Environment

Health
Frank Green, the online brand behind the cult water bottles, is launching  a store in Melbourne.

How gross is your water bottle?

Many schools are already plastic free and reusable drink bottles are much better for the planet, but health experts say there’s a nasty surprise inside if we don’t keep our cool keepers clean

Animals
Scientists described the ichthyosaur as a reptile version of a dolphin. Dearcmhara shawcrossi. Artist: Todd Marshall/ PA

Ancient sea monster found in Qld

Australia’s most complete ichthyosaur fossil has been unearthed in outback Queensland, with the seven-metre long skeleton set to reveal new secrets about the ancient marine predators

Environment
FILE PHOTO: UN launches initiative: 2025 International Year of Glaciers' Preservation KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND - JULY 11: In this aerial view rivulets of meltwater snake across the surface of the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier of the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024 near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. A team of scientists has observed that increasing amounts of meltwater on the surface of the glacier making their way to the glacial flows underneath are leading to a rising output of methane from Isunnguata Sermia. Earlier this year other scientists published a study in which they concluded that Greenland’s glaciers, which all stem from the Greenland Ice Sheet, have retreated about 20% more than previously estimated. Of the 200 glaciers included in the study, only one has grown since 1985. Overall, the amount of glacial ice melting globally has increased markedly over the past 30 years as global warming continues to intensify. According to the European Space Agency, the Earth lost 28 trillion tons of ice between 1994 and 2017, enough to cover the entire United Kingdom with an ice sheet 100 meters thick. Since 2017 the rate of ice loss has increased to 1.3 trillion tons annually, up from 0.8 trillion tons in the 1990s. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the Greenland Ice Sheet has been losing mass continuously since 1996, with an accumulated loss since 1986 approaching 6,000 metric gigatons, or six trillion tons. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Arctic ice loss slows dramatically

New research shows the loss of Arctic sea ice over the past 20 years has significantly slowed despite global warming. So why do some experts say the data doesn’t mean things have improved?

UpdatedEnvironment
Forecast accumulated rain over the next 7 days to August 25 2025. Source: Weatherzone.

Millions wet and miserable in rain

Rain, rain, go away … or not? Aussies are braced for more downpours as yet another huge rain system looms over the east coast, with the big wet hitting one state – is your region affected?

Animals
KIDS NEWS 2025: Eland calf Tshepo (pronounced: seh-poh), is a new arrival at Werribee Open Range Zoo and his savannah keepers have big plans for his future. Picture: supplied

Clickety-clack calf who will be king

At just 160kg, this baby antelope has big hooves to fill as Werribee Zoo’s future breeding bull, where adults tip the scales at more than a tonne – what secret sound is the key to his success?

Kids news HP promo
VIDEOSpelling Bee
KIDS NEWS/2025 PM'S SPELLING BEE- please do not use until after the Bee story publishes SUN 17 AUG, 2025.

Australian Cricket Captain and UNICEF Australia Ambassador Pat Cummins visits a government school in Lucknow, India to see how UNICEF is working with communities and government to make sure that all children have access to quality education and has lent his support to the PM's Spelling Bee. Picture: UNICEF/supplied

Pat Cummins bowled over by Bee

More than 74,500 students have registered for the fifth annual Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee as cricket legend and father of two Pat Cummins shares why childhood literacy hits so close to home

Environment
Images of the health of the Great Barrier Reef, coinciding with the release of the 2024 Reef Long-Term Monitoring Program. MUST CREDIT - Australian Institute of Marine Science,

Reef resilience tested amid decline

Nearly 30 per cent of coral cover between Proserpine and Cape York has vanished in a single year, but scientists remain buoyed by reef’s proven resilience as annual findings are released

VIDEOAnimals
Victorian zoo  announce the birth of a giraffe at Melbourne Zoo, the first calf to be born at the zoo in almost 20 years. First-time mother Nakuru and her yet-to-be-named son are bonding in the privacy of the barn in this critical early period. Supplied: Zoos Victoria

Historic giraffe birth at Aussie zoo

First-time mother Nakuru has made history at Melbourne Zoo with the safe – and swift – birth of a healthy calf, the first giraffe born at the city zoo in almost two decades WATCH THE VIDEO

Animals
Monster rat found in home, locals disgusted

Rodent size goes rogue in the UK

French charm in the animated film Ratatouille helped lift the rat’s reputation but the heebies have hit hard after one giant creature was caught in the UK – but is widespread rat revulsion deserved?

