France will ban smoking in all outdoor places that can be frequented by children, health and family minister Catherine Vautrin has said. The ban will come into force on 1 July and will include beaches, parks, public gardens, outside schools, bus stops and sports venues. “Tobacco must disappear where there are children,” Vautrin said in…
The mysterious balls that forced the closure of several beaches in Sydney last week were found to contain saturated acids, E. coli and faecal bacteria, authorities say. Sydney’s Northern Beaches council said it has sent the debris to the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for further analysis. Nine beaches, including popular spots Manly…
Australian scientists have solved a mystery which has gripped Sydney: what were the sticky dark blobs which washed up on some of the city’s famed beaches last month? Initially believed to be tar balls, they were in fact a “disgusting” combination of human faeces, cooking oil, chemicals and illicit drugs, researchers say. Eight beaches including…
