Author: zenger.news

CANBERRA, Australia — Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison has again challenged a panel of medical experts to rethink their advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine. The prime minister urges the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization to recommend the jab to people under 60. Pfizer remains the preferred coronavirus vaccine for that age group. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization is advising the risks of extremely rare blood clots outweigh the benefits of AstraZeneca under the 60s. But Morrison believes coronavirus outbreaks across New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia have changed the equation. “When Covid-19 cases are rising, that means people have a…

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BRISBANE, Australia — Australia’s oldest man Dexter Kruger has passed away peacefully at the age of 111. Kruger, who achieved the milestone in May 2021, died in his western Queensland home after a brief illness. A former outback grazier and veterinary surgeon, Kruger previously attributed his long life to a select diet and the simple lifestyle he lived on his property. Speaking from his Roma nursing home in May, he said to the press that a special poultry delicacy was one of his secrets. “Chicken brains. You know, chickens have a head. And in there, there’s a brain” he said. “And they…

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CANBERRA, Australia — Financial support from federal and state governments may not be enough for some businesses struggling through yet another lockdown. Independent economist Nicki Hutley has warned with half the population now in lockdown, it is inevitable jobs will be permanently lost and some businesses won’t be able to keep going. “If you think about Melbourne in particular, effectively in its fifth lockdown, there will be some that this will be the straw that breaks some backs,” said Hutley. Greater Sydney and some regional areas of the southeastern state, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia are all in lockdown.…

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BRISBANE, Australia — Border towns are urging the northeastern state, Queensland, government to ensure seamless travel for locals and to provide financial support when the state shuts to New South Wales. Deputy Premier Steven Miles announced on July 22 the border will close on July 23 to avoid any Covid-19 cases entering the state. The residents at the borders of both Queensland and New South Wales will still be allowed to cross over without quarantining for essential shopping, healthcare, work, or education. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate is calling for a proper border bubble, with police using number plate technology to…

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PERTH, Australia — Western Australia will close its border to South Australia and expand its coronavirus vaccination rollout, which is the worst-performing in the nation. Premier Mark McGowan said the hard border will come into effect from midday on July 22, locking out any travelers who do not have an exemption. Western Australia has already closed its borders to New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland as the eastern states deal with outbreaks of the highly transmissible Delta variant. “The whole country bar here, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have cases in the community,” said McGowan. “It is a very worrying time, and we’re…

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MELBOURNE, Australia — The southeast Australian state, Victoria, has recorded 26 new locally acquired cases of coronavirus a week into its state-wide lockdown. The health department has confirmed the new infections on July 22 are all linked to the current outbreak, which originated in New South Wales and now totals 133 cases. Twenty-four of the 26 cases were in quarantine throughout their entire infectious period. It is the state’s highest daily total of the current outbreak and follows the 22 cases reported on July 21. But Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said he suspects the state would already be dealing with 200…

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NEW DELHI — The deadly second wave of Covid-19 in India and the following lockdown has adversely affected the Indian film industry. While the industry did show signs of recovery when theaters were allowed to open at 100 percent capacity in February, cinemas were forced to shut shop from mid-April when coronavirus cases started rising again. However, actor Akshay Kumar announced that his film “Bell Bottom” would get a theatrical release on July 27. The news was met with excitement by fans because getting films back into the theaters signals the beginning of the return to normalcy for Bollywood, the Hindi…

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The world’s 100 most valuable brands have seen historic growth, despite the global pandemic, reaching a total stock value of $7.1 trillion, according to consulting firm Kantar. Technology dominates the top of the rankings, with American brands accounting for 56 of the 100 most valuable. Amazon and Apple lead the way. Pinduoduo, Meituan, Moutai and TikTok from China, as well as Tesla from the U.S., doubled their value. With 275 percent rise, Tesla is the fastest-growing company and has become the most valuable automotive brand, per Kantar. 2021’s #KantarBrandZ Most Valuable Global Brand is @Amazon. Its brand value has increased by 64% to US$684bn.…

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This is a pivotal time for Israeli companies on Wall Street. A significant number are going public, and this has major ramifications for the trajectory of the whole ecosystem. While much of the world’s economy is still continuing to struggle with COVID, Israel is on its way to becoming a country that is home to 100 unicorns — private companies valued at over $1 billion. There are currently at least 85 unicorns in Israel, more than in all of Europe’s 40-plus countries combined. This covers all verticals, but significantly more than a third of worldwide cybersecurity unicorns are Israeli. One need…

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A large moose enjoyed a cool dip in a park pond in Moscow for the second day in a row. The incident was filmed at Sokolniki Park near the center of the Russian capital Moscow during a heatwave last week. As the capital city basks in summer sunshine, a moose was spotted taking a dip in the pond, surprising local residents and tourists. The animal calmly stood in the pond to cool down before swimming around, astonishing park visitors. Park-goers were even more surprised when the moose showed up the following day, enjoyed another dip in the pond, and then…

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