Tag: Australia

Australian woman gives birth to rare identical quadruplet daughters

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Identical Quadruplets in a hospital

Jenitar Na’amoana and her husband, Jortham, thought their family was complete after welcoming four children. Then came an unexpected surprise: four naturally conceived, identical daughters. Na’amoana, 34, gave birth to Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa last week.   “The fact that we’ve got four beautiful, healthy babies born at 28 weeks and four days is incredible,” said Dr. Alexa Bendall of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.    All four daughters share 100% of their DNA after a single fertilized egg split into four embryos, making the pregnancy a one-in-15-million occurrence. 

In 2020, the Marr family in Dallas welcomed their own set of naturally conceived identical quadruplets: Harrison, Henry, Hardy and Hudson. Jenny Marr believes that, whatever the odds, they’ve won four jackpots in the same genetic lottery. “You’re just overwhelmed and just exhausted and sleep-deprived, and you’ve got four babies that are hopefully all on a sleep schedule that you can manage, but it is four times the joy,” Marr told CBS News Marr’s advice to Jenitar and Jortham Na’amoana: stick to your sleep schedule. “Because that’s how you’re going to survive,” Marr said. “Make sure mom takes care of herself. I hope they’re just healthy little girls and meet all their milestones, and it’s so, so exciting.” 

Source: Australian woman gives birth to rare identical quadruplet daughters – CBS News

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 13:34

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Change to law for faith-based schools gives rise to religious freedom

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Brass balance scale holding a book labeled Faith on one side and a book labeled Law on the other.

Australia are under increasing threat after the release of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) highly anticipated report on faith-based schools on Thursday. The subject of widespread public commentary in the weeks leading up to its release, the report included the ALRC’s expected recommendation to the Federal Government that the Sex Discrimination Act be amended to remove exemptions for faith-based schools from laws making it illegal to expel or fire LGBTI+ students and staff based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. While LGBTQI+ groups have urged the government to implement the ALRC’s recommendations, the report has been condemned by faith groups as another example of the erosion of religious freedoms. A coalition of more than twenty Christian, Muslim, and Jewish organisations sent a letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese late last week urging him to reject the report’s recommendations, writing that removing the exemptions would “prevent the overwhelming majority of faith-based schools from preferring persons who share and authentically live out their faith” and potentially “extinguish their distinct and authentic character”.

The Australian Christian Schools Alliance (AACS) called the report “a direct attack on faith and freedom of belief in Australia” and warned that adopting the recommendations would mean that “Christian education as we know it will cease to exist”. Labelling it “a line in the sand moment not just for Christian schools, but for all people of faith and for the principle of religious freedom across Australia”, AACS Executive Officer Vanessa Chen said, “If these ALRC recommendations are adopted, it means the government can tell Christian schools who we can employ, what we can believe and teach.” “It sets a scary precedent, and the question Australians need to ask is ‘who’s next’? Will they dictate to any other religious group or organisation what they can believe?” Saying that the issue was not about discrimination, Ms Chen said it was about the right of parents to choose a school that was aligned with their values and beliefs. Polling released by the AACS in the fortnight leading up to the report’s release showed that an overwhelming majority of Australians think schools should be able to employ teachers and other staff who support the clearly stated values and values of the institution, with a Compass Polling survey of 1,713 adults finding that 80% of respondents believed that schools should be able to hire and fire teachers based on their religious belief and behaviour.

However, the Federal Government is under growing pressure from lobby groups to fulfil its pre-election promise to remove the exemptions and implement a separate religious discrimination bill. The issue of religious freedom has also increasingly become a hot-button topic in the culture wars after the previous Coalition government failed to pass proposed legislation that would have enshrined protections for religious belief and expression. Concerns have only been exacerbated by recent moves to pass new laws around misinformation and hate speech that religious groups say threaten the place of faith in society. In an opinion piece published in The Australian, a major national newspaper, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, warned that the report was the latest sign that the ability of Australians to “gather, speak freely, pray together and undertake works of service for others” was being reduced “slice by slice”, and called political leaders to come together to protect religious freedoms. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sought to defuse attacks from both sides of the debate, announcing that he would only proceed with any amendments to the Act if Labor received bipartisan support from the Federal Opposition. ”I think Australians don’t want to see the culture wars and the division out there. I want this to be an opportunity for unity going forward, and that’s why we’ve provided the legislation to the opposition,” Mr Albanese said.

However, both the Coalition and minor parties rejected trying to bypass normal procedures or debate over the laws. ”With the Greens and independents, there is a solid progressive majority in parliament to get this done now and it is a tragedy to watch Labor throw this chance away,” David Shoebridge, justice spokesman for the Australian Greens, said. “We can stop students being discriminated against because they are queer or trans.” Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said that the legislation would need to progress through parliament like any other legislation, including facing the scrutiny of a Senate committee if needed. ”Concerns have been raised by the Christian, Catholic, and Islamic schools and they should be addressed,” Miss Ley said.

Source: Change to law for faith-based schools gives rise to religious fre | ChristianToday Australia

For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
Psalm 18:31

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Tasmanian devil named Mary still missing 3 days after escaping wildlife park in Australia: “A mystery”

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baby tasmanian devil

A Tasmanian devil named Mary successfully eluded searchers equipped with a thermal-imaging drone for a third day on Thursday after escaping from an Australian wildlife park. Keepers discovered the furry, carnivorous marsupial was missing from her enclosure at Paradise Country wildlife park on Queensland’s Gold Coast on Tuesday morning. A dozen wildlife experts backed by a sniffer dog and a thermal-imaging drone operator searched through two nights for the critter, park officials said in a statement. “Our priority remains on relocating Mary to ensure her welfare, and we will continue to search today and into this evening,” it said.

CCTV images released to the public showed Mary running into the distance of the wildlife park’s grounds at night, several hours before her disappearance was noticed. Tasmanian devils — agile, mostly nocturnal animals that can roam for 10 miles in a single night — have been extinct on the Australian mainland for more than 3,000 years. The marsupials can live up to six years in the wild, with males weighing as much as 30 pounds and standing 1 foot tall at the shoulder, according to Tasmania’s environment department. According to the park, they are scavengers that eat dead animals and “can crush bones, fur, and all with super-strong jaws.” Mary is relatively young at 2 years old, however, and “extremely shy,” said the wildlife park’s curator, Lauren Mousley.

“Generally around this age they can be a little bit more adventurous, but finding that she is the one that headed out is very, very abnormal given her demeanor,” she said in a video update after the breakout. Mousley said the circumstances of the marsupial’s escape remain “a bit of a mystery.” “We do think that an abnormally large leap has happened,” she said. “And that’s how she’s breached out of her quarantined area.” Mousley warned the public not to approach the animal if they see her. “Devils can be reactive if provoked or if anyone attempts to catch them,” she said. When Mary is located, Mousley said, she will get a full medical assessment and then be reunited with her housemate, Mavka.

Source: Tasmanian devil named Mary still missing 3 days after escaping wildlife park in Australia: “A mystery” – CBS News

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
Colossians 3:18-19

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