Demand for water cannot be an ‘afterthought’ in AI push
Australia has more than 250 data centres and more in the pipeline, prompting experts to warn against using drinking water to cool servers. ⌘ Read more

Calls to protect victims of financial abuse caught in $11 billion debt trap
Perpetrators of financial abuse commit fraud by impersonating their partners, making them company directors in secret and putting business and tax debts in their names. The government wants to fix the problem, but will its proposed reforms go far enough? ⌘ Read more

The social media ban for under-16s starts today — here’s what to know
After months of build-up, the time has finally come. From today, Australians under the age of 16 are now banned from having a social media account. ⌘ Read more

‘Additional cuts are not needed’ with rate hikes now on the agenda
The Reserve Bank governor has opened the door to interest rate hikes in 2026, but how soon will she walk through it? ⌘ Read more

Quiz: Test you knowledge of Australian geography
Which state has the longest land border? Test your knowledge in today’s quiz. ⌘ Read more

How Peter Jackson fought for his Middle-earth dream, armed with a VHS tape
Peter Jackson’s life wouldn’t be the same after that red carpet event on December 10, 2001, but it’s fair to say cinema, and New Zealand, wouldn’t be the same either. ⌘ Read more

Microsoft To Invest $17.5 Billion in India
Microsoft announced on Tuesday its largest-ever investment in Asia – $17.5 billion over four years starting in 2026 – to expand cloud and AI infrastructure across India, fund skilling programs, and support ongoing operations in the country. The commitment adds to a $3 billion investment the company announced in January 2025 that is on track to be spent by the end of 2026. A new hyperscale cloud … ⌘ Read more

Dozens of residents win right to remain in Melbourne housing estate
Residents of a former migrant hostel have won the right to keep living in their homes, years after they were first threatened with eviction because of a zoning issue. ⌘ Read more

Thousands forced to flee as Thailand-Cambodia border clashes spread
More than 140,000 civilians have been evacuated from border regions since fresh fighting between Thailand and Cambodia began on Sunday, officials said. ⌘ Read more

What Happens When an ‘Infinite-Money Machine’ Unravels
Michael Saylor’s software company Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, built a financial model that some observers called an “infinite-money machine” by stockpiling hundreds of thousands of bitcoins and issuing stock and debt to buy more, but that machine appears to be breaking down. The company’s stock peaked above $450 in mid-July and ended November at $177.18, … ⌘ Read more

Xbox Is Bleeding Out
Microsoft’s Xbox consoles were conspicuously absent from Black Friday’s winners, failing to crack the top three in U.S. sales during one of the retail calendar’s most important weeks. According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, the PlayStation 5 captured 47% of Black Friday week console sales ending November 29, followed by the Nintendo Switch 2 at 24% and – somewhat remarkably – the NEX Playground, a Kinect-like Android device … ⌘ Read more

We got a very colorful sunset today: https://lyse.isobeef.org/abendhimmel-2025-12-09/

The Rarest of All Diseases Are Becoming Treatable
In February, a six-month-old baby named KJ Muldoon became the first person ever to receive a CRISPR gene-editing treatment customized specifically for his unique genetic mutation, a milestone that researchers say marks a turning point in how medicine might approach the thousands of rare diseases that collectively affect 30 million Americans. Muldoon was born with a type of … ⌘ Read more

Trump criticises ‘weak’ and ‘decaying’ Europe as he lashes out at immigration
The US president criticises Europe’s “weak” leaders and claims EU nations are “decaying” due to immigration. ⌘ Read more

‘Colleges Oversold Education. Now They Must Sell Connection’
A tenured USC professor is arguing that universities need to fundamentally rethink their value proposition as AI rapidly closes the gap on human instruction and a loneliness epidemic grips the generation most likely to be sitting in their lecture halls. Eric Anicich, an associate professor at USC’s Marshall School of Business, wrote in the Los Angeles Times … ⌘ Read more

Ukraine to send US revised peace plan as Zelenskyy rules out ceding territory
Donald Trump’s initial proposal to end the war was judged by Ukraine’s allies to be overly favourable to Russia. ⌘ Read more

