PM ‘smashing targets’ as term hits halfway point
Anthony Albanese says the government's biggest priority is the cost of living as he marked 18 months in the top job.
politics
Rise in online hate speech underscores need for reform
Gaps in the regulatory framework dealing with safety online have been identified by the federal government as hate speech and the misuse of AI continue to rise.
Hospital upgrades after granddad dies waiting for bed
Ipswich hospital west of Brisbane will get more beds after a grandfather died following a three-hour wait in an ambulance to be admitted.
RBA hones in on domestic demand in inflation fight
The Reserve Bank fired off an interest rate hike last month to take out insurance against lingering inflation risks, minutes from a board meeting confirm.
Australia’s road infrastructure funding set to double
The federal government is increasing the money local councils have available to improve road infrastructure, as extreme weather takes a toll on the network.
All eyes on RBA messaging for hints on rates outlook
Public appearances from senior Reserve Bank officials should shed some light on the future outlook for interest rates as the tightening cycle nears its end.
More cash on offer for first home buyers
The Queensland government is doubling grants to first home buyers in an effort to get thousands more people into the property market.
Terrorism protection laws floated for former detainees
Terrorism laws allowing authorities to keep dangerous people behind bars are being floated as a possible way to lock up freed immigration detainees.
Calls for justice from thousands at pro-Palestine rally
Thousands have marched in a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne's city centre after hearing from the father of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Labor keeps Mulgrave in Vic by-election despite swing
Labor appears on track to retain the Victorian seat of Mulgrave, previously held by former premier Daniel Andrews, but with a large swing against it.
Backlog after ‘flawed’ DNA testing could take years
Another DNA testing bungle has been exposed at Queensland's troubled forensic lab, meaning more than 100,000 samples might need to be re-tested.
Crackdown on former detainees could face legal hurdle
Tough new laws including tracking devices and jail for breaching visa conditions for 93 released detainees are likely to face a legal challenge, an expert says.
Chinese attack on navy ship divers ‘dangerous’: PM
The prime minister says an incident involving the Chinese military and Australian navy divers was appropriately and unequivocally raised with authorities.
Breakthrough in New Zealand government formation talks
Chris Luxon, leader of New Zealand's election winners National, has brokered policy deals with two minor parties to form government.
NSW won’t accept cuts to key infrastructure funding
The NSW premier has vowed to continue pushing the federal government to provide the state with its fair share of money for major road and other projects.
Company denies controversial firm used to win contract
Salesforce told a parliamentary inquiry it did not use a controversial lobbying firm linked to ex-minister Stuart Robert to win a government contract.
Woman to defend cream crepe attack on NT chief minister
Suzanne Milgate says she will plead not guilty to attacking the Northern Territory's chief minister with a crepe and harassing her online.
Stop making trouble over warship, China tells Australia
The prime minister is resisting opposition pressure to reveal if he raised an incident with a Chinese warship when he spoke to Xi Jinping on the weekend.
Subdued 2024 for property as rate pain hits home
A mixed year is expected for Australian property markets, with SQM Research expecting strong growth in Brisbane and Perth but weaker performance elsewhere.
Optus CEO exit a ‘sacrifice for reputation gods’
Australia's corruption watchdog doesn't think Optus chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin's exit serves any purpose other than a quick reputational boost.
Gillnet fishing ban to protect Great Barrier Reef
Hundreds of fishers will be compensated after the Queensland government moved to phase out gillnet fishing on the Great Barrier Reef by 2027.
Former detainees face tough penalties under new laws
Laws imposing strict visa conditions on ex-detainees, including those with criminal records released from indefinite detention, have passed parliament.
agriculture
economy, business and finance
electricity production and distribution
energy
energy and resource
environmental issue
manufacturing and engineering
metal and mineral
mining
politics
transport
Battery economy: From ‘dig-and-ship’ to ‘mine-and-make’
Some $2 billion in capital and other sweeteners could turn Australia from the world's quarry into a "mine-and-make''nation driving the battery supply chain.
Students skip school to rally over climate ‘shame’
Students across the nation have taken a day out of class to protest government inaction on climate change and the continued support of fossil fuels.
Hundreds of emergency calls failed during Optus outage
A Senate inquiry into a 12-hour Optus outage that affected millions of Australians has revealed hundreds of triple-zero calls were unable to go through.
Indo-Pacific agreement on clean energy, anti-graft
A US-led grouping of Indo-Pacific countries has agreed to cooperate on clean energy, anti-corruption and supply chains, but have not reached a trade pact.
Biden tells APEC leaders US is committed to the region
President Joe Biden has told the APEC summit the United States is 'not going anywhere' in its commitment to the Pacific region.
Hospitals issued historic rape victim care directive
Queensland's Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has issued an historic directive requiring public hospitals to assist rape victims within 10 minutes.
Social housing data to become available in Queensland
Quarterly data on social and affordable housing will become publicly available in Queensland after the state government committed to its release.
Whistleblower pleads guilty to leaking war crime claims
David McBride has pleaded guilty to leaking classified information to journalists that helped expose allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers.
Human rights groups respond to whistleblower’s pleas
Human rights advocates are calling on the attorney-general to intervene and stop a whistleblower who exposed allegations of war crimes from going to jail.