Pope names Australian as Vatican’s chief legal expert
Pope Leo has filled one of the most important Vatican vacancies by tapping an Australian church lawyer to serve as the Holy See's chief legal expert.
religion and belief
Mullally becomes first female archbishop of Canterbury
Ex-nurse Sarah Mullally has been installed as the archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion.
Prayers, protesters at end-of-Ramadan celebrations
Australia's Muslim community has marked the end of Ramadan, but the prime minister's appearance at a major mosque was met with a cold response.
Girl returned to killer parents despite ‘cult’ warning
A family's extreme religious beliefs against medical treatment were known to authorities years before their "cult" killed a little girl, a coroner has heard.
Gunman shot dead after crashing truck into US synagogue
An armed man has been shot dead after ramming his truck into a Michigan synagogue in what investigators said was a targeted attack on the Jewish community.
AFL club admits ‘error of judgment’ on Bondi tribute
The Sydney Swans have apologised over an AFL pre-game tribute to the Bondi terror attack victims that failed to mention the Jewish community.
‘Reset button’: Ramadan binds community amid tensions
Fasting from sunrise to sunset, about one million Muslims in Australia are marking the holy month of Ramadan amid wars and as multiculturalism is tested.
Writer pays for lies that ‘humiliated’ church leader
A veteran journalist who relentlessly attacked a spiritual leader with meritless claims has been ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
Please explain: Hanson lashed for anti-Islamic vitriol
Muslim leaders have challenged Pauline Hanson to explain exactly what policy changes she would like to see after an incendiary rant on late-night television.
White nationalist jailed for hateful Australia Day rant
A neo-Nazi supporter who railed against Jews in a hate-filled Australia Day rally speech has been jailed for his offensive and abhorrent crime.
Mayor wants Hanson charged with hate speech offences
A mayor has urged authorities to charge One Nation leader Pauline Hanson with hate speech offences after inflammatory comments she made about Muslims.
Australia tarnished by persistent racism, refugee abuse
Australia has again failed to curb refugee abuses and rampant discrimination, including against Indigenous people, in its human rights report card.
Anger as Liberals call for Muslim checks to stem terror
Former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison has faced backlash after suggesting accreditation should be required for Muslim preachers after the Bondi attack.
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.
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.
Hate speech and gun reform to be tackled separately: PM
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the government will split a controversial bill to reform hate speech and gun laws.
Hate speech laws could be ‘salvaged’ after backdown
Despite criticising Labor's proposed hate speech laws as unsalvageable, the coalition is looking to get elements passed in an emergency session.
Labor issues ultimatum on hate speech laws
Changes to hate speech laws remain up in the air as Anthony Albanese issues a take it or leave it offer to the coalition on the contentious laws.
PM vows quick answers after yielding to Bondi inquiry
Anthony Albanese has unveiled a royal commission into anti-Semitism and social cohesion following weeks of pressure after the Bondi massacre.
Minns won’t lobby PM for national royal commission
The NSW premier will stay in his lane as calls continue to mount on the prime minister for a national royal commission into the Bondi terror attack.
Industry voice in growing chorus for royal commission
Peak industry groups are adding their weight to mounting calls for a federal royal commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack.
Zelenskiy hopeful of new Trump meeting in peace talks
A meeting with US President Donald Trump will happen "in the near future", Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says.
‘Bring us together’: PM holds firm on terrorist review
The federal government is remaining steadfast in its commitment to a mass shooting probe as Jewish communities continue to demand a full royal commission.
PM’s royal commission resistance ‘politically damaging’
The prime minister may have painted himself into a corner by refusing to call a royal commission into Australia's worst massacre in decades, an expert says.
Pope calls for worldwide ceasefire at Christmas
Pope Leo XIV has urged a day of peace around the world during the Christmas period.
PM jeered at Bondi amid calls for unity after massacre
The nation is attempting to heal a week after 15 people were shot dead at Bondi, as calls for a royal commission into the attack grow.
Failed pipe bombs among new Bondi massacre allegations
Previously unpublished allegations about the extent of planning behind the Bondi massacre and failed efforts to detonate bombs have been released.
Man banned from Bondi after Jewish ‘threat’ mid-flight
A man who allegedly made anti-Semitic threats during a flight from Bali to Sydney has been banned from Bondi after being granted bail.
Pope wraps Lebanon visit with prayer at port blast site
Pope Leo has paid his respects to the victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, offering a silent prayer at the site on the last day of his trip to Lebanon.
Pope urges Middle East to reject ‘horror of war’
Pope Leo XIV has issued a "heartfelt appeal" for peace in Lebanon, regretting that he could not visit the country's south because of "a state of conflict".
‘Blessed are the peacemakers’, Pope Leo tells Lebanon
The Pope has emphasised the a message of peace during his visit to Lebanon, giving blessings to "those who choose peace even when conflict seems easier".