Capital of Tasmania, port city at the Derwent estuary
New Zealand has confirmed its first mainland detection of H5 bird flu after a brown skua found on Petone beach has tested positive. Authorities have said there is no evidence of mass mortality or poultry infection, but surveillance and a targeted vaccination programme for endangered captive birds have been activated as officials monitor wild populations.
Sam Neill has died in Sydney at 78. His family has described the death as "sudden and unexpected" and his longtime agent has said Neill passed from pneumonia after having beaten a rare lymphoma with CAR‑T therapy; the agent added Neill had filmed four projects due for release and the family has asked for privacy and donations to causes he supported.
Climate models have shown an unusually powerful El Niño forming in the tropical Pacific that has a high chance of peaking this year or into 2027. Forecasts have indicated record ocean temperatures, widespread risks to food and water supplies across Africa and Latin America, and added pressure on prices and supply chains already strained by conflict and heatwaves.
Airbus A319 Long Range flew from Hobart to McMurdo on July 31 to evacuate an American patient; landing occurred in darkness at -43 C, with a transfer to Christchurch for treatment. The operation highlights civilian capability and international cooperation in Antarctic medicine.
A total solar eclipse has crossed Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain while the UK and Ireland have seen a deep partial eclipse — the most extensive across Britain since 1999. Scientists and agencies such as NASA have flown instruments and balloons into the path of totality to study the Sun's corona and to gather data for improving space‑weather forecasts.
A deep partial lunar eclipse has occurred, with about 96% of the Moon in Earth's shadow for observers across much of the Americas. The event followed a recent total solar eclipse and is part of a pair of celestial events that are visible under clear skies. The maximum viewing is around midnight EDT, with visibility shifting by location. NASA notes the Artemis II mission remains a backdrop to ongoing space activity.