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Storms in Queensland today bring giant hail to Brisbane - 7NEWS.com.au

Hail as big as 13 centimetres has been reported as the supercell thunderstorms slam the region. Find the latest updates here.

Supercell thunderstorms caused havoc in southeast Queensland on Saturday afternoon, with several regions on alert for very dangerous conditions. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) at one stage warned of life threatening conditions, as the severe weather system hit. The following areas have been told to prepare for damaging, locally destructive winds, as well as giant hailstones and heavy rainfall: Logan, Gold Coast, Redland City, Moreton Bay and parts of Ipswich, Gympie, Scenic Rim, Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Brisbane City Council Areas. The latest BOM warning map issued at 4.03pm (AEST). Credit: Bureau of Meteorology Two children have reportedly been trapped after a roof collapsed in Springfield during the storms. The BOM says supercell development is easing, but the severe thunderstorms remain. Residents across the region have been sending in photos to 7NEWS of giant hailstones that fell in the height of the storms. Hail as big as 13 centimetres was even reported near Hillcrest, south of Brisbane. A photo of the giant hail captured by a 7NEWS viewer. Credit: Supplied This enormous hail stone landed in Greenbank on Saturday afternoon. Credit: Tia Smith Giant hail has been reported in many parts of southeast Queensland. This photo was taken by a 7NEWS viewer. Credit: Supplied Large hail also slammed other areas, including Gatton, Adare, Seventeen Mile, Toowoomba, Purga, Amberley, Forestdale and Springlake. There are reports of property damage, including a number of cars with smashed windows. An image sent to 7NEWS showing a vehicle damaged in Rosewood, Queensland. Credit: Supplied Public transport has been impacted, with Beenleigh & Gold Coast line trains suspended between Helensvale & Kuraby due to overhead power lines down. Trams are also suspended between Helensvale & Southport stations due to a power outage. TransLink says customers can expect delays of up to 3 hours. One resident in Springfield Lakes decided it was more a case of waste not, want not when he found hail on his property. John Austin used the big chunks of ice to make a whisky on the rocks, capturing this snap of his unlikely cup holder. One Springfield Lakes resident captured his whisky on the rocks using the hail. Credit: John Austin Find the latest warnings from the BOM here. This is a developing story. More to come.

NSW Premier says school bomb threats emanated from eastern Europe - 7NEWS.com.au

For the third consecutive day hundreds of students have been evacuated as schools across the state continue to be targeted.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed the hoax bomb threats received by multiple schools across the state this week emanated from eastern Europe. The premier told reporters that she had been briefed by Police Commissioner Mick Fuller on Thursday morning who had allowed her to provide the update. Hes allowed me to confirm that the initial email threats actually emanated from eastern Europe, theyre actually overseas, she said. The threatening emails were sent to around 20 Sydney schools on Tuesday and some regional schools were evacuated on Wednesday, causing thousands of HSC students to abandon their exam papers. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Credit: Dean Lewins/AAP NSW Police are working with Australian Federal Police and federal authorities on the matter. I have confidence that the police and the education department will resolve what is in the best interest of every student, Berejilkian added. At the end of the day what matters most is safety and wellbeing of the students. When asked of the likelihood that the original source of the email was closer to home, Berejiklian said she could only share the information provided to her by the police commissioner. Im sure police will provide updates when and if they receive them, she said. The premier said the incident at North Sydney Boys School on Thursday was a separate case that police were continuing to investigate. The police commissioner is confident that the incident in North Sydney is easier to trace, it was a local phone call, so police are already onto it, she said. At least ten schools were evacuated on Wednesday. File image Credit: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images She then warned authorities would come down heavily on anyone that poses any threat at all to the safety or the wellbeing of our students. The NSW Education Standards Authority said no affected student would have to re-sit an exam and they would be given special consideration by markers. - with AAP

Device raises hopes for paralysis help - 7NEWS.com.au

Researchers are calling a small brain device a "big game changer" for severely paralysed people after it was implanted successfully in two patients

A tiny brain implant is being hailed as a major breakthrough for severely paralysed patients. Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Hospital say the Stentrode device has been implanted successfully in two people suffering from severe upper-body paralysis because of motor neurone disease. The device lets them use their thoughts to perform basic tasks, despite the paralysis. It is being hailed as "a big game changer". "The results found the Stentrode was able to wirelessly restore the transmission of brain impulses through the body," the hospital said. "This enabled the patients to successfully complete daily tasks such as online banking, shopping and texting, which previously had not been available to them. The results were published in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery.

Kogan Muscle Therapy Brushless Massage Gun recalled over safety fears - 7NEWS.com.au

There are fears that the nationally sold product could ignite during use.

