A personal view of Australian and International Politics

Monday, 19 October 2026

Celebrating a decade of WA's Wheatbelt conservation on the silver screen.

Extract from ABC News

Feel good

about 19 hours ago

A numbat stands on its hind legs at looks at the camera. — Ten of WA's threatened species feature in the short film. (Supplied: Australian Wildlife Conservancy)

In short:

A wildlife documentary filmed in WA's Wheatbelt has featured at an international film festival.

The film by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) follows a decade-long project to rehabilitate 10 threatened species at a predator-free sanctuary.

What's next:

The AWC will introduce some of the species outside of the predator-free fence.

Ten years of late-night stake-outs and helping threatened species thrive has been captured on film and exhibited on an international stage.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) photographer and videographer Brad Leue has recorded hundreds of hours of footage of native wildlife at the Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, 360 kilometres north-east of Perth in Western Australia.

The resulting documentary, Back to the Bush, was selected to be part of the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival.

A movie poster showing a bilby and the title 'Back to the Bush' — Footage spanning a decade went into the 21-minute film. (Supplied: Australian Wildlife Conservancy)

The documentary captures the 10-year effort to bring 10 species back from the brink of extinction, by establishing a predator-free fence.

Mr Leue said it was incredible to share Australia's biggest reintroduction project to a global audience.

"From a storytelling perspective, it's pretty special in itself,"

he said.

A quoll in a blanket with hands behind it — Lots of the released animals, like quolls, build burrows for shelter. (Supplied: Brad Leue/Australian Wildlife Conservancy )

Mr Leue said the burrowing animals were "ecosystem engineers" and transformed the landscape over the decade.

"It looks a little bit like a minefield in the sense that there's just these pits and burrows everywhere," he said.

"It's a taste of Australia before feral predators kind of started to be an issue for all our native wildlife.

"The country just looks good, it just looks like it's thriving."

Early morning sun shines on bushes and trees on red dirt. — Mr Leue says the animals have helped the land thrive. (Supplied: Wayne Lawler/Australian Wildlife Conservancy)

Filming hazards

Mr Leue said recording the often small, nocturnal animals proved challenging.

He said he used unmanned video camera traps and went on night time stake-outs to try and capture the animals natural behaviours.

"You do really have to be quite creative, almost thinking like the animal to work out how to get footage of some of these more cryptic species," Mr Leue said.

A man with his hands on his hips looks a a burrow with cameras at the front — Mr Leue says he has to get creative to capture the small critters. (Supplied: Andy Howe/Australian Wildlife Conservancy)

"As somebody who's really into their wildlife and gets energised by seeing wildlife, Mt Gibson is paradise," he said.

He said he received a 'few nice little bumps' from animals leaping out of their cages when released by the AWC.

Endangered woylies are released in WA's Wheatbelt (Supplied: Australian Wildlife Conservancy)

Mr Leue said woylies often have "springs for legs".

"They'll just kind of launch one to two meters in the air off into the bush," he said.

Work 'never stops'

AWC senior wildlife ecologist Bryony Palmer, who was involved from the beginning of the reintroduction effort, said it was surreal to see its long-term impact.

"When you're working on it day-to-day, you can sort of lose sight of the bigger picture a little bit," she said.

"It's so rewarding to see these really tangible conservation benefits for all of these different species."

Dr Palmer said the project was highly successful.

"For those species, there's eight of the 10 present on the sanctuary," she said.

"Most of them have populations that are really thriving now."

A woman smiles as she holds a quoll wrapped in a blanket on the ground of a bush land area — AWC ecologists slowly released the animals over the past decade. (Supplied: Brad Leue/Australian Wildlife Conservancy)

Like Mr Leue, Dr Palmer said the surrounding landscape changed dramatically.

"You see signs of them everywhere, all their little diggings and footprints and things," she said.

"It's really a feeling of the the bush and the landscape going back to the way it should be."

Dr Palmer said the next step was to try and establish some of the species outside of the predator-free boundary.

