Australians with cancer are living longer than ever, a flagship health report has revealed, but falling childhood vaccination rates and increasing rates of measles, diphtheria and whooping cough have given experts cause for concern.

Colourful children’s play sand that was sold in Australia while contaminated with asbestos can release hazardous airborne fibres of the toxic mineral, researchers have discovered.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the lead researcher of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) study, which found 90% of craft sand samples released asbestos into the air when played with, confirmed the products had been sold in Australia.

Down the Dwayne

Why is the Mouse House still ruining its landmark animated movies with pointless live-action remakes? (Hint: $$$)

In the beginning there was only ocean, until a mouse emerged, wearing a hat and piloting a steamboat. Walt Disney — his heart held the greatest power ever known, the power to turn primitive sketches into moving pictures, and animation into dreams. He could create life itself, and Disney shared it with the world. But in time, some began to seek Disney’s heart, or at the very least, his company’s lucrative back catalog. They believed if they possessed it, the power of creation could be theirs.

Floating in like a refreshing Pacific island breeze, Moana comes along a mere 10 years after the animated feature on which it’s based, and while the live-action remake knows better than to tamper with the story’s sturdy bones, this charming new iteration stands confidently on its own. Chalk that up to a winning turn in the title role by Australian newcomer Catherine Laga’aia as a Disney princess with no need for a prince to figure out who she is or what she wants; and winking backup from a self-parodying Dwayne Johnson, fleshing out his voice role from the 2016 original, the egotistical trickster demigod of wind and sea, Maui.

MSRP

The feline slacker, Garfield, along with his eternal love of lasagna and existential hatred of the start of the work week, is no stranger to video games. Whether that's games focusing on exploring his home for trinkets, taking on trivia and party challenges, or even having a go at kart-racing action, it seems like Garfield and friends have done it all. But where the upcoming Garfield: Escape from Monday tries something different is putting the slacker cat in a new action-platformer where he'll have to navigate a dream world loaded to the brim with his favorite foods, along with some unsavory ones to deal with.

What It Is

Ford is betting big that its upcoming "Universal Electric Vehicle" platform and production process will do for electric vehicles what the Model T did for automobiles—essentially make them more affordable to more people. And the first of several variants to spawn from Ford's Universal EV platform will be a currently nameless electric truck that will start at around $30,000 and enter production sometime in 2027. While Ford has remained mum on what its upcoming pickup will be called, the company's affinity for reviving recognizable nameplates (see the F-150 Lightning and Maverick) and a relatively recent trademark filing lead us to believe it'll be called "Ranchero."

Khamosh Pathak

Khamosh Pathak

Freelance Writer

Experience

Khamosh Pathak is a freelance tech journalist with over 13 years of experience writing online.

An accounting graduate, he turned his interest in writing and technology into a career. He holds a specialization in user experience design from ISDI Parsons in Mumbai, where he sought to deepen his understanding of UX, consumer devices, and interplay between software and technology.