Kogan Muscle Therapy Brushless Massage Guns are being recalled across Australia over safety fears. The recall on Product Safety Australia revealed that the battery on the guns may fail and ignite during charging or use. This means a risk of fire or burns, prompting an urgent recall of the products. Consumers should immediately unplug and stop using the product, the recall said. Kogan Australia will contact affected consumers to provide a full refund and arrange for disposal of the product. The affected product. Credit: Product Safety Australia Consumers are being urged to contact Kogan Australia for more information on 1300 304 292 or through email on [email protected] The products were sold both nationally and internationally in Kogan and Dick Smith stores. They were available for sale from June 4, 2020 to September 7, 2020. The massage gun recall comes as the ACCC issued a product safety recall for 31,000 light-up wristbands from the AFL Grand Final. The bands contain two fully charged lithium batteries - which can be deadly if they are swallowed. Consumers who received a free promotional wristband should immediately dispose of the wristband by placing it in an outside household rubbish bin, out of reach of children, the recall said.

Multiple Sydney schools including Castle Hill High, Willoughby Girls High evacuated after 'threatening email' - 7NEWS.com.au

Staff and students at several Sydney schools have been evacuated after the schools received a threatening email.

Staff and students at several Sydney schools have been evacuated after the schools received a threatening email. Police were notified on Tuesday morning after the emails were received. Castle Hill High School, Willoughby Girls High School and Jamison High School are believed to be among those evacuated. A spokesperson for NSW education confirmed the incident. The department is aware that a small number of high schools have recieved a threatening email, the spokesperson said in a statement. The schools have activated their Emergency Response Plans. Several schools have been evacuated. Credit: 7NEWS The department will work closely with NSW Police and will provide support to staff and students as required. A police operation is underway at the schools and there are no reports of any injuries. Year 12 students are currently sitting HSC exams at schools around NSW.

The Apple iPhone 12 Mini has a big drawback - battery capacity - 7NEWS.com.au

Apple had claimed there was no difference between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Mini except for their size and their price.

Apple claimed there was no difference between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Mini except for their size and their price. Thats not technically true. B.ecause the iPhone 12 Mini is so much smaller, it has a significantly tinier battery. Apple says the iPhone 12 Mini gets two hours less battery life than its larger sibling - 15 hours of video playback on the iPhone 12 Mini compared with 17 hours on the iPhone 12. Thats still impressive, especially considering some of the iPhones larger rivals have substantially larger batteries and dont get nearly as much life out of them. Apple has always worked some magic with battery life by making its software and chips work seamlessly together. Apple has announced four new iPhones. Credit: Apple But lower battery life remains tradeoff of the iPhone 12 Mini. Sure, youre getting the same screen, camera, chip, software and other features for AUD142 less, in a 5.4-inch package. But when your buddy with the bigger phone is at 20 per cent and youre at 5 per cent, you might be rethinking whether the smaller phone was the right choice. Apple blog 9to5Mac reports that the iPhone 12 Mini battery capacity is 21 per cent smaller than the iPhone 12. The iPhone 12 itself, which is thinner and lighter than the iPhone 11, has a 9.5 per cent smaller battery than last years iPhone. But Apple is promising the same battery life on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro as the iPhone 11. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a whopping 20 hours of battery life. This years 5G-equipped iPhones include enhanced cameras, an upgraded display, a tougher glass screen and new colours, among other bells and whistles, compared with last years iterations. The cheapest phone in the lineup is the iPhone 12 mini, which starts at AUD1,199. The top-of-the-line iPhone 12 Pro Max starts at AUD1,849. It has Apples biggest ever smartphone display at 6.7 inches.

Cranbrook School student charged over sexual assault of two girls - 7NEWS.com.au

The boy is accused of sexually assaulting the girls - aged 14 and 15 - in the last two years.

A Sydney schoolboy has been charged over the alleged sexual assaults of two teenage girls in the last two years. The 15-year-old boy, who attends Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill, is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in August last year in Bondi. He allegedly assaulted the second girl - a 15-year-old - this year. The second alleged assault also took place in Bondi. Both alleged assaults are said to have taken place in Bondi. File image of Bondi Beach pictured. Credit: PETER HARRISON/Getty Images The boy was arrested in Paddington last month and was taken to Waverley police station where he was charged. In July 2020, detectives from the State Crime Commands Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a then aged 15-year-old girl at Bondi, a NSW Police said in a statment. The boy is set to face court next month. Credit: AAP During the course of the investigation, police commenced further inquiries into reports a second girl, then aged 14, was allegedly sexually assaulted at Bondi in August 2019. He has been charged with two counts of intentionally sexually touch child between 10 and 16-years-old, have sexual intercourse with child between 10 and 16-years-old, intentionally sexually touch child between 10 and 16-years-old (DV) and have sexual intercourse with child between 10 and 16-years-old (DV). The 15-year-old has also been charged with one count of trying to influence witnesses to procure an acquittal. He faced a childrens court on September 28 and is due to face court again next month.

Moment NASA spacecraft touches down on asteroid revealed - 7NEWS.com.au

The spacecraft collected a handful of cosmic rubble for return to Earth.

