Missing radioactive capsule found in Australia - BBC

Authorities released a close-up picture of the pea-sized capsule - which could cause serious harm if handled - on the ground among tiny pebbles.

Announcing their find, the state emergency services paid tribute to "inter-agency teamwork in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds".

The device is part of a density gauge, which was being used at Rio Tinto's Gudai-Darri mine in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a news conference in Perth that the current fine for failing to safely handle radioactive substances is "ridiculously low".

It is roughly equivalent to the distance by road from John O'Groats in northern Scotland to Land's End in south-west England, or from Washington DC to Orlando, Florida.

The gauge was being transported by a subcontracted company, which picked it up from the mine site on 12 January to move it to a storage facility in the north-east suburbs of Perth.