Good afternoon. Residents in a tiny north Queensland town say they have been ignored for two years by the RAAFafter a sonic boom from a fighter jet shattered windowsand damaged roofs.
In June 2023, an F-35 fighter from the nearby Townsville RAAF base broke the sound barrier over Greenvale, causing what locals say was a “bloody terrifying” explosion initially mistaken for a car crash or gas bottle eruption.
When the dust settled, about 14 homes in a straight line across the town of 192 people were damaged. But since then there’s been silence from the air force – and unable to afford replacements, and with no local tradespeople – shattered windows are still replaced with temporary timber boards.
The Department of Defence said the episode occurred “within an area where overland supersonic airspeeds are approved”, but the local MP, Robbie Katter, has described the defence force response as “indifference at best”.
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It’s all looking a bit apocalyptic,reckons Fiona Katauskas.
“Behind the filters and followers was a sophisticated criminal enterprise exploiting digital platforms to sell counterfeit luxury goods.”
NSW police charged three men in Sydney on Wednesday as part of what Det Supt Peter Faux alleged wasa $10m scheme to sell counterfeit luxury goods on social media. Police seized nine cars worth about $3m, more than 500 counterfeit luxury items, $270,000 in cash and a gel blaster imitation firearm.
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Twenty-five of Australia’s 36 ranked universities have droppedin this year’s QS World University Rankings, and just seven moved up – the third-biggest percentage drop in the world behind Austria (88%) and Russia (85%). The University of Melbourne, Australia’s highest performer, dropped seven places to 19th, while the University of Sydney dropped from 18th in the world to 25th.
Across Europe, emboldened by a nine-year plan to clean up the Seine River in time for last year’s Paris Olympics, city residents are pushing authorities tomake their waterways swimmable. From Berlin to Oslo, Guardian reporters detail some of urban Europe’s swimming hotspots – both those that are coming, and those that have been delighting city swimmers for years.
Today’s starter word is:KIER.You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word.Play Wordiply.
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