"The work never stops," she said.

Sunday, 18 October 2026

Elephant calves first in Australia to be vaccinated against deadly virus.

Extract from ABC News

Close up of a young elephant playing in water.

By science reporter Jacinta Bowler

about 4 hours ago

Sitting in her office, surrounded by elephant pictures, zookeeper Lucy Truelson's voice cracks when she talks about Man Jai.

She watched the Asian elephant's birth in 2013 to mum Kulab. She was there when he had an operation to remove his tusks — broken during rough play — in 2021.

And she was with the cheeky nine-year-old who loved to eat dates when he got unexpectedly sick with elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV).

EEHV haemorrhagic disease, which has no cure, usually affects Asian elephants younger than Man Jai.

"The team worked day and night with him, and he was super brave," she says.

"We were all extremely devastated when we lost the fight."

It's been three years since Man Jai died.

But Ms Truelson hopes a new vaccine trial happening on the day I visit Werribee Open Range Zoo can prevent the same fate for the other young elephants at the zoo, and around the world.

A woman in a beige short-sleeve shirt with zoo logos standing in front of an elephant display. — Zoos Victoria elephant zookeeper Lucy Truelson. (ABC News: Matt Holmes)

With nearly 30 years in the job, Ms Truelson's seen plenty of life and death.

"Any elephant death is devastating. They're all so precious, each individual," she says.

But EEHV haemorrhagic disease can progress rapidly, with massive internal bleeding leading to death within just 24 hours.

"This virus is really aggressive — it's quite a painful and a nasty death."

In the past 25 years, there have been more than 90 deadly cases of the virus in elephant calves under human care. The virus is one of the largest killers of young Asian elephants in zoos around the world.

And all the new calves at Werribee, with their own personalities and favourite snacks, are at risk.

A juvenile elephant in captivity sitting on a mound of dirt with a slightly older elephant looking on. — Asian elephant calf Man Jai (right) died of EEHV when he was nine. (Supplied: Jo Howell/Melbourne Zoo)

A common, but deadly disease

Tabitha Hoornweg, a veterinary scientist at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, has been researching how EEHV works and how to stop it since 2019.

Her team is one of three groups around the world, along with teams in the US and the UK, that are developing and trialling vaccines.

"All elephants have this virus or get this virus somewhere during their lives," she says.

"However, for some younger elephants, when they first get in contact with this virus, they get very, very ill."

This is well documented in elephants under human care, but there is also evidence it occurs in the wild.

"It's been estimated that at least 100 to 150 wild calves have also died from this disease," Dr Hoornweg says.

A woman Tabitha Hoornweg stands leaning on a fence in front of two captive elephants. — Tabitha Hoornweg is leading the EEHV vaccination trial. (Supplied: Bas Niemans)

The vaccine developed by Dr Hoornweg's team, which trains the elephant's immune system to recognise the virus, was tested on six older elephants in Dutch zoos about three years ago.

While the elephants didn't have any dangerous side effects, the research only showed the vaccine was safe.

"Now we also want to know whether it's effective to protect the young ones," Dr Hoornweg says.

So far, 11 elephant calves in Europe have received this vaccine.

Three young elephants from Werribee Zoo are the first from Australia to join a vaccine trial.

Front-on view of a small elephant lifting its trunk up to the face of its larger mum. — An elephant calf and mum at Werribee Open Range Zoo. (Supplied: Zoos Victoria)

Since Man Jai died, elephants at the zoo have undergone weekly PCR and blood tests for EEHV so zookeepers can immediately detect if one of the animals is ill.

"Not all elephants that have participated in Europe are monitored in the same way," Dr Hoornweg says.

Copping a faceful of 'trunk wash'

Taking a PCR test for elephants isn't as simple as with humans where you shove a swab up a nose.

Werribee keepers have to teach an elephant how to work with them.

Ms Truelson says they take it in stages with plenty of "behaviour reinforcers", aka fruit treats.

