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‘Bluey’ Coins Worth $400,000 Stolen by Australian Warehouse Worker, Police Say

This undated handout photo taken by the New South Wales Police Force and released on August 7, 2024 shows bags of seized commemorative Bluey coins at an undisclosed location. (New South Wales Police / AFP)
This undated handout photo taken by the New South Wales Police Force and released on August 7, 2024 shows bags of seized commemorative Bluey coins at an undisclosed location. (New South Wales Police / AFP)
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‘Bluey’ Coins Worth $400,000 Stolen by Australian Warehouse Worker, Police Say

This undated handout photo taken by the New South Wales Police Force and released on August 7, 2024 shows bags of seized commemorative Bluey coins at an undisclosed location. (New South Wales Police / AFP)
This undated handout photo taken by the New South Wales Police Force and released on August 7, 2024 shows bags of seized commemorative Bluey coins at an undisclosed location. (New South Wales Police / AFP)

An Australian man is set to appear in court on Wednesday after being arrested for the alleged theft of more than A$600,000 ($393,000) worth of commemorative coins linked to the popular children's television show "Bluey", police said.

The 47-year-old is accused of stealing 63,000 unreleased, limited-edition A$1 coins from a secure warehouse in the Sydney suburb of Wetherill Park in June, according to "Strike Force Bandit", a special unit police set up to investigate the theft.

One of last year's most streamed television shows in the United States, the Australian animated show targeted at children is widely loved by adults too and is the 14th highest-rated show of all time, movie tracker website IMDB.com showed.

The coins, produced by the Australian mint, are legal tender and resemble regular A$1 coins albeit with one face featuring the anthropomorphic canine character "Bluey". Police say they are selling online for 10 times their face value.

A similar run of special commemorative coins sell for A$20 each on the mint's website - coins designed to be collectors' items only and not legal tender. One eBay seller was charging almost A$600 for a pack of three.

Detective Superintendent Joseph Doueihi told reporters at a press conference he was not initially aware of the show's popularity.

"The theft of these coins have deprived a lot of young children and members of the community from having access to these coins, so we're doing our absolute best to try to recover these coins and put them back into circulation."

Police said the man worked at the warehouse where the coins were being stored for two days on their way to Brisbane.

They alleged he stole the coins, which weighed 500 kilograms (1102 lb), from the back of a truck with the help of two male accomplices. The coins were then sold online within hours.

A raid on a Sydney house in June recovered 189 coins but Doueihi said the vast bulk of coins are already in circulation. Those who have received one do not need to surrender it to police, he said.

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Saudi Team Successfully Separates Filipino Conjoined Twins in Highly Complex Surgery

The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh. SPA
The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Team Successfully Separates Filipino Conjoined Twins in Highly Complex Surgery

The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh. SPA
The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh. SPA

The specialized medical and surgical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program achieved on Thursday a new medical milestone by successfully separating the Filipino conjoined twins Klea and Maurice Ann following a highly complex surgical procedure, considered among the most challenging cases worldwide.

The operation was conducted at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City of the Ministry of National Guard in Riyadh.

Advisor at the Royal Court, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the medical and surgical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah stated the Filipino twins were separated after 12 hours and 45 minutes from the start of anesthesia.

This marks the completion of the third stage, with the fourth and fifth stages remaining, which are expected to take several more hours and will include reconstruction, cosmetic procedures, and cranial closure.

He added that the operation was carried out with the participation of 30 consultants, specialists, and nursing and technical staff across multiple disciplines, including anesthesia, intensive care, advanced imaging, plastic surgery, and other supporting specialties, ensuring the highest levels of precision and safety throughout all stages of the procedure.

Al Rabeeah noted that this marks the third separation of conjoined twins from the Philippines and the 70th case within the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which spans more than 35 years.

The program has covered 27 countries and evaluated 157 cases worldwide, underscoring the Kingdom’s leading role in this rare medical specialty, under the direct support and patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Al Rabeeah expressed, on behalf of himself and all members of the medical and surgical team, his deepest gratitude to the Kingdom’s leadership for the continuous support and close follow-up provided to the program.

He also extended his thanks to the surgical team, led by pediatric neurosurgery consultant Dr. Moutasem Azzubi, as well as to all members of anesthesia, plastic surgery, nursing, and technical teams for their efforts, which contributed to the success of the operation and the safety of the twins.

