Cigarettes in an ashtray. Source: Pexels The New Zealand government has just passed new legislation that will ban anyone born on or after January 1 2009 from buying cigarettes or tobacco products. The new laws are some of the strictest in the world and will attempt to see New Zealand become a smoke-free nation. New…
The Bali bombing memorial. Source: Herryz A militant who played a significant role in facilitating the 2002 attacks, Umar Patek, has apologised for the part he played in the Bali bombings. Patek’s apology follows his recent release from prison, where he spent half of his 20-year sentence, for making the explosives that were used in…
PCR tests for COVID-19 will require a referral from January 1st, 2023. Source: Raimond Spekking Medicare-funded PCR tests for COVID-19 must have a referral from a GP or nurse practitioner from January 1st, 2023. Health Minister Mark Butler announced the change today as part of an update to the national COVID-19 approach for 2023. The…
Health Minister Mark Butler. Source: Peter Campbell The Australian federal government will be slashing Medicare subsidised psychology appointments in a matter of weeks, despite advice from psychologists. This decrease comes from the government’s decision to abandon the mental health program introduced in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program introduced 20 subsidised…
E. Coli and gonorrhoea were two commonly antibiotic resistant bacteria of concern by the WHO. Source: VeeDunn on Flickr A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) signals that some common bacteria are developing higher resistance to antibiotics, potentially putting “millions of lives at risk”. The Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) report…
University students at Amir Kabir University in Iran protesting against the Islamic Republic. Source: Darafsh Kaviyani Hundreds of Iranian citizens have been killed in current protests, which began in September after the death of Mahsa Amini. However, Tehran’s violent retaliations and continued repression of these demonstrations have fuelled further anger amongst the people of Iran.…
Labor’s bill aims to cap gas and electricity bill increases. Source: Flickr The federal government’s energy relief package is set to go to parliament this Thursday, the 15th of December, in an attempt to curb Australian energy bills over the next 12 months. The legislation would implement price caps on gas and coal, leading to…
Royal Australian Navy. Source: U.S. Navy Australian and United States officials have announced this morning their joint decision to increase military cooperation between both nations. The announcement was made during the first Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN) talk since Albanese formed government earlier this year. This decision will see an increase of US land, sea, and air…
Trump at a campaign rally. Source: Gage Skidmore A jury of twelve in New York has finalised their decision and found the Trump Organization guilty of criminal tax fraud. The Trump Organization which holds multiple real estate portfolios around the world, including golf courses and hotels, is expected to be fined $1.6 million in USD.…
Artist rendition of a Elasmosaurus-platyurus. Source: Dmitry Bogdanov Scientists have unearthed a rare Jurassic era fossil of a plesiosaur in Western Queensland. The elasmosaur — a type of plesiosaur — is a marine reptile that is estimated to have existed nearly 100 million years ago. While a discovery like this is always rare, this find…