Newswire

Newsletter date: 29 October 2013

Contents:

* Let's Talk's Tiga Bayles interviews Robert & Selina Eggington about Dumbartung having convened the Aboriginal Suicide Crisis Summit
* The Wire: Suicide crisis - Indigenous People [Featuring Gerry Georgatos - university researcher and journalist]
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Beagle Bay to State Parliament - Farrer speaks out on suicides
* The Stringer: Government to address Aboriginal suicides
* Background to Suicide and Self-harm in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities

Newsletter date: 28 October 2013

Contents:

* Seamus Doherty, Green Left: Nyoongar tent embassy opposes native title deal
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Both sides debate Noongar land deal
* Background to the Nyoongar Tent Embassy, Heirisson Island (Matagarup), Perth, WA

* Portland Aboriginal Tent Embassy: Council breaches its own policy and dismantles the Portland Tent Embassy
* Jono Pech, Warrnambool Standard: Indigenous tent embassy at Portland dismantled
* Background to the Portland Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Market Square, Portland, Vic

AUSTRALIA

Newsletter date: 26 October 2013

Contents:

* CAAMA Photos: CAALAS Celebrates 40 Years [Featuring Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service]

* Gail Liston, ABC News: Legal aid service says alcohol bans will not work [Featuring CAALAS]
* Background to the NT Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Bill, Northern Territory Government

* Tracker: More NT jail deaths 'unless alcohol cut' [Featuring Kwementyaye Briscoe]
* Background to the justice for Kumentjaye Briscoe campaign

* CAAMA Audio: Warlpiri Elder wants his responsibilities returned! [Featuring Rex Japananka Granites]

After a huge international outcry from human rights activists around the world, Iran has decided to spare the life of a 37-year-old man who miraculously survived a hanging after being convicted of drug-trafficking. Iranian authorities were insisting that the offender should be hanged a second time.

In a radio interview with Neil Mitchell, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that the Head of the UNFCCC, Christiana Figueres, is "talking through her hat" for connecting the NSW bushfires with climate change and that "these fires are certainly not a function of climate change, they are just a function of life in Australia." It seems Mr Abbott is in denial on all the wildfire research done on the increase in fireweather and increase in frequency and intensity in bushfires both in Australia and globally.

Related: Raging Bushfires surround Sydney with early start to Fire season | Mega bushfire feared as State of Emergency declared in NSW | Guardian Australia: Australian prime minister denies 25 years of research linking climate change to bushfires.

Newsletter date: 23 October 2013

Contents:

* Let's Talk's Tiga Bayles interviews Gerry Georgatos, Wes Morris & Tauto Sansbury about suicide in First Nations communities
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: EMPOWERMENT [Featuring Aboriginal suicides around the nation]
* Jeff McMullen, The Stringer: Children of the Sunrise [Featuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and fulfillment]
* NACCHO mental health news: Aboriginal mental health gap must be closed: Calma Dudgeon
* Background to Suicide and Self-harm in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities

Researchers from the University of Hawaii have estimated the year when we depart the climate variability we have historically known for cities around the globe. For Sydney that year is 2038. But we are well on the way to that with recent record temperatures and heatwaves. The global oceans past their climate departure point in 2008. They are now wholly outside their historical variability. While polar regions are warming at 2 to 3 times the global average, the study highlighted that the greatest impacts will be felt in the tropics where minor climate variation can put it outside of it's historical bounds. This will have a major impact on biodiversity hotspots and ecosystems in the tropics.

Widespread October bushfires in NSW are unusual, but have happened before, such as in 1991. This year there was an Early start to Australian bushfires, record temperatures in early September.

It is now the 7th time this bushfire season a total fire ban has been declared in Sydney. Very Unusual. If the fire weather is this bad so early in the season, it can get worse over the coming months as Summer heats up, especially if we have extreme summer heatwaves similar to 2013.

Update: Sunday 20 October: Premier Barrie O'Farrell has declared A State of Emergency across NSW for 30 days as weather conditions are now forecast to be worse than anticipated. Indefinite Total fire bans, and increased powers for emergency personnel. The State Mine fire in the Blue Mountains has burnt 38,000 hectares and is burning on a broad front from Lithgow to west of Bilpin.