Microsoft Excel Turns 40, Remains Stubbornly Unkillable
Microsoft Excel, the 40-year-old spreadsheet application that helped establish personal computers as essential workplace tools and contributed to Microsoft’s current valuation of nearly $4 trillion, has weathered both the rise of cloud computing and the current AI boom largely unscathed. In its most recent quarter, commercial revenue for Microsoft 365 – the bundle i … ⌘ Read more

India’s Aviation Crisis Is All About Too Big to Tame
India’s dominant airline IndiGo has cancelled roughly 3,000 flights since last week after new pilot fatigue regulations collided with technical issues and the seasonal schedule shift, stranding more than half a million passengers and forcing aviation authorities to reverse course on the safety rules they had just implemented.

InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo’s parent company, … ⌘ Read more

At least 22 killed as fire rips through office block in Jakarta
The fire broke out on the first floor of an office building in Indonesia’s capital around midday on Tuesday, with at least 100 firefighters deployed to contain the blaze. ⌘ Read more

Science Journal Retracts Study On Safety of Monsanto’s Roundup
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Guardian: The journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology has formally retracted a sweeping scientific paper published in 2000 that became a key defense for Monsanto’s claim that Roundup herbicide and its active ingredient glyphosate don’t cause cancer. Martin van den Berg, the journal’s editor in chie … ⌘ Read more

Family pays emotional tribute to 10yo boy as inquest closes
The inquest into the boy’s death in state care hears he was a bright and mischievous boy who was proud of his heritage. WARNING: This story contains distressing content. ⌘ Read more

‘Until the bitter end’: Reynolds will never give up fight against Commonwealth
Former defence minister Linda Reynolds says former colleagues failed her and that she won’t stop fighting to clear her name against “lies” no matter the cost. ⌘ Read more

Honduras seeks arrest of ex-president Hernández after Trump pardon
Juan Orlando Hernández had been sentenced in US federal court last year to 45 years in prison for helping move tons of cocaine to the United States. ⌘ Read more

Evidence That Humans Now Speak In a Chatbot-Influenced Dialect Is Getting Stronger
Researchers and moderators are increasingly concerned that ChatGPT-style language is bleeding into everyday speech and writing. The topic has been explored in the past but “two new, more anecdotal reports, suggest that our chatbot dialect isn’t just something that can be found through close analysis of data,” r … ⌘ Read more

Queensland expands croc management plan to ease targeted removal
The government says the plan will help improve public safety and make it easier to remove crocodiles in hotspots along the coast. ⌘ Read more

Woman who fatally struck child with car outside high school avoids prison
The family of a 12-year-old boy fatally struck by a car as he left school criticises the sentence handed down to the driver. ⌘ Read more

Prosecution tells jury accused lied when denying involvement in alleged murder
The prosecution has begun its closing arguments in the final stages of Jodie Hill’s three week murder trial following the brutal killing of an elderly man in his Dimboola home almost three years ago. ⌘ Read more

Destroyed homeless tents were not ‘homes’, council tells court
The City of Moreton Bay council has told the Supreme Court that homeless tents it destroyed were not “homes” and the human right to a home was not violated. ⌘ Read more

England’s woes continue with Wood out of Ashes
England’s Ashes woes have continue with spearhead quick Mark Wood ruled out of the rest of the tour with a knee injury. ⌘ Read more

Police investigating deaths of two women in Melbourne’s north-east
Two women, aged 84 and 64, were found dead in a home in Rosanna following a welfare check on Tuesday morning. ⌘ Read more

Australian festival icon mourned after death at 73
Woodford Folk Festival founder Bill Hauritz has died after a lengthy illness, but his grieving loved ones say his legacy will live on. ⌘ Read more

Ongoing prison lockdowns could affect inmates’ health, advocate says
Advocates for prisoners and the union representing correctional officers are calling on the government to reach an urgent pay agreement to help end the statewide prison lockdown. ⌘ Read more

