‘Not possible to know’ if lottery pact was best deal
A 40-year lottery licence deal propped up a state budget but an official probe has stopped short of suggesting a better price could have been fetched.
politics
‘Bow down’: angry court tirade from alleged bus abuser
A man accused of a foul-mouthed, racist tirade at young teenagers on a bus has unleashed more vitriol at a judge and prosecutor before being refused bail.
Annual $400m debt bomb warning after credit downgrade
With the clock ticking on Olympics infrastructure, one state government has been warned of the likely cost of a rare credit rating downgrade.
Labor set to announce sweeping migration changes
Labor's delayed immigration plan will finally be announced after the government was beaten to the punch by One Nation on releasing key figures.
‘Copycat’ knife-search powers to spread after election
Victorians will be "wanded" for knives anywhere in public at the discretion of police after the major parties aligned on laws pioneered by Queensland.
‘Doing what we want’: Labor stands by housing tax moves
Tax changes will help boost housing supply in the long run, even though a downturn is impacting new home sales, the housing minister says.
Hanson gets ’10/10′ for Indigenous apology from own MP
One Nation MPs are mopping up after leader Pauline Hanson apologised for labelling Indigenous Australians as primitive.
‘I’m not corrupt’: developer’s furious tirade at probe
A fugitive property developer giving evidence at a corruption inquiry has launched an angry tirade against the commissioner and its lead lawyer.
Slashing fossil fuels is ‘life and death’ for Pacific
New gas and coal developments should not go ahead if the world is to stop climate change forcing Pacific islanders out of their homes.
Hanson leaves wriggle room in her ‘primitive’ apology
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson insists she didn't intend to hurt anyone when she labelled Indigenous Australians "the most primitive race on Earth".
Labor struggles to turn election tide under new premier
A new premier has been unable to lift support for Victorian Labor or his personal standing, with a poll showing voters are fretting about state debt.
Defiant Hanson ‘sick of listening’ to migration experts
Pauline Hanson is dismissing criticism from bureaucrats, politicians and big business, saying they're wrong on migration and only care about cheap labour.
Iran protests as nuclear chief is blocked from meeting
Iran has condemned the exclusion of the head of its atomic energy organisation from an annual gathering of the United Nations nuclear agency in Austria.
Developer claimed he was ‘Godfather’ of Liberal faction
A property developer at the centre of an ongoing corruption probe, who is also wanted by police over fraud allegations, has faced the inquiry from overseas.
‘No value’: smelter blast furnace snuffed out for good
Hundreds of workers will lose their jobs at a major Australian steelworks after a decision to pull the plug on a blast furnace built in the 1960s.
GST revolt continues with treasurer’s ‘privilege’ claim
A state treasurer has appeared before the Productivity Commission, outlining his concerns about the current GST system privileging one state over others.
‘Race to the bottom’: One Nation migration plan slammed
Business groups are piling on One Nation's plan to cut 750,000 migrants, arguing it would cripple Australia's ability to elevate its standard of living.
Trump downplays AI risks as ‘things that won’t happen’
Donald Trump has dismissed concerns about AI, saying the US is leading China in the field and "I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI wins".
Coalition slams ‘Big Brother’ social media reform bill
The opposition is declaring the government's digital duty-of-care laws the "Big Brother bill", doubling down on its stance to block the reforms in parliament.
First case of bird flu in endangered sea lion
Australia's rarest seal species has recorded a case of bird flu for the first time, with an animal dying from the disease while recovering from a shark attack.
Fresh ‘adult time’ pledge in youth crime crackdown
Adult time for adult crime has been pledged by the NSW opposition in a move that mimics a slogan taken to electoral victory by its Queensland counterparts.
OpenAI won’t do 2026 IPO, extinction risk unacceptable
OpenAI boss Sam Altman has ruled out the company going public in 2026, saying the ten per cent chance of AI causing human extinction is "unacceptable".
Strait of Hormuz shipping attacks fuel oil supply fears
A key oil pipeline has been shut as reports of attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz fuel concerns about threats to global energy supplies.
Russia strikes truck near Ukraine border with Poland
Russia has hit a truck about 800 metres from the Polish border with Ukraine in its latest near-NATO strike.
Trump triggers row by backing a united Ireland
The US president has backed the idea of Irish reunification in comments that have drawn ire from many in Britain.
US marks 25 years since the September 11 terror attacks
Memorial events have been taking place across the United States to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in which nearly 3000 people died
Leaders meet as wars and rivalries strain expanded bloc
BRICS leaders are meeting in New Delhi this weekend as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and US -China tensions test the group's unity
Bush battlers beg airlines for budget flights
Steep competition is driving up regional plane fares and forcing route cancellations, leaving communities crying out for more travel options.
Credit downgrade heaps pressure onto Queensland budget
On the same day as the Queensland treasurer lost his state's AA+ credit rating, his NSW neighbours received an upgrade to their outlook.
Regional cancer patients paying ‘postcode penalty’
A new national scorecard has exposed major gaps in the amount regional cancer patients are forced to spend to access life-saving care.
‘Magnitude slowly hit’: 9/11 remembered 25 years on
A political reporter has recounted being in Washington with an ex-prime minister a quarter of a century ago when terrorist attacks on the US changed the world.