn’t bode well for efforts to fight political extremism and polarization. The paper’s authors analyzed 2,730,215 Twitter and Facebook posts published by members of the news media and U.S. Congresspeople, and came to the conclusion that the quickest way to social media success is to attack members of the “out-group.” Specifically, each additional word about the opposing party (e.g., “Democrat,” “Leftist,” or “Biden” if the post was coming from a Republican) in a social media post increased the odds of that post being shared by 67%. These results are troubling in an attention economy where the social media business model is based on keeping us engaged in order to sell advertising. Facebook knows that its algorithm rewards extreme rhetoric and anger. Last year, The Wall Street Journal uncovered an internal report Facebook put together in 2018 that found that the company’s “algorithms exploit the human brain’s attraction to divisiveness.” Even worse, the report’s authors found that if left in place, the algorithm would continue to serve “more and more divisive content in an effort to gain user attention and increase time on the platform.”

COVID-19 shots are causing social conflicts (Yahoo News) After 15 months of limiting their social interactions to small outdoor gatherings with masks and social distancing—and two COVID-19 vaccination shots apiece for herself, her husband and their teen son—Suzanne (who preferred to not use her real name for this article) and her family are finally easing up and meeting with friends and family members inside. Sort of. While Suzanne’s side of the family is fully vaccinated, most of her in-laws are not. What’s more, they are lax about wearing masks, and have thus not been included in recent gatherings. And so a pandemic that’s already seen fissures form between those who mask and those who don’t now ushers in its new social divide: the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated. At a time when a return to “normal” is touted at every turn, awkwardness, hurt feelings and a sense of being judged are leaving many relationships feeling anything but.

Ransomware hits hundreds of US companies, security firm says (AP) A ransomware attack paralyzed the networks of at least 200 U.S. companies on Friday, according to a cybersecurity researcher whose company was responding to the incident. The REvil gang, a major Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate, appears to be behind the attack, said John Hammond of the security firm Huntress Labs. He said the criminals targeted a software supplier called Kaseya, using its network-management package as a conduit to spread the ransomware through cloud-service providers. Such cyberattacks typically infiltrate widely used software and spread malware as it updates automatically. Brett Callow, a ransomware expert at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, said he was unaware of any previous ransomware supply-chain attack on this scale.

Firefighters are tackling three major wildfires in California in worrying sign as summer begins (Washington Post) Firefighters in California are battling three sizable wildfires in what authorities are characterizing as a worrying sign that this year’s fire season could be even more devastating than the record-breaking destruction seen in 2020. “We’re seeing a large increase in fires on a historical basis compared to where we would be at this time last year,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jon Heggie said. “This is a large indicator that we’re looking at another busy fire season—all the same scenarios that set up last year for such a devastating year have the same potential for this year.”

Hurricane Elsa races toward Haiti amid fears of landslides (AP) Hurricane Elsa raced toward Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Saturday, where it threatened to unleash flooding and landslides before taking aim at Cuba and Florida. The Category 1 storm was located about 395 miles (635 kilometers) east-southeast of Isla Beata, Dominican Republic and was moving west-northwest at 29 mph (46 kph). It had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), with the hurricane expected to become a tropical storm after hitting Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. In Haiti, authorities used social media to alert people about the hurricane and urged them to evacuate if they lived near water or mountain flanks.

Vatican judge indicts 10, including a cardinal, for alleged financial crimes (Reuters) A Vatican judge on Saturday ordered 10 people, including an Italian cardinal, to stand trial for alleged financial crimes including embezzlement, money laundering, fraud, extortion and abuse of office. Those indicted include Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who was fired by Pope Francis last year, the former heads of the Vatican’s financial intelligence unit, and two Italian brokers involved in the Vatican’s purchase of a building in a luxury area of London.

At least 19 missing as mudslide west of Tokyo hits houses (AP) A powerful mudslide carrying a deluge of black water and debris crashed into rows of houses in a town west of Tokyo following heavy rains on Saturday, leaving at least 19 people missing, officials said. As many as 80 homes in Atami were completely buried, according to an official with the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. The official said more people, possibly 100, could still be missing under the mudslides but warned that details were not immediately clear. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed that aggressive rescue operations were underway to find survivors.

