- World Report 2024: Australia (hrw.org)
Australia is a vibrant democracy that mostly protects the civil and political rights of its citizens; however, its reputation is tarnished by some significant human rights concerns. These include the cruel treatment of refugees and asylum seekers as well as its failure to address systemic discrimination against First Nations people. Indigenous people are still overrepresented in Australian prisons. A referendum in October on The Voice, which would have allowed Indigenous people to advise Parliament in the form of an advisory committee, was defeated in every Australian state.
- Oh-My-God particle (Wikipedia)
The Oh-My-God particle was an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray detected on 15 October 1991 by the Fly’s Eye camera in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, United States. As of 2023, it is the highest-energy cosmic ray ever observed. Its energy was estimated as (3.2±0.9)×1020 eV (320 exa-eV). The particle’s energy was unexpected and called into question prevailing theories about the origin and propagation of cosmic rays.
- Cytisus scoparius has been introduced into several other countries and continents, outside of its native range, and is commonly classified as a noxious invasive species in western North America, mainly in British Columbia (including on Vancouver Island), California, Oregon, Washington (west of the Cascades), the Sierra Nevada range, fragmented areas of North America’s eastern seaboard, as well as Australia (where it is a declared weed), New Zealand, and in India.
