Australia

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In Big First, Koalas Are Getting an STD Vaccine

Australia has OK'd a vaccine for chlamydia for the marsupial creatures to fight infertility, death

(Newser) - A regulator has approved a world-first vaccine to protect koalas from chlamydia, which is causing infertility and death in the iconic native species listed as endangered in parts of Australia. The single-dose vaccine was developed by Queensland's University of the Sunshine Coast after more than a decade of research...

Australia to Put $1B Into Underwater Attack Drones

Ghost Sharks will make nation an undersea leader, defense minister says

(Newser) - Australia will spend more than $1 billion on building dozens of underwater attack drones, Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday. The first of the stealthy, long-range Ghost Sharks will be delivered to the Australian navy in January under a five-year contract with Sydney-based Anduril Australia, Marles said. "Australia...

Croc Stunts by 'Real Tarzann' Don't Play Well in Australia

Queensland officials are investigating US influencer Mike Holston for wrestling reptiles

(Newser) - A US social media star is facing heat Down Under after posting videos of himself wrangling wild crocodiles in Queensland. Mike Holston—known as "The Real Tarzann" to his millions of followers —posted two viral clips: one featuring a tussle with a freshwater croc in shallow water,...

Sunscreen Scandal Shakes Australia
Sunscreen Scandal
Shakes Australia
Sep 8, 2025 1:44 PM CDT

Sunscreen Scandal Shakes Australia

Products sold in country with highest skin cancer rate don't live up to their labels

(Newser) - A sunscreen scandal has erupted in Australia, the country with the world's highest skin cancer rates, following findings that some popular sun protection products aren't living up to their labels. For many Aussies, "no hat, no play" rules and relentless sun safety ads have been lifelong...

'Mushroom Murderer' Learns Her Fate

Erin Patterson gets life in prison with no parole for 33 years

(Newser) - An Australian judge on Monday sentenced triple-murderer Erin Patterson to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for poisoning four of her estranged husband's relatives with death cap mushrooms, the AP reports. Justice Christopher Beale told the court the Victoria state Supreme Court Patterson's crimes...

Surfer Killed by 'Massive' Shark at Sydney Beach

Witnesses say victim lost both legs in attack

(Newser) - A shark fatally mauled a man in his 50s at a beach near Sydney, Australia, and area beaches were closed on Saturday as drones searched for the predator, authorities said. Emergency crews were dispatched to Long Reef Beach in Sydney's Northern Beaches shortly after 10am local time Saturday, responding...

Man 'Devastated' After Picking Up Wrong Kid From Day Care

Aussie facility is under investigation after grandpa's erroneous pickup of toddler in Bangor

(Newser) - A Sydney day care is under investigation after a grandfather left with the wrong child. The mix-up happened at First Steps Learning Academy in the suburb of Bangor, where the man, picking up his grandchild, was handed a different sleeping toddler, per the Guardian . The error went unnoticed until...

One Ranking Illustrates Chinese Carmakers' Rise

4 brands made Australia's top 10 for sales in August

(Newser) - Four Chinese carmakers have muscled into Australia's automotive top 10 for the first time, as the country's appetite for Chinese-made vehicles soars. In August alone, Australians snapped up more than 20,000 Chinese cars, according to industry data, which is 8,000 more than they did the...

Aussie 'Sovereign Citizen' Allegedly Kills 2 Cops

Man fired on officers looking to serve arrest warrant Monday in Australia

(Newser) - A large-scale manhunt is underway in Australia's Victoria state after two police officers were killed and a third was seriously injured in what authorities are calling an ambush. About 10 officers were trying to serve an arrest warrant, reportedly related to sex offenses, at a rural property in...

After 'Deeply Disturbing' Find, Australia Boots Iran Diplomats

Aussie intelligence links fires at synagogue, Jewish restaurant to Iran's Revolutionary Guards

(Newser) - Australia has formally accused Iran of orchestrating arson attacks on a Jewish restaurant in Sydney and a synagogue in Melbourne late last year, prompting the country to expel Iranian diplomats and shutter its embassy in Tehran. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, joined by security and other officials in Canberra, described...

