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Tag: Australia

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Australia bushfires: Smoke seen in New Zealand as Sydney region faces ‘catastrophic’ threat

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(CNN)Thousands of people are in the path of deadly Australian bushfires that have produced clouds of smoke seen as far away as New Zealand. A “catastrophic” threat calls on people to evacuate ahead of time: “For your survival, leaving early is the only option,” the warning states. Fitzsimmons said the fires have gotten so bad that authorities need to prioritize saving lives, not protecting homes and property. “Suppression is futile. The focus is on life safety and life protection. We will not guarantee and cannot guarantee a fire truck at…

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Ivan Milat: ‘Wolf Creek’ serial killer dies without ever confessing to 7 murders

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(CNN)The notorious Australian serial killer who inspired the horror film “Wolf Creek” has died after more than 20 years in jail, without confessing to any of the seven murders he was convicted for. According to Australian media, Milat’s seven confirmed victims were British backpackers Caroline Clarke, 21, and Joanne Walters, 22, Victoria couple Deborah Everist, 19, and James Gibson, 19, as well as German nationals Simone Schmidl and Gabor Neugebauer, both 21, and Anja Habschied, 20. There has long been speculation that there were many other victims who were never…

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Owner Finds A Baby Possum Clinging On To Her Dogs Back

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Finding a small animal latching on to your beloved pet’s back might seem like a scary scenario at first glance, but sometimes it can be a rather wholesome moment. As in the case of Sally Watkinson who discovered a baby Australian ringtail possum clinging for dear life to her puli dog’s back. The woman shared this incident on her Facebook page by posting a set of pictures showing the cutest little possum hitching a ride on her dog Kato’s back. She also shared some details about the whole thing, including…

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U.S. Stock Futures Drop as Trade-Talk Doubts Swirl: Markets Wrap

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U.S. equity futures fell as Chinese and American officials struggled to schedule a planned meeting this month to continue trade talks. The pound slumped with the U.K. facing a showdown in Parliament over delaying Brexit again. Contracts on the three main U.S. indexes extended their declines after Bloomberg reported the difficulties the two countries were having in support liquidity and growth. Elsewhere in Asia, equities in Japan, Hong Kong and Australia declined in thin volumes. The Stoxx Europe 600 advanced for a third straight session, led by financial services shares.…

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Eargo raises $52M for virtually invisible, rechargeable hearing aids

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Eargo wants to become the ultimate consumer hearing brand. The company’s small and virtually invisible direct-to-consumer hearing aids, which come in an AirPods-style chargeable case, are designed to help destigmatize hearing loss. One month after revealing its newest product — the Eargo Neo ($2,550), which can be customized remotely via the case’s Bluetooth connectivity — the startup has closed a $52 million Series D, bringing its total raised to date to The latest round of capital comes from new investor Future Fund (Australia’s sovereign wealth fund) and existing investors NEA,…

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Boeing Just Revealed the Loyal Wingman’ Fighter DroneFor Australia

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American plane-maker Boeing has revealed a stealthy, robotic fighter jet that could fly into battle alongside old-school, manned planes. But the loyal wingman drone, as officials call it, isn't for the U.S. military. The Australian government funded the 'bot's development in the hope of equipping Royal Australian Air Force squadrons with drone wingmen. Which is not to say American forces won't eventually get their own drone wingmen. The idea of deploying robotic warplanes alongside manned ones dates back to World War II. Australia just took a big step toward updating…

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Guy Tries To Take A 15 Min Shortcut Suggested By Google Maps, Gets A Lesson And A Trip Of A Lifetime

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This story proves however that there’s still hope for the technologically-enslaved romantic. Even Google gets it wrong sometimes! Driving to a campsite in Australia’s gorgeous Ultimately though, Bruce’s adventurous detour led to a fair dinkum camping trip, catching up with some old mates. “It was just a quick one-nighter as we could only really manage to get the 5 mates together for that one night,” he told us. “As soon as I’d set up, it was beers and steak with the boys. We do these trips every few months –…

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Zuckerberg rejects facetime call for answers from five parliaments

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Facebook has declined once again to send its CEO to the UK parliament — this time turning down an invitation to face questions from a grand committee comprised of representatives from five international parliaments. MPs from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the UK have joined forces to try to pile pressure on the company’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, to answer questions related to his “platform’s malign use in world affairs and democratic process”. The UK’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, which has been running an enquiry into online disinformation for the best…

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An accidental cat picture got the U.S. Embassy in Australia to apologise

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We’d never get you to say sorry for sending an adorable cat picture. But the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia has apologised on behalf of the Department of State who did just that, accidentally sending a test email featuring a photo of a cat dressed in a Cookie Monster costume. SEE ALSO: Snake crawls up on man’s windshield mid-drive because nightmares are real According to the Australian Associated Press, the photo was was titled “cat pajama-jam” and was sent within an email titled “meeting,” as part of a fake meeting…

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Australian Firefighters Pose With Animals For 2019 Charity Calendar, And The Photos Are So Hot It May Start Fires

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After 17 rigorous days of photography, the final images are put together to create the iconic Australian Firefighters Calendar for fans across the globe. The biggest surprise from last year was the viral sensation that came from one of their Facebook posts featuring the Australian firefighters with kittens. The response was so overwhelming they felt the need to expand the photo shoot this year to include a cat calendar for the 2019 season. #9 #10 #19 #20 #29 #30 #39 #40 Read more: http://www.boredpanda.com/the-australian-firefighters-2019-calendar/

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A 1960s Reporter Asks People in Sydney If Theres Life on Other Planets

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In an ABC News (Australia) segment from August 31, 1962, Ray Taylor asks an eclectic mix of Sydneysiders, “Is there life on other planets?†Read more: https://twistedsifter.com/videos/1960s-reporter-asks-people-if-theres-life-on-other-planets/

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Asia Stocks Mixed on Trade Volleys; Kiwi Slumps: Markets Wrap

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Asian stocks traded mixed as China hit back against the Trump administration’s latest tariffs and tensions ratcheted up between the U.S. and Russia. The yen edged higher, while oil held on to its losses. Shares fell in Japan and South Korea, fluctuated in Hong Kong, and pushed higher in China and Australia. Treasuries added to gains made as investors scooped up a record $26 billion 10-year auction. The kiwi tumbled to a two-year low after the New Zealand central bank pushed out its forecast for a rate increase by a…

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Father of Australian doctor died just after trapped Thai boys were rescued

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Chiang Rai, Thailand (CNN)An Australian doctor involved in freeing 12 young soccer players and their coach from caves in northern Thailand learned later that his father had died as the rescue effort was winding down. Pearce said Harris had “given his all, his family have given the support and we’ve given the support as well as an organization.” “If you can imagine being physically and mentally exhausted going through a rescue and having to deal with that, when you’re at your lowest ebb, you’ve given it all and then you…

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