Hackers dial up data extortion, email attacks
Hackers are stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from businesses in email attacks, a cybersecurity report shows, but ransomware is becoming less common.
Science and Technology
Rare flock seeks sewage plant tree change
Victoria has recorded its largest group sighting of a grassland bird usually found in northern NSW and parts of Queensland and WA.
Outback Discovery: Scientists Excited by Major Dinosaur Find in Queensland
Dinosaur-fans rejoice! A nearly complete pterosaur fossil has been unearthed in regional Queensland.
Hearing loss is twice as common in Australia’s lowest income groups, our research shows
Around one in six Australians has some form of hearing loss, ranging from mild to complete hearing loss.
Couples leap at chance for romance on February 29
Couples have tied the knot or renewed their vows on the leap day as February 29 jumps from a calendar correction to a romantic new tradition.
breaking_news
computing and information technology
news media
politics
politics (general)
science and technology
technology (general)
Australia looks at forcing Facebook to do news deals
All options are on the table as the federal government tries to get Facebook to negotiate deals with Australian news outlets.
Invasive bees defy evolution to cover Sydney-sized area
Invasive Asian honey bees have defied evolutionary expectations to grow from a single swarm into more than 10,000 colonies in Queensland, researchers say.
Discovery of deadly opioid in US wastewater bodes ill
Australian scientists have detected an opioid that is three times more potent than fentanyl in wastewater in the United States, in a worrying discovery.
Island dwelling birds more likely to be endangered
Australia's island-dwelling birds are among the species most at risk of extinction, and it might be due to their lack of preparedness for introduced predators.
Key roles for women scientists in invasive pest battle
Women scientists are playing key roles in protecting Australian agriculture against invasive species while changing the face of a male-dominated sector.
Urgent changes needed to support women in STEM jobs
A new report recommends changes to support more diversity in science, engineering and technology jobs, as the industry fails to embrace change.
economy, business and finance
electricity production and distribution
energy
energy and resource
heavy construction
it/computer sciences
manufacturing and engineering
metal and mineral
mining
Green energy, mining investment eases sting of slowdown
Mining and utilities are tipped as "bright spots" for construction and engineering jobs to offset broader economic pain as business investment stalls.
alternative energy
energy
energy (general)
energy and resource
energy resources
environmental issue
renewable energy
technology (general)
Queensland solar farm tapped to power technology giant
Amazon will launch operations at its first solar farm project in Queensland, with the 500-hectare site to generate enough power for 60,000 homes.
No health data stolen in hack on major hospital network
An investigation into a cyber attack on St Vincent's Health Australia has found no evidence that personal data was stolen or posted on the dark web.
Study warns of worse bushfires after burn-offs, logging
Researchers say hazard-reduction burns and logging can make forests up to seven times more flammable and it's time to rethink how they're managed.
‘Disinformation takeover’ a source of worry as AI grows
Voluntary regulations for AI are on the cards as concerns mount about the emerging technology's impact on jobs, copyright and disinformation.
Australian ag tech is helping save endangered species
Home grown technology designed for cattle is now being used in the fight to protect some of the world's most vulnerable species including the koala and giraffe.
‘Trust and transparency’ critical for growing AI sector
The federal government is considering mandatory safeguards for the use of artificial intelligence in high-risk settings.
Scientists root out the secrets of tropical forests
After decades of work, scientists have discovered tropical forests are not as diverse as once thought.
Record heat fuelling ‘freak’ natural disasters: study
Record heat across the world impacted the global water cycle in 2023, scientists have found, contributing to severe storms, floods, droughts and fires.
Lithium-ion batteries fires warning for Christmas
The fire risk from lithium-ion batteries is rising as Christmas shoppers continue stocking up on gadgets and devices that run on the rechargeable power source.
Inflation to eat into Christmas lunches, presents: poll
Christmas will be less merry than usual for many Australians, with a union poll showing a sizeable number of people plan to spend less on lunch and presents.
‘Fascinating’: red crabs marching on Christmas Island
Tens of millions of red crabs are scurrying to the coast of Christmas Island, in one of the world's most colourful annual mass migrations.
Missing Iraq War documents prompt independent review
A failure by the former Morrison government to provide Iraq War documents to the National Archives will be investigated.
breaking_news
crime
data protection
hospital and clinic
it/computer sciences
personal data collection
Data stolen in hack on major hospital network
Authorities are scrambling to address a cyberattack at national provider St Vincent's Health, the latest in a series of hacks on Australian organisations.
Facebook pleads not guilty in Twiggy clickbait battle
Facebook parent company Meta has pleaded not guilty to charges brought by billionaire Andrew Forrest over an alleged cryptocurrency clickbait advertising scam.
Man charged with murder over fatal stabbing at zoo
Police have charged a 29-year-old man with murder over the fatal stabbing of a Bhutanese woman he worked with at a Canberra zoo.
Festive warning as poll reveals lax COVID-19 attitudes
One in three Australians don't believe keeping up their COVID-19 boosters or measures to curb its spread are important amid an eighth wave, a survey shows.
Dutton is Australia’s least trusted MP: Roy Morgan
Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is Australia's least trusted politician, according to a Roy Morgan poll.
‘The one to watch’: meteor shower to wow stargazers
Australians will have their best opportunity in years to watch the annual Geminid meteor shower due to a near-ideal combination of conditions.
PM, Dutton record slight Christmas increase in Newspoll
Support for Labor has bounced back and they have pulled ahead of the coalition again but net approval remains in the red for both leaders, a new poll shows.