Two buckets of fruit and vegetables side by side. — The calves are given 2 kilograms of fruit and vegetables on the vaccination day. (ABC Radio National: Jade Tully)

The first step is to insert a large syringe full of saline into one trunk nostril.

The elephants are trained to then immediately raise their trunk up and let it all drain down for 20 seconds to get all "that beautiful goodness" in there.

"Trunk wash", saline mixed with dirt and whatever else the elephant has been up to that day, is then blown into a plastic bag and tested for a variety of viruses including EEHV.

Large plastic bag held up by a zookeeper on an angle with brownish liquid in the bottom corner. — A bag full of elephant "trunk wash". (ABC Radio National: Jade Tully)

"[When they're first learning] it's very cute. They might get saline in, and they want to blow it out really quick because they know that's the next step, and they're excited," Ms Truelson says.

That means zookeepers also occasionally cop a faceful of trunk wash, she says.

But it's all part of the learning process and building trust between elephant and keeper.

Preparing to vaccinate an elephant

A woman wearing PPE drawing liquid into a syringe. — The experimental vaccine is administered to elephant calves via a syringe. (Supplied: Zoo's Victoria)

In the barn where the calves will be vaccinated there's an unmistakeable waft of farm in the air.

"It's a beautiful blend isn't it?" Werribee Zoo veterinarian Natalie Rourke says.

"Smells like horses and hay and poo … it's good for the soul."

Dr Rourke is one of two veterinarians doing the vaccinating, but she's mostly here to listen to the keepers.

"They train me as much as they train the calves … and they often have to retrain me, so I very much appreciate the guidance."

The nine zookeepers follow a well-practised routine.

Four people in beige pants and navy jackets standing in a crib room by a whiteboard and CCTV screen. — Zookeepers gather around to divvy up jobs of the day. (ABC Science: Jacinta Bowler)

Tiny magnets tell each person what their job is, there's a check in for how they're feeling, and there's even a few jokes.

But behind the laughs, there's a bit of nervousness as they get ready to vaccinate the three young calves with the experimental jab.

Adult elephants are easily heavier than 2,000 kilograms, and even the calves are about 1,400kg. Mistakes can be deadly.

Dancing with elephants

The keepers lead the first pair of elephants — mother Mali and calf Roi-Yim — from their sleeping area to metal enclosures in the barn.

They're kept separate but within view of each other to keep them calm.

Two women in blue gowns, dark gloves, one with a face shield in a large concrete area. — Werribee staff put on their protective equipment before the elephant vaccination process. (ABC Radio National: Jade Tully)

One keeper has treats and a whistle to reinforce positive behaviour as Roi-Yim leans his 1 tonne frame against the enclosure.

The elephants are trained similar to the way a dog might be trained at home.

"It's all on their terms," Ms Truelson explains.

"You'll see that they are so enthusiastic, these calves. They want to learn, they're curious."

A close-up of the elephant calf behind the barrier, with a person in scrubs in the front of the shot. — The calves have a special training enclosure with a soft barrier. (ABC Radio National: Jade Tully)

Roi-Yim seems content to get treats in exchange for keeping his back leg available to another keeper, who works with Dr Rourke to prep his skin for the jab.

After his thigh is washed and scrubbed, and everything is ready, Dr Rourke takes a syringe and plunges it through the calf's hide.

It seems like he's barely noticed, happily using his trunk to grab more snacks from the keepers.

"He's not moved a muscle from that position," Ms Truelson says.

"He's just concentrating on the yummy food that he's getting to eat."

A young elephant behind a chained enclosure with its trunk raised and mouth open, a gloved hand near its tusk. — An elephant calf has his mouth and tusks checked by a vet. (ABC Radio National: Jade Tully)

Then, as quickly as it began, Roi-Yim and his mum are out onto the savanna for the day, and the team is onto the next mother-and-calf pair.

Seeing the next generation of elephants have a shot at safety from EEHV haemorrhagic disease three years after the death of Man Jai is a special moment for Ms Truelson.

