The World Today

Coconut oil has a lucrative reputation as a health food. But the American Heart Association is warning people to avoid it, with a reminder that it's just as high in saturated fat as butter. Health professionals are hoping the advice will reach people who've been misinformed about its properties.

Facebook has long touted that it wants to make the world 'more open and connected', but now the powerful social media platform has a new mission statement. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he wants to 'bring the world closer together'. One Australian expert is warning that while building online communities might sound good, it comes with privacy risks and may even undermine some communities in the real world.

Mine rescue crews have a very tough job which relies on highly specialised training. Teams of these first responders from across northern Australia have been putting their skills to the test in a special time-trial competition.

Scientists from Australia and Switzerland have found that the shrinking size of whales was a key indicator that the species was about to collapse during commercial whaling. Sperm whales went from being about 18.5 metres down to 14.5 metres and even the biggest animal on earth the blue whale got smaller.

MPs and Senators across the political divide have criticised the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, for suggesting that children with autism should be educated in special classes. Senator Hanson says some media reports of her comments have been taken out of context. But Labor MP Emma Husar, who's 10 year old son has autism, has delivered the most personal criticism, telling Senator Hanson that her comments are ill-informed and wrong.

Parents of autistic children and people with the condition have been upset by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's remarks. But some have also conceded she has a point - many schools are not built for children with special needs. They say more funding is important and better teacher training is crucial.

Islamic State militants have blown up a 12th century mosque in Mosul as Iraqi forces continue their campaign to expel the group from the city. It was from this ancient landmark three years ago that Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a 'caliphate'.

The destruction of Mosul's Al Nuri mosque is another reminder that Islamic State's main victims have been Muslims, according to Andrew Zammit, a terrorism researcher who's written papers for the Lowy Institute and the Institute for Regional Security. He says it shows ISIS has been prepared to violate norms that other jihadist groups have not, but could also indicate that the group is crumbling.

The former head of the Australian Press Council has weighed into a furore that's engulfing the watchdog for newspapers and magazines. Speaking exclusively to The World Today, Julian Disney believes Council member Carla McGrath will either have to give up her role with activist group GetUp or resign from the independent press organisation. The saga has already prompted the Press Council Chairman David Weisbrot to quit.

There's often a lot of criticism that the news is negative and depressing, and a new study has found that more than half of Australian audiences sometimes avoid it, because of that. The survey has also found an increasing number of us are getting our news online, although TV still reigns supreme. And in the era of 'fake news', only about two in five Australians say they think they can trust the news most of the time.