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How can Australia be the world\u2019s fourth-largest black truffle producer?<\/p>\n
Black truffles aren\u2019t native to Australia but, since the first oaks and hazelnuts were planted in the 1990s, the local industry has flourished, becoming the largest producer outside Europe.<\/p>\n
Now, scientists have identified the environmental factors that appear to have contributed to that success.<\/p>\n
Associate prof Gregory Bonito from Michigan State University collecting black truffles in Australia for the study. Photograph: Gregory Bonito\/Michigan State University<\/p>\n
Many types of fungi produce truffles, a fruiting body that grows underground. But a handful of species, including French black (or P\u00e9rigord) truffles from Europe, are considered gourmet delicacies, highly prized for their earthy bouquet and rich, savoury notes.<\/p>\n
They were introduced relatively recently, with the first host trees planted in Tasmania in 1995, the first black truffles harvested in 1999 and Australia\u2019s first exports in 2007.<\/p>\n
Read more here:<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.19 EDT<\/p>\n Victoria motorcyclists will be able to use bus lanes across three main roads in Melbourne<\/p>\n The Victorian minister for roads and road safety, Ros Spence, has announced motorcyclists will be able to use bus lanes along three key routes in central Melbourne.<\/p>\n Following a successful trial, motorcycles can now use bus lanes along:<\/p>\n Eastern Freeway, west of Chandler Highway and Hoddle Street (westbound)<\/p>\n Victoria Parade, between Hoddle Street and Nicholson Street (westbound)<\/p>\n Victoria Parade, between Nicholson Street and Hoddle Street (eastbound)<\/p>\n She said clear signage will show where motorcycles are permitted, making it easier for riders to know when they can safely enter a bus lane.<\/p>\n Spence said the trial found no negative safety impacts for riders or other motorists and no impact on bus travel times. Riders using the routes also felt more confident on the road.<\/p>\n Motorcyclists remain over-represented in road trauma, accounting for 21% of lives lost in 2025 despite making up less than 4% of registered vehicles.<\/p>\n Spence said:<\/p>\n double quotation markMotorcyclists are some of our most vulnerable road users, and we\u2019re making practical changes to help them stay safer on our roads. This is about helping riders avoid traffic, travel more safely and get to their destination sooner.<\/p>\n Ros Spence. Photograph: Jay Kogler\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.19 EDT<\/p>\n Two bodies found after house fire near Blue Mountains<\/p>\n NSW police said two bodies have been discovered after a fire tore through a home in Bowen Mountain, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, overnight.<\/p>\n Emergency services were called just after 2am amid reports of a fire. A man and four children were able to escape the house, but two others were unaccounted for at the time.<\/p>\n The two bodies are believed to be those of the unaccounted for individuals. They have yet to be identified, but a formal process is under way to ID them and determine how the fire broke out.<\/p>\n The man and four children who escaped the blaze were taken to the hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation and minor burns.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.48 EDT<\/p>\n \u2018Extreme mouse situation\u2019 in parts of WA and SA<\/p>\n Andrew Wiedeman, the southern region director at Grain Producers Australia, told RN this morning there is an ongoing \u201cextreme mouse situation\u201d in Western Australia and parts of South Australia.<\/p>\n He said in some areas, the group is seeing thousands of mice per hectare.<\/p>\n double quotation markParticularly in the Geraldton area, we\u2019re seeing numbers of calculated numbers of around 8,000 to 10,000 a hectare, which is just an extreme mouse situation.<\/p>\n Once it gets over five to six, you\u2019re talking plague proportions. \u2026 At the end of the day, that certainly is a plague and we\u2019re now looking at trying to put control measures to try and help farmers through.<\/p>\n Photograph: Saeed Khan\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n He said without additional control measures, the numbers of mice would cause \u201ca lot of grief\u201d for many farmers as they\u2019re sowing seeds.<\/p>\n You can read more on the issue here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Concern grows for missing 5-year-old girl in Alice Springs<\/p>\n Concerns are mounting for a girl missing in Alice Springs as the search for her enters its second day, AAP reports.<\/p>\n The girl, Sharon, was reported missing from her residence at Old Timers Aboriginal town camp at about 1.30am on Sunday after being put to bed.<\/p>\n A search involving about 50 police officers, members of the Northern Territory Emergency Services and a police helicopter was unable to find her on Sunday, with the search set to resume early on Monday.