YouTubers Find Out Uluru's Rules Are No Joke

Britt and Tim Cromie received list of fineable offenses after failing to get required permit

(Newser) - Three months after a picturesque trip to Uluru, an Aussie couple was stunned to receive a detailed list of "fineable offences" for sharing their travel content online—highlighting the strict rules protecting one of Australia's most sacred sites. Britt and Tim Cromie, who document their travels on...

Sole Survivor of Mushroom Murder Says He's 'Half Alive'

Ian Wilkinson questions why Erin Patterson would kill those with 'only good intentions'

(Newser) - The sole survivor of a deadly lunch laced with toxic mushrooms said on Monday he felt only half alive following the death of his wife and he continued to grieve the loss of his two closest friends. Ian Wilkinson read the first victim impact statement in the Victoria state Supreme...

Mailman Made His Delivery, Then Folded the Laundry

Gurpreet Singh is being applauded after bringing in an Aussie resident's bedsheets as it rained

(Newser) - An Aussie mailman is being called a "laundry hero" after he took the time to bring in a resident's laundry during a drizzle. Per CNN , Gurpreet Singh was making a delivery on Aug. 14 to Verrity Wandel's home in Logan, about 40 minutes outside of Brisbane, when...

Brit Faces 20 Years in Australia for 'Something Stupid'

Alicia Kemp fatally struck a man while drunkenly driving an e-scooter

(Newser) - A British backpacker has admitted to causing a fatal e-scooter crash after she was kicked out of a bar in Australia. Alicia Kemp, 25, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death while intoxicated after she struck 51-year-old Thanh Phan in May. Kemp, who had a blood alcohol content over...

Another Country Will Recognize a Palestinian State

Australia joins growing list of Western countries to make the decision

(Newser) - Australia will recognize a Palestinian state, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday, joining the leaders of France, Britain, and Canada in signaling they would do so. His remarks followed weeks of urging from within his Cabinet and from many in Australia to recognize a Palestinian state and amid growing criticism...

Churchill's Platypus Mystery Solved After 8 Decades

Australia's attempt to send a platypus to the UK wasn't felled by a German U-boat

(Newser) - In 1943, Australia tried to win Winston Churchill's favor with a unique wartime gift: a live platypus, named Winston, shipped for 45 days across oceans to London in a custom habitat with 50,000 worms to feed him. The "rare monotreme" was meant to boost diplomatic ties...

'Mushroom Murderer' Tried to Off Me a Few Times: Ex

Pretrial testimony emerges detailing his previous illnesses after eating Erin Patterson's meals

(Newser) - Erin Patterson was found guilty last month of killing her in-laws with a poisonous mushroom meal, but details on her case continue to trickle out post-trial. This time, the news revolves around the fact that three counts of attempted murder against Patterson involving her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, were unexpectedly...

Cockatoos Have Dozens of Dance Moves at Their Disposal
Researchers
Count 30
Cockatoo
Dance Moves
NEW STUDY
Aug 8, 2025 8:54 AM CDT

Researchers Count 30 Cockatoo Dance Moves

Scientists also find in new research that parrots dance just for fun

(Newser) - Think you've got better moves than a parrot? New research suggests you may want to reassess that. A study published in PLOS One has catalogued 30 distinct dance moves performed by cockatoos, with 17 of them never previously documented. The findings come from analyses of 45 online videos...

Lawmaker Guilty of Rape Quits Moments Before Expulsion Vote

Australian state lawmaker Gareth Ward had planned to keep his seat from jail

(Newser) - An Australian state lawmaker and convicted rapist, who is in jail awaiting his sentence, quit his seat Friday moments before a vote scheduled by his former colleagues to eject him. Gareth Ward, an independent member of parliament in New South Wales state, earlier refused to resign despite his July convictions...

It's an Unwelcome First for Australia's 2 Biggest Reefs

Great Barrier and Ningaloo reefs experience mass bleaching simultaneously

(Newser) - Two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef has seen its sharpest annual decline in coral cover since records began 40 years ago, with scientists warning this iconic ecosystem may be nearing a tipping point, per the Guardian . The latest survey from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)—covering 124...

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