Category Archives: Oceania

Cruise operators are offering huge savings to lure customers to use their Future Cruise Credits as research shows that Australians want to travel but are confused about what is required.

The result is that cruise lines are piling on inclusions like reduced-cost flights and upgrades to try and tempt out cruise hesitancy.

Travel Associates Cruise Specialist Kathy Pavlidis says many of the deals in the market place, including upgrades and perks, are about persuading people to use the tens of millions of dollars worth of Future Cruise Credits still in the market place as quickly as possible.

Upper premium line Oceania, for instance, is offering a free stateroom upgrade on select 2022 itineraries in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean and South America.

There are 23 itineraries on offer for the free upgrade, ranging from seven to 21 days leaving between January and October 22.

This is the first time Oceania has offered these kinds of upgrades and perks because there are millions of dollars worth of FCCs still to be used, she said.

The Exclusive Upgrade Sale offers an upgrade of up to four stateroom categories at no additional cost and you can snap these up anytime in between November 24 and November 30. To make it a bit easier to plan ahead, from today you can preview the relevant sailings and look ahead to being back out on the water.

On a 12-night Northern and Western Europe cruise from Athens, moving from a concierge stateroom to a Penthouse Suite was $9,210 but is now $7,300.

Its sister brand, the ultra-luxe Regent Seven Seas is offering 10 per cent off select voyages in Africa, Alaska and the Caribbean and also US$300 credits per suite.

For those looking to see the Northern Lights, Hurtigruten is offering up to 10 per cent off sailings ranging from six to 16 days, priced from $1734. For instance, the Complete Norway Arctic Winter & Northern Lights 2021-23 voyage includes 34 ports of call, optional shore excursions and more.

Viking is offering savings of up to $8,000 per couple on its 13-day Antarctic Explorer itinerary aboard its two new ships. The savings are broken down as $3000 off the cruise price, plus international flights to the value of $5000 per couple. After discounts, the fare comes to $19,995 per person, valid for Antarctica departures from November 2022 to March 2023.

Until November 30, Ponant is offerings half-priced deposits of 12.5 per cent for all Northern Europe and Mediterranean 2022 departures plus additional savings of 10 per cent when guests book two itineraries back to back.

Celebrity Cruises is offering $400 on flights to Alaska and Europe and 50 per cent off the second guests fare when a couple or two people book together.

Silversea is giving travellers 20 per cent off their next cruise when they book and pay in full by November 30 for select voyages from April 1, 2022 onward. A seven-day Barcelona to Rome cruise, with economy-class airfares and shore excursions are included and the price for an April7 sailing is priced from $6,640 per person.

And Imagine Holidays are offering cruise packages like a Perth Escape with a two-night stay in a five-star Perth hotel and a 14-night cruise aboard theAzamara Quest during Christmas and New Years. The package is priced from $6,699 per person, with savings of up to $3,300 per couple.

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Why now is the best time to nab a cruise bargain - lines slash thousands of dollars off fares - Cruise Passenger

Nestl Professional hasannounced apackagingredesignthatremoves30 tonnes of virgin plastic from themarketplaceperyear, reducing plastic use in MAGGI pails by 17 per cent.

Thissaving on plastic useisa win forthe environment andNestlProfessionalscustomersasthe company moves towardsits goal of reducing virgin plastics by one third by 2025.

ThiscleverpackagingredesignofthepopularMAGGIProfessionalrangeof7-8kggraviesand boostersdemonstrates how relatively small changes can make a big difference,Nestl Professional Oceania general managerScott Stuckmann said.

This project is the most significant packaging change Nestl Professional has made to date in our sustainability journey in Oceania.Byredesigningouryellowplasticpails and lids,we willremovethe equivalent of 64,000packagesfromthe marketplaceperyear.

The team atNestl Professionalworkedclosely with their packaging supplierto achieve the30tonnereductionin virgin plasticwhileensuring the same capacity, appearance, product shelf life and ease of opening and closingfor customers.

Innovativeredesign

The tub and lid were significantly reduced in weight andthe lid wasre-engineeredto remove the siliconesealinside the lid base.The lid opening mechanismwasalsoconverted to apush in stay onopening tab,whichis fully integrated into thelid, replacing thetear offstrip.

As a result, the packagedesignissignificantly lighterwhile maintaining the same shelf life,strengthand reliable leak-proof seal.

