Emergence of printed weapons complicates gun crackdown
As Australia grapples with an increasing number of guns on its streets, emerging technologies could be making it easier for criminals to access deadly weapons.
national news
Central bankers defend Fed’s Powell after Trump threat
Fed chair Jerome Powell has the backing of fellow central bankers from Europe to Australia after the Trump administration threatened him with criminal charges.
Premier’s compassion defence over writer’s legal threat
A state premier facing a defamation threat has defended comments he made about an author who was controversially dumped from a leading writers' festival.
Jewish groups push to scrap hate speech law exemptions
Coalition members and Jewish groups have come out against proposed hate speech laws drawn up in response to the Bondi massacre.
Bushfire losses mount as premier defends fleeing mob
Volunteer firefighters are "blaming themselves" for being unable to lessen the devastation wrought by an ongoing bushfire crisis, a fire chief says.
Cycling’s Flying Burrito aims for more Paralympic gold
Korey Boddington, the reigning Australian cyclist of the year, is a para-cycling track sprinting star who is particularly fond of burritos.
High school costs forcing indebted parents to work more
The significant cost of educating children in Australia is forcing parents to work more hours and families to cut back on holidays.
Next US ambassador will have ‘no simple task’
Former Labor ministers are emerging as the frontrunners to replace Kevin Rudd as Australia's ambassador to the US after he chose to retire a year early.
Bluescope Steel entices shareholders with $438m payday
Australia's biggest steelmaker will pay investors a special dividend of $1 per share after rejecting a takeover overture from Kerry Stokes and a US partner.
Doubts crime boss will ever be extradited from Iraq
Doubt lingers over whether an underworld figure linked to Australia's illicit tobacco wars will be extradited after his Middle East drug trafficking arrest.
Third hottest year notched as fires, floods hit at home
The world clocked its third hottest year on record in 2025 and is on track to surpass the 1.5C Paris Agreement threshold by the end of the decade.
Hate speech laws in peril as Libs, Greens spurn reforms
Major changes will be needed to the government's hate speech laws overhaul for any hope of rushing the legislation through parliament.
AI is boosting scientific careers but shrinking studies
Artificial intelligence could be good for scientists but bad for science as a whole, a study has found, as it narrows the scope of research.
Bushfires spark inquiry call as funding debate rages
Underfunding has been blamed for the scale of losses from ferocious bushfires but state authorities insist conditions made containment impossible.
Forget quiet quitting: job-hugging tipped as top trend
Fewer Australians are expected to seek fresh employment as the market becomes tighter and artificial intelligence technology creates uncertainty.
Hot or not? Strong spending complicates rate picture
Upcoming data will give the Reserve Bank a better sense of whether higher interest rates are required to take the heat out of Australia's economy.
Dumped author to consider festival return after apology
A major writers' festival is in damage control as it apologises for dumping a Palestinian-Australian author in a move that triggered a mass boycott.
Alarm bells as Murray declared critically endangered
Listing the beleaguered Murray River as critically endangered must be backed with action if it is to be saved, environmentalists say.
Urgent recall for hand sanitiser given to resort guests
A hand sanitiser gifted to hotel customers for over five years has been found to be contaminated with a toxic ingredient and has been urgently recalled.
Neo-Nazi’s defiant vow in bail bid over ‘rape’ charge
A former lieutenant of Australia's neo-Nazi network has distanced himself from the group amid claims he called for the "rhetorical rape" of a politician.
Want a safe car? Crash tests say you should go electric
The safest new vehicles in Australia are almost all electric, with the top performers delivering consistently across the various areas of testing.
‘Little warning’ as flash flood sweeps cars out to sea
A river has dramatically burst its banks, sweeping cars out to sea and trapping holidaygoers in caravans after "off-the-charts" rainfall caused major flooding.
Capital city rents hit record highs apart from one
All but one Australian capital has yielded annual growth in rents, but experts expect that city to be a star performer in the long-term.
Teacher’s alleged plot to ‘pimp’ out drugged children
A teacher has been refused bail for allegedly planning to drug and sexually assault a boy and girl in "revolting" messages found on his phone.
Unions reach deal with tech giant on AI and workers
Workers will have a say in the rollout of AI through an agreement between a tech giant and unions that has been welcomed by industry and government.
Emergency crews battle fire and flood across one state
Little relief is expected from rain at key firegounds in one state, where communities are also assessing the damage after a record deluge burst river banks.
Religious leaders unite in call for hate speech rethink
Religious leaders have united across faiths to urge the prime minister to go back to the drawing board on contentious hate speech reforms.
Social media ban a ‘success’ with 4.7m accounts blocked
Australia's online safety watchdog has compared new social media age restrictions to vehicle speed limits as data shows the scale of the under 16s ban.
‘Their career is toast’: writers’ festival anguish
The consequences of cancelling a major literary festival are far-reaching, publishers and writers say, despite a premier declaring there is no economic impact.
Authorities defend warnings ahead of record floods
Locals were given "adequate" warning ahead of damaging flash floods, authorities claim as locals and visitors clean up along a popular surf and holiday coast.
War of words overshadows dumped author’s apology
While an apology from Adelaide Festival is welcome, a dumped Palestinian-Australian author says her words continue to be "twisted" by an unapologetic premier.