An Australian suburb is ground zero for testing delivery drones

A delivery drone in China. Photo: Liu Xu/Xinhua via Getty Images

Alphabet subsidiary Wing is testing one of the world's biggest drone delivery projects in Bonython, a suburb of Australian capital Canberra, dividing neighbors over its intrusion into their daily lives, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: While Amazon's long-promised drone delivery is still years away from overcoming regulatory hurdles, Bonython has become ground zero for Wing's advanced trial. The program allows residents to get household staples delivered in just minutes with no delivery fee, but the company must also contend with neighbors who complain of constant, loud flybys and messy packages delivered to the wrong homes.

Go deeper: The drone nightmare is here

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Rebecca Falconer, Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath
Updated 46 mins ago - Science

Deadly Hurricane Zeta pummels Alabama after Louisiana landfall

A satellite image of Hurricane Zeta. Photo: National Hurricane Center/NOAA

Hurricane Zeta has killed at least one person after a downed power line electrocuted a 55-year-old in Louisiana as the storm moved into Alabama overnight.

What's happening: After "battering southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi," it began lashing Alabama late Wednesday, per the National Hurricane Center.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
1 hour ago - World

Taiwan reaches a record 200 days with no local coronavirus cases

Catholics go through containment protocols including body-temperature measurement and hands-sanitisation before entering the Saint Christopher Parish Church, Taipei City, Taiwan, in July. Photo: Ceng Shou Yi/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Taiwan on Thursday marked no locally transmitted coronavirus cases for 200 days, as the island of 23 million people's total number of infections reported stands at 550 and the COVID-19 death toll at seven.

Why it matters: Nowhere else in the world has reached such a milestone. While COVID-19 cases surge across the U.S. and Europe, Taiwan's last locally transmitted case was on April 12. Experts credit tightly regulated travel, early border closure, "rigorous contact tracing, technology-enforced quarantine and universal mask wearing," along with the island state's previous experience with the SARS virus, per Bloomberg.

Go deeper: As Taiwan's profile rises, so does risk of conflict with China

Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Politics: Biden ahead in Wisconsin, Michigan as cases surge in the Midwest.
  2. Health: Fauci says U.S. may not return to normal until 2022 — Trump's testing czar: Surge "is real" and not just caused by more tests — Some coronavirus survivors have "autoantibodies."
  3. Business: Consumer confidence sinking — Testing is a windfall.
  4. World: Europe faces "stronger and deadlier" wave — France imposes lockdown — Germany to close bars and restaurants for a month.
  5. Sports: Boston Marathon delayed — MLB to investigate Dodgers player who joined celebration after positive COVID test.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow

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