New normal: knife laws inconvenient, but here to stay
In a move likened to roadside breath testing, police will randomly target areas where violence has previously occurred and wand people for weapons in new laws.
national news
Man accused of killing ex-girlfriend wants city trial
A man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend wants his trial to be held in Melbourne, away from the regional city of Ballarat where the alleged murder occurred.
China locked out of Nauru security in Australian pact
Australia needs to agree to Nauru entering a security or banking agreement with a third country after signing a treaty to prop up the Pacific nation's budget.
Woolies rushes to deck the shelves with Christmas stock
Woolworths is counting the cost of a 17-day strike that took millions of dollars from their bottom line and left shelves empty in the lead-up to Christmas.
Insurers ‘price gouging’ with secret premium hikes
Millions of Australians are being overcharged by health insurers using a loophole to dodge the rules against raising premiums.
Family violence order ‘stopped ex-MP from filing tax’
Personal turmoil and an inability to access documents from an ex-partner's house have been blamed for a former politician's failure to submit tax returns.
‘History’ hailed as navy test fires 2500km missile
Australia has become the third nation in the world to successfully fire a long-range Tomahawk missile, in a move being hailed for its speed.
Free public wi-fi ‘gamechanger’ for remote communities
More than 20 communities will have free wi-fi in public spaces through a $20 million government program to address the digital divide in remote areas.
‘Game-changer’ app for Indigenous people without ID
Low birth registration, cultural naming norms and homelessness contribute to a lack of standard ID documents that one Indigenous-led platform aims to address.
Aussie hub to keep Pacific police ready, China at bay
The opening of a Pacific policing base and training centre in Australia comes a day after China donated boats, 4WDs and motorcycles to Vanuatu police.
New homes lead the way in energy efficiency
Canberra boasts the most energy efficient homes in Australia but cities with older stock like Sydney and Hobart are lagging.
‘Cheap and late’: PM heckled at firebombed synagogue
An angry crowd has met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as he visited a synagogue to see for himself the destruction caused by a suspected terrorist attack.
Rates stay on hold and hope for February cut revived
Long-awaited mortgage relief looks closer as the central bank takes another interest rate hike off the table and lays the groundwork for future cuts.
Exhausted: Australia lags Europe, US on car pollution
Vehicles are getting bigger but more efficient, a transport study has found, but Australia is still being lapped by other nations on low-emission cars.
How a Trump presidency could affect Aussie produce
Farmers are keeping a close eye on US president-elect Donald Trump's commitment to impose tariffs on imports.
It’s a love story: how Taylor Swift bested Donald Trump
The personalities, topics and major news events that dominated Australian internet searches in 2024 have been revealed by Google.
Road blocked as Israeli adviser’s charges withdrawn
Dozens of protesters have blocked a busy city thoroughfare as a private prosecution against a former Israeli advisor was struck out in court.
Restaurateur who held up anti-Israel sign ‘no neo-Nazi’
A high-profile restaurateur who held up a Nazi swastika at a pro-Palestinian rally has avoided conviction after a magistrate accepted he was deeply remorseful.
Women’s despair after losing contraception class action
More than 1000 women who suffered chronic pain and bleeding have lost their class action against pharmaceutical giant Bayer over a contraceptive device.
Shelves bare but union puts stock in talks with Woolies
Supermarket shelves will continue to remain bare as hundreds of workers picketing a major Woolworths warehouse fight for better pay and conditions.
COVID-19 vaccine negligence claims ‘needle in haystack’
A class action accuses the government of negligence in approving COVID-19 vaccines, but lawyers say the case has no chance of making it to a hearing.
Alleged bikie boss arrested after international manhunt
An accused Hells Angels kingpin has been deported to Australia after spending weeks in a Manila airport terminal.
Call to boost Aussie research funds as review launches
A study of Australian research investments has been welcomed by business, academic and technology groups, but some say more urgent action is needed.
Warnings of blackouts as rural workers go on strike
Electricity workers are preparing to walk off the job as a pay dispute, simmers, with regional residents warned of potential blackouts at the start of summer.
Search for man after targeted fight turns fatal
A manhunt is underway after a man and a woman were shot dead in an early-morning altercation in a suburban home.
‘Keep fighting’, mother urges veterans after inquiry
The mother of a navy officer who took his own life has urged families to keep fighting despite the government responding to an inquiry into defence suicides.
Injecting room boss ‘ready to quit’ over drug inaction
Nearly 5000 places hand out free syringes but only two take the next step and supervise drug users, which must change soon, say key reform advocates.
Half of remote communities cut off from mobile services
While internet access in remote areas is improving, half of Indigenous communities still lack mobile phone services.
The 50 million reasons Woolies wants blockade to end
Woolworths says strike action has cost the company $50 million as it lodges an urgent application to ban workers from blocking access to its warehouses.
Urgent action needed to stamp out battery fire risks
Companies who import electronic goods to Australia should be forced to register and recycle their batteries, an expert says, to address growing fire risks.
Pacific anger at Australian climate stance at top court
Climate change is an existential threat to Pacific islanders, Australia has acknowledged at the world's top court, but argues against further legal obligations.