Tag Archives: oceania

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Residents of rural Queensland town urged to evacuate as floodwaters rise

Residents near the Copperfield River in Far North Queensland are being urged to evacuate as floodwaters rise.

Etheridge Shire Council has issued a flash flooding emergency warning for people in all areas of Einasleigh to leave immediately, warning residents their lives are at risk.

The water in the Copperfield River is rising quickly and the Copperfield Dam is spilling due to heavy rain.

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"Dangerous, wide-spread flooding is happening now," the council said.

"Do not expect emergency services to come to your door.

"If your life is in danger call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

"If you are flooded in your home, call the SES on 132 500."

The council is warning single-storey buildings could be fully flooded as waters rise, roads and bridges may be closed and evacuation routes might be cut off soon.

Residents are also being warned power, phones, internet and water may stop working.

"It may become too dangerous for emergency services to rescue you," the council said.

Residents are being warned conditions are "very dangerous" and to follow the advice of local authorities.

"Bring your emergency kit and move to evacuation point at high part of Einasleigh-Forsyth road away from the flood now," the warning said.

"Go to Etheridge Shire Council Facebook or disaster dashboard."

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Search for driver after young girls approached and offered lollies in Sydney

A public appeal has been launched after an unidentified man allegedly approached two young girls and offered them sweets in Sydney's inner west yesterday.

Two girls, aged 7 and 4, were on Percy Street in Rozelle at around 10.30am yesterday when the unknown man drove up to them and offered them lollies.

After a short time, one of their family members came out onto the street and the man drove off towards Denison Street.

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Police have released CCTV footage of a vehicle, hoping to speak to the driver who may assist their inquiries.

The driver is described as being a man of Caucasian appearance, aged in his 60s or 70s with an unshaven beard.

He was last seen wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and driving a dark grey Toyota Camry sedan.

Police are urging anyone with information on the man to contact Leichhardt Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Death toll in Iran protest crackdown surges past 6000

More than 6000 people have been killed in Iran's bloody crackdown on unrest, human rights groups claim, as protests reach the one-month mark.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said 6126 people had been killed in clashes between protesters and government forces in the last 30 days.

The organisation said 5777 of these victims were protesters and 49 were non-protesters or civilians.

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They estimate 86 children have died, and 214 people associated with government forces have also been killed since authorities cracked down harshly on unrest at the end of last month.

The government has limited internet access inside Iran, making it difficult to verify the true death toll.

HRANA claims it is investigating more than 17,000 potential deaths. 

"Widespread internet disruptions and shutdowns have remained one of the government's main tools for restricting the flow of information and reducing protesters' ability to organise," it said.

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Vehicles drive past portrait of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in downtown Tehran. the theocracy has struggled to deal with dissent in recent weeks.

"This situation has effectively caused serious disruption to citizens' access to information, communication with family members, online services, and independent media."

Government sources claim that the death toll is only just over 3000, 2427 of which are civilians and security forces.

They have labelled the rest "terrorists".

In the past, Iran's theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.

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A billboard depicting a damaged US aircraft carrier with disabled fighter jets on its deck and a sign reading in Farsi and English, "If you sow the wind, you'll reap the whirlwind," is seen at Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) Square in Tehran. Iran has blamed foreign powers, including the USA, for the recent unrest and protests.

That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest there in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

HRANA figures state nearly 42,000 people have been arrested, and more than 11,000 have been severely injured in the process.

Iranian state media has tried to blame forces abroad, including the USA, for the protests.

However, the regime remains broadly unable to address the country's ailing economy, which is still squeezed by international sanctions, particularly over its nuclear program.

– with Associated Press

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ABC launches investigation after social media accounts hacked

The ABC has launched an investigation after several unauthorised posts were made on one of its social media accounts, including images of an adult performer.

Screenshots seen by 9news.com.au showed multiple posts on the ABC News Facebook page this afternoon, one of which was an image of a notorious adult content creator.

The images were seen at around 1.15pm, and were deleted from the public broadcaster's Facebook account within minutes.

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The ABC said a compromised staff account led to the breach earlier today.

An ABC spokesperson said the breach came after a staff account was compromised.

"[This] resulted in unauthorised access to the ABC News Facebook page, where several images were briefly posted," the spokesperson said.

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"Access was quickly secured, the content removed, and an investigation is underway to review and strengthen our security controls."

9news.com.au is not suggesting any wrongdoing on behalf of anyone at the ABC.

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