标签： Oceania

A 60-day luxury cruise around Australia has been abruptly canceled following the tragic death of an elderly passenger, Suzanne Rees, who was inadvertently left behind on Lizard Island, a remote destination 250 kilometers north of Cairns. The incident occurred during a hiking excursion organized by the Coral Adventurer cruise ship. Rees, an active 80-year-old and member of a bushwalking group, had separated from the group to rest. The ship departed without her, only returning hours later after realizing she was missing. A subsequent search operation discovered her body the following day. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), alongside Queensland Police and the state coroner, has launched an investigation into the incident. Mark Fifield, CEO of Coral Expeditions, announced the cancellation of the voyage, citing the ‘tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues.’ Passengers were offered full refunds and arrangements were made for their return via chartered flights. AMSA has prohibited the Coral Adventurer from boarding new passengers pending further investigation. Rees’ daughter, Katherine Rees, expressed shock and sadness over the incident, emphasizing a ‘failure of care and common sense’ by the cruise operator. The family hopes the coronial inquiry will identify lapses that could have prevented the tragedy. The Coral Adventurer, designed for remote coastal exploration, accommodates up to 120 guests and 46 crew. Cruise industry experts note that such incidents are rare, with advanced systems in place to monitor passenger movements. This event has raised questions about safety protocols and accountability in the cruise industry.

Gareth Ward, a former Australian politician, has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for the sexual abuse of two young men. The 44-year-old, who represented the coastal town of Kiama in the New South Wales (NSW) parliament from 2011, was found guilty in July of raping a 24-year-old political staffer in 2015 and indecently assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2013. Both incidents occurred after he met the victims through his work. Ward had been in custody since his conviction and appeared via video-link at Parramatta District Court for sentencing. Judge Kara Shead SC, who presided over the case, emphasized that imprisonment was the only appropriate penalty, despite Ward’s legal blindness. She described his actions as ‘callous and predatory’ and noted that he had ‘escaped justice for a decade.’ Ward will serve at least three years and nine months before being eligible for parole. The judge also stressed the need to send a ‘stern message’ to deter similar offenses. Ward’s resignation from parliament in July triggered a by-election in Kiama, which was won by a Labor candidate. His legal team has indicated plans to appeal the verdict, as Ward maintains his innocence. The trial revealed harrowing details of the assaults, with both victims describing long-term emotional and psychological impacts. The prosecution highlighted striking similarities in the accounts of the two men, who did not know each other, as evidence of their credibility. Despite Ward’s lack of remorse, the judge acknowledged his potential for rehabilitation.

The daughter of an 80-year-old woman who was left behind by a cruise ship on a remote island and later died has accused the operator of a ‘failure of care and common sense.’ Suzanne Rees, a healthy and active woman from New South Wales, was found dead on Lizard Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef, on Sunday. She had been hiking with fellow passengers the previous day but was not on the ship when it departed hours later. Her daughter, Katherine Rees, expressed her shock and sadness, stating that the Coral Adventurer left ‘without my mum.’ She criticized the cruise operator for not ensuring her mother’s safety, especially given the extreme heat and her mother’s need to rest during the hike. Suzanne had been on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, which had departed from Cairns earlier in the week. Passengers, who pay tens of thousands of dollars for the cruise, were taken to Lizard Island for a day trip with options for hiking or snorkeling. Suzanne had joined a group hike to the island’s highest peak, Cook’s Look, but separated from the group to rest. Katherine Rees revealed that her mother fell ill during the hike and was instructed to return unescorted. The ship allegedly departed without conducting a passenger count, leaving Suzanne alone on the island. Katherine hopes a coronial inquiry will determine what actions the company could have taken to save her mother’s life. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is investigating the incident and will meet with the ship’s crew when it docks in Darwin later this week. AMSA was first alerted to Suzanne’s disappearance by the ship’s captain at around 21:00 local time on Saturday. A search party was dispatched but failed to locate her until her body was discovered by a helicopter on Sunday morning. Mark Fifield, CEO of Coral Expeditions, expressed deep sorrow for the tragedy and assured that the company is cooperating with authorities. The Coral Adventurer, designed to access remote areas of Australia’s coast, accommodates up to 120 guests and 46 crew members. Harriet Mallinson, a cruise editor, noted that such incidents are rare, as cruise ships typically have robust systems to track passenger movements. She described the event as a ‘shocking and tragic one-off.’