The project team had to overcome some key challengesto achieve the finaldesign,such as ensuring adequate strength remained in the newtubto withstand therigoursof the supply chainand use in a kitchenandensuring the lid remained easy for customers to openand close.

Even though it was a relatively small design change, the new lid also required modifications to the factoryproduction linesautomaticliddermachinery. Thisrequired a collaborative effort betweenNestlProfessionalsequipment and packaging suppliers andthefactorystechnical and engineering teams.

Ongoing packaging improvement

Thislatestredesignfor the MAGGI Professional 7-8kg packsis part ofafocuson continual improvementacrossthe companysproductrange.

In 2020,NestlProfessionalachieveda15tonneannual reduction in virgin plastic usebyredesigningthe MAGGI Professional and Nestl DOCELLO 2kg plastic packaging.

Theseprogressiveredesignsforour MAGGIProfessional and Nestl DOCELLOpackagesarean important step in our ambition to reduceoveralluse of virgin plastics.Were pleased this current projecthas nowalsocome to fruition after much hard work and collaboration from the team,Stuckmannsaid.

There are many other projects in progress to help make 100 per cent ofNestlesproduct packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, which are part of a global plan to reduce packaging waste.

Within Nestl Professionals beverages range, weve made great progress with nearly 60per centof our range in 100per centrecyclable material such as glass or tin,Stuckmannsaid.

The latest projectunderwayinvolvesour range of Beverage Bar PET jar refills.In 2022we willreplace the cardboard wad inside the lids to ensurethey arefully recyclable,just like the jar.We will also change darkerpigments in ourlids to ensure the material can be sorted into the correct recycling stream.This will result inanother1.47 tonnes of materialbeing recyclableevery year.

Foodservice business support

To supportthe companyscustomers on their sustainability journey, Nestl Professional has a range of resourcesavailableincluding a composting guide, food waste reduction tipsand education materials such as the digital magazinePlanetPro,which covers a range of environmental topics closely tied to the foodservice industry to help reduce environmental impact.

We know how important sustainability is to our customers and,in turn,totheir customers.Sharing our applied knowledge on sustainability is just one way we can help make sustainability more possible,Stuckmannsaid.

Showingour customers how they can make a differenceby reducing food waste, decreasing runningcosts and maximising resources isjust asimportantas our own actionsto ensure the future of our industry and make a difference to the planet.

For more information,visit Nestl Professionalssustainability portal, find out what Nestl is doing totackle packaging waste, or download the latest edition of Nestl ProfessionalsPlanetPro.

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New MAGGI packaging saves 30 tonnes per year of virgin plastic - FOOD Magazine - Australia

ANALYSIS: Pressure will be the big difference for the All Whites in 2022 compared to 2021.

On the pitch, where the teams they meet in Fifa World Cup qualification wont afford them as much time and space as Bahrain and The Gambia did in losing in October and November. Curaao, who the All Whites also defeated in October, were the toughest test in that regard.

And off it, where whats at stake a place at the World Cup for just the third time in 40 years, and for the last time when getting there is set to be seriously difficult is sure to mean a few extra nerves for what is now a very young and inexperienced playing group.

SKY SPORT

Chris Wood scored twice as the All Whites made it three wins from three in 2021.

The staff, led by coach Danny Hay, and the players, led by captain Winston Reid and his de facto deputy Chris Wood, are well aware of it. They want tougher tests, even though theyve just notched up three rare wins outside Oceania. And they know they could have been much more clinical in getting those wins.

READ MORE:* All Whites looking for tougher tests next window as World Cup qualifying nears* Chris Wood strikes twice as All Whites beat The Gambia to finish 2021 on a high* 'When Joe talks, players listen': Young midfielder already an All Whites leader* All Whites chasing a third full international win in a row as they face The Gambia

But theyre in a pretty good place heading into a World Cup, considering how they hadnt been together for more than 18 months prior to the Tokyo Olympics, where Hay got the ball rolling with an OlyWhites squad that contained 13 players selected for the All Whites over the past two months.

Heading into what is set to be the biggest year for New Zealand football in some time, heres what we know and what we dont about how things are shaping up.

STUFF

All Whites coach Danny Hay praises midfielder Joe Bell as someone who backs up his words with actions.

