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Black ball-shaped debris washed ashore on Sydney beaches this week. Photo: Supplied / Randwick City Council Facebook The black balls which shut down beaches in Sydney last month and stumped authorities are "disgusting" lumps of human faeces, drugs and PFAS chemicals, according to detailed analysis by researchers. Initial reports suggested they were made of tar and could have come from an oil spill or waste from a ship, but a plethora of tests have revealed they are more similar to "fatbergs", commonly found in sewage systems. University of NSW chemistry professor Jon Beves had the unfortunate job of analysing the smelly balls and said they also contained cooking oils, diesel or fuel and recreational drugs, including THC and methamphetamine. "They're consistent with human-generated waste...

By Eric Bradner and Alison Main for CNN JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance at an election night event with Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP Just two years after winning his first run for political office, Ohio Senator JD Vance is set to become vice president - ushering a new generation into power and offering a potential glimpse at the Republican Party's future after President-elect Donald Trump's second term ends. Vance, 40, was the first millennial on a major party's presidential ticket and will become the third-youngest vice president in American history. He is also a former Trump critic whose political evolution, culminating in him becoming the president-elect's running mate, showcases how Trump has taken over the GOP and reshaped it in his own imag...

Donald Trump on election night. Photo: JIM WATSON American voters have spoken, and they decided to rehire Donald Trump as president of the United States. But he won't take office until 20 January, 2025, and there are multiple things that will happen between now and then. Throughout November, December and January, there will be a transition between the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden and the incoming Trump administration. The transition has been complicated by Trump blowing through multiple deadlines in that process, which is laid out in law. Trump faces sentencing for his felony conviction, plus many other question marks Before he became president-elect, Trump became a convicted felon this year. A jury in New York found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business recor...

By Maani Truu, ABC News Photo: 123RF Australian children and teenagers under the age of 16 could soon be banned from using social media after Labor announced it would back the higher cut-off limit. The government had previously committed to introducing the legislation that would get kids off social media by the end of the year, but earlier suggested it would not announce a specific cut-off age until after a trial of verification technology. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also confirmed on Thursday that the proposed legislation would not include grandfathering arrangements - meaning young people already on social media would not be exempt - nor would it allow for exemptions due to parental consent. A virtual national cabinet meeting will be held on Friday to discuss the changes, where...

By Betsy Klein, Aaron Pellish and Ebony Davis, CNN US Vice President Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris delivers her concession speech at Howard University in Washington, DC, 6 November 2024. Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP Vice President Kamala Harris offered an uplifting, positive charge to her supporters as she conceded the 2024 presidential election, acknowledging the stinging loss while committing to a peaceful transfer of power and vowing to "fight" in a much different way than a defeated presidential candidate promised four years ago. "Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect (Donald) Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power," she said in r...