He affirmed that this achievement reflects the Kingdom’s noble humanitarian mission and its position as a global center of excellence in this field.

For their part, the twins’ family expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for the high-quality medical care provided, praising the tremendous efforts exerted by the medical team to ensure the success of the operation.

Varieties

58-year-old Woman Killed in Bear Attack in Poland

22 April 2026, US, Seattle: Juniper, a Coastal Alaskan Brown Bear pictured on Earth Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Shane Srogi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
22 April 2026, US, Seattle: Juniper, a Coastal Alaskan Brown Bear pictured on Earth Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Shane Srogi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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58-year-old Woman Killed in Bear Attack in Poland

22 April 2026, US, Seattle: Juniper, a Coastal Alaskan Brown Bear pictured on Earth Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Shane Srogi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
22 April 2026, US, Seattle: Juniper, a Coastal Alaskan Brown Bear pictured on Earth Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. Photo: Shane Srogi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

A 58-year-old woman was killed by a bear in Southeastern Poland on Thursday, Pawel Giba, press officer for the District State Fire Service Headquarters in Sanok, told AFP.

A report received by the fire department "indicated that in the village of Plonna a woman was allegedly attacked by a bear," he said.

The report was filed by the woman's son.

Three fire squads and police were dispatched to the scene, but "did not proceed with first aid measures due to the extent of the woman's bodily injuries," he added.

Their arrival was delayed by "the difficult terrain and the lack of precise location details".

Upon their arrival, paramedics pronounced the woman dead at the scene.

Currently, "securing activities are underway," and a prosecutor is arriving in the area, according to the spokesman.

Poland has a population of about 100 brown bears, 80 percent of them in Poland's mountainous Bieszczady region, where the latest attack took place, according to Polish government data from 2024.

However, fatal attacks remain extremely rare with the last fatal bear attack in Poland in 2014, according to local media.

Varieties

Mass Poisoning Suspected as 18 Wolves Die in Italian National Park

FILE PHOTO: Ten wolves were released in a wolf wildlife park in Saint Martin Vesubie, southern France, December 16, 2004. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Ten wolves were released in a wolf wildlife park in Saint Martin Vesubie, southern France, December 16, 2004. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo
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Mass Poisoning Suspected as 18 Wolves Die in Italian National Park

FILE PHOTO: Ten wolves were released in a wolf wildlife park in Saint Martin Vesubie, southern France, December 16, 2004. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Ten wolves were released in a wolf wildlife park in Saint Martin Vesubie, southern France, December 16, 2004. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo

Italian authorities are investigating the deaths of at least 18 wolves and several other wild animals found in recent days in a national park, in what conservation groups say is one of the worst attacks on wildlife in Italy.

The carcasses were discovered across several locations in and around the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, a mountainous area in the center of the country long regarded as a stronghold for Italy's recovering wolf ⁠population.

The national park's ⁠authorities said the animals were most likely killed by poisoned bait, raising concerns for public safety as well as biodiversity, Reuters reported.

"The scale of what is happening is devastating," it said in a statement, expressing its "deep grief and disbelief".

Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin described the killings as "horrendous", adding that he had ordered ⁠Italy's forestry police to intensify inspections in an effort to identify those responsible.

"The ministry is particularly attentive and sensitive to the protection of a species that is so important for the balance of our ecosystem," he said in a statement.

Italy's protected wolf population has rebounded in recent decades after being driven close to extinction in the 20th century. A 2020-21 census suggested there were around 3,300 wolves nationwide.

However, in some rural areas, farmers complain of attacks on livestock.

Angelo Bonelli, a lawmaker with the ⁠opposition Greens ⁠and Left Alliance party, accused the government of failing to stand up to the hunting lobby, seen as close to right-wing parties in the ruling coalition.

"Swift investigations, tighter controls and exemplary sanctions are needed," he said.

Environment group Legambiente said three foxes and a buzzard had also been found dead in the same region, reinforcing fears of widespread, illegal poisoning.

"This is... an unprecedented attack on protected wildlife," it said in a statement.

Prosecutors in the nearby city of Sulmona have opened an investigation. Authorities have also urged local communities to report suspicious activity as tests continue to determine the exact cause of death.