News

Though petrol containing lead hasn’t been seen at station pumps in the UK this century, lead pollution is proving to be a persistent menace.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are hitting the roads in ever greater numbers. Global EV sales were up by 168% in the first half of 2021 compared to 2020, and are expected to cost the same as – or even less than – combustion (petrol and diesel) cars by 2028 at the...

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Electricity is critical for health, safety and comfort. Without it, it’s hard to buy groceries, fuel your car or get cash from an ATM. Many medical devices, including power wheelchairs, ventilators and nebulizers, run on electricity.

Millions of unemployed Americans are set to lose pandemic-related jobless benefits after Labor Day – just as surging cases of coronavirus slow the pace of hiring.

Changed shopping habits caused by lockdowns mean consumers may have to wait longer for their goods to be delivered, retail body warns.

Twitter has come under increasing public scrutiny for facilitating hostile communication online. While the micro-blogging site promotes itself as providing a “free” and “safe” space to talk, critics have highlighted the company’s inept response to repeated instances of trolling, harassment and abuse.

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Latest data shows that seven of the 10 warmest winters on record in the country have occurred since the year 2000.

The Paralympics features athletes with a diverse range of abilities, competing in a wide range of different categories. Many competitors use prosthetics, wheelchairs or other specialised components to enable them to perform at their best.

Our research out today shows when it comes to getting ready for disasters, there are four types of people. And this matters, because good disaster preparedness doesn’t just help people during and immediately after a disaster – it can also mean a quicker recovery.

Be prepared for any weather with our daily forecast for Australia.

Be prepared for any weather with our daily forecast for Australia.

If you’ve wandered through a forest, you’ve probably dodged dead, rotting branches or stumps scattered on the ground. This is “deadwood”, and it plays several vital roles in forest ecosystems.

After years of waiting, the federal government finally introduced Australia’s first offshore electricity legislation in parliament yesterday. The bill will establish a regulatory framework for the offshore wind industry, paving the way for more than ten proposed projects.

Man aged 65 is the second person to be sentenced for attempting to import 1,2 tonnes of ephedrine into Australia.

Governments worldwide have released emergency stimulus packages to support workers and businesses through the economic crisis COVID-19 has wrought.

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Home cooking, digital downloads and online shopping shoot up. But bakeries, cafes and fast-food outlets take a massive hit.

The freezing temperatures were associated with a dip southward in the jet stream, a band of strong winds about eight miles above Earth’s surface associated with the boundary between colder and warmer air.

The government even went a step further in promoting the cryptocurrency’s use by giving US$30 in free bitcoins to citizens who sign up for its national digital wallet, known as “Chivo,” or “cool” in English. Foreigners who invest three bitcoins in the country – currently about $140,000 – will be...

Be prepared for any weather with our daily forecast for Australia.

The vaccines are the most effective tool we have to prevent severe illness and hospitalization and protect our precious health care resources.

Latest UK dose-swap deal – in addition to ones with Poland and Singapore – gives Australia 10 million Covid vaccine doses in September.

Perth Zoo’s newest giraffe calf is a 55kg bundle of joy for mum Kitoto and dad Armani. Another youngster is due at the zoo next month.

Record downpours from Hurricane Ida overwhelmed cities across the Northeast on Sept. 1, 2021, hitting some with more than 3 inches of rain an hour. Water poured into subway stations in New York and Boston. Streets flooded up to the rooftops of cars in Philadelphia.

The member for the central Queensland seat of Dawson falsely claimed masks and lockdowns were ineffective against the spread of COVID, demanding governments “open society back up” to “restore our freedoms end this madness”.

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This week the World Health Organization named a new “variant of interest” of the coronavirus, called the Mu variant. It was first found in Colombia in January 2021, and has been found in about 39 countries so far.

Water management in the Northern Territory just keeps making headlines. The recent decision to grant an unprecedentedly large groundwater licence is a case in point.

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COVID-19 has been described as a “housing disease”. Overcrowded living conditions make it easier for the virus to spread, and statistics show a link between overcrowding and mortality from COVID.

Mayors of 12 areas hardest hit by Covid want to have a joint chat with Berejiklian, who has pushed the ‘decline meeting’ button.

Mine fined more than $100,000 by a Perth court for on-site attack that left female employee badly injured and traumatised.

You may have already downloaded to your phone a digital certificate proving you have received one or two doses of a COVID vaccine. Its dark-green colour calls to mind the “Green Pass” now in use in European countries, which is required to gain access to venues such as restaurants, museums...

The official ending of the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan leaves a number of long-term questions, including how the country can build a functioning economy. Now that U.S. assistance has evaporated and international aid is largely shut off, what options does Afghanistan have?

Be prepared for any weather with our daily forecast in the UK.

In June 2020, the Australian federal government announced a new, A$270 billion defence strategy. Part of this entailed spending $800 million on new AGM-158C long-range anti-ship missiles from the United States.

PRA is the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. Landmark reforms introduced in response to a devastating Productivity Commission report into the “mess” that is much of Australia’s super industry require APRA to rate each MySuper fund (and from next year most other funds) with a pass or a fail according to...

People in China under the age of 18 will only be allowed to play video games between 8pm and 9pm on Fridays, weekends and on public holidays, under new rules introduced this week. China’s state media service says the rules aim to curb gaming addiction.

With work finally completed in the Netherlands, the new pride of the Australian Antarctic Division is on a 24,00km sea journey to Hobart.

Australia’s famous special forces unit will in future be led by a more senior officer in the wake of scandals while operating in Afghanistan.

Australia’s economy was performing exceptionally well in the lead-up to the Delta variant lockdowns, propped up by a barrage of government spending in the three months to June and impressive household spending.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, some premiers, and leading public servants have promised us at 80% we can live “safely” with COVID-19, or come out of our “caves” in the PM’s parlance.

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During hurricanes, flash flooding and other disasters, it can be extremely dangerous to send in first responders, even though people may badly need help.

China has used big data to trace and control the outbreak of COVID-19. This has involved a significant endeavour to build new technologies and expand its already extensive surveillance infrastructure across the country.

Be prepared for any weather with our daily forecast for Australia.

As New Zealand grapples to bring a Delta outbreak under control and to accelerate the vaccination rollout, social cohesion is vital for a successful elimination strategy.

As public-facing businesses look for ways to ensure a return to working normality, one US approach definitely won’t work here.