Why are Australians reading less than other countries — and should we be concerned?

A UK woman has died in Laos due to suspected methanol poisoning, becoming the fifth fatality linked to tainted alcohol; an American and two Danish tourists also passed away. Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles fell ill after consuming drinks in Vang Vieng, with Jones dying from brain swelling. Authorities are investigating the case, urging caution with alcoholic beverages in Laos, where methanol poisoning is common. Full Article

Russia has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, marking the first use of this weapon in war. The missile was launched from the Russian region of Astrakhan, causing damage to industrial infrastructure in Dnipro. Ukraine had previously fired US and UK missiles at targets inside Russia, leading to rising tensions in the conflict. Full Article

Pat Cummins leads Australia in their quest to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy, aiming to solidify the team's legacy as a generational force. Despite recent successes, Australia has not won a Test series against India in almost a decade, with only a few players remaining from the last victorious squad. Cummins expresses confidence in the team's preparation and unity, while India faces challenges with key players missing and pressure on underperforming stars like Virat Kohli. Full...

The Hawthorn racism scandal has ended as the AFL club settled their Federal Court case with Indigenous former players and families, apologizing for their experiences without determination of any allegations. The joint statement released confirmed the settlement after mediation and expressed regret for the hurt caused, aiming to provide a safe environment for First Nations peoples and eliminate racial discrimination, with a commitment to welcome the former players back to the club and improve processes...

Triple zero dispatchers in Victoria had to resort to using pen and paper during a surprise outage that lasted almost two hours, impacting emergency calls between 5.30pm and 7.15pm. Triple Zero Victoria's Computer Aided Dispatch system went offline unexpectedly, but staff managed to continue taking calls using backup measures. An inquiry is being conducted to determine the cause of the outage and assess any potential impacts on emergency callers during that time. Full Article

Matildas star Ellie Carpenter helped Lyon secure their spot in the Women's Champions League knockout stage with a 4-1 win over Roma, with goals from Diani, Le Sommer, and Renard. Chelsea also advanced with a 3-0 victory over Celtic, maintaining their perfect record this season. Real Madrid's Linda Caicedo impressed in a 3-2 win against FC Twente, while Alexandra Popp's hat-trick led Wolfsburg to a 5-0 win over Galatasaray, setting up a crucial match against...