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People could be fined up to $7000 for accidentally feeding crocodiles in Queensland. Photo: DAVID GRAY / AFP By Jack McKay, ABC Queenslanders who unintentionally feed a crocodile by leaving scraps at a jetty or campsite could be by hit with a A$6400 (NZ$7092) fine under new rules brought in by the state government. Penalties for disturbing or deliberately feeding crocodiles are also more than quadrupling to above A$25,000 as part of a crackdown that the government says is about boosting safety. Under the reforms, which have already come into effect, it will be illegal to "unintentionally" feed a crocodile by discarding food in a way that attracts them to a public place. It could include leaving behind fish frames or bait at a jetty and pontoon, or discarding food scraps at a camping are...

Vehicles outside a Volkswagen Group factory in Germany. Photo: AFP / DPA Volkswagen considers one large car plant, one component plant in Germany to be obsolete, the works council says VW, which employs around 680,000 staff, said it also felt forced to end its job security programme The works council has promised 'fierce resistance' to the plans Volkswagen is considering closing factories in Germany for the first time, in a move that shows the mounting price pressure Europe's top carmaker faces from Asian rivals. Monday's move marks the first major clash between CEO Oliver Blume, who analysts have described as more of a consensus builder than his often combative predecessor Herbert Diess, and unions that command substantial influence at VW. VW considers one large vehicle plant and...

The British government was concerned equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law. Photo: OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP Britain will immediately suspend 30 of its 350 arms export licences with Israel because there is a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law, foreign minister David Lammy said on Monday. Lammy said the decision to suspend the licences did not amount to a blanket ban or an arms embargo, but only involved those that could be used in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. Soon after the Labour Party won an election in July, Lammy said he would update a review on arms sales to Britain's ally Israel to ensure these complied with international law. "It is ...

Ultra-processed foods have been making a (bad) name for themselves in the news lately. Nutritionist Claire Turnbull Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro And rightly so. Often, ultra-processed foods (UPF)s, are lab-formulated food designed so that "once you pop you can't stop" (to quote the famous marketing tagline from the chips Pringles, which are solidly in the UPF category). Not only do we tend to overeat them, they are often void of many of the nutrients and minerals our bodies need. "If you turn to the back of the packet and something has 50 ingredients in it, lots of names and things that you don't recognise, that is the first red flag," says Claire Turnbull, an Auckland-based nutritionist and author. UPFs are sneaking their way into our daily foods courtesy of convenience and clever front-of...

President Joe Biden didn't elaborate after he said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to reach a hostage deal. Photo: AFP / NurPhoto By Jeff Mason and Matt Spetalnick, Reuters President Joe Biden said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to secure a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and the US was close to presenting a final proposal to negotiators working on a hostage and ceasefire agreement. Biden was speaking to reporters at the White House after Israeli forces over the weekend recovered the bodies of six hostages, including 23-year-old American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, from a tunnel in Gaza. Israel's military said they were recently killed by Palestinian Hamas militants. That has sparked criticism of the...