Telstra profit up 11pct, to review enterprise business
Telecommunications giant Telstra says while its mobile business performed strongly in the first half, a review of its domestic enterprise division is underway.
national news
Whitehaven H1 profit plunges after lower coal prices
Cheap Russian coal and the costs of an acquisition have hit Whitehaven Coal's first-half profit after the exporter reported a substantial fall.
Surging Kmart sales help Wesfarmers grow H1 profit
Kmart's value proposition resonated with shoppers in the first half of 2023/24, helping Wesfarmers lift its profit by three per cent to $1.43 billion.
Bosses won’t be penalised for calling staff after hours
Employers won't face criminal sanctions for contacting staff outside their rostered hours after the penalties were belatedly stripped from workplace reforms.
New exotic pest raises fears for rivers, water network
A highly invasive clam has been found in Australia for the first time and it could be bad news for river health and water infrastructure.
Revamped income tax cuts clear their first major hurdle
Taxpayers earning under $150,000 are in line for a greater tax cut, after the Albanese government's overhauled income tax package cleared the lower house.
Australia’s jobless rate hits two-year high
Fresh labour data is unlikely to shift the dial for the central bank despite the jobs market slowdown appearing a little ahead of schedule.
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environmental cleanup
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environmental pollution
government
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health
politics
Asbestos-tainted mulch potentially at hundreds of sites
Hundreds of sites are due to be tested for contaminated mulch including some outside Sydney as an expert group is formed to speed up the investigation.
Cheap, damaged e-scooters may be banned in apartments
Apartment managers will be encouraged to restrict the use of e-scooter "cheap imports" in by-laws and educate residents about using technology safely.
auto trends
automotive equipment
environmental issue
environmental politics
environmental pollution
politics (general)
renewable energy
road transport
transport
One in four Aussies consider an electric vehicle next
A study shows more Australian drivers are keen on electric cars but the group behind the research says it also shows bad news for a fuel-efficiency standard.
Lehrmann trial may hit Reynolds-Higgins defamation case
Mediation talks between Senator Linda Reynolds and Brittany Higgins could be derailed by credibility issues raised at Bruce Lehrmann's defamation trial.
Lehrmann inquiry chair accused of concealing texts
Lawyers for former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold have accused the chair of an inquiry into the Bruce Lehrmann trial of trying to conceal text exchanges.
Joyce told to take leave after he ’embarrassed himself’
Nationals leader David Littleproud is pushing Barnaby Joyce to take a break after a video of him lying on a Canberra footpath went viral.
Homes lost as bushfires continue to burn
Bushfires have destroyed an unknown number of homes and volunteer firefighters have suffered minor burns while battling blazes in Victoria's west.
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electricity production and distribution
emergency planning
energy (general)
fire
weather
weather news
Communities still in the dark after destructive storms
A dairy farmer is dead and around 135,000 properties remain without power in Victoria after storms knocked down transmission towers and lines.
Commonwealth Bank reports $5.02 billion H1 profit
Australia's biggest bank made $5 billion in profit in the first half, down three per cent from a year ago, but has raised its dividend.
Snap election call dumps ‘unworkable’ Tas parliament
The premier of Australia's only Liberal government says he called an early election to avoid being "held to ransom" for the next 12 months.
High-risk AI use could be banned by new task force
Using artificial intelligence technology in risky tasks such as social scoring and biometric identification could be banned in Australia by a new group.
Inquiry chair denies special treatment for journalist
The chair of an inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial denies he gave preferential treatment to a particular journalist, despite prolonged contact.
Fossil fuel carbon levy would fund climate ‘solutions’
A levy on fossil fuel carbon would help greener products to compete and fund initiatives to mitigate the impacts of climate change, a think tank says.
Hot spell sweeps the nation, sparking trouble in Vic
Widespread hot weather has led to fires in Victoria and high temperatures plus rain storms in other parts of the nation.
Tasmanian Liberal premier announces early election
Tasmania is set to head to the polls more than a year early after the state's minority Liberal premier failed to resolve an impasse with two independents.
Security chiefs eye global conflicts and meddling spies
Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza and Russia's ongoing assault on Ukraine are keeping Australia's intelligence agencies under the pump.
Treasury eyes ‘rare’ full employment opportunity
No evidence of a wage price spiral suggests the jobless rate can stay lower than previously thought sustainable, says the top Treasury official.
Defence chief unaware of commander’s torture allegation
A Fijian colonel facing torture allegations was appointed to oversee 3000 Australian troops, without the knowledge of the defence force chief.
environmental cleanup
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gays and lesbians
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Asbestos kills off Mardi Gras fair, shutters school
Asbestos-tainted mulch is to blame for the closure of a primary school in Sydney's southwest and the cancellation of a major Mardi Gras festival event.
River sweep forms part of search for suspected victim
A search for missing man Daniel Copeland, who police believe met with foul play, has extended to a sweep of a northern NSW river.
Property investors in focus as tax debate shifts gears
As home ownership becomes increasingly difficult for many, pressure is growing on the major political parties to revisit tax reform.
EPA backs down on ‘dangerous’ new logging rules in NSW
New logging rules that had experts fearing for the survival of the endangered greater glider will be revisited by the NSW environmental watchdog.
Slain boy’s father hugs prosecutor after guilty verdict
Declan Cutler's father, who missed the judge handing down a guilty verdict for four of his son's killers, hugged the prosecutor who later gave him the news.
NSW bans spit hoods but still some backing in NT
Advocates are calling for all jurisdictions to ban spit hoods, after NSW became the second state to pass legislation prohibiting their use, following SA.