The NSW Government has announced that the Sydney Metro South-West extension will open on Friday 30 October. The 66-kilometre route runs from Bankstown to Sydenham and connects with the existing line to Tallawong. Trains will run every four minutes at peak times and every ten minutes in the evenings and on weekends. The government says the trip times will be shorter for many passengers. Six of the 360 train doors will temporarily stay closed because the gap to the platform is too wide, and pink South-West Link buses will keep running over the first weekend.
Audi has unveiled the fifth-generation A6 allroad, which is 84 millimetres wider than its predecessor. Buyers can choose between a plug-in hybrid producing 270 kW and a 220 kW V6 turbocharged diesel, both with quattro all-wheel drive. The adaptive air suspension offers 55 millimetres of total ride height adjustment. Australian pricing starts from AUD$127,900 for the e-hybrid, with the V6 diesel priced from AUD$137,900. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027.
A new Australian study has revealed that a honey bee’s stinger acts as a double-piston micro-pump, continuing to inject venom into tissue after the bee has flown away. Researchers from Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales used high-speed video to observe the stinger’s autonomous action, finding that its valves inflate and deflate to pump venom. The study, published in the journal PNAS, could inspire the development of tiny pumps for medical procedures and microfluidic technologies.
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Thousands of sea hares have washed up at Aslings Beach in Eden on the NSW far south coast, prompting a warning to pet owners. Marine biologist Culum Brown said the arrival coincided with a natural algal bloom. The sea slugs can hold toxins from the algae they eat, which can pose a serious risk to dogs that lick, mouth or ingest them. Bega Valley Shire Council crews removed many of the animals, and high tides returned others to the water.
German sportswear company adidas has signed a multi-year deal to supply official apparel to the Parramatta Eels. The agreement starts ahead of the 2027 NRL and NRLW seasons and covers men's, women's and elite academy squads. A documentary-style brand film, Made for Parra, launches the partnership. Product design and retail details will be announced closer to the 2027 season. Club and adidas executives say the deal is a long-term commitment to the club's Western Sydney community.
Marine scientist Vanessa Pirotta has weighed in on whether a human could be swallowed by a whale, as raised by the thriller Whalefall. She says a sperm whale could potentially take a person into its mouth and throat, since it feeds by grabbing prey with its teeth rather than chewing. However, she says sperm whales feed at great depths, so the film's scenario is unlikely. She also says whales are not known to target humans and would probably spit out a diver quickly.
The Dubai Police have added a Lamborghini Temerario to their tourist patrol fleet. The hybrid supercar has a 920-horsepower engine and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.7 seconds. It will operate in popular tourist areas to increase law enforcement visibility and foster positive public relations. The vehicle is part of the department's luxury fleet, which includes other high-performance cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Aston Martin One-77.
A Sydney ceramics expert has helped study the pottery from what is described as the world's oldest known shipwreck, found off Kekova Island in southern Türkiye. The wreck dates to about 4,500 years ago, when the Great Pyramid of Giza was built. The wooden hull has disappeared, but many clay jars called amphorae remain on the rocky seabed. Macquarie University archaeologist Karin Sowada joined a team led by Hakan Öniz of Akdeniz University to date the artefacts. Researchers are still testing residue found inside the jars.
A NSW parliamentary inquiry has found the University of Wollongong and five other universities appeared to overstate their financial problems and went too far in restructures and staff cuts. Former UOW professor Adam Lucas accepted a voluntary redundancy after challenging the figures used to justify his role's removal. He said the financial model was never shown to staff for testing. Inquiry chair Sarah Kaine described some financial cases as faux crisis narratives. The committee recommended banning universities from publicly using adjusted figures that differ from audited accounts.
