Yahoo!7 Answers Australia

We’re seeing a lot of questions asked about the major humanitarian crisis in East Africa.

How did it come to this terrible humanitarian disaster? Is it possible to avoid something in the future? How can we help ten million people? And how can you ever be sure that your donation arrives?

In the fight against hunger Yahoo! supports the initiative ” Save The Children” and the Bob Marley family. On this page you will find answers to many unanswered questions and detailed instructions on how you can donate.

Please consider making a contribution and share your suggestions so that this tragedy will not remain silent in answering this question and share it in your Facebook status and Twitter:

• East Africa humanitarian crisis: What can we do to help?

Kate
Community Manager

Earlier this week we invited you to our Yahoo!7 Answers Royal Wedding Week!

As it comes to an end, we wanted to thank our whole community for telling their proposal stories and sharing their tips on planning a perfect wedding.

Today, after much discussion about the gown, the guests, the vows, and much more, the long-awaited nuptials finally happened. As the beautiful bride walked down the aisle to the choral anthem “I Was Glad” by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, the prince now has his princess.

Congrats to Prince William and his princess, Catherine!

In celebration of the royal wedding, we wanted to ask our community one more question. We’ll award 100 bonus points to the user with the best answer. Now that the couple has said “I do”, we want to know…

Question: What is the secret to a lifelong successful marriage?

If you missed the royal wedding or want the latest details on the big event, please visit our Yahoo! Royal Wedding Page.

Thanks for reading!

Photo by Wedding Paraphernalia.

Planning a wedding is not easy for most, myself included.

From my personal experiences thus far in organising my own wedding for later this year, it requires the following: military genius, diplomacy, haggling and sheer luck!

Not all of us are blessed with the options and resources available to William and Kate, so how do we amongst the common people manage it? It’s time to share your tips and help all future brides out:

• What are some tips or advice on planning a successful wedding?

And in honour of the Royal Wedding on Yahoo!7 Answers, the best answer will be awarded 100 bonus points!

So get sharing!

Kate
Community Manager

Photo by The British Monarchy.

Cue “Here Comes the Bride”: The wedding season will be here before you know it and what better way to start than the wedding of the decade. This week, as the world watches Prince William and Kate Middleton say “I do,” we invite you to Yahoo! Answers Royal Wedding Week.

As Prince William and Kate walk down the aisle this Friday, on April 29th, we’d like to hear your stories, secrets, and tips from your special day or upcoming nuptials.

To celebrate the most anticipated wedding, we’ll ask three questions this week and encourage you to share your moments and/or dreams. In addition, we’ll award the winning answers 100 bonus points.

The first question is about a moment that no one will ever forget…

Question:  How did your significant other propose to you?

Royal wedding photos
To see pictures of the royal family, please visit our Flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishmonarchy/

And much more
If you can’t get enough of all the Royal Wedding hype, check out our Yahoo!7 Royal Wedding Page for more details and information including the schedule of events for the big day!

Check back on Wednesday and Friday for our second and third wedding question!

Thanks for reading,
Yahoo!7 Answers Team

Photo by kiwinz.

This coming Monday, the 25th of April, is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand.

This day originally commemorated the landing of allied troops at Gallipoli during the First World War, but now serves a day to recognise all those who have served our two countries.

Over the next week, we will be hearing a lot about “the ANZAC Spirit”. We’d like to know a bit more about it:

• What is the ANZAC Spirit and how have you seen this displayed recently?

What do you think the ANZAC Spirit is? If you’ve seen an example of this spirit lately, let us know by leaving a comment below!

Kate
Community Manager

The familiar sight of HMAS Adelaide alongside Glebe Island Wharf will be no more, as the decommissioned warship begins the journey today, to her final resting place off the NSW central coast.

HMAS Adelaide (II) was a long-range guided-missile frigate, serving from 1980 to 2008. She was the second Royal Australian Naval vessel to carry the name; the first HMAS Adelaide was a light cruiser serving during from 1922 until World War 2. She was the first of the Adelaide class delivered to the Navy and has five sister vessels, 4 of which are still in service – Canberra, Sydney, Darwin, Melbourne and Newcastle.