Across the four OlyWhites matches at the Tokyo Olympics and the three All Whites matches in October and November (and the non-cap earning fixture against Algeria A), a core group of players has started to emerge.

Goalkeepers Stefan Marinovic and Michael Woud. Centre backs Michael Boxall, Nando Pijnaker, Reid, and Tuiloma. Left back Liberato Cacace. Midfielders Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Sarpreet Singh, and Marko Stamenic. Forwards Joey Champness, Elijah Just, Callum McCowatt, and Wood. Fifteen of the 25 called up altogether.

Ryan Thomas would be there if and when he makes himself available for selection again. Right back Niko Kirwan would be very close to being there. Tim Payne would potentially be there if A-League Men players had been available this year, not stuck down under due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Isa Ebrahim/Photosport

All Whites centre back Nando Pijnaker is one of three players to have made at least three starts in Danny Hays five matches in charge.

That leaves fullbacks Francis de Vries and Kelvin Kalua, centre back Tommy Smith, and forwards Elliot Collier and Andre de Jong as lesser-used incumbents; goalkeeper Nik Tzanev and defenders Nikko Boxall and Dalton Wilkins, who were called up in October, but didnt play, and werent called up in November Boxall and Wilkins due to injuries and goalkeeper Jamie Searle, who replaced Tzanev, unavailable for personal reasons. Beyond them, theres around a dozen professionals in North America and Europe who might have missed the boat for now.

The big question is around the New Zealanders currently contracted in the A-League, a group that includes seven players who went to the Tokyo Olympics. With the All Whites squad for January set to be locked in a fortnight in advance, they will have around 10 matches to push their case. As Hay readily acknowledged after the win over The Gambia, those who have been on these last two tours have the benefit of incumbency and extra time together in front of him, and those who havent, through no fault of their own, are playing catch-up.

Payne appeals as a centre back who can also play right back. Hay already looked at calling up goalkeeper Oli Sail and, Stuff understands, right back Dane Ingham for the November window. Kosta Barbarouses missed Hays first window in charge, pre-pandemic, as it came hot on the heels of the birth of his daughter, and would add some experience to the forward line. Midfielders Clayton Lewis and Marco Rojas offer experience as well, but have a lot of work to do if they are to displace Garbett and Stamenic, or, in Rojas case also, players like Champness, Just and McCowatt.

Theres also forward Ben Waine, who turned down an offer from Coventry City in England to stay at the Phoenix; and attacking midfielder Ben Old, set for his first season with the Wellington club; but otherwise its a long list of fullbacks, none of whom stand out as being clearly superior to the likes of de Vries and Kirwan, and even Kalua. Perhaps some might by mid-January to give Hay some food for thought.

Matt King/Getty Images

Sydney FC forward Kosta Barbarouses is the most notable All White yet to play under Danny Hay.

It can be easy to get caught up in how players in lower-tier leagues and age-group football in Europe are getting selected ahead of those playing first-team football down under. But the key is the individual players themselves, their ability, and how they fit into what the All Whites are trying to do. Playing as much as possible at the best possible level remains the aim, but its not the be all and end all.

Five matches into his tenure, at the end of 2015, former coach Anthony Hudson had already given 39 of a possible 55 starts to 12 of the 13 players that ended up starting in the intercontinental playoff loss to Peru two years later and to Wood, who would have had he not been managing an injury at the time.

Five matches into Hays tenure, hes handed nine players at least three starts out of five and given two starts to a further six. He has repeatedly stated the need to keep an open mind, but playing time together in the limited opportunities available matters and most of the key figures for the next 12 months are undoubtedly already in position. Expect evolution, not revolution from here on out in this cycle, and changes to mostly take place on the fringes.

DAVID GRAY/Photosport

Left back Francis de Vries is the most recent player to have made his All Whites debut the 13th to do so during Hays tenure.

The All Whites have tended to stick rigidly with one formation or playing system over the past decade.

Once Ricki Herbert switched to a 3-4-3, to make the most of his surplus of centre forwards and centre backs and fit three of each in, ahead of the intercontinental playoff to make the 2010 World Cup, where the All Whites defeated Bahrain, he only rarely used anything else.

Hudson came in wanting to play with a 4-2-3-1 (four defenders, two defensive midfielders, three attacking midfielders, one forward), but by the time he arrived at World Cup qualification, he had settled on a 3-5-2, with an emphasis on playing the ball long to Wood, which made for a frustrating watch at a time when some promising attacking talent was starting to emerge.

