(THEME MUSIC)
Hey, how's it going? Nat here with another BTN Newsbreak.
Scientists have found a new way
to track and monitor COVID-19 in the community -
going through sewage.
Yep, a little bit of human waste can tell us an awful lot.
Here's Leela.
LEELA: Yep, it's a story about sewage.
But don't worry, I'm not gonna be immature about it.
That's just something I wouldn't...poo.
I mean, do.
So, it turns out your business
can help with some very important business.
This is Sydney's largest waste water treatment plant.
Workers use this machine to collect samples
and then send them to a lab.
We can detect the remnant of the virus,
so it doesn't tell us if it's alive or dead,
but it tells us the virus is somewhere in the community.
And get this.
Even before you know you have COVID-19, it shows up in your poo.
So, it can help point health authorities towards suburbs
where they need to do more testing and monitoring.
It does enable us to have a much more accurate view
of what's actually happening in our communities,
over and above the clinical testing,
which can sometimes take a little bit longer.
It's a tracing technique scientists have used for decades,
but now with plans to start testing for COVID-19 within a month,
it could be more helpful than ever before.
Meaning our business is kinda now important business.
(SNIGGERS)
World leaders have joined together to help fight COVID-19.
They're giving money to search for a vaccine.
Led by the European Union, countries have raised about $12.5 billion,
including more than $350 million from Australia.
This is a great shared project by the peoples of world,
with a clear purpose to find that vaccine.
Now, if you've been a little bored in isolation,
don't worry, you're not the only one.
Or even the only species.
Without regular visitors, zoos have had to work extra hard
to keep animals happy and entertained.
So, Charlotte visited Adelaide Zoo to lend a hand.
CHARLOTTE: Usually, this place would be full of visitors looking at lions,
or gazing at giraffes.
But as you can see at the moment, things are pretty quiet.
And it's not just because of the rain.
Does anyone have an umbrella?
For the past six weeks, Adelaide Zoo's been shut
because of COVID-19 restrictions,
and it turns out the animals are missing us
just as much as we're missing them.
With the meerkats, I can see that they're looking for people,
so anytime we walk past,
they're kind of checking out what we're up to.
With fewer interesting humans about,
keepers are having to find creative ways to keep these guys entertained,
whether it's putting on puppet shows for the chimps,
or letting the birds watch a bit of TV.
Their favourite's ABC Kids, actually.
They don't like it when I put on anything that isn't ABC Kids.
So, this red car is something we bought for the meerkats
as a bit of enrichment, bit of visual enrichment.
My next stop, the goat yard.
So, this is Jax.
And with the zoo closed at the moment,
what we've been doing to keep our goats entertained
is taking them for walks around the zoo.
Once the zoo opens, we need everyone's support to come back,
'cause we miss them, the animals miss them,
and we can't wait to see everyone again.
We told you about Star Wars Day, May the 4th.
Well, today is a special day for fans as well.
(DARTH VADER BREATHES)
Especially fans of the Dark Side of the Force.
It's time for...
..Revenge of the Fifth.
Ugh!
First up, some incoming news from a galaxy far, far away,
also known as Hollywood.
Academy-Award-winning director Taika Waititi
is set to direct and co-write a new Star Wars film.
But it won't be his first brush with the Star Wars universe.
He actually directed the season finale of The Mandalorian.
Now to Manilla, where Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers
have been keeping locals in line by enforcing lockdown rules.
In a rare display, they also showed their kinder side,
by giving care packages to those in need and posing for photos.
Although his method of transport
wasn't quite as cool as a Star Destroyer.
Who would've thought taking the bins out
would be the most exciting part of a Stormtrooper's day in iso.
This member of the Galactic Empire takes his chores very seriously.
While this guy, well, he needs a little more training.
He took out the wrong bin, prompting a return mission.
Darth would not be happy.
(DARTH VADER BREATHING) No.
Captions by Red Bee Media