Capital of Tasmania, a port city at the Derwent’s mouth
England has tightened its grip in a weather-impacted Test against New Zealand, but rain threatens a decisive finish. New Zealand is 55 for five chasing 199, with Phillips and Conway offering brief resistance in a day interrupted by showers.
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.
Australia will witness a total solar eclipse in July 2028, with the path of totality crossing the Kimberley, Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales, includingSydney. The event will last about four minutes at peak visibility, marking the first time Sydney experiences totality since 1857.