Claude Code Is Coming To Slack
Anthropic is bringing Claude Code directly into Slack, letting developers spin up coding sessions from chat threads and automate workflows without leaving the app. TechCrunch reports: Previously, developers could only get lightweight coding help via Claude in Slack – like writing snippets, debugging, and explanations. Now they can tag @Claude to spin up a complete coding session using Slack context like bu … ⌘ Read more

Shark feeding frenzy at Byron Bay ‘spectacular’ but dangerous
A marine scientist warns against getting in the ocean with sharks after footage emerges of swimmers at Byron Bay next to a huge school of bait fish and hundreds of the predators. ⌘ Read more

Woman accused of googly eyes vandalism to begin negotiations with prosecution
A 20-year-old Mount Gambier woman appears in court in person for the first time, accused of damaging a controversial sculpture, following a campaign to raise money online for her defence. ⌘ Read more

Wells initiates audit of expenses as Shorten defends her against ‘pile-on’
The sports minister maintains all her taxpayer-funded expenses have been within the guidelines. ⌘ Read more

New bushfire threat for Tasmanian town, as people told ‘leave immediately’
On the same day that residents in one Tasmanian community are returning to find if their homes are still standing after a bushfire last week, residents in one area are told to ‘leave immediately’ due to a new threat. ⌘ Read more

Family of teenager killed in e-bike collision pay tribute to ‘beautiful’ 14-year-old
The family of a teenager killed in a collision in Melbourne’s north-east has paid tribute to their “beautiful” 14-year-old son. ⌘ Read more

Phone calls by criminally neglectful mother showed ‘callous disregard’ for sick daughter
A South Australian court releases audio of prison phone calls made in the lead-up to the death of a six-year-old girl in 2022. WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains the first name and image of a person who has died. Readers are also advised this story contains content which may be distressing. ⌘ Read more

Canberra doctor ordered to stop botox injections for endometriosis pain
Patients have described the procedure as “life changing” but pelvic botox injections are no longer available publicly in the ACT, with Canberra Health Services ceasing the procedure “as a precaution due to unknown risks”. ⌘ Read more

Body of WA man who reportedly fell off jetty in regional SA waters found
The body of a Western Australian man missing in waters off Coffin Bay on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula has been found. ⌘ Read more

New research finds ‘frozen’ blood platelets could be used in combat zones
Research proves that frozen blood platelets are safe and effective to use on critically injured patients. ⌘ Read more

Mackay to host first Test match when Australia faces Bangladesh in 2026
The Australian men will play a two-match series against Bangladesh in 2026, with the second venue yet to be decided. ⌘ Read more

Popular Bluey, Paw Patrol toy sets recalled over asbestos fears
The three “sensory activity sets” from HL Toys International include sealed tubs of coloured sand which Kmart said may contain the toxic mineral. ⌘ Read more

Arrest made after alleged threats to Crows footballer
SA Police has arrested a 31-year-old man after allegedly sending five threatening messages to a 25-year-old man on social media. ⌘ Read more

Investigation reopened into man’s ‘accidental’ death eight years ago
Police say the death of Phillip Rudd, once thought to be an accident, could be more sinister following new information. ⌘ Read more

Corrections, health staff commit to change after grandfather’s death in prison
Senior corrections and health staff will change how they respond to health emergencies inside NT jails, following the coronial inquest into the death of a disabled prisoner. ⌘ Read more

Residents told to leave now as fire threatens Capertee Valley properties
The RFS is warning people on the Home Hills Road area at Bogee, in the Capertee Valley, to evacuate immediately. ⌘ Read more

Driver told police they were ‘not real’ after 100km chase in stolen truck
An intoxicated driver jailed for leading police on a wild chase up the Bruce Highway, sparks flying from the bare wheel rims of a stolen food truck. ⌘ Read more

‘Psychotic’ mother who strangled son to death sentenced to 12 years’ prison
Louwanna Thyra Goltz pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her eight-year-old boy, who was returned to her from foster care 18 months before his traumatic death. ⌘ Read more