DAVID GRAY/Photosport

All Whites Matt Garbett and Callum McCowatt, pictured here celebrating the latters goal against Algeria A, are two players with plenty of versatility.

Hay has a more technically talented group of players at his disposal than any previous coach, and he has been flexible in how hes used them. Against Curaao, they played with a midfield diamond behind two forwards and there was a focus on pressing the opposition in the middle of the pitch. Against Bahrain and The Gambia, they played with a midfield trio and three forwards, and there was an emphasis on using their wide players McCowatt and Champness, then Just and Champness to attack and get in behind. There have also been sightings of systems with three centre backs, most notably at the Olympics and towards the end of each of the three recent matches, with mixed results.

The likes of Just, McCowatt, and teenage duo Garbett and Stamenic all trained at the Ol Football Academy have great versatility to go with their ability on the ball and can play a range of roles in midfield and for Garbett, Just, and McCowatt forward areas. Versatility could also come in handy in defence, with Payne someone who has moved between centre back and right back in recent years, and Tuiloma, as revealed by Sky Sport pundit Jacob Spoonley ahead of the match against The Gambia, being looked at to potentially play a similar role.

The tactical flexibility also reflects a desire to be able to focus on each opponents strengths and weakness. It stands in stark contrast to the rigidity on display on the other side of the Tasman right now, where Australia are currently on track to end up in the intercontinental playoffs themselves after failing to make adjustments when needed. So far, at least, that is a potential strength of the All Whites setup.

PHOTOSPORT

All Whites coach Danny Hay (right) speaks to goalkeepers Stefan Marinovic, Michael Woud, and Nik Tzanev during training in Bahrain in October.

The All Whites are hoping to have two matches in the January international window, which is only for teams outside Europe and was added when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the postponement of World Cup qualifiers in 2020. It is understood Asian opponents ranked inside the top 100 in the world by Fifa are the most likely, though there are a number of African countries ranked inside the top 100 that are also available.

After that will come Oceania qualifying for next years World Cup, which is set to take place in Qatar the controversial host of the actual World Cup in March. Beyond that, there are no details available four months out, something that has become a source of frustration for Hay and his staff.

The hope was for an eight-team tournament over a period of 16 to 18 days, featuring a three-match group stage, semifinals, and a final, which would mean getting players released from their clubs for twice as long as during a normal nine-day international window. If a tournament was to run that long without an extension of the window, the All Whites would be impacted more severely than their rivals. A compromise could be to extend the window by a day, as has been done for other regions, and go from eight teams to one across three days of knockout fixtures, but that increases the risk of one bad day or a bad refereeing decision having an outsized impact. Hopefully there will be clarity soon.

Rick Rycroft/AP

Australia and Saudi Arabia are two of the teams hoping to qualify directly for the 2022 World Cup from Asia.

The draw for the intercontinental playoffs is also yet to be made, but they will feature the top team from Oceania, the fourth-placed team from North and Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf), the fifth-placed team from South America (Conmebol), and the fifth-placed team from Asia.

As of the end of the November window, Colombia sit fourth in Conmebol on 17 points, ahead of fifth-placed Peru only on goal difference. Chile and Uruguay then follow on 16 points, with Bolivia on 15, and Paraguay on 13. There are four matchdays to come, two in January and two in March.

In Concacaf, Panama sit in fourth on 14 points, behind Mexico only on goal difference. The United States are second on 15, while Canada, led by former Football Ferns coach John Herdman, are out in front on 16. Fifth-placed Costa Rica are five points behind Panama, but there are six matchdays to come, three in January and three in March.

JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press via AP

Canada celebrates a win over Mexico in a 2022 World Cup qualifier. They sit top of the Concacaf ladder with six matches to be played.

In Asia, the current round involves two groups of six, with Iran and South Korea way out in front in Group A, and the United Arab Emirates in third on 6 points, followed by Lebanon on 5, Iraq on 4, and Syria on 2. Its tighter at the top of Group B, where Saudi Arabia has 16 points, Japan 12, and Australia 11, four clear of Oman. There are four matchdays to come, two in January and two in March, followed by a playoff for the two third-placed teams at the start of June.