Explainers
The sheer intensity and energy exploding from this quake. 😳
8.7 mag earthquake in #Russia. Tsunami warnings and watches. Picture  X @GEZUPA

What’s a tsunami warning system?

The world’s worst earthquake in 14 years off the coast of Russia set off tsunami alerts in multiple countries and waves hit the coast of Russia and Japan – so how does Australia stay alert and safe?

VIDEOHistory
Researchers have feared causing damage to the intricately wrapped fabric of the Bashiri Mummy. Photo: Vania Teofilo/Wikipedia

Tech unwraps mummified mystery

For more than two millennia, this Egyptian mummy known as “the untouchable one” has stayed under wraps for fear of damaging it – until now. Find out what hi-tech scans revealed

Environment
Weather models suggest there could be up to 14cm of snow on the Granite Belt this week. Picture: Windy

Will it snow in QLD this weekend?

Popularly known as the Sunshine State, famous worldwide for its beautiful beaches and tropical climate, Queensland’s residents are preparing for possible snowfall – here’s where it could happen

Animals
Dingo puppies Muffin and Rusty with Lily Gabriel, River Craig and Wyatt Craig at the Australian Reptile Park. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Dingo pups melt hearts at park

Eight-week-old dingo duo Muffin and Rusty are winning over young crowds at the Australian Reptile Park with their playful antics, leaving some wishing they could take the playful pair home

VIDEOAnimals
A big cat expert has revealed the shocking truth after footage of a ‘panther’ lurking in Victoria went viral.

Aussie ‘panther’ questions remain

A big cat expert has weighed in after footage claiming to capture a ‘panther’ in Victorian bushland went viral, boosting hopes among folklore lovers that tall tales are true – what do you think?

Explainers
Residents across Sydney and parts of NSW are battering down the hatches as a bomb cyclone hits the region, bringing lashings of rain, blistering winds and dangerous conditions. Picture: Windy

What is the NSW ‘bomb cyclone’?

Storm terms have ripped a page from the battleground playbook, with torrential rain, flooding and 124km/hr wind gusts in parts of Australia now dubbed a ‘bomb cyclone’ – here’s how to stay safe

VIDEOAnimals
Mother koala

Koala’s healing hug from its mum

The touching moment a koala joey was reunited with its mum following a traumatic car accident has warmed hearts across the country. See the photos of the cutest koala cuddle

Animals
Supplied image of the Large Whale Disentanglement Team, volunteers at ORRCA and NSW Police Force Marine Rescue NSW, to free a young 2 to 3-year-old whale from entangled ropes earlier this week of Sydney's Northern Beaches.   , Originally spotted late Sunday afternoon off Sydney’s Northern Beaches, this young 11-tonne whale was tracked by ORRCA volunteers so that our disentanglement team could take to the water and try to free it.   , The team made multiple cuts and removed several rope loops from the whale’s body. Two small pieces of rope remain on the whale; we expect them to naturally fall off in time. Pic: ORRCA Australia. **Imagery disclaimer** Special permission was given for this drone to be flown within 100 metres of the whale to assist in disentanglement activities.

Whale free after daring rescue

Rescuers risked their lives to free a whale that was tangled in rope off Australia’s east coast. But why are whale rescues so dangerous and how can we stop such situations from happening?

UPDATEDExplainers
IN FLIGHT - JUNE 24: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media aboard Air Force One on the way to the 2025 NATO Summit on June 24, 2025 in flight. This year's NATO summit, which brings together heads of state and government from across the military alliance, is being held in the Netherlands for the first time. Among other matters, members are to approve a new defense investment plan that raises the target for defense spending to 5% of GDP.   Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Andrew Harnik / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Shaky ceasefire btwn Israel, Iran

US President Donald Trump claimed credit for a ceasefire that Israel and Iran both denied before a shambolic day of uncertainty and breaches – now what? RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8)