A NASA spacecraft that descended to an asteroid and, dodging boulders the size of buildings, momentarily touched the surface to collect a handful of cosmic rubble. As seen in the video above, the historic moment was caught on the spacecrafts camera. It is a first for the United States - only Japan has collected asteroid samples. I cant believe we actually pulled this off, said lead scientist Dante Lauretta, from the University of Arizona, on Tuesday. The spacecraft did everything it was supposed to do. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft sent back confirmation of its contact with asteroid Bennu more than 320 million kilometres, drawing cheers from the mission team. The spacecraft momentarily touched the surface to collect a handful of cosmic rubble. Credit: NASA But it could be a week before scientists know how much, if anything, was grabbed and whether another try will be needed. If successful, Osiris-Rex will return the samples to Earth in 2023. Following commands sent well in advance by ground controllers near Denver, the spacecraft took four-and-a-half hours to make its way down from its tight orbit around Bennu. Bennus gravity was too low for Osiris-Rex to land - the asteroid is just 510 metres across. As a result, the spacecraft had to reach out with its 3.4-metre robot arm and attempt to grab at least 60 grams of Bennu. The University of Arizonas Heather Enos, deputy scientist for the mission, described it as kissing the surface with a short touch-and-go measured in just seconds. The coronavirus pandemic had resulted in a two-month delay. Scientists will know in a week if the spacecraft manage to pick anything up. Credit: NASA Tuesdays operation was considered the most harrowing part of the mission, which began with a launch from Cape Canaveral back in 2016. A van-sized spacecraft with an Egyptian-inspired name, Osiris-Rex aimed for a spot equivalent to a few parking spaces on Earth in the middle of the asteroids Nightingale Crater. After nearly two years orbiting Bennu, the spacecraft found this location to have the biggest patch of particles small enough to be swallowed up. It was programmed to shoot out pressurised nitrogen gas to stir up the surface, then suck up any loose pebbles. Contact was expected to last a mere five to 10 seconds, with the spacecraft quickly backing away. By the time flight controllers heard back from Osiris-Rex, the action had already happened 18-and-a-half minutes earlier, the time it takes radio signals to travel each way between Bennu and Earth. Scientists want between 60 grams and 2kg of Bennus black, crumbly, carbon-rich material - thought to contain the building blocks of our solar system.

QLD COVID ship crew test positive amid fears of new strain on board - 7NEWS.com.au

Queensland authorities are scratching their heads over what to do with the crew members.

Authorities are discussing what to do with the coronavirus infected crew of a cargo ship anchored off the Queensland coast amid fears they could carry a mystery strain. Two crew members aboard the MV Sofrana Surville have been diagnosed with COVID-19, Deputy Premier Steven Miles said on Thursday. The freighter was blocked from docking in Brisbane after New Zealand authorities alerted Australian officials on Sunday the vessels crew could be infected with a new strain of the virus. Its currently floating off Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast and all 19 crew members were tested for the virus on Wednesday, Miles said. Theres a meeting underway at the moment to determine if they will be evacuated to a hospital on the mainland and which hospital that will be, he told reporters. Miles said the two infected crew would be counted in Queenslands COVID-19 tally if they were transferred to the mainland. File image of the Sofrana Surville cargo ship, which is feared to be carrying COVID-infected crew. Credit: 7NEWS Queensland recorded no new virus cases overnight. Health officials completed 4760 tests in the 24 hours to Thursday morning. The state has four active cases and it has been 42 days since the last case was diagnosed in the community. Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Angus Mitchell previously said the Sofrana remains isolated in a negative quarantine status. The Sofrana Surville off the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, this week. Credit: 7NEWS This restricts the movement of people on and off the vessel. He said virus testing was completed by a private pathologist contracted by the ships agent. The Sofrana left New Zealand earlier in the month with fresh crew from the Philippines before stopping at Noumea in New Caledonia. It then sailed for Brisbane. NZ alerted local authorities the crew could be infected after an engineer who had worked on the Sofrana tested positive.

Coronavirus vaccine trial volunteer with AstraZeneca dies after taking placebo - 7NEWS.com.au

A participant in a trial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University has died, but researchers say there are "no concerns about safety".

Brazilian health authority Anvisa says a volunteer in a clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University has died but adds that the trial will continue. Oxford confirmed the plan to keep testing, saying in a statement that after careful assessment there have been no concerns about safety of the clinical trial. Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that the volunteer had been given a placebo and not the trial vaccine, citing unnamed sources. Anvisa provided no further details, citing medical confidentiality of those involved in trials. AstraZeneca declined immediate comment. Medical syringes are seen with AstraZeneca company logo displayed on a screen in the background in this illustration photo taken in Poland on October 12, 2020. (Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Credit: NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images The Federal University of Sao Paulo, which is helping coordinate phase 3 clinical trials in Brazil, separately said the volunteer was Brazilian without revealing where the person lived. AstraZeneca shares fell 1.7 per cent. The federal government has plans to purchase the UK vaccine and produce it at its biomedical research center FioCruz in Rio de Janeiro while a competing vaccine from Chinas Sinovac Biotech Ltd is being tested by Sao Paulo states research centre Butantan Institute. Brazil has the second deadliest outbreak of coronavirus, with more than 154,000 killed by COVID-19, following the United States. It has the third largest number of cases, with more than 5.2 million infected, after the United States and India.