Australia

In 2023, Australia put a 330-square-metre floating wetland on a wastewater lagoon; two years later researchers found methane emissions had fallen by up to 66%

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In 2023, Australia put a 330-square-metre floating wetland on a wastewater lagoon; two years later researchers found methane emissions had fallen by up to 66%

Floating wetlands slash wastewater greenhouse gas emissions Installing a floating wetland planted with native vegetation on an Australian municipal wastewater lagoon cut methane emissions by up to 66 per cent, according to the results of a two-year field trial. Published on 25 August 2026 in the Journal of Environmental Management, the peer-reviewed study looked at … Read more

In 2002, South Australia sank ex-HMAS Hobart in under 3 minutes; 18 years later, a marine survey recorded more than 50 fish species around the destroyer

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In 2002, South Australia sank ex-HMAS Hobart in under 3 minutes; 18 years later, a marine survey recorded more than 50 fish species around the destroyer

In 2002, South Australia sank ex-HMAS Hobart in under 3 minutes A 134-metre decommissioned guided-missile destroyer lying 30 metres below the surface of Yankalilla Bay has become one of South Australia’s most diverse marine habitats, less than two decades after it was deliberately sunk. The ex-HMAS Hobart was scuttled on 5 November 2002. It sank … Read more

Australia planted eucalyptus trees to fight rising soil salinity; decades later scientists found the plantations were changing groundwater but not the soil nature

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Australia planted eucalyptus trees to fight rising soil salinity; decades later scientists found the plantations were changing groundwater but not the soil nature

Eucalyptus cladocalyx ‘nana’. Image Credit: ERA Nurseries Australia planted eucalyptus trees to fight rising soil salinity, hoping that thirsty, deep-rooted vegetation could help control the groundwater processes behind the problem. A long-running experiment in south-western Australia later showed that the effects of such plantations were more complicated than simply planting trees and waiting for the … Read more

Nathan Gallagher flees to Australia: 5 things to know as arrest warrant issued for Below Deck Mediterranean star

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Nathan Gallagher, known from Below Deck Mediterranean, reportedly left Australia on the day he was due in court for domestic violence charges. (Instagram)

Nathan Gallagher, a reality television personality, is reported to have left Australia on the day he was scheduled to appear in court regarding domestic violence allegations, reported news.com.au. Nathan Gallagher, known from Below Deck Mediterranean, reportedly left Australia on the day he was due in court for domestic violence charges. (Instagram) Gallagher, a star of … Read more

From Australia to Europe, countries move to curb children’s social media access

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From Australia to Europe, countries move to curb children's social media access

GDANSK, – Australia in December became the world’s first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook. From Australia to Europe, countries move to curb children’s social media access Meta will pay up to $18 billion to resolve claims by U.S. … Read more

Virgin Australia removed a wheelchair user because his mobility device would not fit under his seat; airline later admitted the device had been incorrectly assessed

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Virgin Australia removed a wheelchair user because his mobility device would not fit under his seat; airline later admitted the device had been incorrectly assessed

Disability advocate Shane Hryhorec was forced from an Adelaide flight due to issues with stowing his portable wheelchair motor. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall) Virgin Australia has issued a formal apology to prominent disability advocate Shane Hryhorec after airline staff removed him from a flight because they incorrectly assessed his wheelchair equipment. Hryhorec, who founded the … Read more

In 1975, Chantal Doecke was evacuated from Vietnam to Australia as a newborn; 49 years later, a DNA test revealed the twin brother she never knew existed

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In 1975, Chantal Doecke was evacuated from Vietnam to Australia as a newborn; 49 years later, a DNA test revealed the twin brother she never knew existed

Chantal Doecke at Onkaparinga River in Adelaide A commercial DNA test has helped an Australian woman discover that she has a twin brother living only a short flight away. Chantal Doecke was evacuated from Saigon as a newborn in 1975 and brought to Australia during Operation Babylift, an international effort to move children out of … Read more

World’s longest national road in Australia is 14,500 km long and forms a giant loop around the continent, crossing deserts, rainforests and major cities

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World’s longest national road in Australia is 14,500 km long and forms a giant loop around the continent, crossing deserts, rainforests and major cities

Highway 1, Australia. Image Credit: Tony Bowden/Wikipedia Australia has the world’s longest national highway, which is a marvelous engineering example known simply as ‘Highway 1.’ Spanning approximately 14,500 kilometres, this massive highway covers around the entire mainland continent like a belt, acting as an important transport base that connects every state capital city from Sydney … Read more

Australia census asks about sexual orientation, gender for first time

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Australia census asks about sexual orientation, gender for first time

Woman logs onto the census website as her husband holds their daughter while their son plays behind them, in Sydney. (Photo: AP) Australians aged 16 and over are being asked optional questions about their sexual orientation and gender for the first time in the country’s census, after the Labor government reversed an earlier decision to … Read more

In 1956, an 11-year-old took an abbot’s kneecap and medieval tile from Glastonbury Abbey; 70 years later, his widow returned it from Australia

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In 1956, an 11-year-old took an abbot’s kneecap and medieval tile from Glastonbury Abbey; 70 years later, his widow returned it from Australia

George crafted a special box for the kneecap and floor tile to make the journey back to Somerset. (Picture: Facebook/Glastonbury Abbey) A kneecap believed to have belonged to a medieval abbot has been returned to Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset, England, more than 70 years after it was taken by an 11-year-old schoolboy during an archaeological … Read more