Australia: Will the mouse infestation ever end? (The Week) The biblical mouse plague ravaging Australia is showing no signs of letup, said Daniella White at The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). The millions of mice now scurrying across the southeast have gobbled some $775 million worth of crops and are gnawing through anything in their path—including barns, homes, and even cars. A rural prison in the state of New South Wales was being evacuated this week because mice had chewed through ceiling tiles and wiring and their stinking dead bodies are piling up in wall cavities. Once the rodents start rotting, says state prison commissioner Peter Severin, “the next problem is mites.” The infestation is so severe “that mice are biting people in their beds, sending some residents to the hospital in a critical condition,” said Lucy Thackray at ABC.net.au (Australia). Dozens of people have contracted leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that if left untreated can cause kidney failure and meningitis. Farmers are baiting fields with the poison zinc phosphide, which is expensive and time-consuming, but the worst part is the ick factor. “Farmers and their families are unable to get a decent night’s sleep,” said John Warlters of the charity Rural Aid, “without mice chewing on toes and scampering across beds.” It’s going to be “a long battle,” said Peter Hannam at The Age (Australia). Population growth should slow now that the Australian winter has arrived. But “the mice are expected to return with renewed menace” when spring crops ripen.

Unable to control Tigray, Ethiopia isolates region (Washington Post) The Ethiopian government’s inability to sustain its military offensive in the mountainous northern Tigray region was laid bare this week, as rebel forces chased their adversaries out of key cities and were met, as they triumphantly marched in, with jubilation from locals who see them as liberators. Now reports from the United Nations and aid groups imply a concerted campaign by government-aligned forces to punish and isolate Tigray, destroying key infrastructure in ways that will complicate the delivery of urgent relief, if not make it impossible, in a region where hundreds of thousands are already estimated to be experiencing war-driven famine. Aid groups report that there has been no Internet, phone service or electricity in Tigray since Ethiopian troops retreated and that no food or fuel are being allowed in. Both of the latter are essential—millions are depending on food aid for survival, and hospitals are using fuel-dependent generators to keep the power on. On Thursday, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordination office confirmed the destruction of a key bridge spanning a deep river valley that had been the main route for aid to be driven in.

Africa’s Last Absolute Monarchy Convulsed by Mass Protests (NYT) As Africa’s last absolute monarch, King Mswati III of Eswatini chooses his country’s prime minister and cabinet, and possesses the power to dissolve Parliament. His grip on the nation’s limited economic resources has underwritten a lavish lifestyle of luxury cars and palaces. About six out of 10 of citizens, meanwhile, live in poverty. Many in this tiny landlocked nation, wedged between South Africa and Mozambique, are on the brink of hunger and have to cross into South Africa to find work. Now, it seems, many of the kingdom’s 1.1 million inhabitants have had it with this imbalance: Over the past week, the tiny southern African nation, formerly known as Swaziland, has descended into the most explosive civil unrest in its 53 years of independence. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in the executive capital, Mbabane, and elsewhere, with many burning and looting businesses in which the king holds a stake. The government has responded aggressively, with witnesses, activists and hospital staff reporting that the military and the police have fired live rounds at protesters and looters.

Facebook tests prompts that ask users if they're worried a friend is 'becoming an extremist' (CNN Business) Some Facebook users in the United States are being served a prompt that asks if they are worried that someone they know might be becoming an extremist. Others are being notified that they may have been exposed to extremist content. It is all part of a test the social media company is running that stems from its Redirect Initiative, which aims to combat violent extremism, Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesperson, told CNN. Screen shots of the alerts surfaced on social media Thursday. “This test is part of our larger work to assess ways to provide resources and support to people on Facebook who may have engaged with or were exposed to extremist content, or may know someone who is at risk,” Stone said. “We are partnering with NGOs and academic experts in this space and hope to have more to share in the future,” Stone added. One of the alerts, a screen grab of which made the rounds on social media Thursday, asks users, “Are you concerned that someone you know is becoming an extremist?”

