Elite task force formed to tackle Sydney underworld war
A task force of 100 officers will probe Sydney's underworld gang war with another man gunned down in a public, execution-styled murder.
national news
South Korea wins multi-billion-dollar defence contract
South Korean company Hanwha Defence has won a multi-billion dollar contract to build infantry fighting vehicles for the Australian Army.
Climate index hints at higher destructive bushfire risk
Australia potentially faces a return to destructive bushfire seasons as conditions shift towards less extreme rainfall and rising extreme temperatures.
Closer defence, easier travel on trans-Tasman agenda
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has been playing host to Anthony Albanese for two days in Wellington.
Smaller businesses hit hard by waning economy
Smaller businesses are bearing the brunt of the deteriorating economy, with conditions looking less optimistic for firms with fewer employees.
Rooftop solar surge eases wholesale electricity prices
Rooftop solar is reducing wholesale electricity prices but the market operator warns more transmission is needed to keep the lights on in a post-coal system.
Warnings about spying, hacking threat from Chinese AI
Australia needs to properly assess and regulate artificial intelligence to stop authoritarian nations using it to undermine national security, a report says.
Universities grilled on canned sexual consent campaign
Universities Australia has defended a decision to stop the rollout of a consent campaign, saying it would need to do additional focus group testing.
Diehard explorer sets sail on two-year climate crusade
Australian explorer Geoff Wilson and his son are about to begin a two-year, net-zero odyssey to record how climate change is hurting the world's wildest areas.
Stranded WA whales euthanised in ‘difficult decision’
Wildlife experts have had to euthanise the remainder of a pod of whales that began beaching themselves on a remote West Australian beach earlier this week.
Dodgy developer payments, donations sent to prosecutors
Victoria's corruption watchdog will send evidence from a developer payments scandal to prosecutors as it pushes for planning and political donation reforms.
‘An awful experience’: man dead, wife escapes unit fire
A fire has ripped through a regional Victorian retirement village, killing an elderly resident whose wife escaped to safety.
Ex-deputy principal jailed over explicit teen chats
A former deputy principal has been jailed for explicit chats online in which he sought sex with an undercover cop he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
Paramedics being poached but NSW won’t raise pay offer
Paramedics in NSW say a four per cent pay rise offer is not enough and have resumed industrial action to make their point to the state government
Meta fined $20m over misleading data protection claims
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has been fined $20 million after an app that claimed to protect user data was found to have leveraged it for commercial gain.
Cooling inflation could keep interest rates on ice
A solid slowdown in the inflation rate could be enough to convince the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates on hold for a second consecutive month.
First languages court between a dock and a hard place
Aboriginal people are massively over-represented in the criminal justice system, and a scarcity of interpreters is only adding to the problem.
Tactical switch in battle to eradicate fire ant menace
A new "horseshoe" configuration will be deployed in the fight to contain and eradicate a destructive invasive insect species marching south.
Rinehart knew tenements jointly owned: Wrights
Gina Rinehart knew in the 1980s some iron ore-rich mining tenements were co-owned by another company, lawyers for her father's former business partner say.
Justice system ‘protects the bad guys’ in rape cases
The delicate balance between protecting an accused's right to innocence and a complainant's right to justice in rape cases is being examined by parliament.
Healthy outlook for global economy but risks linger
Stronger growth and lower inflation suggest the global economy is heading in the right direction, but the International Monetary Fund warns challenges remain.
Homebirths to be introduced at Royal Women’s Hospital
Victoria's publicly funded homebirth program will be expanded to three extra hospitals, including the Royal Women's Hospital, the state government says.
Trans-Tasman leaders eye easier movement after NZ talks
Anthony Albanese has landed in New Zealand for a two-day visit to discuss regional security, trade and football with counterpart Chris Hipkins.
‘Business as usual’: Closing the Gap efforts inadequate
Australia is failing to make meaningful progress in implementing key priority reforms to improve the lives of Indigenous people.
Calls for border checkpoints in fight against fire ant
Farmers from northern NSW worried about fire ants want authorities to consider checkpoints on the Queensland border to halt the spread of the pest.
Surviving whales shown deeper water after 52 deaths
Fifty-two whales are dead after stranding themselves on a remote WA beach and rescuers are preparing to lead the rest of the pod back into deep waters.
Imprisoned former US navy pilot’s fate remains in limbo
Former US Marines pilot Daniel Duggan will remain in an Australian prison for at least a few more months ahead of findings that could prevent his extradition.
On tractor for world record as mighty machine turns 100
The Farmall tractor, loved by generations of farmers and collectors, will celebrate its centenary in country NSW this weekend.
Premier ducks questions over call up to Games inquiry
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has shrugged off whether he would accept an invitation to face a federal inquiry into the Commonwealth Games.
Judge rejects ex-teacher’s ‘bizarre’ teen text claims
A former deputy principal's claims he posted an online ad seeking teens to make his ex-partner jealous has been criticised as "bizarre" and "preposterous".
Cop who leaked Dani Laidley pics fired over new scandal
A Victorian police officer who avoided losing his job after leaking photos of former AFL coach Dani Laidley has been sacked, reportedly over images of corpses.