That playoff means the intercontinental playoff featuring the Asian team wont take place until the back half of that window, which runs from May 30 to June 14, but it remains to be seen if the other playoff will take place beforehand or concurrently. If they both take place in the back half, or if the Oceania team draws the Asian team, it will provide a welcome opportunity for warm-up matches.

Once World Cup qualification is done and dusted, there is a two-match international window in September and players then have to be released for the tournament proper on November 14, a week out from the first match. The World Cup then runs for four weeks, culminating with the final on December 18 [December 19, 4am NZ time].

Excerpt from:

What we know (and what we don't) about the All Whites heading into a World Cup year - Stuff.co.nz

National football associations across Oceania will benefit from a new educational platform thanks to UEFA Assist, UEFA's programme that supports the on-going development of football outside of Europe.

OFC Learn is a new free platform, funded by Assist and inspired by guidance from the UEFA Academy, which will revolutionise the way people learn by offering different educational resources, such as online courses, webinars, articles and group discussions, to OFC national associations and their staff, sharing examples of European best practice.

The launch of the first phase, which will have content added to it on a regular basis, focuses on referee and coach education materials, but will grow further to include corporate, administration, medical, marketing and communications fields, with overall objectives to build capacity in all 13 OFC member associations.

It is the latest global initiative supported by Assist, which has channelled UEFA support to more than 200 football development projects in close to 60 countries worldwide since its creation in 2017.

Eva Pasquier, UEFA head of international relations

"We are delighted to share experiences from UEFA and its Member Associations to enhance the fantastic work done by our colleagues from OFC.

"This is truly an excellent resource that will have a lasting impact across the entire region.

"We look forward to continuing our collaboration with OFC and developing even more exciting content over the coming months."

Franck Castillo, OFC general secretary

"Education plays a huge role in football development across our region and that is why online learning is so important, especially in these times of the pandemic.

"No matter the circumstances, we are responsible for equipping our people with the tools and resources to continue to ensure football thrives.

"While the first phase is launching today, we are expanding OFC Learn to other educational fields as well.

I would like to thank our partner UEFA Assist; OFC is incredibly grateful for their funding and continued support."

UEFA launched Assist, a football development programme, in 2017. Its objective: to share the experience and know-how of UEFA and its member associations beyond Europe.

By working closely with UEFA's five sister confederations and FIFA, Assist has built on existing collaborations with the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America), CONMEBOL (South America) and the OFC (New Zealand and South Pacific island nations).

UEFA Assist initiatives focus on four main goals:

Building capacity

Developing youth football

Strengthening infrastructure

Supporting UEFA member associations to create their own solidarity programmes

See more here:

http://www.uefa.com

Covering an area of 540 sq.km (210sqmi), Guam is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States in Micronesia; and the southernmost and largest island in the Mariana Island chain, located in the western North Pacific Ocean. The island is volcanic in origin, and ringed by steep coastal cliffs and sandy beaches.

As observed on the physical map of Guam, mountains are primarily located on the southern end of Guam, with the northern region of the island sloping into low hills. Presence of a northern limestone plateau with a general elevation of 500ft (150m). the plateau is covered with a thick growth of jungle.

Deepwater channels and a coral table reef are located along much of the coast. The highest point is Mount Lamlam at an elevation of 1,338ft (408m) located in the southwest part of the island and marked on the map by a yellow triangle, and the lowest point is the North Pacific Ocean (0m).

Guam (officially, the U.S. Territory of Guam) is divided into 19 villages. In alphabetical order, the villages are: Agana Heights, Agat, Asan, Barrigada, Chalan Pago-Ordot, Dededo, Hagatna, Inarajan, Mangilao, Merizo, Mongmong-Toto-Maite, Piti, Santa Rita, Sinajana, Talafofo, Tamuning, Umatac, Yigo and Yona.

Covering an area of 540 sq.km, Guam is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States in Micronesia, located in the Western North Pacific Ocean. Guam is the westernmost territory of the United States and the largest territory in Oceania. The island territory is a part of the Mariana Islands archipelago, being the southernmost of the Mariana Islands and the largest Island in Micronesia.

Located on the western coast of Guam at the mouth of the Hagatna River is, Hagatna the capital village of Guam. Hagatna hosts the arms of the Government and its commercial districts. Situated on the coral plateau in the north-central part of Guam is, Dededo the largest and the most populous village in Guam.