"What Man Jai did for us is really solidify our commitment to fighting this disease … this vaccine trial is one of those ways [we can do that]," she says.

"It's his legacy."

A small elephant with water droplets rising all around it with more young elephants behind it. — A young elephant splashes about at the Werribee zoo. (Supplied: Zoos Victoria)

Israeli settlers attack Palestinians and European diplomats in West Bank, Belgium says.

Extract from ABC News

Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War

50 minutes ago

People wearing masks and hoodies, appearing to hold batons, stand by a white car — Hooded people wearing masks attacked the group of diplomats, a French mayor said. (Reuters: Emad Diab)

In short:

Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot says Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian civilians, European diplomats and a French mayor in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the perpetrators as Israeli rioters.

Palestinian Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh called the attack a small example of the "daily terrorism" to which Palestinians are subjected.

Masked settlers have attacked a group of European diplomats during a visit to the occupied West Bank on Saturday, Belgium's foreign minister says.

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians, French and Polish diplomats, Belgium's consul general to the Palestinians and a French mayor, Maxime Prevot said.

The attacks came a day after settlers beat an American photojournalist.

A zoomed in landscape image of a road in dry countryside, multiple vehicles and a motorbike drive down a road — A video still of the site where Belgium's foreign minister says masked settlers attacked Palestinians, Catholic representatives and Western diplomats and officials. (Reuters: Emad Diab)

"As the occupying power, Israeli authorities must protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice. Impunity for violent settlers must end," Mr Prevot said in a statement posted on X.

A Belgian vehicle was also damaged, he said.

'Thrown to the ground'

Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, told Reuters he had been harvesting olives near the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh in solidarity with the local community when he was "violently attacked" by masked settlers.

"I was thrown to the ground," he said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the attack, describing the perpetrators as Israeli rioters.

He also suggested the diplomats should have coordinated their visit with the Israeli military.

"Such coordination could have helped safeguard the visitors' security," he said in a statement on X.

Palestinian Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh condemned the attack, calling it a small example of the "daily terrorism" to which Palestinians are subjected.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office later issued a statement warning against "premature conclusions" in the incident and noted concerns about "a coordinated campaign to smear Israel".

Israeli officials, including Mr Netanyahu, have periodically condemned settler violence, while saying it is carried out by a small minority.

Palestinians and human rights groups dispute that characterisation.

Israeli police open investigation

Settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have surged over the past three years.

Journalists, activists and foreign observers have also been targeted.

Two firefighters drag a water hose to a smoking, burnt car in an olive grove — Firefighters douse a burnt car with water after Israeli settlers attacked a group of Palestinians harvesting olives in the West Bank. (Reuters: Ammar Awad)

On Friday, dozens of masked settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in the West Bank.

Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, a US citizen covering the harvest, was hospitalised after being assaulted by masked settlers.

"Palestinians face this violence every day. Settlers also target journalists reporting on it and diplomats. Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack,"

Mr Prevot said.

Belgium, which has announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights, will press for European Union sanctions "against those responsible for this violence and those who support them", he said.

Journalist attacked — A US journalist was attacked by settlers while covering an olive harvest in the West Bank.

Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewior said on X that a convoy carrying diplomats, including Polish officials, had been attacked.

The Polish diplomats were unharmed.

"Attacks on members of the diplomatic corps are absolutely unacceptable," he said.

Israeli police said they had opened an investigation into the incident.

There was no immediate announcement of any arrests.

Prosecutions of settlers accused of violent crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank are rare.

The UN and much of the international community consider the settlements, many of them resembling developed suburbs, in the West Bank to be illegally occupied.

Settlers have established hundreds of additional outposts without government authorisation, while still enjoying protection from the Israeli military.

Reuters/AP

Ukraine grapples with Starlink restrictions as Trump pauses Russian sanctions.

