Behind the News

We find out how political tensions between China and Western countries are affecting the release of Disney's new film, Mulan. The Australian government says Indigenous designs are being copied in overseas factories and sold to tourists, which is robbing Australian artists of income. A recent WWF report says that koala populations in some parts of NSW have fallen by 71 percent since the Black Summer bushfires. We find out more about this iconic Aussie species. Some of Australia's top female cricketers are taking part in a new program aimed at boosting women's involvement in cricket. We meet an 11-year old from Nigeria whose bare-footed ballet moves went viral.

Find out more about Victoria’s ‘roadmap’ for transitioning out of stage three and four lock-down. Some kids in Melbourne have been keeping a video diary documenting their life in lockdown. Australia could soon become the first country in the world to force big tech companies like Google and Facebook to pay for the news content they share. Take a look at Aussie plant species that are in trouble and how Australia’s botanic gardens and kids are helping to preserve them. A Japanese company has successfully tested a small flying car so BtN finds out what the cars of the future might look like.

Border Debate There’s been some debate about the decision of many states and territories to shut their borders to try to stop the spread of COVID-19. While some experts say it’s an effective way to keep people safe, it’s having a big impact on families and businesses and some, including the Prime Minister, have called for State Premiers to ease restrictions. We look at the issue of border closures and find out why state governments sometimes have more power than the PM. Hay Fever Season Spring officially starts next week, which means warmer weather and for some, hay fever. It’s a bigger problem than usual this year because the cold-and-flu-like symptoms of hay fever could be mistaken for COVID-19. We find out more about hay fever and what you can do about it. Going Cashless For years now cards and phones have been replacing cash in Australia and around the world and experts say the trend is accelerating because of COVID-19. We find out about the advantages and disadvantages of ditching coins and notes and what affect it could have on Aussies. Taste Adventures The CSIRO has launched a new program called Food Adventurers to try to encourage Aussie primary school kids to eat more vegetables. Studies show that many still aren’t getting their five recommended serves a day and that’s partly because they don’t like the taste. We find out more about the science of taste and how we can learn to love the things that are good for us. COVID Catch-Up We meet 10-year-old Suzy from Melbourne who’s been putting her time in lockdown to good use. She’s created a newspaper called COVID-Catchup to share information, ideas and inspiration with other kids in her neighbourhood.