Guam is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States in Micronesia, located in the Western North Pacific Ocean. It is geographically positioned both in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. Guam is situated to the east of Philippines; to the north of Papua New Guinea; to the west of Hawaii and to the southeast of North Korea. Guams southern maritime boundary forms a border with the Federated States of Micronesia; while its northern maritime boundary forms a border with the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.

Regional Maps: Map of

This page was last updated on February 25, 2021

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Guam Maps & Facts - World Atlas

A file image of a Boeing 777-9X. (Boeing)

Boeing has claimed the Oceania region will require nearly 40,000 new aviation professionals over the next two decades, as the industry grows in the post-pandemic environment.

According to the planemaker, airlines operating in the Oceania region will require over 10,000 new pilots, over 11,000 new technicians and engineers, and over 17,000 new cabin crew by 2040.

Revealing its forecast data in an Oceania press briefing, Boeing said these new professionals will be required to assist the growth of air traffic in the region, at a rate of 3.0 per cent per year over the next 20 years.

Despite this 3.0 per cent increase in traffic, the region is expected to see just 1.9 per cent growth in its fleet requirements.

The planemaker has forecast that the total number of aircraft in Oceania will expand from 560 currently to 830 by 2040.

Of this, 490 aircraft will replace older jets, while the total net number of aircraft will grow by 270. The remaining 70 jets are expected to be retained from todays fleet.

According to Boeing Commercial Airplanes director of market forecasting and analysis Wendy Sowers, Oceanias fleet growth rate of 1.9 per cent falls below the average global figure of a little bit north of 3 per cent.

Oceanias below-average growth in fleet size is typical of a market that is on the more mature side, Sowers said. Meanwhile, emerging markets tend to have faster growth, she said.

Oceanias traffic growth rate of 3.0 per cent is also below the global average of 4.0 per cent, for the same reason, Sowers said.

Something important to consider in the Oceania region is that we have traffic growing faster than fleet [size], Sowers said.

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So one of the things that that points to is increasing efficiency in the fleet, that both saves airlines costs, but it also highlights the sustainability element, she said.

The same fleet is able to carry more traffic, its not just growing at a one to one ratio. Its getting more efficient, more sustainable over the long term.

Sowers also noted that Oceanias current and future fleet needs differ slightly from other regions.

Of the 760 new aircraft that will replace and grow the fleet in Oceania, 28 per cent are expected to be wide bodied jets, while 71 per cent will be single-aisle. The remaining 1 per cent are regional and training aircraft.

This places Oceanias needs for widebody aircraft above those of other regions, which sees a split closer to 75 per cent of all aircraft being single-aisle.

I think that reflects the relative geography of Oceania, Sowers said, given Oceanias distance from other key markets in Europe and the Americas.

The distances covered by airlines that connect Oceania are often longer than the distances flown in other regions of the world, Sowers said. So we see this region requiring a higher share than average in terms of widebody airplanes, due to the distance and capability of those airplanes.

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40k new aviation workers needed in Oceania by 2040: Boeing - Australian Aviation

The Socceroos are more than halfway through their final World Cup qualifying group and after thelatest round of matches their campaign is looking a lot tougher than it was just a few weeks ago.

Last month, when Australia beat Oman 3-1 in Doha to win their third straight match in their qualifying group B it put them in a strong early position for one of the two direct qualifying spots in the group, six points clear of their arch-rivals Japan.

A penalty given against James Jeggo leaves Australia with a disappointing draw against China and drops them below Japan in their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Since then, however, the Socceroos have lost to Japan in Saitama anddrawn with group leaders Saudi Arabia in Sydney before last night's1-1 draw with China in Sharjah.

The latest result was a big disappointment for the Socceroos, and will make their task in reaching the World Cup finals much harder.

So what does the rest of Australia's World Cup qualifying look like? What do they have to do from here to get to Qatar?

With four games left in the group, Australia has lost its advantage and now sits third on 11 points, behind Japan on 12 and Saudi Arabia who are clear on 16.

Australia's four remaining games are at home to Vietnam in January, away to Oman in February, a home match against Japan in late March and then an away match against Saudi Arabia five days later to conclude the group.

Assuming the Socceroos can get results against Vietnam and Oman no certainty after last night's scoreline then they will likely need to at least beat Japan and draw with Saudi Arabia to get second place and a trip to the finals.

