News of the World: What you missed this week internationally
CHINA
It’s really going places. The world’s largest outdoor escalator system — which takes 21 minutes to ride — was unveiled in Wushan, Chongqing. Dubbed the “Goddess,” it is just under 3,000 feet long and takes passengers up to 800 feet high. The impressive engineering feat, which took four years and cost $23 million, consists of 21 individual escalators, eight elevators, four moving walkways and pedestrian bridges.
ITALY
The famed Uffizi Gallery in Florence was forced to move its priceless artwork after a cyberattack in February. The unknown attackers, who gained access to login details for the museum’s photo archive and surveillance camera locations, tried to use the stolen data to extort money from the museum. In turn, the museum moved jewels that once belonged to the Medici Family, which ruled Florence from 1434 to 1737, and locked them up in a vault at the Bank of Italy.
BRAZIL
Life will no longer be so ruff for dogs whose parents split. A new law in Brazil allows separated couples to share custody of their pets. A judge will now be able to rule on the shared custody agreement amongst exes as well as the joint payment plan for the animal’s expenses. The law will only apply to pets who have spent the majority of their lives with the now-broken-up pair.
CANADA
Canadians are sour over a new phishing scam that involves a phony milk class-action lawsuit. Victims are receiving a text stating they are eligible for a “Canadian Milk Class Action Rebate.” It then gets them to click a link, which sends them to a website that asks for a credit card number in order to receive their “rebate.”
AUSTRALIA
They are not getting a kick out of this fungus. A rare parasitic fungus caused an outbreak of severe conjunctivitis that hit more than 100 soccer players in the NT Football League. The water-borne microscopic parasite is spreading on fields in the city of Darwin. Its tiny spores are infecting the eyes of the athletes, whose symptoms include blurred vision, itchiness and body pain.
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