Extract from ABC News

Topic:War

about 6 hours ago

A firefighter shoots water into the windows of a building on fire. — Interceptors have been unable to stop Russian strikes due to speed restrictions imposed by Starlink, according to President Zelenskyy. (Reuters: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

In short:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the country's interceptor systems are ineffective due to speed restrictions imposed by Starlink.

He said when used in EU territory, the system worked at higher speeds.

It comes as US President Donald Trump pauses incoming sanctions against Russia, after agreeing to purchase diesel from the country.

Ukraine is now unable to use its interceptor systems against Russian drone attacks because of a Starlink speed restriction, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.

He said any restrictions would have been set by the US military and US President Donald Trump.

Mr Zelenskyy told reporters in a WhatsApp media chat Ukrainian officials had been told the restrictions were linked to technical issues, adding he was discussing it with US officials.

He said Ukraine had tested Starlink on European Union territory and encountered no such problems there, with the system operating at higher speeds.

Earlier this week Ukraine experienced similar issues, with Starlink owner Elon Musk responding by insisting his firm had nothing to do with the speed limits.

A Ukrainian serviceman next to a Starlink internet system. — Starlink is a vital battlefield communications tool and determine the speed at which some of Ukraine's weapons can travel. (Reuters)

Kyiv says Moscow carried out a 'massive' energy strike

President Zelenskyy said Moscow had carried out a massive strike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, targeting more than 15 sites across the country.

"The sheer scale and unrelenting pace of Russia's strikes, specifically against our energy sector, are unfortunately having severe consequences," he said.

Ukraine's air force said Russian forces launched four cruise missiles and 332 attack drones overnight.

Two men in bullet proof vests and black uniforms help an elderly woman. — Mr Zelenskyy previously said Ukraine wasn't receiving forewarning of ballistic missile strikes from intelligence partners. (Reuters)

All of the missiles and 289 of the drones had been suppressed or destroyed, it said.

Russia's heavy bombardment of the power grid ahead of winter has been an annual feature of the war, aimed at wearing down Ukraine's appetite for the fight by denying civilians heat and running water.

Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia is stockpiling ballistic missiles for more attacks in the coming months.

Trump pauses sanctions

President Zelenskyy has also urged supporters to speak out in defence of new US sanctions against Russia, hours after Mr Trump signed an executive order pausing a sweeping package of restrictions targeting the Russian economy.

The White House decision has further raised fears Ukraine could be left exposed to Moscow's escalating assaults.

Putin smiles and raises his pointer finger while shaking hands with Trump on a red carpet at an air base. — The relationship between Ukraine and the US has been strained following the announcement the US would buy diesel from Russia. (AP: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Mr Zelenskyy described Mr Trump's move to put sanctions on hold as unfortunate, but did not directly criticise the US leader despite deepening tensions between Ukraine and Washington in recent days.

"A decision was unfortunately made in America to completely disregard the Lindsey Graham Act, which was supposed to impose truly effective pressure on Russia to bring this war to an end," Mr Zelenskyy wrote.

He also expressed hope that the new sanctions could be revived.

"This Act could have helped enormously — and still can! But it needs to actually work, and every voice in support of it matters," he said.

Critics say Trump's decision helps Putin

Named after late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation had sought to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fuelling Russia's against Ukraine.

The bill had sought to sanction Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers that keeps Russian energy moving.

President Trump personally signed the legislation last month, two days before a deadline set in the law itself for its implementation.

The president told Congress that the pause was in the national interest but gave no further details.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, who co-drafted the bill, said in a statement Mr Trump was turning his back on "the majority of Americans, their representatives in both houses of Congress, and our European allies."

"These waivers have nothing to do with our national security, and everything to do with sucking up to Vladimir Putin,"

Mr Blumenthal said.

Mr Trump's unexpected decision comes a week after he stunningly said the US had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia to try to bring down global energy prices, despite that potentially hurting Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Mr Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter".

The decision has been pilloried by Republicans and Democrats alike who say it will help Russia execute its war against Ukraine — without making a difference to global fuel prices, which are elevated mostly due to Mr Trump's war on Iran.

AP/Reuters