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Calls for government to step in over JetGo, regional flights 'crisis'

By Lucy Thackray and Chloe Hart Updated June 18, 2018 16:34:47 There are calls for the New South Wales Government to subsidise regional airline services, with the voluntary administration of carrier JetGo Australia this month leaving regional communities without direct flights to some capital cities. Key pointsRegional airline JetGo Australia owes $17 million, with a potential debt of $34 million, and is facing action at the Supreme CourtMore than 10 thousand passengers are pursuing refunds through the banks, with a total ticket value of $4 million Doctor may be leaving western New South Wales town because of loss of airline In late May Dubbo Regional Council lodged legal action against JetGo Australia in the Supreme Court over more than $270,000 owed by the airline in unpaid fees. All flights were then cancelled on June 1, leaving more than 10,000 customers pursuing $4 million in refunds. The full extent of the regional airline's debt was revealed at a creditors' meeting last week to be a confirmed $17 million, but is potentially higher. JetGo Australia operated flights from regional locations including Dubbo, Wollongong and Albury in NSW; Townsville and Rockhampton in Queensland; and Karratha in Western Australia. It is the only airline which connects these regional destinations with Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Melbourne.

Photo: Dubbo Regional Council has lodged a claim with the Supreme Court over unpaid debts from JetGo. (Supplied: Dubbo City Council) Doctors to regional towns Rochana Chandraratne is a Brisbane-based doctor who has been working in Warren, north-west of Dubbo in NSW, as a locum doctor for three years. Dr Chandraratne uses JetGo to fly from Brisbane to Dubbo for work. "I work as a GP there and also I look after the hospital as an on-call GP," said Dr Chandraratne. "There are another two doctors in the area and both of them are travelling. "One commutes from Sydney and the other from Dubbo." Although Dr Chandraratne loves his work in Warren, he said without a direct route between Brisbane and Dubbo, he might have to find work elsewhere. "It is really difficult coming to Sydney from Brisbane," said Dr Chandraratne. "Those flights are always fully booked and then after that from Sydney you have to wait another hour to catch the flight to Dubbo. "If I'm given another choice to work in another location where there's a direct flight, I'll consider that because taking two flights is a tiresome thing and more expensive as well. "If JetGo can resume their service it would be wonderful." Calls for government to help The Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) said there needed to be more support from the NSW Government for regional airlines. Chief executive Mike Higgins said it was very hard for regional airlines to make a profit.

Photo: A Jetgo plane at Illawarra Regional Airport. (ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale) "A number of our operators are operating on very slim margins due to the long, thin routes that the aircraft fly and the small size of the aircraft," he said. Mr Higgins said it was difficult for regional flights to be profitable for smaller airlines. "If you are operating a 737 that Virgin or Qantas operate, passenger numbers plus or minus 15 or 20 really doesn't make much difference," Mr Higgins said. "But on our operators' sized aircraft, one or two passengers can make a difference of operating at a loss or making ends meet. "To survive, we need high load factors; that is, the aircraft need to be almost full, if not full, on every flight. "In terms of financial support I think the Queensland Government sets the benchmark [by] providing subsidies to routes through remote communities. "I would encourage other state governments to engage with the Queensland Government to see the kind of benefits that sort of investment can provide." Assistance for passengers Qantas has offered special fares for customers who are JetGo ticketholders and were booked to travel in the month of June. A spokesperson for the airline says hundreds of people have already used their special fare to book replacement tickets. "The fares are available up to June 30 because that is how long JetGo said they would be in administration for," the spokesman said. "If it continues, obviously we'd look at what we can do." Topics:air-transport,consumer-protection,regional,government-and-politics,local-government,dubbo-2830,wollongong-2500,wagga-wagga-2650,albury-2640,rockhampton-4700,townsville-4810,karratha-6714,qld,nsw First posted June 18, 2018 16:33:31 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-18/jetgo-regional-flight-crisis-calls-for-government-to-intervene/9881090