Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BIRD FLU UPDATE
First today, to bird flu. Australia has just recorded its first case of the flu in a mammal. It's the announcement experts were dreading, but knew was coming. Yesterday, a long-nosed fur seal from Beachport in South Australia was found to have bird flu, and as of this morning, another suspected case has been detected on Kangaroo Island, also in a fur seal. Since it first arrived on Aussie shores in June, there have been 298 positive bird flu events. And more than a thousand birds have died in mass mortality events on small islands in South Australia. The virus has also been known to spread between mammals quickly, and that's now got experts worried endangered animals like the Australian sea lion could be in trouble. While scientists say there isn't a cure for bird flu, there are some vaccines which can help protect against it. Here on Victoria's Phillip Island, a team has just managed to round up 1,000 penguins for a first dose, and there are big talks happening about whether a similar vaccine plan could be rolled out for other animals, including seals. For now, lots of people are bracing for what's to come, while experts keep doing everything they can.
US CANADA TRADE WAR
The United States and Canada are in a trade war! The neighbouring countries have historically been good friends, helping each other out when it comes to things like trade. But over the weekend, those trade talks between them went pear shaped. The US slapped a 50 percent tariff, aka an extra import tax, on some Canadian products. In a social media post, US President Donald Trump accused Canada of wanting the benefits of being a US state, without actually being one. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney has clapped back and said Canada will impose retaliatory, or payback tariffs, on some US exports.
CRICKET
After a shock defeat last week in Darwin, the Aussies have bounced back, smashing Bangladesh in the second test in Mackay. Mitchell Starc came in clutch, taking 10 wickets across the match, as Bangladesh were bowled out for just 64 and 95! Australia won by an innings and 51 runs in less than two days, leaving the two match series tied at one all.
HOCKEY
And Aussie wins continued at the Women's Hockey World Cup. Well, kind of. The Hockeyroos took on India in their final game of the pool stage, but in the end, no one scored. India needed a win to reach the next stage, while all the Aussies needed was a draw, and a draw it was, booking them a spot in the semi-finals!
HUMANOID ROBOT GAMES
And finally, to sports with far fewer humans, nope this is not a scene from a movie. This is the 2nd edition of the world humanoid robot games in China. More than 2000 robots from 16 countries are competing in everything from table tennis to kick boxing! Judges score the robots by looking out for things like how smoothly they move, and whether they avoid crashes. And this one here even smashed Usain Bolt's 100 metre world record time, completing it in just 9.39 seconds. Yeah, probably need to work on that finish though. Take care of yourself buddy.
FINGER PULLING
First up, to the brutal sport of finger pulling in Bavaria. Yes. It's a tradition that's thought to date back to the 15th or 16th century to sort things out between two blokes who've had a row. The goal is to yank your opponent across the table using just one finger each, connected by a loop. Now, it is a pretty intense sport and folks walk away with all sorts of finger injuries. But that shouldn't come as a surprise, eh?
FAT MARMOT WEEK
And finally, to Fat Marmot Week in the United States! Yes, it's the end of summer over there, and these little rodents are due to go underground where they'll hibernate for about half a year. So, these researchers are trying to catch as many as they can, to weigh and measure them before releasing them back into the wild. It's part of a long running study into the mammals that's been going since 1962.
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BIRD FLU UPDATE
First today, to bird flu. Australia has just recorded its first case of the flu in a mammal. It's the announcement experts were dreading, but knew was coming. Yesterday, a long-nosed fur seal from Beachport in South Australia was found to have bird flu, and as of this morning, another suspected case has been detected on Kangaroo Island, also in a fur seal. Since it first arrived on Aussie shores in June, there have been 298 positive bird flu events. And more than a thousand birds have died in mass mortality events on small islands in South Australia. The virus has also been known to spread between mammals quickly, and that's now got experts worried endangered animals like the Australian sea lion could be in trouble. While scientists say there isn't a cure for bird flu, there are some vaccines which can help protect against it. Here on Victoria's Phillip Island, a team has just managed to round up 1,000 penguins for a first dose, and there are big talks happening about whether a similar vaccine plan could be rolled out for other animals, including seals. For now, lots of people are bracing for what's to come, while experts keep doing everything they can.
US CANADA TRADE WAR
The United States and Canada are in a trade war! The neighbouring countries have historically been good friends, helping each other out when it comes to things like trade. But over the weekend, those trade talks between them went pear shaped. The US slapped a 50 percent tariff, aka an extra import tax, on some Canadian products. In a social media post, US President Donald Trump accused Canada of wanting the benefits of being a US state, without actually being one. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney has clapped back and said Canada will impose retaliatory, or payback tariffs, on some US exports.
CRICKET
After a shock defeat last week in Darwin, the Aussies have bounced back, smashing Bangladesh in the second test in Mackay. Mitchell Starc came in clutch, taking 10 wickets across the match, as Bangladesh were bowled out for just 64 and 95! Australia won by an innings and 51 runs in less than two days, leaving the two match series tied at one all.
HOCKEY
And Aussie wins continued at the Women's Hockey World Cup. Well, kind of. The Hockeyroos took on India in their final game of the pool stage, but in the end, no one scored. India needed a win to reach the next stage, while all the Aussies needed was a draw, and a draw it was, booking them a spot in the semi-finals!
HUMANOID ROBOT GAMES
And finally, to sports with far fewer humans, nope this is not a scene from a movie. This is the 2nd edition of the world humanoid robot games in China. More than 2000 robots from 16 countries are competing in everything from table tennis to kick boxing! Judges score the robots by looking out for things like how smoothly they move, and whether they avoid crashes. And this one here even smashed Usain Bolt's 100 metre world record time, completing it in just 9.39 seconds. Yeah, probably need to work on that finish though. Take care of yourself buddy.
FINGER PULLING
First up, to the brutal sport of finger pulling in Bavaria. Yes. It's a tradition that's thought to date back to the 15th or 16th century to sort things out between two blokes who've had a row. The goal is to yank your opponent across the table using just one finger each, connected by a loop. Now, it is a pretty intense sport and folks walk away with all sorts of finger injuries. But that shouldn't come as a surprise, eh?
FAT MARMOT WEEK
And finally, to Fat Marmot Week in the United States! Yes, it's the end of summer over there, and these little rodents are due to go underground where they'll hibernate for about half a year. So, these researchers are trying to catch as many as they can, to weigh and measure them before releasing them back into the wild. It's part of a long running study into the mammals that's been going since 1962.
__________________________________________
Subscribe youtube.com/behindthenews?sub_confirmation=1
TikTok: tiktok.com/@behindthenewstv
Facebook: facebook.com/abcbtn
Instagram: instagram.com/behindthenews
For the past 55 years, Behind the News has been helping to break down current issues and events for young people all around the world. The program is a high-energy, fun way for people to learn about the stories we see in the news while providing background information that isn’t usually given by other news bulletins.
#ABCbtn
