'Heathy and happy' Melbourne woman dies on Qantas flight from Los Angeles, & more in News in 5.

-With AAP.

1. ‘Heathy and happy’ Melbourne woman dies on Qantas flight from Los Angeles.

A Melbourne woman who died onboard a Qantas flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne regularly travelled and had flown the same route many times before her mysterious death.

Aleisha Tracy, 33, died on Monday during her 16-hour flight home from a holiday in the United States.

Paramedics were called just after 8.30am and met the plane when it landed at Tullamarine Airport about 9am on Sunday.

A post mortem was expected to be carried out on Tuesday to determine the cause of her death.

Tracy’s Instagram page shows photos taken in Las Vegas over the past week and a photo of her boarding pass as she prepared for her flight to the US on March 24.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Aleisha Tracy (@aleishatracy) on Mar 23, 2019 at 1:33pm PDT

Friends have paid tribute to Tracy online. Friend David Loiterton said he was “devastated” by her death.

“You were a one of a kind friend who was always there. I am truly blessed to have known you. Thank you for [being] such a beautiful friend. I will miss you.”

A friend of Tracy told the Daily Mail she was healthy and family and friends were mystified about why she may have died.

“We are completely at a loss,” he said.

Tracy, a National Broadband Network operations centre employee, was described by a NBN spokesperson as a “well-liked” member of the team, news.com.au reported.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Aleisha who was a valuable and well-liked member of the NBN team,” the spokesperson said.

“She will be greatly missed. The thoughts of everyone at NBN are with her family, friends and work colleagues at this difficult time.”

Qantas confirmed its cabin crew was assisted by two doctors on-board the flight in trying to save Ms Tracy.

2. Two babies diagnosed with measles in Sydney have prompted the 15th measles warning this year.

Two babies too young to be vaccinated have contracted measles in Sydney, as NSW is on track to record its highest rate of the disease in five years | @Kaubo https://t.co/1MB7hZ1Q8Z

— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) April 2, 2019

Two infants with measles probably acquired the infection in Sydney, health authorities say.

NSW Health on Tuesday issued its 15th measles warning for the year after two babies too young to be vaccinated became infected in mid-March.

An eight-month-old likely contracted the disease in the Haymarket area and was infectious while visiting a Strathfield Korean restaurant on March 26, a Hurstville cafe on March 27 and St George hospital emergency department on March 30.

The other baby, aged 11 months, likely caught the disease in Eastwood before visiting shopping centres in Eastwood, Castle Hill and Kellyville in the last week of March.

NSW recorded 46 measles cases between January 2017 and November 2018.

Some 28 cases have been recorded in the four months since.

The health department says maintaining high rates of measles immunisation within the community reduces the risk of measles being imported by travellers and then spread locally.

“Herd immunity provides protection to those unable to be vaccinated such as infants and people with weakened immune systems,” NSW Health communicable diseases director Dr Vicky Sheppeard said in a statement.

The measles vaccine is free for anyone born since 1966.

3. An estimated one million Australians grappling with eating disorders will be able to seek treatment in six newly-announced support centres.

$63 million for six residential eating disorder treatment centres: positive news for people with severe eating disorders, enabling psychologists & healthcare teams to provide best practice care in a safe and appropriate environment #Budget2019 https://t.co/dmLxonazbb

— Australian Psychological Society (@AustPsych) April 2, 2019

Australians struggling with eating disorders will be able to seek support from six new residential support centres across the nation in the coming years.

The federal government will spend $70.2 million on establishing the centres, two of which have already been announced for Western Australia and the ACT.

The facilities will provide 24/7 intensive care and support for those experiencing eating disorders, aim to improve diagnosis and treatment of the conditions and provide training and advocacy.

Health Minister Greg Hunt says such centres are essential to help Australians grappling with eating disorders, of which there are about one million.

“Treatment requires intensive wrap-around support,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

About $3.6 million of the money will go to the Butterfly Foundation to help it lead the creation of the centres.

The announcement comes ahead of the release of the federal budget on Tuesday evening.

4. “This must prompt a rethink about how we dehumanise Muslims”: Federal parliament unites for NZ condolence motion.

Thanks to Australian Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP and Opposition Leader @billshortenmp for the messages of peace and solidarity in the condolence motion delivered to @AboutTheHouse today after the #Christchurch attack on March 15. Photo credit: Auspic pic.twitter.com/9nxPkKHDmH

— NZ in Australia (@NZAustralia) April 2, 2019

The federal parliament has united to express heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Christchurch mosque massacres, while strongly rejecting extremism and hatred.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned the March 15 attack on the two mosques telling MPs on Tuesday of his shock and grief for the 50 people who lost their lives, while being “stunned and shamed” that the attacker was Australian.

The Grafton man who broadcast the atrocity on social media, has been charged with murder.

“He may be an Australian by birth and by law, but his actions and beliefs betray all that is and forever will be Australian. And we denounce it absolutely,” Mr Morrison told parliament on its return for budget day.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was a phrase he didn’t ever expect to use – “an Australian terrorist”.

“It’s a phrase that still sounds wrong,” he said.

“Christchurch was an unspeakable tragedy. But out of that darkness comes inspiration, courage, insight into the hearts of the people of New Zealand.”

Government Senate leader Mathias Cormann led the speeches in the upper house.

“To all those still grieving for their lost loved ones or recovering from injuries sustained on that grim afternoon, the thoughts and prayers of this parliament, and the people that it serves, are with you,” Senator Cormann said.

“To all those who fan the flames of racism, hatred and violence, we utterly condemn and reject you.”

The motion, which passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, commits Australia to peace over violence, innocence over evil, understanding over extremism, liberty over fear and love over hate.

Labor’s Senate leader Penny Wong said Australia stood with New Zealanders in a time of sadness and sorrow.

“Above all, let us all choose love, not hate, and in doing so we make our nation stronger at home and in the world,” she said.

“We reject the extreme right-wing ideology, the hatred and the intolerance that led to and fuelled these acts of extremist violence.”

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia rejected everything the perpetrator stood for.

“The attack on Christchurch was an attack on all of us. It was a despicable right-wing extremist attack horrifically perpetrated by an Australian,” she said.

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, the first Muslim woman to sit in the upper house, read out the names and ages of the 50 victims.

“If this does not prompt a rethink about how we dehumanise Muslims, I really do not know what will,” she said.

Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie said her party stood with New Zealanders against extremism.

Independent Fraser Anning, who is expected to be censured by the Senate on Wednesday for blaming the attacks on Muslim immigration, did not speak to the motion and left the chamber during the speeches.

The coalition party room approved legislation on Tuesday to penalise social media companies who host extremist material, however it is not expected to get through parliament before the election.

5. We’ve just sweltered through Australia’s hottest March on record.

March was the hottest on record for Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology sayshttps://t.co/8Pae87q3Aa

— SBS News (@SBSNews) April 2, 2019

Australia has sweltered through its hottest March on record.

The national mean temperature was 27.7C, making it 2.13C above average according to The Bureau of Meteorology’s monthly climate report.

It was particularly warm in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, both of which posted their hottest March on record, while it was among the six warmest for NSW, Queensland and South Australia.

In Rabbit Flat, northwest of Alice Springs, temperatures reached at least 39C for 115 straight days between December 1 and March 25 – smashing the previous record of 106 days at Marble Bar in WA in 1921-22.

A “vigorous trough” and cold front across southern Australia cooled temperatures down towards the end of the month, the report said.

Rainfall for March was above-average for large areas of eastern Australia and parts of the west, partly thanks to tropical cyclones Trevor and Veronica.