International

Just under 50 competitors from across Australia and New Zealand gathered at Longwood in Victoria over Easter for the 2025 Australian Combined Driving Championships. The event was hosted by the Longwood Carriage Driving Club on behalf of the Australian Carriage Driving Society and featured some of the best driving talent in the country.

Hodgson Vale's John Vinson added another major achievement to his Rugby CV when the Irish team he plays for, Clontarf, won a thrilling Grand Final in the All - Ireland Leagues Men's Division A. John was a Queensland Country Blue Heelers representative player who seems to have been born to play Rugby.

Australia’s pulse exports – comprising chickpeas, beans, lentils, lupins and peas – may face minor headwinds in the year ahead due to changes in global supply and demand, Rabobank says in a newly-released report. The food and agribusiness banking specialist says the most likely impacts on farmgate prices and export margins for pulses will stem from currency volatility and shipping costs.

Prague Zoo Director Miroslav Bobek in a recent article explains the Prague connection: “We joined the effort to save Lord Howe Island stick insect years ago, when we started to support financially the genetical research ... and also on the Ball’s Pyramid the stick insects hover on the edge of survival.

Wayne Hawthorne. Training to be a doctor is more than just medicine it seems, at least in Papua New Guinea (PNG) where medicos need to be a Jack of all trades. This is what Naracoorte Men’s Probus found out when Dr David Mills spoke recently. It was a valuable insight into Dr Mills 20-plus years and continuing input in PNG.

Australia’s dairy sector may be the beneficiary of a new school milk program being implemented in Indonesia.

US investor group withdraws from deal to purchase iconic NSW farmland aggregation. Parties are remaining tight-lipped following reports of the $780 million deal to sell some of the Riverina's most well-known properties.

It is well recognised that Victoria's rural and regional areas are home to many of the key businesses in the food and fibre sector as well as manufacturing sectors and are major contributors to Victoria's exports ... Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AACCI) in partnership with Global Victoria and hosted by Wodonga Council proudly present the MENA seminar...

Jade Smith, a 30-year-old athlete originally from Birchip, is set to represent Australia in her first international wrestling competition – the South East Asian Championships this May. What began as an after-work hobby has transformed into a life-changing journey of grit, growth, and gold.

Maclean celebrated its 120th Highland Gathering in style across two massive days of events on the Easter Long Weekend ... Over 130 competitors travelled from as far as Perth, Melbourne, and Townsville to compete in the 33 solo events on the program.

Western Australia has once again recorded the fastest population growth in the country, adding 72,600 people in the year to September 2024. To put that into perspective: if every one of those new residents moved into the 200 towns across the Wheatbelt’s 42 shires, it would more than double the population of every town. Yet, on a recent drive across the Wheatbelt, cutting through multiple towns, I didn’t see a single new house being built.

Omika Upadhayay. This is the story of how I left behind my home, my family in Nepal, and a budding career in agricultural research to become one of over half a million people who migrated to Australia last year—and eventually found myself working in the WAFarmers office.

It’s been an amazing week for Matthew Denny at the Oklahoma Throws Series World International. With a mammoth throw of 74.78cm and his personal best Matthew would have broken the previous World Record if not for his main rival Mykolas Alekna who threw 75.56m.

Tibetan-Australian singer-songwriter Tenzin Choegyal is inviting music lovers to join his cultural journey in a one-night-only performance in the Scenic Rim. His Whispering Sky concert at the Vonda Youngman Community Centre ... 16 May, will showcase his extraordinary vocal ability and mastery of traditional instruments such as the lingbu (bamboo flute) and dranyen (three-stringed lute).

Almond growers are set to benefit from the current financial instability between the United States and China, allowing regional industry to enjoy better advantages ... Looking to improve its global branding, Australian Almonds has announced swimmer Kyle Chalmers will join the global team of ambassadors.

The Finocchiaro CLP Government is delivering on its commitment of 2025 being a year of action, certainty and security as the first Alice Springs-Cairns direct flight takes off ... In a major boost for the Red Centre, the new Alice Springs to Cairns route offers greater connectivity for international visitors coming into Alice Springs and beyond.

Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny has etched his name even deeper into Australian athletics history, unleashing a phenomenal 72.07m throw to become the first Australian to eclipse the 70-metre mark and land the fifth longest throw in global history.

The Indian flag made its way through Nobby last week, alongside the Australian flag, as an Indian spiritual leader and his followers got to know the local community. Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji is a spiritual leader ... A few months ago, members of the branch bought a property on Felton Clifton Road ...

...Bendigo Bank Agribusiness’ Monthly Commodity Update finds that US tariffs should have less impact than initially expected, however dry conditions across key cropping regions still have grain producers on edge. Lamb markets are stable with wool a bright spot, while supply chain issues for fruit and vegetables have seen a lift in wholesale prices on the east coast...

Growing demand for high-quality red meat products in the Middle East is opening up this dynamic growth market to Australian exporters. At Gulfood 2025 – the Middle East’s biggest food industry event – 35 Australian red meat producers built new connections with buyers and distributers in the region.