SBS News In Depth

AI systems can do amazing things, but they can sometimes suffer from a drawback called “catastrophic forgetting”. Researchers at Arizona State University hope to learn how to solve the problem by probing the brains of sleeping bees. The pay-off could be more reliable, more memory-efficient artificial intelligence. When AI systems learn one task — say, how to recognize dogs — and are later trained...

The suffering caused by the war in Gaza has grabbed the world's attention. But that suffering isn't just limited to the enclave's human inhabitants.

A team of researchers say they’ve found fossils that add two new ancestors to our human family tree. While these two creatures appeared to have lived at the same time - and in the same place - they are two distinct, different hominins. The team says one set of fossils appears to be a fit for the genus Homo. That’s the same genus as modern humans. The other seems to fit Australopithecus, the same g...

After an almost three-hour meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Donald Trump emerged with no deal to end the war in Ukraine. Mr Trump says he sees the next step as a three-way meeting with Mr Putin, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy - and potentially himself.

Junior rodeo riders from New Zealand, the US and Australia have been competing in this year's Mount Isa Rodeo in outback Queensland. These young athletes are among the 700 competitors taking part in the biggest rodeo in the Southern Hemisphere.

As international aid dwindles, refugees worldwide face worsening food insecurity. Among thousands displaced by ongoing conflict in Myanmar, experts warn a humanitarian crisis is looming. Those who’ve found refuge in Australia are working to keep culture alive.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Cochlear CEO Dig Howitt after the group's full-year results annoucement about the future of implants, while Stephanie Youssef discusses the role of EVs with CAR Group CEO William Elliott; while Grady Wulff from Bell Direct goes through the numerous records the Australian sharemarket hit during the week.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin face off for the first time in six years, with the future of Ukraine hanging in the balance. Anthony Albanese announces Australia will recognise a Palestinian state, sparking praise and condemnation. Plus, the Haitian gang leader with a US$5 million bounty on his head, and the world’s worst would-be assassin?

Experts are warning of the dangers of battery fires. They say there were more than 500 battery fires globally in electric bikes, scooters and skateboards just in the first six months of 2023, causing 138 injuries and 36 deaths.

Wildfires continue to rage across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. In Spain, a third volunteer firefighter has died from severe burns, and as residents across the continent grapple with the loss of homes and possessions, the E-U has sent assistance to Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania.

Thousands of people have gathered in Tel Aviv for a concert to honour the victims of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in Israel. The event comes as international aid agencies continue to call for more essential humanitarian relief to reach people struggling in Gaza as the war between Israel and Hamas militants continues.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, Australian time, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will sit down for a one-on-one meeting in Alaska, talks the US President hopes will lead to a ceasefire in Ukraine. The Russian leader has praised what he called ‘sincere efforts’ by the US to end the war… and floated the prospect of a nuclear arms deal. Kyiv and its European allies have urged Trump not to mak...

Advocates in Australia are calling on the federal government to expedite and conclude the outstanding visa applications filed by Afghans who were employed with Australia's mission in Afghanistan.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Origin Energy CEO Frank Calabria following the company's profit results and discusses everthing from the direction of power prices, the energy transition and electric vehicles; Justin Smirk from Westpac goes through the day's labour force data; and Damien Boey from Wilson Asset Management look through the day's market action including the deluge of...

Wildfires fanned by an intense heatwave and strong winds continue to rage across Europe. The fires have ripped through villages across the continent, forcing thousands to flee their homes in Greece, Spain, Portugal and Albania.

Aid convoys are trickling into Gaza through the Rafah crossing amid mounting claims of Israeli obstruction, with drivers reporting repeated rejections over minor issues. The slow deliveries are deepening the humanitarian crisis and leaving displaced residents to endure the summer heat, as the death toll rises and calls for an immediate ceasefire grow louder.

Donald Trump has warned of ‘severe consequences’ if Vladimir Putin blocks peace in Ukraine, while also suggesting Friday’s Alaska meeting could be followed by a second summit that includes Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But there are already signs the Russian leader’s not in the mood for compromise and President Zelenskyy has warned Putin is ‘bluffing’. European leaders, who had feared the American Presiden...

Ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, a Chatham House analyst is saying Ukraine will not accept any deal imposed without its participation. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to discuss a possible deal to end the war in Ukraine when they meet on Friday. Jaroslava Barbieri, Research Fellow at the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, points out that Trump h...

The federal government has announced there'll be 22 grants made to social enterprises to help support marginalised communities. It's part of an $11 million investment aimed at tackling issues like long-term unemployment and discrimination.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn about the bank's record $10.3bn full-year cash profit and finds out what it means for investors, plus his future AI plans for the bank; David Rumbens from Deloitte Access Economics goes through the latest wages data from the ABS including why productivity is key; and Jun Bei Lui from TenCap goes through the sharemark...

Donald Trump is pulling hard on the levers of power to strengthen Republicans through redistricting in Texas and other states. The president's efforts have lit a fuse in multiple states, triggering a high-stakes tussle over election law that could up-end what is expected to be a fierce fight for control of the House of Representatives in 2026.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled out ceding territory to Russia, and says a lasting peace deal cannot be secured without Ukraine. His remarks come ahead of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska later this week.

Public health experts have raised concerns about the beliefs and behaviours of individuals of reproductive age on social media. In a recent study, La Trobe University researchers looked into the rise of contraceptive misinformation on TikTok.

Last summer's marine heat wave was the largest and most intense on record in Western Australia, says a new report from the Australian Institute of Marine Science. The sustained heat has caused unprecedented bleaching across Western Australia's reefs, with experts saying it could take months to uncover the full extent of the damage.

As Australia prepares to recognise a Palestinian state, some hold concerns that it's a distraction from what is happening on the ground in Gaza. Other groups have criticised the move, which they say rewards Hamas for the October 7 attacks.