Electric plane set to deliver mail across New Zealand in decarbonisation push

Air New Zealand says using the ALIA electric cargo plane to deliver parcels will help plot route towards zero-emissions passenger flights in a ‘new age of propulsion’Parcels and letters will soon be distributed by electric aircraft between regions of N…

Air New Zealand says using the ALIA electric cargo plane to deliver parcels will help plot route towards zero-emissions passenger flights in a ‘new age of propulsion’

Parcels and letters will soon be distributed by electric aircraft between regions of New Zealand as the sparsely populated country embarks on a “new age of propulsion” in its attempts to decarbonise its reliance on aviation.

On Wednesday, Air New Zealand announced it had purchased a battery-powered, all-electric five seater cargo aircraft, which will be put to use running mail between airports with New Zealand’s postal service from 2026.

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Shakespeare’s First Folio: State Library of NSW takes the Bard’s ‘radical’ 400-year-old book out of the vault

Half of Shakespeare’s plays would have been lost without it – and it is now among the most valuable in the worldGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailIt is possibly one of the most valuable books in Australia, both for its cultural importance and …

Half of Shakespeare’s plays would have been lost without it – and it is now among the most valuable in the world

It is possibly one of the most valuable books in Australia, both for its cultural importance and the price copies fetch on the high-end auction market.

Mr William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, commonly referred to as the First Folio, marked its 400th anniversary this year, and the only copy of the work in Australia has been taken out of its temperature controlled, darkened vault and is now on display at the State Library of NSW.

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Australian students’ Pisa scores still declining despite climb into OECD top 10

Educational research group says rise is more to do with other countries’ performances droppingGet our morning and afternoon news emails,free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s year 9 students have climbed into the top 10 of OECD countries, the latest…

Educational research group says rise is more to do with other countries’ performances dropping

Australia’s year 9 students have climbed into the top 10 of OECD countries, the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results show, while continuing a longer-term trend of national decline.

The 2022 Pisa results, released on Tuesday evening by the Australian Council for Educational Research (Acer), showed Australia’s overall performance was above the OECD average in all categories, after sitting at average for the first time in mathematics in 2018.

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‘Incredibly lucky’: Antarctic scientists examine world’s largest iceberg, three times the size of NYC

Samples have been taken of huge iceberg known as A23a, which calved off Antarctica 40 years ago and measures 4,000 sq km Antarctic scientists have been able to get an “incredibly lucky” inspection of the world’s largest iceberg – about three times the …

Samples have been taken of huge iceberg known as A23a, which calved off Antarctica 40 years ago and measures 4,000 sq km

Antarctic scientists have been able to get an “incredibly lucky” inspection of the world’s largest iceberg – about three times the size of New York City – which calved off the icy continent nearly 40 years ago.

The huge iceberg, known as A23a, was once attached to an ice shelf in West Antarctica, south of Chile, but separated in 1986. Since then, the iceberg has been stranded in the Weddell Sea, stuck to the ocean floor.

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Kangaroo punches police officer as it is captured after weekend on the run in Canada

The animal escaped handlers during a rest stop in Ontario while being transported to a zoo in QuebecA kangaroo that escaped its handlers during transport to a new home has been captured east of Toronto after a weekend in the wild, but not before delive…

The animal escaped handlers during a rest stop in Ontario while being transported to a zoo in Quebec

A kangaroo that escaped its handlers during transport to a new home has been captured east of Toronto after a weekend in the wild, but not before delivering a punch in the face to one of the police officers who brought her run to an end.

The female kangaroo hopped over her handlers late on Thursday during a rest stop at the Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm in Ontario, the park’s head keeper Cameron Preyde told CBC.

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Grubby and extreme: Mulletfest 2023 – in pictures

Mullet haircuts are judged in various categories – including grubby, everyday, rang (red hair), vintage, extreme, international and junior – at this Australian festival that raises money for brain cancer research in Kurri Kurri, New South WalesCrowning…

Mullet haircuts are judged in various categories – including grubby, everyday, rang (red hair), vintage, extreme, international and junior – at this Australian festival that raises money for brain cancer research in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales

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Crowning glory: British GP wins Mulletfest competition

Dr Alastair Bush’s not-so-hairbrained decision to keep his pandemic-grown locks comes good in AustraliaA British GP has been crowned the holder of mullet of the year in Australia for the curls he grew during Covid lockdowns.Dr Alastair Bush’s 30cm long…

Dr Alastair Bush’s not-so-hairbrained decision to keep his pandemic-grown locks comes good in Australia

A British GP has been crowned the holder of mullet of the year in Australia for the curls he grew during Covid lockdowns.

Dr Alastair Bush’s 30cm long light brown hair won for best international mullet at the annual Mulletfest competition in the small Australian town of Kurri Kurri, which attracts thousands of visitors.

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No UK rescue for 2026 Commonwealth Games after Gold Coast withdrawal

British government rules out stepping in to save 2026 eventState of Victoria also pulled out as host due to prohibitive costsThe British government has told Commonwealth Games organisers that the United Kingdom will not step in to rescue the event agai…

  • British government rules out stepping in to save 2026 event
  • State of Victoria also pulled out as host due to prohibitive costs

The British government has told Commonwealth Games organisers that the United Kingdom will not step in to rescue the event again after the Gold Coast withdrew its bid for the 2026 event.

Substantial UK government support allowed Birmingham to ride to the rescue of the 2022 Games after Durban was stripped of the event in 2017. However, multiple sources have told the Guardian that there is no financial appetite – or any preliminary planning in place – to allow another British city to intervene again. “For the good of the Games, it needs to go elsewhere,” one insider said.

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Bones found at Sydney beach in rumoured organised crime ‘dumping ground’ for murders

Detectives appeal for information about butcher Paul Norton, who disappeared in 1989Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails,free app or daily news podcastHuman remains found in sand dunes near a S…

Detectives appeal for information about butcher Paul Norton, who disappeared in 1989

Human remains found in sand dunes near a Sydney beach have been identified as those of a butcher who disappeared in suspicious circumstances more than three decades ago.

Paul Norton was last seen on 9 April 1989, after spending the day with his sons at Leichhardt Oval watching the Balmain Tigers play the Parramatta Eels. The 31-year-old was reported missing by his girlfriend on 14 April.

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When the farm burns or the grass runs out, it’s a battle to keep valuable livestock alive

When farmers’ businesses are built on the strength of certain bloodlines, they’ll go to extraordinary lengths to preserve their herdSign up for the Rural Network email newsletterJoin the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the communityThe sh…

When farmers’ businesses are built on the strength of certain bloodlines, they’ll go to extraordinary lengths to preserve their herd

The short message went viral: “Kenmay burned yesterday, we need to sell cattle.”

The plea came from Dr Robert Scanlon of Parawanga Droughtmaster Stud. Scanlon and his wife, Karen, manage the stud on a 970-hectare property called Kenmay near Miriam Vale in central Queensland. It burned on 29 October in the Mount Tom fires.

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