‘Two precious souls’: tributes grow for slain boys
A mother of two boys found dead in the Blue Mountains remains under police guard, as the community mourns the loss by laying tributes at the family home.
national news
Three decade sentence for bus driver’s ‘ultimate sin’
Brett Button has been jailed for 32 years after expressing sorrow and shame for causing a bus crash that left 10 dead and 25 injured in the NSW Hunter Valley.
Children promised a say on social media age ban plans
Some young people will get around an age limit on social media but a ban is still needed to protect children, the prime minister says.
Foreign student cap will lower living standards: unis
A higher education heavyweight says the major parties are undermining Australia's future prosperity for short term political gains by capping foreign students.
‘Trump-style’ Latham defamed MP with explicit tweet
A tweet by controversial politician Mark Latham suggesting a political rival engages in "disgusting" sex acts has been deemed defamatory by the Federal Court.
The charge star crime-fighting actor didn’t see coming
Actor Simon Baker has avoided a conviction after appearing in a country town court over a drink-driving charge, complicated by a global tech outage.
Top cop slams ‘hypocrite’ activists after violent rally
Dozens of police and protesters have been injured in violent scenes outside a weapons convention in Melbourne with missiles thrown and rubber bullets fired.
Privacy law calls as Meta admits farming Aussie photos
Experts are calling for changes to privacy laws after Meta revealed Australian photos from Facebook and Instagram were being used to train AI tools.
Fears skate extinction will damage Tasmania’s image
Tasmanian businesses have formed a new group to campaign for the salvation of an ancient fish, fearing its demise could cost them dearly.
Aussie companies should not be shy but careful about AI
Businesses need to monitor for bias, copyright infractions and ethical issues when using AI, a group has warned, but should not ignore the technology.
Rebecca to feature in Melbourne Theatre Company line-up
An adaptation of Rebecca will feature in the Melbourne Theatre Company's 2025 program, of which eight productions are premieres of Australian works.
Protesters return as leaders slam ‘disgraceful’ actions
Anti-war activists returned to the streets of Melbourne as political leaders slammed their roles in violent scuffles that broke out with police.
Bus crash victims sue state over ‘unsafe’ interchange
Survivors and family of victims of a horror bus crash that killed 10 people are suing a government over alleged failings in the roundabout where it happened.
Crackdown on doxxing but hate speech law under fire
As the federal government comes under pressure on weakened hate speech laws, fresh penalties will apply for disclosing private information online.
Social media misinformation to be policed by watchdog
The communications watchdog will be given new powers to crack down on misinformation on digital platforms under proposed federal laws.
Plan in train to stop violence against Indigenous women
A National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan will be developed to address rates of violence against Indigenous women and children.
Indigenous cultural heritage objects returned from UK
A collection of artefacts of significant cultural importance has been handed back to the Warumungu Community of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory.
Liberals to double debt, delay budget surplus
The Tasmanian Liberal government's 2024/25 budget has pushed back a projected surplus and forecast net debt to double in four years.
Murder became ‘like a horror movie’: camper’s family
Prosecutors have asked for Greg Lynn to be jailed for life for his "cold-blooded and callous" murder of camper Carol Clay, as her family confronted the killer.
Cafe, pub splurge short-lived as consumer pain persists
Higher spending at hospitality venues in August was likely a blip as financial pressure on wallets is expected to stick around until 2025.
‘Beyond comprehension’: cop killed on memorial ride
A police officer visiting NSW from Queensland has died after his motorbike went down an embankment during a commemorative ride.
Downsizer tax break not ruled out under housing reform
The Property Council argues stamp duty is a major barrier for downsizers, while Victoria's premier did not rule out a one-off exemption to free up family homes.
Aged care reforms home in on freedom for older Aussies
Aged and home care systems will receive billions of dollars in funding in a bid to improve living conditions for older Australians.
Australia could be global launch pad for green flights
Aviation experts say Australia could lead the world in carbon-cutting jet fuel if governments and the industry take action in the next year.
Activists say ‘NO’ as Vic mulls weapons expo return
Victoria's treasurer has signalled a controversial weapons expo could return to the state despite days of protests some of which which descended into violence.
Diggers go ‘under the bus’ as top brass are unscathed
The general who oversaw Australia's operations in Afghanistan is under the spotlight after keeping his honours will some officers lost theirs.
Higher aged care payments to boost quality, fairness
Reforms that will help older Australians to live at home for longer are also hoped to improve generational fairness and bolster aged care quality.
‘Getting worse’: unsafe water plagues remote residents
Remote communities are excluded from data about Australia's water quality, which experts warn could be contributing to serious health issues.
Biden to host Albanese, Quad leaders in his US hometown
US President Joe Biden will host a Quad summit in the state of Delaware with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan.
Bruce Lehrmann breaches orders in defamation appeal
An appeal by Bruce Lehrmann against his defamation loss to Network Ten has hit a snag, with his lawyer telling a court he is still chasing funds.
Wanted $10m fraudster strolls into court after no-show
A construction boss found guilty over a plan to defraud the tax office of more than $10 million is back in custody for the start of a "significant" jail stint.