Bus driver ‘ignored’ pleas to slow before deadly crash
A survivor of a horror Hunter Valley bus crash has likened the driver's bowed head in court to his hands being in his pockets while a passenger bled to death.
national news
Australia a step closer to social media bans for kids
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is unveiling plans to introduce age limits for social media as new research highlights its negative impact on life satisfaction.
‘No delay’ for response on veterans suicide report
Veterans and their families won't have to wait for a lengthy response following a royal commission, the prime minister has promised.
‘Tired trope’: most voters open to lower home prices
Australia's housing affordability mess has most voters in favour of lower prices and backing tax reform and other policy interventions to ease pressures.
‘Not going away’: nurses, midwives demand wage increase
Nurses and midwives are on a collision course with the NSW government, as both sides dig in and pay negotiations threaten to get uglier.
‘Flock off’: furious farmers fume over sheep export ban
Furious farmers have flocked to Parliament House to rail against a live sheep export ban, with truckies and cockies making their voices heard.
Death most likely outcome for koalas in care: vet data
Most sick and injured koalas that wind up in the care of vets are put down, a grim new analysis of data shows.
Landmark settlements for children detained in Nauru
Two children held in offshore detention in Nauru have secured settlements with the Australian government over harm caused to them in a protracted legal battle.
Social media ban poses barrier to mental health support
Mental health services and youth advocacy groups say they will find it harder to connect with young people if the government goes ahead with a social media ban.
‘Petrified’ siblings fight for their lives after blaze
The father of one-of-the-three children found unconscious inside a burning home says one child may not survive as the siblings remain critical in hospital.
Promise to improve wellbeing to prevent suicide scourge
Additional prevention measures and support for people at risk of suicide form part of a sweeping draft strategy aimed at eradicating the scourge.
‘As tragic as it gets’: two boys dead, mother arrested
A community in the Blue Mountains is mourning the death of two boys described as "precious souls" as their mother is held under police guard.
X Corp says Twitter does not exist, fines should vanish
American legal experts have taken the stand in Federal Court as lawyers for the social network known as X argue it should not have to pay Twitter's fines.
Labor toasts vote that reshaped parliament for 30 years
Three decades ago women welcomed a historic vote at the Labor National Conference, which Anthony Albanese and his federal caucus team celebrate to this day.
King Charles, Queen plan six-day Australia visit
King Charles and Queen Camilla will spend time in Sydney and Canberra as part of a six-day visit to Australia in October.
‘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.
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.