<\/p>\n Det Acting Supt Michael Ordelman told reporters it was probable Sharon wandered out of her home, but police were not ruling out suspicious circumstances.<\/p>\n Because of the amount of time Sharon had been missing, police held \u201cmounting concerns\u201d for her safety, he said.<\/p>\n Police have appealed to the public to contact them with any information that may lead to finding Sharon.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.18 EDT<\/p>\n Firefighters say two missing in Blue Mountains house fire are children<\/p>\n Back to that house fire in the Blue Mountains we reported earlier<\/a>:<\/p>\n AAP reports the two missing people are believed to children, adding four people have been hospitalised after the fire ripped through a country home, causing the roof to collapse.<\/p>\n The two missing people are believed to be young children, firefighters told the Today Show. Police have established a crime scene.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are parts of the home that are still hot and smouldering and many parts of the home have collapsed,\u201d RFS commissioner Trent Curtin told Today.<\/p>\n double quotation markFirefighters are moving into the home with hose lines to gain access to the areas where they can search for the unaccounted for people.<\/p>\n The four hospitalised include a man in his 30s, a male in his late teens and two primary school-aged boys.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.47 EDT<\/p>\n SA premier \u2018deeply saddened\u2019 by booing at Anzac Day ceremonies<\/p>\n The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, said he was \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d by the booing at Anzac Day ceremonies on Saturday. He told RN this morning:<\/p>\n double quotation markWhen I thought about it a bit more as the \u2026 day rolled on, I couldn\u2019t help but feel a bit angry about it as well, which I think is a human response to a tragic set of circumstances.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t want to exaggerate it, but nor do I want to dismiss it. I think there was a couple of people that partook in the activity. And the reason for the anger is it\u2019s just so self-indulgent.<\/p>\n Malinauskas said he believes those who participated in the booing made Anzac Day about themselves.<\/p>\n double quotation markAny act of self-indulgence or any attempts to commandeer Anzac Day away from the cause that it actually represents, I think should be responded to with a full-hearted response by leaders around the country just about how outrageous it is.<\/p>\n Peter Malinauskas. Photograph: Sia Duff\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.44 EDT<\/p>\n Two missing after house fire near Blue Mountains<\/p>\n Two people are unaccounted for after a fire at a home in Bowen Mountain, at the foot of the Blue Mountains in NSW.<\/p>\n NSW police said emergency services were called just after 2am to reports of a blaze. On arrival, firefighters extinguished the flames, which caused extensive damage.<\/p>\n Five people escaped the fire, but two more are unaccounted for.<\/p>\n An investigation is under way.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.28 EDT<\/p>\n Red and yellow flags at many NSW beaches set to come down as \u2018traumatic\u2019 summer season ends<\/p>\n It\u2019s the last day of the patrol season for Surf Life Saving NSW, with the red and yellow flags set to come down at many of the state\u2019s beaches at the end of the day.<\/p>\n Steven Pearce, the CEO of Surf Life Saving NSW, told RN Breakfast this morning it had been a traumatic summer for many patrolling the state\u2019s beaches, pointing to a spate of shark attacks, the Bondi shooting and the number of drownings in recent months.<\/p>\n Pearce said:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt\u2019s been probably one of the most tumultuous and traumatic summers we have seen because of the amount of shark attacks we\u2019ve been involved with. Obviously, the response to the Bondi shooting and the drownings.<\/p>\n So the volunteers have done a great job and I think everyone\u2019s looking forward to scaling back a little bit just over these autumn and winter months.<\/p>\n Photograph: zstockphotos\/Getty Images\/iStockphotoShare<\/a><\/p>\n Marles said on RN earlier the additional Bushmasters would amount to a \u201cmajor reinvestment\u201d in Australia\u2019s protected mobility fleet.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe heart of this spend is what we\u2019re doing in Bendigo in the production of an additional 268 Bushmasters. And the vast majority of them are destined for the Australian army.<\/p>\n He said the commitment to keep making the vehicles in Bendigo reflected a real \u201cvote of confidence\u201d in their work.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.02 EDT<\/p>\n Government announces funding for new Bushmaster vehicles The big defence spend continues, with the government promising three-quarters of a billion dollars to build 268 new Bushmasters in Bendigo, Victoria, over the next seven years to 2033.