International

Jenny Pollard. A half century of international support was celebrated by the Charlton Action for World Development (AWD) Group last Friday night with the milestone occasion also bringing a bitter-sweet end to the small, but passionate entourage ... Including former guest speakers, foundation members and many supporters, the evening was a testament to the desire to create tangible benefits and build understanding about places and people whose lives, cultures and situations were so different to the Charlton locale.

French-born violinist Marie Limondin clearly remembers the day she bought her much-loved violin.   She was 12-years-old and it was already clear to everyone that Marie was not only a passionate player, she was also a very good one.   When the day came to upgrade her child’s violin to an adult-sized instrument Marie, along with her music teacher and parents, headed to Paris’ legendary rue de Rome ...

On November 29, twenty students and four staff flew to Cambodia to immerse themselves in a cultural experience and to participate in community service ... The group spent three days at a school in Siem Reap renovating and painting both the classrooms and the outside of the school.

...Uncle Owen Whyman presented as part of an Indigenous panel at COP29 during the ‘United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’ in Baku, Azerbaijan. Uncle Owen is a respected Wilcannia community leader, volunteer board member of the Indigenous Peoples’ Organisation, Chair of the Paroo-Darling National Park Co-management Committee, Deputy Chair of the Mutawintji National Park Board of Management, board member of North-Western Water Council, and founder and convenor of the Indigenous - Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA).

Herd contraction in the world’s four largest beef-producing nations – the US, Brazil, China and Europe – is expected to lead to the first reduction in global beef supply since the Covid-19 pandemic, altering trade flows in the year ahead, Rabobank says in a recently-released research report. In its latest (Q4) Global Beef Quarterly, titled Navigating declining global production, uncertainty in 2025 … Brazil and the US are likely to lead declines in beef production next year.

Sarah Herrmann. Calls for increased local consultation as part of the progressing Moonta Mines World Heritage bid were made at a community forum last week. The forum gave those interested the opportunity to quiz UK-based World Heritage consultant Barry Gamble, who had travelled to the Copper Coast for the official celebration of the tentative listing...

Lessons and learnings from one of America’s largest fairs will be on show in Australia in February. Ray Allison, Chief Development and Strategy Officer from the Indiana State Fair, and Second Vice Chair of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE), has been announced as the first of two keynote speakers at the Agricultural Shows Australia 2025 Conference.  

Greenpeace Australia Pacific recently visited Lord Howe Island as part of its work to protect the global ocean, where the organisation aims to protect 30 per cent of the world’s ocean by 2030. Greenpeace is seeking to do this by encouraging governments around the world to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty, to which Australia is a signatory.

The remarkable achievements of 2024 Paris Olympian bronze medallist Matthew Denny will be celebrated with two significant legacy projects in Allora. The local community was invited to vote on two proposals. Naming the Allora Cricket Grounds discus ring after Matthew Denny, creating a walking path in Dalrymple Park, featuring markers that highlight the distance of the various records achieved by Matthew Denny.

In Ukraine food prices continue to rise and the state is unable to help citizens. A natural solution to the problem could be for the starving to move to rural areas to farm on their own land. This is how 4 million Ukrainian families live.

Andrew Fedorowicz has won another award for his work on the stunning rejuvenation of the Fernery at Ballarat Botanical Gardens. Andrew’s company, Balance Architecture, has been awarded a First Award at the 2024 Global Architecture & Design Awards ... A picnic in the gardens makes a lovely day out. Andrew hopes for many visitors to the Fernery; "I want the world to know about it!"

Emeritus Professor of Oncology at St Georges, University of London and Principal of The Institute for Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy (ICVI) Professor Angus Dalgleish didn’t mince his words this week in response to Australia’s response to Covid. “Why on earth did they do this?” said Professor Dalgleish in an interview on Sky this week.

Churchill Fellow Dean Gilligan discusses with ARR.News the conservation of Edgbaston Springs in the Great Artesian Basin, key threats to springs ecosystems, such as invasive pest fish, and how he hopes his research in Ash Meadows in the USA and Cuarto Cienegas in Mexico will inform the management of Australia's endangered springs ecosystems.

The 55th Massive Murray Paddle finished on Friday in Koondrook having started four days earlier in Yarrawonga on Monday, November 18. Top athletes from all over Australia, New Zealand and the USA competed, along with at risk Indigenous youth paddling in teams following the Dungalayin Mileka Team model.

Bailee White, daughter of Steve and Sarah White will leave soon to enjoy a "White Christmas" in Canada as the Lions Club of Nhill Inc. Youth Exchange Student for 2024. Bailee will be hosted by Mark and Sherry Pettapiece in Ontario Canada ... Their daughter Mikaela was fortunate enough to visit Australia in July this year and had a wonderful time.

In a major win for connectivity and economic growth, Sunshine Coast Council will partner with Google, NEXTDC and others on Australia Connect, an initiative to further the reach, reliability and resilience of digital connectivity in Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Australia Connect will deliver new subsea cable systems and build on the Pacific Connect initiative.

Australia has the opportunity to cement itself as one of the key beef suppliers into South- East Asian markets – as the appetite for beef continues to grow among the region’s consumers, according to agribusiness specialist Rabobank.

Six South Australian businesses will take part in the delegation led by the industry’s peak body, Distillers SA, and will showcase their award-winning gin, whisky, brandy, vermouth and liqueurs for Singaporean importers and consumers at targeted business meetings, tasting events and site visits...

The Cairns Group of Farm Leaders (CGFL) are a group of farm organisations from Cairns Group countries, a coalition of agricultural exporting countries. Together, we represent farmers that grow and produce over one third of the world's agricultural exports. It is our vision to create a world with an equitable and enforceable rules-based trading system in agriculture.

As bracket creep pushes more and more people into the top tax rate ... it is only a matter of time before Australians who are mobile enough decide they don’t want to pour an ever-greater part of their annual income into funding Albanese's political priorities. For those who can pick up and leave the country to escape our high tax rates I thought I would give you a quick world tour of where you can park yourself ...