Tragic summer on track as drowning deaths surge
An increase in summer drownings has prompted a warning from lifesavers ahead of the long weekend, with a campaign calling on men to take water safety seriously.
national news
Russian Medibank hacker first to be hit with sanctions
The Australian government has imposed cyber sanctions for the first time, naming Russian Aleksandr Ermakov as the man responsible for the Medibank data breach.
Further sanctions against Middle East terror groups
Australia has imposed fresh sanctions against three groups and 12 people with links to proscribed terror groups Hamas, Hizbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Labor on vote-buying spree promising tax cuts for all
Anthony Albanese is promising middle Australia will be the focus of cost-of-living support, as speculation mounts about changes to stage three tax cuts.
Public schools to remain underfunded: education union
The Australian Education Union says the federal government must do more to ensure public schools are fully funded to provide every opportunity to Australians.
Weekly rent prices soar to new record for Aussies
Australians are being smashed in a cost of living crisis with record weekly rent prices, as homelessness services experience soaring demand.
Beale jury shown alleged grope before sexual assault
The jury judging if Kurtley Beale groped and sexually assaulted a woman has seen CCTV from the night as his lawyer argues a "quite different version of events".
Cyclone menace forming on doorstep of flood-hit region
A rapidly forming cyclone is forecast to unleash damaging winds and heavy rain on far north Queensland, barely a month after wild weather devastated the region.
Man on trial over ‘reckless’ bid for 143kg of heroin
A Sydney man used power tools to access 143kg of heroin hidden in imported bakery equipment despite AFP officers removing the drugs earlier, a jury has heard.
Study warns of worse bushfires after burn-offs, logging
Researchers say hazard-reduction burns and logging can make forests up to seven times more flammable and it's time to rethink how they're managed.
Victorian opposition backflips on treaty support
Victoria's opposition has withdrawn its support for Indigenous treaty negotiations, citing concerns about cultural heritage laws.
Healing program aims to help Indigenous survivors of DV
More than half of Indigenous women are survivors of violence and it's hoped an expansion of community-driven services will provide culturally-based healing.
‘Extremely grateful’ former PM Morrison quits politics
Former prime minister Scott Morrison has announced his resignation from politics, nearly two years after losing the federal election.
Households waiting on building insurance settlement
There was an unprecedented number of domestic building insurance claims after the collapse of builders like Porter Davis with more than 1000 claims not settled.
Toyota’s electric adverts spark confusion claims
An environmental group is calling on Australia's consumer watchdog to investigate Toyota over the way it advertises hybrid vehicles.
‘Harrowing, shocking’ police pedophile report released
A once-trusted Tasmania Police officer used his role to groom and abuse children with impunity for more than three decades, an interim report has found.
Hung juries are not a failure, inquiry told
Small but significant adjustments to the way juries work won't solve a supposed problem in achieving verdicts, a NSW parliamentary inquiry has been told.
‘Deceitful and deliberate’: transport exec jailed
Connect executive Cris Large will serve a minimum of one year in jail for systematic safety failures that ended in the deaths of four Victorian police officers.
Optus admits thousands more triple zero calls failed
Optus' revelation the number of unsuccessful calls to emergency services was 10 times more than first reported is "deeply concerning", the government says.
‘Disinformation takeover’ a source of worry as AI grows
Voluntary regulations for AI are on the cards as concerns mount about the emerging technology's impact on jobs, copyright and disinformation.
Bespoke accommodation for 12-year-old accused murderer
Bespoke accommodation with perimeter fencing is being fixed up to house a 12-year-old girl accused of stabbing a woman to death inside a former Melbourne hotel.
Planes crashed mid-air after unplanned manoeuvre
A plane nose dived into Port Phillip Bay, killing the two men aboard, after it hit another aircraft trying to do an inverted manoeuvre.
Education expenses and fees leave parents floundering
Parents are concerned their children may have to go without essential school supplies as expenses skyrocket ahead of the 2024 school year.
First vaccine approved for infectious respiratory virus
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has for the first time approved a vaccine against the highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus.
China chastises Australia for Taiwan election support
The Chinese ambassador is seeking to meet with Australian officials to raise objections to statements of support for Taiwan's democratic election.
Tattoo clue for mystery man in decades-old cold case
Police hope a new computer image will end a global search to identify an unidentified man struck and killed by a train in Sydney more than four decades ago.
Wong sounds alarm over civilian deaths and ‘just’ peace
Penny Wong has shared Australia's concerns about the "dire" humanitarian situation in Gaza and the rising number of Palestinians being killed.
‘Life-threatening’ flood warning as rain soaks country
Thunderstorms across Australia's eastern seaboard including Sydney's outskirts may bring flash flooding as some rural residents remain isolated by floodwater.
Genomic tools show innovative Indigenous agriculture
Research shows Aboriginal people increased the spread of bunya pine, which have held cultural significance for thousands of years, following colonisation.
Clean-up continues as region braces for another cyclone
Another cyclone could make a "severe impact" on far north Queensland as the region cleans up from record flooding caused by a system just weeks ago.
Insolvency on the rise, as opposition attacks govt fund
The coalition have criticised the government for the number of manufacturing businesses going under as insolvency levels rise above pre-COVID levels.