<\/p>\n You might already be familiar with the Bushmaster fleet \u2013 they\u2019re the vehicles donated to the Ukrainian military to combat Russia.<\/p>\n The government says the vehicles are \u201ccritical to the integrated force\u201d, with the Netherlands set to buy a fleet.<\/p>\n An Australian-built Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle donated to Ukraine. Photograph: LACW Emma Schwenke\/AP<\/p>\n The deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, is also announcing $450m of funding towards upgrades of the Hawkei protected mobility vehicles.<\/p>\n The spend follows the government announcing an extra $53bn of funding for Australia\u2019s defence capabilities over the next decade earlier this month.<\/p>\n Marles said:<\/p>\n double quotation markThis announcement is great news for Australian industry and great news for regional Victoria. The Australian-built Bushmaster and Hawkei are recognised as world-leading protected mobility vehicles \u2013 supporting not just the Australian Defence Force, but the defence forces of our international partners as well.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.58 EDT<\/p>\n Richard Marles says booing at Anzac Day services \u2018disgraceful\u2019<\/p>\n The defence minister, Richard Marles, said booing at Anzac Day dawn services was \u201cdisgraceful\u201d, saying a welcome to country was simply a respectful thing to do.<\/p>\n Marles told RN Breakfast:<\/p>\n double quotation markAnzac Day is a day on which we show respect. And to have booing in the face of that is profoundly disrespectful and in my mind goes against all that Anzac Day stands for \u2026<\/p>\n Indigenous Australians deserve that respect \u2026 Indigenous Australians who served in our defence force deserve that respect. And that\u2019s what we should be thinking about.<\/p>\n Marles said he didn\u2019t agree with Angus Taylor when asked if welcomes to country were \u201coverused\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markYou know, Australians around the country in different contexts engage in welcome to countrys, and that\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n Richard Marles. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.53 EDT<\/p>\n Nationals MP says welcome to country is generally a \u2018good part\u2019 of ceremonies<\/p>\n Nationals MP Michael McCormack said he thinks welcome to county ceremonies are generally a \u201cgood part\u201d of ceremonies after the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, said on Sunday he thought they were overused.<\/p>\n Taylor made the comments after booing incidents at some of Saturday\u2019s Anzac Day dawn services. McCormack said he believed that booing seemed to be almost \u201corchestrated\u201d and was unacceptable. But when he was asked if he agreed with Taylor\u2019s view on welcome to country, McCormack told RN Breakfast:<\/p>\n double quotation markI can, if you have several speakers and every one of them takes a lot of their speech time to do welcomes to country when it\u2019s already been done. If you do it at the start, you do it appropriately, I think most people find that to be a good part of the ceremony, and then you get on with what the actual event is all about.<\/p>\n And I think that\u2019s probably appropriate.<\/p>\n Michael McCormack. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.50 EDT<\/p>\n Wong to visit Japan, China and South Korea to secure fuel supplies The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will travel to Japan today as part of another diplomatic tour to secure Australia\u2019s fuel and energy supply chains.<\/p>\n The government has said Australia has more fuel now than before the Iran war, after underwriting several additional shipments, but Wong is on her way across Asia to make sure the supplies keep coming.<\/p>\n Wong will travel to China on Wednesday and Korea on Thursday, and said Australia will \u201ccontinue working with international partners to help secure the supplies we need \u2013 including diesel, petrol and fertiliser \u2013 and ensure Australia is prioritised as a reliable energy partner\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe Middle East conflict and closure of the strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt global energy markets, with Asian refineries and the Indo-Pacific region disproportionately affected. Direct, in-person engagement with counterparts across our region will help ensure we are coordinating effectively as these disruptions continue to unfold.<\/p>\n Earlier this month Wong travelled to Singapore, after the PM, who also visited Malaysia and Brunei.<\/p>\n![\"Benita](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777249273_321_Benita_Kolovos.png\")
Benita Kolovos<\/p>\n![\"Krishani](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777249274_407_Krishani_Dhanji.png\")
Krishani Dhanji<\/p>\nKrishani Dhanji<\/p>\n