Apate.ai, a startup founded in 2024 on research from Macquarie University in Sydney, deploys AI agents that pose as victims to engage scammers. The agents answer scam calls, respond to messages and emails, and join social media groups. The company says they have engaged scammers in 2.5 million conversations. They aim to extract bank accounts, crypto wallets, phone numbers and impersonated brands, which Apate passes to customers such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia and TPG Telecom to strengthen anti-fraud measures. The company recently raised $8.15 million in seed funding.
A new retrospective at the Ian Potter Centre in Melbourne, running until 31 January 2027, examines the career of artist Margaret Preston. After returning from Europe following World War I, Preston set out to build a distinct Australian art style. She worked with flora, Sydney Harbour views and woodblock printing, and her career drew both dismissal from male artists and accusations of cultural appropriation from modern First Nations artists. The exhibition includes works that show both her achievements and her contradictions.
High-speed footage shows how honey bee stingers pump venom. The valves attached to each lancet change shape as they slide back and forth, acting like collapsible pistons. Working in opposite directions, they deliver a continuous flow of venom while limiting backflow. Researchers built a 3D-printed model that reproduced the same pumping movement. Macquarie University co-author Fiorella Ramirez-Esquivel said the design lets the stinger deliver venom in a compact, self-contained unit. The authors believe the findings could inform medical and microfluidic devices, such as artificial pumps.
Qantas grounded a plane in Rome after bedbugs were found in the economy section of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The flight from Perth to Rome was affected, leading to the cancellation of the return service. Passengers were rebooked on alternative flights, and the airline apologised for the disruption. Experts say bedbugs are likely brought on planes in luggage or clothing and are difficult to eradicate.
Australian scientists have discovered how a honeybee's stinger keeps pumping venom after the bee has flown off. Researchers at Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales led the work, which was published in the US journal PNAS. Using high-speed video, lead author Fiorella Ramirez-Esquivel showed that two tiny, specially shaped valves act like pistons. Their shape allows them to push venom in a continuous flow. The team has suggested the design could help in medical technology, such as an insulin pump.
A new Macquarie University study has found genetic differences between northern and southern brolga populations. Brolgas in Victoria, where they are listed as endangered, number as low as 1,000. Researchers found little genetic variation among Victorian birds, which could limit their ability to survive extreme events. Lead researcher Abby Bryce linked the decline to lost wetland habitat and climate change. Restoration projects, including at Tae Rak and Green Swamp, have seen birds return to wetlands.
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Andrea Harris waited four years from her first GP visit for a suspected bladder infection to a diagnosis of advanced bladder cancer in March 2024. Experts say women with bladder cancer often present later than men, because their symptoms are easily mistaken for urinary tract infections or perimenopause. Five-year survival for women diagnosed in Australia is about 50 per cent, compared with almost 60 per cent for men. Specialists urge greater community awareness, closer investigation of women with recurrent infection-like symptoms, and referral to a urologist. Survivors say patients should push for answers when something does not feel right.
Tennessee officials botched the execution of death row inmate Christa Pike, who survived two doses of lethal injection drug pentobarbital. Days later, the US military announced it would carry out a firing squad execution, to be live streamed, of Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people in 2009. Polling shows US support for the death penalty has fallen to a five-decade low of 52 per cent. Amnesty International said the shift was deeply disturbing and reflected an authoritarian approach to punishment.
Australian researchers have found a daily pill may reduce brain inflammation in people at risk of Parkinson's disease. The experimental drug was given to 41 participants showing early warning signs. While the results are promising, longer trials are needed to determine if the treatment can prevent Parkinson's. More than 150,000 Australians currently live with the disease, a number expected to triple by 2050.
A woman has lost her medical negligence claim against the Hunter New England Local Health District after alleging doctors unnecessarily amputated her lower left leg. Vesna Zvicer was admitted to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle in 2020 with sepsis, which worsened, leading to the amputation recommendation. NSW Supreme Court Justice Edward Muston dismissed her claim, stating the health district did not breach its duty of care. The court heard surgeons determined the leg was unviable and feared gangrene, while Ms Zvicer's legal team argued a fasciotomy could have saved it.