If they finish third in the group, they will miss out on direct qualification.

Australia plays in the Asian (AFC) confederation. The rules say that the third-place team in both final qualifying groups then play each other.

As things stand, if qualification ended now, Australia would be third in group B, and the United Arab Emirates would be third in group A.

If this was the final outcome, the Socceroos would then have to play a two-leg, home and away tie against the UAE.

If successful, Graham Arnold's side would have one more mountain to climb the Intercontinental play-offs.

The last two of the 32 available spots at the FIFA men's World Cup will be decided in June 2022, with the Intercontinental play-offs.

There are six confederations in FIFA:AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (Central and North America), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania) and UEFA (Europe).

Europe has 13 confirmed spots in the finals, Africa has five.

For AFC (four direct spots), CONCACAF (three), CONMEBOL (four) and OFC (no direct spots), the picture is different.

The last teamstanding that has not clinched a direct spot from each of these four confederations goes into a draw.

This results in two, two-leg ties. The winners goto the World Cup finals, the losers are out.

Until a draw is made, there is no idea which confederations will end up playing each other, so if Australia makes it this far they could facea team from Oceania, South America or Central and North America.

Last time round, the Socceroos beat Honduras (CONCACAF) in the play-off to book their tickets to Russia.

As things stand right now, the fourth-placed team in CONCACAF is Panama.

In CONMEBOLright now, Peru would be the team in fifth position, out of automatic qualification.

Oceania has been the hardest hit by COVID considerations no qualifiers have been held as yet. The plan is for a series of qualifiers to be held in Qatar in March next year.

New Zealand has been Oceania's team in contention for a spot at the last three World Cups. They beat Bahrain to qualify in 2010, but lost to Mexico and Peru in 2014 and 2018.

It's the luck fo the draw, but if Oceania gets drawn with Asia next year, it could well be an trans-Tasman clash between the Socceroos and the All Whites to decide who goes to Qatar.

Continued here:

World Cup qualification the Socceroos' path to Qatar in the wake of their draw with China - ABC News

After struggling to create any goalscoring opportunities in the first half, the Gambians began the second stanza strongly, forcing a pair of excellent saves from NZ goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic.

After young gun Sarpreet Singh served up a pinpoint through-ball on goal,Wood then netted his second goal in the 67th minute, expertly rounding the goalkeeper and slotting home to put the match beyond the Gambians' reach.

In the dying stages of the contest, Wood had a couple of ideal opportunities to secure a hat-trick of goals, hitting the post on a clear break in a one-on-one with the Gambian keeper.

The All Whites hope to return to action during the next international window in January, which will be followed by Oceania World Cup qualifying in March.

New Zealand 2 (Wood 2) Gambia 0. HT:1-0

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Football: Chris Wood guides All Whites past The Gambia for third straight win - Newshub

New Delhi - Xperium, a complete end-to-end guest experience management platform powered by AI and smart automation has announced the partnership with IDS Next property management system, one of the largest enterprise PMS companies in India. Through this integration, hotels using IDS on-premise or IDS cloud Property Management System (PMS) will be able to seamlessly connect Xperium to provide a completely automated guest experience suite to its existing and future customers.

The integration will play a pivotal role in these times, when hotel experiences must be even more personalised based on guest preferences and health and safety standards. Hotels that use IDS will now be able to offer targeted up-sells/cross-sells to their visitors, engage with them via well-timed pre-arrival and in-stay messaging, collect guest feedback, and manage their overall online reputation. To improve the hotel guest experience, the following Xperium modules will be integrated with IDS:

On the partnership, Manoj Mohanty, Senior VP Sales, South Asia and South-East Asia at IDS said, In todays connected world, this integration with Xperium will help hotel partners connect deeply with their guests. They will be able to build a strong bond, enhance their brands credibility, and increase visibility and profitability. More importantly, pre-stay, during the stay, and post-stay connections are very important to understand guests and their collective feedback.

Our objective for this integration is to enhance the experience of IDS customers by providing them the right tools for automating guest-facing processes and improving the guest experience. This integration paves way for a hassle-free, automated guest communication set up for hotel guests; which will increase hotel revenue via upsells and improve hotel reputation via Xperium feedback and ORM features, says Sachin Agarwal, Co-founder and Head of product at Xperium.