Some of the ship’s roles were:

• area air defence
• anti-submarine warfare
• surveillance
• reconnaissance
• interdiction

She saw service in the first Gulf War, participated in peacekeeping operations in East Timor in 1999 and the Gulf in 2001 and 2004.

HMAS Adelaide is due to be sunk off Avoca Beach tomorrow, with the wreck to become an artificial reef to serve as a diving site. The planned scuttling of HMAS Adelaide has not been without controversy, it has already been delayed a year after environmental group “No Ship Action” won an injunction. The ship has since been stripped of hazardous materials, such as lead.

Have you ever been on board the Adelaide or another Naval vessel? What was your experience like? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Kate
Community Manager

Photo by Shazster.

One week ago today, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch and surrounding Canterbury region.

At approximately 10:51am this morning, Australia came to a standstill as two minutes silence was observed in memory of the victims of the disaster. The death toll currently stands at 154, including two Australians. It is expected that it will rise as high as 240 in the coming days.

Photo by martinluff.

The figures from the quake are staggering:

• More than 10,000 people are homeless, their houses damaged beyond repair and due to be torn down. A further 100,000 homes are in desperate need of repair to make them safe to inhabit.
• About 6,000 downtown businesses are shut with no chance of reopening on location any time soon.
• On top of that comes news that 50,000 people have fled the city on flights since last Tuesday.
• A further 20,000 are expected to join them by the weekend. Business leaders fear if the exodus continues, it will cripple any attempts to rebuild the city.
• The New Zealand government has estimated the financial toll at between $NZ10 to $NZ15 billion ($A7.4 to $A11.1 billion) – two to three times the $NZ5 billion ($A3.7 billion) estimated cost of September’s 7.1-magnitude quake.

There is also speculation the central business district of Christchurch may have to be razed and rebuilt, rather than repairs be attempted with most buildings beyond rescuing. The Australian Red Cross is currently accepting donations, should you wish to assist in some manner.

Be sure to check out the amazing photos on Flickr of the aftermath of the earthquake, taken by our New Zealand Flickr photographers:

• New Zealand Earthquake – 1
• New Zealand Earthquake – 2
• New Zealand Earthquake – 3
• Day-to-day in Christchurch, NZ
• NZ Earthquake Relief

Kate
Community Manager

Head over to the Yahoo! Answers blog and check out the latest episode of Answers on the Street, an initiative by our team over in the United States of America.

Think you have a better answer? Let us know by leaving a comment below or answering the following question:

What if you ask a woman if she’s pregnant and she’s not?
- Yahoo! Answers Team

Kate
Community Manager

This is reposted with the permission of Flickr user, netchicken. This post, written by him, was originally posted on his website – http://stuffucanuse.com/.

Currently the citizens of Christchurch New Zealand are living through another earthquake. The first occurred in September 2010 and rated 7.2. This one in the last few hours was 6.4, however the damage for those in the central city was far more severe.

Videos and some photos I took can be found on my flickr account.

This quake occurred at 12:51pm, just after and during lunch. I teach in a private college, and at that time every one of the students and staff were outside having a BBQ as part of a welcome to new students. Its nothing less than a miracle that none of the students or staff were injured.

Current shocks are recorded automatically here.

The four-storey Pyne Gould Corporation building collapsed, and many people were feared trapped inside.

Here is a video taken at Sumner, a coastal town on the edge of the city.

Bus hit:

To read the rest of netchicken’s post, along with further photos and video, please head over here.

Our thanks to netchicken for sharing the above with us, be sure to visit his site – Stuff U Can Use – and check out his photos on Flickr of the earthquake’s devastation.

Kate
Community Manager

A state of emergency has been declared in Christchurch, New Zealand, after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the city and surrounding Canterbury region at approximately 12:51pm this afternoon.

The quake was reportedly felt in Wellington, Greymouth and Dunedin. There has been at least 1 death confirmed with more fatalities expected, many are feared to be trapped in buildings or under debris. Authorities are requesting people to send text messages rather than call friends and loved ones, as the phone networks have either sustained damage or are experiencing strain.

For all the latest news and updates, head to Yahoo!7 News. Alternatively, you may wish to follow Yahoo!7 News on Twitter.

The thoughts of everyone here at Yahoo!7 Answers are with everyone in Christchurch and across New Zealand at this time.