The three young people got onto the roof on Friday night.
Tag Archives: oceania
Australian mushroom deaths: How to safely forage for fungi in New Zealand
However, the National Poisons Centre warns against eating wild mushrooms.
Orca dies after half a century in captivity
Lolita, an orca whale held captive for more than a half-century, died on Friday at the Miami Seaquarium as caregivers prepared to move her from the theme park in the near future.
The Seaquarium posted a statement from the nonprofit group Friends of Toki on social media that Lolita — also known as Tokitae, or Toki — started exhibiting serious signs of discomfort over the past two days.
Seaquarium and Friends of Toki medical team members began treating her immediately and aggressively, but the 57-year-old orca died from an apparent renal condition, the statement said.
READ MORE: Humpback whale freed after rescue off NSW coast
"Toki was an inspiration to all who had the fortune to hear her story and especially to the Lummi nation that considered her family," the Friends of Toki statement said.
"Those who have had the privilege to spend time with her will forever remember her beautiful spirit."
Animal rights activists have been fighting for years to have Lolita freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium.
The park's relatively new owner, The Dolphin Company, and the nonprofit Friends of Toki announced a plan in March to possibly move her to a natural sea pen in America's Pacific Northwest region, with the financial backing of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.
READ MORE: 'Especially surprising' discovery about 'rarely sighted' Aussie whale
"I am heartbroken that Toki has left us," Irsay said in a statement.
"Her story captured my heart, just as it did millions of others. I was honoured to be part of the team working to return her to her indigenous home, and I take solace in knowing that we significantly improved her living conditions this past year. Her spirit and grace have touched so many. Rest in peace, dear Toki."
The Lummi Nation, a Native American tribe based in Washington state, refers to orcas as "qwe 'lhol mechen," which means "our relations below the waves". The tribe has spent years working to secure Lolita's release and to return to her home waters.
"The Lummi Nation is saddened by the news that our beloved Orca relative has passed away at the estimated age of 57 years old," Chairman Tony Hillaire said in a statement.
"Our hearts are with all those impacted by this news; our hearts are with her family. We stand in solidarity with our Lummi members whom poured their hearts and souls into bringing Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut home."
READ MORE: Whale carcass in Hong Kong sparks anger over possible damage done by sightseers
Lolita retired from performing last spring as a condition of the park's new exhibitor's license with the US Department of Agriculture. She had not been publicly displayed since.
In recent months, new upgrades had been installed to better filter the pool and regulate her water temperature.
Federal and state regulators would have had to approve any plan to move Lolita, and that could have taken months or years. The 2,200-kilogram mammal had been living for years in a tank that measured 24 metres by 11 metres and was 6 metres deep.
Chateau Tongariro is closed – what next for its Carl Kahler White Terraces art treasure?
The curious tale of an artist, a chateau – and a $1.3m angora cat painting.
Comanchero gangster arrested after police chase stolen ute driving on wrong side of road, find arsenal of 3D printed guns and drugs
Six firearms, drugs and ammunition found after Eagle helicopter chase through road works.
Election 2023: National Party list – Christopher Luxon unveils rankings, senior MP withdraws
National to reveal the MPs it thinks will lead the party to victory.
Visitors turned away from ski resort after heavy Aussie snowfalls
The heaviest snow since early July has fallen across the ski resorts of New South Wales and Victoria and the crowds didn't miss it, with visitors turned away on the road to Australia's largest ski resort Perisher on Saturday morning.
Perisher has so far received 32 centimetres of fresh snow in this storm, the highest amount of any Aussie resort, with totals of around 10 to 25 cm at most other resorts
The long-awaited first major blizzard of August 2023 began early on Friday and was on the forecasts all week, which explains the influx of snow-goers in what has thus far been a moderate season with crowds noticeably smaller on most days than in recent years.
READ MORE: Why aerial shooting is back on the table to control Kosciuszko brumby numbers
However just before 10 am on Saturday morning, Perisher sent out phone notifications as well as an update on its website stating that its parking lot was full, with traffic being turned around on the Kosciuszko Road which leads to the resort from the nearby town of Jindabyne.
Fortunately for those with tickets to Perisher, access to the resort is still possible via the Skitube, a railway which runs through the mountain to both Perisher Valley and Blue Cow (another part of the resort) via the Alpine Way.
So one way or another, snow lovers have been able to get their snow fix this wintry Saturday.
Despite this, locals report the road from Jindabyne to Perisher was "like a car park" as early as 7am.
Meanwhile these snowfalls have been particularly good news for Australia's smaller, lower-altitude resorts which have been struggling this winter.
Selwyn Snow Resort in NSW was effectively destroyed in the January 2020 Black Summer bushfires, which burned a third of Kosciuszko National Park.
Virtually all of the resorts's infrastructure was wiped out in the fires, and rebuilt over the last three years, and the resort finally reopened in June 2023, only to close again in early August due to lack of snow.
READ MORE: Man dies in Thredbo skiing incident
The ski lifts and toboggan park are spinning again at Selwyn this Saturday, and the resort's snow cams show that the crowds haven't missed out on the action.
No significant snowfalls are on the horizon for Australia's high country in the next week or so.