Xperium has established an ecosystem for OTAs and other travel industry participants around its CRM and guest engagement technologies, anticipating future concerns and providing a more tailored guest experience throughout the journey.

IDS Next is a globally leading Hotel Technology Solutions provider with decades of unmatched domain expertise. Being pioneers in Hotel ERP architecture, IDS provides efficient solutions across categories such as large independent hotels, chain hotels, boutique or resort hotels and even small budget hotels. Their offerings include integrated hotel management software, restaurant management software, mobile apps and mobile analytic solutions etc.IDS has earned the trust of over 5000+ hotels in 40 countries spread across South Asia, South-East Asia, Africa, Middle East, Sri Lanka & Maldives and Oceania.

In 2018, RepUp introduced Xperium to fulfill the experience management demands of mid market and enterprise segment in hospitality industry. Xperium, a complete end-to-end guest experience management platform powered by AI and smart automation enables businesses to automatically offer personalized upsells /cross-sells to their guests, communicate through well-timed pre-arrival and in-stay messages, collect guest feedback, manage their overall online reputation, and deliver contactless experiences at scale.Xperium is building and perfecting 360 Customer Experience Solutions based on strong Machine Learning algorithms and Artificial Intelligence modules that help automate and optimize operations, predict guest behaviour & persona, and maximise revenue per customer.

RepUp is a B2B SaaS company offering tech solutions to hospitality businesses and is seed funded by the Indian Angel Network, and has been a part of Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator.

RepUp has received recognition from Deloitte for being one of the 50 fastest growing tech companies in India in 2018, and has also been recognized among the 500 fastest growing tech companies in the APAC region. RepUp has also won the UK Trade and Investments' Tech Rocketship Award for disruptive technology.

The company boasts Lemontree, Deltin Casino, Moxy by Marriot(US), Radisson Blu, and Lippo Group(Indonesia) among its customers. Headquartered in Gurgaon, India, RepUp is at the forefront of technological innovation for the hospitality industry. To learn more, visit http://www.xperium.ai.

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Xperium, an AI-enabled CRM guest engagement platform, partnered with IDS to enhance the hotel guest experience - Hospitality Net

The moon enters the maximum eclipse in Glastonbury, England, on September 28, 2015. Matt Cardy/Getty Images

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The longest lunar eclipse of this century is coming this week.

During the early hours of Friday morning, Earth will pass between the sun and moon, casting a shadow over the latter. The eclipse will peak just after 4 a.m. Eastern Time, when our planet will hide 97% of the full moon from the sun's light, giving the moon a reddish hue.

According to NASA, the partial lunar eclipse will last 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 23 seconds longer than any other eclipse between 2001 and 2100.

Here's how and when to catch the rare celestial event.

Lunar eclipses aren't visible worldwide only in places where the moon is above the horizon.

For the upcoming eclipse, sky watchers in North America have the best seats in the house. People in all 50 US states, Canada, and Mexico can watch the full event.

You won't need a telescope or binoculars simply go outside and look up at the sky any time between 2:19 a.m. and 5:47 a.m Eastern Time on Friday.

Or if you don't want to head into the chilly morning air, catch a live stream of the event here.

Folks in South America and western Europe will see most of the eclipse, though the moon will set before it ends. People in western Asia and Oceania will miss the earlier part of the event, as the moon will not have risen yet. Those living in Africa and the Middle East won't see any of the spectacle.

If you miss the eclipse, don't fret.After this, NASA predicts another 179 eclipses in the next eight decades, with an average of two per year. The next eclipse will happen on May 16, 2022.

Typically, the moon's white-grey face is illuminated by sunlight reflecting off its surface. But during a lunar eclipse, the moon, sun, and Earth briefly align so that our planet blocks sunlight from reaching the moon.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when 100% of the moon is obscured by the Earth's cone-shaped shadow, known as the umbra. During a total eclipse, or near-total eclipse like this month's event, the lunar surface takes on a bloody visage.

We have oxygen and nitrogen particles in Earth's atmosphere to thank for that light show. They're better at scattering certain shorter wavelengths of light, like blue or violet, so colors with longer wavelengths like red, orange, or yellow still linger. When the moon sits in Earth's shadow, those reddish colors dominate what you see.

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How to see the November lunar eclipse, the longest this century - Business Insider