61 leafy seadragons, 604 Port Jackson sharks: logging the grim tally of death in South Australia’s algal bloom

61 leafy seadragons, 604 Port Jackson sharks: logging the grim tally of death in South Australia’s algal bloom

Experts say data reported by beachgoers is ‘hugely useful’ after a slow official response to disaster Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Sixty-one leafy seadragons, 604 Port Jackson sharks, 1,999 southern fiddler rays and 287 bluespotted goatfish make up a fraction of the dead washed up on South Australian beaches in the past months. Since the algal bloom hit SA, hundreds of citizen scientists have come together to create what has become one of the main sources of data on the disaster. Continue reading...

Illicit and 3D-printed firearms are a growing problem. Authorities are struggling to keep up

Illicit and 3D-printed firearms are a growing problem. Authorities are struggling to keep up

As police investigate whether alleged Porepunkah killer Dezi Freeman owned homemade firearms, experts say the laws on privately manufactured guns are a ‘dog’s breakfast’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Read more from our investigation into gun control in Australia In 2023 a Canberra mechanic was servicing a grey BMW when he made a startling discovery. Under the seat he found a handgun. The pistol looked strange. It was made almost entirely of plastic – half white, half black. Continue reading...

Australia’s pole vault queen Nina Kennedy: ‘I’m in full force to go to the world champs’ | Jack Snape

Australia’s pole vault queen Nina Kennedy: ‘I’m in full force to go to the world champs’ | Jack Snape

The Paris gold medallist opens up on her comeback from surgery, her longtime US rival, and the inner ‘mongrel’ that drives her to win The best female pole vaulter on the planet is Australia’s only reigning Olympic athletics champion, and she will compete in Tokyo in two weeks at the world championships to defend the gold she won in 2023. But while spectators will recognise the Australian as she walks into Japan’s National Stadium, they will in truth see a different Nina Kennedy. “I don’t have full confidence in my body,” the 28-year-old says, two weeks out from an unprecedented challenge in her esteemed career. “But that’s OK, because I have learned that there are a hundred ways to get the same outcome, and we’re just going a different route to normal.” Continue reading...

Is it depression or an iron deficiency? – podcast

Is it depression or an iron deficiency? – podcast

Treating an iron deficiency can be elusive and frustrating. That’s particularly true for women who may have been misdiagnosed with depression and other chronic illnesses, until those low iron levels are finally picked up. Reged Ahmad speaks to health reporter Natasha May on why so many women have to wait years to find out what’s wrong, and whether a new test could be the solution. Read more: Misdiagnosis of iron deficiency can lead to years of debilitating illness. Could nanodiamonds be the solution? Continue reading...

The kindness of strangers: she gave me a pristine white handkerchief to mop up the blood on my face

The kindness of strangers: she gave me a pristine white handkerchief to mop up the blood on my face

I was visiting Naples with my daughter. Feeling exhausted after the flight, I tripped and fell face first Read more in the kindness of strangers series Years ago I was visiting Naples with my daughter. On our first day there, she was itching to go for a walk down to the port, so we dropped our bags at the accommodation and set off to explore. I was feeling quite exhausted after the flight, and while walking down a steep cobblestone street, I tripped. I flew through the air and fell flat on the ground, face first. For some reason, the instinct to put my hands out to cushion the fall hadn’t kicked in, so I landed straight on my chin. I knew immediately that my jaw was broken – I’d heard the awful crack. Before long, blood was gushing down my face. Continue reading...

My client attended therapy because he was mandated to. Making progress to stop his use of child exploitation material was vital | Ahona Guha

My client attended therapy because he was mandated to. Making progress to stop his use of child exploitation material was vital | Ahona Guha

We started by agreeing that we both wanted the same thing – for him to not reoffend The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work Sometimes people attend therapy because they are mandated to attend, not because they want to. Bill* was one of these clients. He sat before me, avoiding eye contact, arms crossed. “I didn’t hurt anyone, not like those other blokes did,” he said. Continue reading...

NSW prison phone call costs made it hard for Chris to stay connected to his family. Advocates say they should be free

NSW prison phone call costs made it hard for Chris to stay connected to his family. Advocates say they should be free

Reform advocates argue call costs are prohibitive and risk isolating inmates further and leading to problems on release Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Figuring out the prison phone system was just one more thing Chris* had to do once he got locked up. “The [prison] officers don’t really help you at all,” he says. Continue reading...

Negative gearing on short-stay rentals costs Australia up to $556m a year, report estimates

Negative gearing on short-stay rentals costs Australia up to $556m a year, report estimates

Almost 170,000 homes are estimated to be operating as short-stay accommodation, which can still claim tax breaks Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Tax breaks for investors using houses as short-stay accommodation could be costing Australian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars per year, according to a new report by Everybody’s Home. The short-stay subsidy report estimates that the budget could be losing between $111m and $556m in forgone revenue this financial year through negative gearing deductions claimed on short-stay rental properties. Continue reading...