A 17-year-old boy from Melbourne has tragically lost his life after being struck by a cricket ball during a practice session. The incident occurred on Tuesday in Ferntree Gully, where the teenager was training in cricket nets. Reports indicate that he was hit in the head or neck by a ball from an automatic bowling machine, despite reportedly wearing a helmet. Emergency services were called to the scene shortly before 17:00 local time (06:00 GMT), and the boy was rushed to Monash Children’s Hospital in critical condition. Despite being placed on life support, he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. The boy’s local cricket club expressed profound grief over the loss, describing it as a ‘tragic passing’ that would deeply affect the entire cricket community. Arnie Walters, president of the local cricket association, highlighted the boy’s talent and popularity, stating that the news would weigh heavily on the community. The club extended its condolences to the boy’s family and friends in a social media post, urging respect for their privacy during this difficult time. They also expressed gratitude to Ambulance Victoria, the police, and hospital staff for their efforts. The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2014 death of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, which led to significant improvements in safety equipment for the sport. The BBC has reached out to Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria for further comment.

In a remarkable discovery, two messages in a bottle written by Australian soldiers during World War I have been found on the south-western coast of Australia, more than a century after they were penned. The letters, written in 1916 by Privates Malcolm Neville and William Harley, were unearthed earlier this month on Wharton Beach near Esperance, Western Australia, by local resident Deb Brown and her family. The Browns, who regularly clean up litter on the beach during their quad bike trips, spotted the thick glass bottle partially buried in the sand. Despite the paper being wet, the messages remained legible. The cheerful notes were written just days into the soldiers’ voyage to the battlefields of France. Private Neville, who was killed in action at the age of 28, wrote to his mother, describing the food on board as ‘real good’ and expressing his happiness. Private Harley, who survived the war and returned home, addressed his letter to whoever might find the bottle, as his mother had already passed away. Ms. Brown, determined to return the letters to the soldiers’ descendants, successfully traced Private Neville’s great-nephew, Herbie Neville, through online research. The discovery has deeply moved the families, particularly Private Neville’s 101-year-old niece, Marian Davies, who remembers her uncle leaving for war and never returning. Private Harley’s granddaughter, Ann Turner, described the find as a ‘miracle,’ feeling as though her grandfather had reached out from the grave. An oceanography professor suggested the bottle may have been in the water for only a few weeks before washing ashore, where it likely remained buried for a century. The letters, now in the hands of the soldiers’ descendants, serve as a poignant reminder of the personal stories behind the global conflict of World War I.

Australian authorities have issued a stark warning about a sinister trend where young girls are being manipulated by online crime networks into committing violent acts. This alarming phenomenon, described as a ‘twisted type of gamification,’ involves coercing victims into harming themselves, their siblings, or even pets. Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett is set to address this issue in a speech on Wednesday, highlighting it as a ‘new and disturbing front in traditional gender-based violence.’

A newly established taskforce is working alongside global law enforcement agencies to combat this growing threat. So far, three individuals have been arrested in Australia, with an additional nine apprehended internationally. The perpetrators, primarily young men in their late teens or early 20s from Western backgrounds, are driven by violent extremist ideologies, including nihilism, sadism, Nazism, and satanism. Dubbed ‘crimefluencers’ by Barrett, they exploit gaming platforms like Roblox and messaging apps such as Discord and Telegram to recruit pre-teen and teenage girls.

Barrett emphasized that these networks operate similarly to online gaming cultures, hunting and luring victims across various platforms. The motivation behind these acts is not financial gain or sexual gratification but rather a desire for amusement, popularity, or sheer fun. ‘They may not fully understand the consequences of their behavior,’ she added.

In Australia alone, nearly 60 alleged offenders have been identified. The AFP is collaborating with Five Eyes nations—the US, UK, New Zealand, and Canada—to dismantle these groups. This development coincides with Australia’s upcoming social media ban for children under 16, aimed at reducing online harm. However, gaming and messaging platforms remain exempt from the new legislation, which takes effect in December.

Australian authorities have launched an investigation following the tragic death of an 80-year-old woman who was inadvertently left behind on Lizard Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef, by a cruise ship. The incident occurred on Saturday when the woman, a passenger on the Coral Adventurer cruise ship, reportedly separated from her group during a hike to the island’s highest peak, Cook’s Look, to rest. The ship departed the island around sunset but returned hours later after realizing the woman was missing. A large-scale search operation ensued, and her body was discovered on Sunday morning. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has confirmed it is investigating the incident and will meet with the ship’s crew when it docks in Darwin later this week. AMSA was first alerted to the situation by the ship’s captain at approximately 21:00 local time on Saturday. Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield expressed deep sorrow over the incident and assured that the company is providing full support to the woman’s family. Witnesses reported seeing a helicopter and search teams scouring the island overnight, but the search was called off early Sunday morning when the woman’s body was found. The woman was on the first leg of a 60-day cruise around Australia, a journey costing tens of thousands of dollars. The Coral Adventurer, designed to access remote coastal areas, accommodates up to 120 guests and 46 crew members. Queensland police have stated that the death is considered sudden and non-suspicious, with a report to be prepared for the coroner.