- News Fast
Posts tagged Australia
Bushfire relief centers in Australia
Feb 8th
Thousands of people sought help at various relief centers in Australia since Saturday morning.
With the large parts of Victoria still under threat, early-response charities, including the Australian Red Cross and the Salvation Army, have been busy with helping those who need urgent help. The Red Cross said that 20 relief centers were operating and 500 volunteers have distributed 20,000 meals to those seeking help.
“We know that people need our help now, and they will continue to need it for some time yet,” Australian Associated Press quoted him as saying.
“It would be in the thousands, quite literally and that will continue. In terms of firefighters themselves, it would be many, many hundreds of people,” Major Brad Halse told reporters.
Australia: No. of fire death toll rises
Feb 8th
Victoria: Australian disaster crews are stepping up their hard work to undertake wildfires in the state of Victoria, as the death toll rises to 65.
About 30,000 firefighters are battling a number of main fires, and the number of dead is probable to go up.
Victoria Premier John Brumby said he had accepted an propose from the federal government to send in the army.
Whole towns have been ruined in the fires, fanned by high temperatures and random winds.
Forecasters are predicting further enormously hot weather in the region – which has seen record temperatures of 47C (117F) in recent days.
Officials say they are battling in opposition to the most horrible fire circumstances in the state’s history.
Witnesses described seeing walls of flames, trees blowing up and the skies raining ash, as fires tore across 30,000 hectares (115 sq miles) of forests, farmland and towns.
Kevin Rudd: ‘it’s an appalling tragedy for the nation’
At least 600 homes have been shattered in Victoria and about 14,000 homes are with no power.
Most of the people who died came from a bunch of small towns to the north of Melbourne.
At least 12 people died in the town of Kinglake, four at Wandong, four at St Andrews and three at Strathewen.
One Strathewen resident told ABC local radio how people had witnessed “absolutely horrific” scenes as they had helped battle the flames.
“The school’s gone, the hall’s gone… some people left it too late. We’ve lost friends, and we’re just waiting for more – children, loved ones,” she said.
The town of Marysville, with about 500 residents, was said to have been burned to the ground.
Local fire officer Greg Esnouf said: “We’re starting to get some reports in now that are very saddening. This latest report says Marysville possibly one building left standing – that’s just shocking.”
One person was declared dead in Marysville, but mainly residents managed to cover from the fire in a local park.
Tens of thousands of firefighters have been tiresome to hold blazes in two other states – New South Wales and South Australia – but the fires there were basically restricted or burning away from residential areas.
The fire service is using water-bombing aircraft to hold fires and thousands of volunteers are using water hoses.
“It’s obviously a tragic day and a tragic week in our history,” Mr Brumby said.
Late on Sunday, he said he had acknowledged an offer from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to send in troops to ease overstretched crisis crews.
“Hell in all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the last 24 hours,” said Mr Rudd.
Bushfires are regular in Australia, but the existing blazes are the most deadly since 1983, when 75 people died on a day that became known as Ash Wednesday.
India replaces Australia, becomes ICC’s No 2 ODI team
Feb 7th
Dubai: India displaced Australia as the No 2 team in ICC’s ODI rankings after New Zealand defeated the world champions by six wickets in the second ODI in Melbourne.
India, who have made steady upward progress after winning nine consecutive ODIs, now has 122 rating points to be just three points behind top rankers South Africa. The Proteas recently climbed to the top of the table at Australia’s expense.
Australia (121) has been pushed to the third place while New Zealand follows on fourth rung with 117 points. Pakistan is further down the ladder at fifth while England and Sri Lanka are sixth and seventh respectively.
Australia, who have been on the decline in the last few months, have just about managed to retain their place as the number one team in the longer version of the game despite losing the Test series at home to South Africa.
South Africa and India are now the top challengers to Ricky Ponting’s team in both the versions. In ICC Test Rankings, Australia have 126 points while second placed South Africa is 121 and would get a chance to topple Australia when they take on Ponting’s men in a home series beginning later this month. India are third placed with 118 points.
The number one ODI team on April 1 will be richer by USD 175,000 with the runners-up getting USD 75,000.
South Africa become top ODI side with a 4-1 over Australia
Jan 31st
South Africa demolished Australia by 39 runs in the fifth and final match on Friday to clinch the ODI series with an emphatic 4-1 margin. The ODI series win follows the 2-1 win in the Test series. Saouth Africa topples Austrlia to capture the number team position in one day internationals. Though Australia still remains the number one team in the longer version of the game.
India remains at the third place with 120 points while South Africans have five points more. Both Australia & South Africa now have 125 points, but Autrlia were pushed to the number two slot as they are fractionally behind the Proteas when decimal points were calculated.
Shaun Marsh helps Australia clinch a thriller
Jan 18th
Australia today overcame another powerplay road block to beat South Africa by 5 runs in the 2nd ODI. Chasing 250, the Proteas required 60 runs from their final six overs when they initiated their batting powerplay to take a 2-0 series lead.
With 41 runs required from the final three over’s, Mark Boucher & Albie Morkel struck 15 and nine off the next two, bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Bracken, leaving an unlikely 17 required off the final over to clinch victory.
Boucher slogged Hilfenhaus over mid-wicket for six but the Tasmanian paceman held his nerve on the final two balls when seven runs were required to win the match.
Earlier today, Australia reached 249 for nine as a result of half-centuries from Ricky Ponting and man of the match Shaun Marsh. The South Africans were on track for another victory, thanks to a 93-run stand between Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers.