So while the snowfalls of recent days have freshened up the cover, they haven't quite added enough to the base to turn a below-average snow season into a good one with spring fast approaching.
Wellington pedestrian hit by car: person taken to hospital
The crash took place at the intersection of Vivian St and Pirie St.
True fear behind collapse of China's property juggernaut
Evergrande's US bankruptcy serves as a cautionary tale about the growth-at-all-costs model that underpinned China's spectacular growth over the past 30 years.
For decades, Evergrande, once one of China's most successful real estate developers, gobbled up debt as China's economy exploded. Demand for housing was so strong, homebuilders often pre-sold apartment units to buyers before construction was complete.
But a sudden shift in policy by China's leaders two years ago has left the country's property developers scrambling for cash, compounding a financial risks within the world's second-largest economy.
READ MORE: Man dies after car crashes into bus in Melbourne's south
What happened to Evergrande?
The story of Evergrande's downfall began in 2021, when the central government moved to curb excessive borrowing to try to slow the rise in home prices, effectively cutting off a major source of funding for property developers.
Evergrande, which had $US300 billion ($470 billion) in liabilities, couldn't shore up cash fast enough to make its debt payments.
It defaulted in December 2021, triggering a market panic. A wave of defaults followed, and China's vast real estate market has yet to recover. Building was suspended on dozens of projects, leaving many "pre-sale" buyers left with no new home and a hefty debt burden.
What happens next as it tries to restructure billions of dollars in offshore debts has massive implications for China's financial system.
Evergrande (pronounced "ever grand," with a silent final "e") filed Thursday for Chapter 15 bankruptcy, which is a way for foreign companies to use US bankruptcy law to restructure debt. The process will take time, as Evergrande has roughly $US19 billion ($30 billion) in offshore debts.
READ MORE: Victoria to pay $380 million to cancel 2026 Commonwealth Games
The next shoe to drop?
Evergrande's liquidity crisis was just the beginning of the pain. Other large builders in China have since defaulted as they struggle to to shore up cash and demand for housing has fallen.
Now, investors around the world are watching nervously as Country Garden, which employs some 300,000 people, missed two payments on its multibillion-dollar debt and said it was considering "various debt management measures."
The cash-strapped developer's debt is now seen as a "very high risk" asset, according to Moody's, which downgraded its rating on Country Garden last week.
Country Garden has until early September to make the payments it missed.
READ MORE: Where and when you can watch the Matildas' third place match
China's economy is struggling
It's hard to overstate the importance of the property market China. The industry accounts for as much as 30 per cent of the country's economic activity, and more than two-thirds of household wealth is tied up in real estate.
But nearly three years of "zero Covid" restrictions sapped China's economic growth, and consumers have been reluctant to buy new homes in the face of higher unemployment and falling property values.
After a brief surge in activity earlier this year, China's economic engines have been sputtering. Consumer prices last month fell for the first time in more than two years; youth unemployment has been rising so fast, Chinese authorities simply didn't release the July data.
Retail sales, export demand and factory production are all down.
READ MORE: Victorian bushfires 'shockingly more frequent'
Can't Beijing just bail these companies out?
It's unlikely.
While Beijing has made some efforts to help jumpstart demand for housing and free up cash for developers, the days of big, state-funded bailouts for bloated industries appear to be over.
As President Xi Jinping said in a recent speech: "We must maintain historic patience and insist on making steady, step-by-step progress."
Where and when you can watch the Matildas' third place match
The final match in the captivating Matildas World Cup journey for third place against Sweden will kick off tonight after a heartbreaking loss to England in the semi-finals.
The FIFA Woman's World Cup match will decide if the side secure third or fourth place, either result will break the record for the best performance from either the men's or women's side.
England will take on Spain in the final to decide the World Cup winner on Sunday night in Sydney.
This is all the information you need to know about the crucial fixture, including when it starts, where it's being played, and how you can watch it.
READ MORE: Fed Square scrapped as live site after fans storm barriers, use flares
When is the Matildas vs Sweden Women's World Cup 3rd place match?
The Matildas' third place match against Sweden will kick-off at 6pm on Saturday, August 19 (AEST) at Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane.
This means a start time of 5.30pm in South Australia and Darwin and 4pm in Western Australia.
The match duration could finish around 8pm but it could be extended depending on extra time and penalties.
Where can you watch it?
There are a range of live sites where fans can gather to watch the match with hundreds of other supporters on the big screen, including the official FIFA Fan Festivals in each of the tournament's Australian host cities.
In Sydney, the Fan Festival is at Tumbalong Park, while Melbourne's is at Federation Square and Brisbane's is at South Bank, Adelaide's at Festival Plaza and Perth's is held at Forrest Place.
The Sydney Cricket Ground (SGC) will also be opened up at to screen the match from 5.30pm.
After fans stormed through barriers and set off flares during the Matildas' semi-final defeat to England on Wednesday night, Melbourne's Federation Square will no longer be a live site where supporters can watch the Women's World Cup.
Most of the big screen sites open for Wednesday night's semi-final are expected to be open for tonight's third place match but fans are warned to check before attending.
The World Cup has sold 1.75 million tickets across the tournament's 64 games in Australia and New Zealand.
And you can watch the match on Optus Sport, which has the rights to every game of the 2023 tournament.