Stories from Australia

Animal rights activists are appearing at the High Court in Canberra to attempt to reclaim copyright over footage recorded in a Victorian halal abattoir. The footage was collected covertly over several months in 2024 at a facility that processes goat meat for export.

disruptions to train services are impacting South East Queensland today due to further industrial action. Approximately 20% of the region's rail network is affected. Almost 300 services are being cut across the Queensland Rail network due to an ongoing pay dispute with unions.

Australian company DroneShield is increasing exports of counter-drone equipment to global conflict zones, including Ukraine and Iran. The company is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

The Victorian Electoral Commission has taken down its real-time donations register. This action has created what commentators describe as an information and expenditure black hole regarding political funding. The move affects the transparency of political donations in the region. This action follows a High Court decision, referred to as the 'Hopper decision'. The removal means there is no visibility of donations that may have flowed in ahead of the Hopper decision or in preparation for the Naipan by-election. The entire transparency register is now inaccessible, preventing access to historical donation data.

New laws are being introduced to make it easier to crack down on individuals tracking others without consent. The changes aim to criminalize the covert monitoring of people unaware they are being stalked.

Two marine rescue officers from the Bellamy unit died while attempting to aid a vessel in distress, according to Principal Joe McNulty. The incident has been described as a tragedy by McNulty in a statement to ABC Sydney. The specific location of the rescue attempt was not disclosed. Two volunteers from Marine Rescue New South Wales died during a response operation in Sydney last night. Marine Rescue New South Wales Commander Todd Andrews described the event as the darkest night in the organization's history. Police Marine Area Commander Joe McNulty stated that divers have been deployed to the scene but have not yet entered the water. The immediate focus of the organization is supporting those affected by the tragedy.

The Victoria state budget for 2026 forecasts the state will return to a surplus. This marks the first time the state has been 'back in black' since the start of the pandemic.

Construction of the Snowy Hydro 2 project has encountered new delays due to serious flooding. Footage shared by the Sydney Morning Herald shows high-pressure water gushing through an underground tunnel. The water flow was described as resembling an underground river.

Researchers found that a common logging byproduct, eucalyptus bark, can be converted into a highly porous form of carbon to trap pollutants. The study indicates this material is effective for both water purification and air filtration.

New South Wales officials stated they are monitoring the status of the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project. No specific timeline or current project status was provided in the report. The source did not provide specific details regarding the current status or any issues with the project.