Murray Watt has just cemented his reputation as a ‘fixer’
In his deal with the Greens, Environment Minister Murray Watt has just scraped off one of the biggest barnacles clinging to parliament. ⌘ Read more
Son accused of killing father with crowbar had mental issues, court told
A NSW court is told heard Milenko Snjegota had limited capacity for reason when he allegedly murdered his 74-year-old father in their home near Wollongong. ⌘ Read more
New Zealand launches inquiry into case of father who hid children in forest for years
Tom Phillips disappeared with his children in late 2021, in a case that drew global attention for his ability to evade arrest. ⌘ Read more
Gold Coast mayor defends third business trip to Europe in two years
Mayor Tom Tate plans to travel to Italy in February next year to take part in the Winter Olympics torch relay. ⌘ Read more
P-plater avoids jail for hit-and-run
A 21-year-old woman has been sentenced for being the driver involved in a hit-and-run incident which killed Albany woman Bronwyn Clark in July. ⌘ Read more
ABC Classic’s curated Christmas list has music for everyone
ABC Classic’s Christmas music selection has everyone covered, whether you’re a fan of choirs, orchestras, Christmas movies, operas, musicals or video games. ⌘ Read more
Anderson expects England to pick same side for second Ashes Test
England are unlikely to tinker with their side for the second Ashes Test against Australia starting in Brisbane next week despite being thumped in the opening match, former fast bowler James Anderson has said. ⌘ Read more
Hanson’s high steaks dinner didn’t get Joyce over line
In the end, it turns out not even a Wagyu steak from Gina Rinehart’s cattle company cooked on a sandwich press was enough to lock in Barnaby Joyce’s defection to One Nation. ⌘ Read more
SA house speaker joins departing MPs ahead of March election
Leon Bignell has announced he will retire from politics at the next state election bringing an end to his 20-year reign as the MP for Mawson. ⌘ Read more
Gold Coast developer under investigation taken to court over continued spending
ASIC alleges businessman David McWilliams has continued to spend money in frozen bank accounts on cruises, gambling and a trip to Disneyland. ⌘ Read more
Man accused of murdering Toyah Cordingley told police he saw ‘killers’ and ‘ran’
The jury has been played a a covert recording of a conversation Rajwinder Singh had with an undercover officer in a police station cell in 2023. ⌘ Read more
Minister says artificial reefs a ‘win-win’ despite environmental concerns
Claims new artificial reefs being installed in a protected marine park could damage a vulnerable natural coral reef are disputed by Queensland’s environment minister. ⌘ Read more
Killer who dumped woman’s body in South Fremantle harbour jailed for 20 years
A Perth man who stabbed a woman multiple times in a “ferocious attack” before dumping her body in the ocean is sentenced to 20 years in prison. ⌘ Read more
Barnaby Joyce quits Nationals, will sit as independent
The former leader and deputy prime minister has confirmed his long-awaited political move. ⌘ Read more
Cold drinks, beach dips and ice rinks: Queenslanders battle rising heat
After days of relentless heat and storms, temperatures have jumped sharply again today. ⌘ Read more
Breaking: US stops processing immigration requests from Afghan nationals
The decision comes hours after US President Donald Trump said he was confident the suspect behind the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington was from Afghanistan. ⌘ Read more
Vatican records first surplus in years, driven by $421m in donations
Donations to the Holy See in 2024 helped it turn around a 51 million euro deficit to record its first surplus in years, according to the Vatican’s economic secretariat. ⌘ Read more
Daisy needed legal help to see her kids again. She’s one of the lucky ones
When Daisy returned home to find her children gone, she turned to a community legal service to help her see them again — but many women aren’t lucky enough to have access to such help. ⌘ Read more
Movie magic and manic mothers: Here’s what’s in cinemas this month
November saw the return of two beloved franchises; magic-filled Now You See Me and action classic Predator — but can either live up to their predecessors? ⌘ Read more
Child safety inquiry flags subpoena as department accused of ignoring law
The head of Queensland’s child safety inquiry says he “might need to subpoena” files from the department after hearing it was often “not” following its own legislation around preferred permanency options for children in care. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong fire puts spotlight on risks of bamboo scaffolding
Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in three decades draws attention to its risky use of flammable bamboo scaffolding and mesh for building work, in a tradition dating back centuries. ⌘ Read more
Teacher pleads guilty to having sex with 15-year-old boy
High school teacher Karly Rae, 37, pleads guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage boy in the Hunter Valley region. ⌘ Read more
WA man sentenced to five years’ jail after ‘brutal’ attack on pregnant woman
A Kimberley man has been sentenced to five years in jail after attacking a pregnant woman, forcing her to have an emergency caesarean. ⌘ Read more
Councillor warns another Tasmanian project on track for cost blowout
Launceston City Council recently received backlash over its redevelopment of Albert Hall. A councillor now warns another project will cost more than planned, as he calls out a culture of “secrecy”. ⌘ Read more
Illicit tobacco stores shut down in raids across Queensland
Dozens of stores across every corner of the state have been closed for three months as officers exercise new powers passed in Queensland’s parliament last week. ⌘ Read more
Murder of Sydney couple ‘destroyed’ lives of their family, court told
An emotional court hearing has been told the pain felt by the family of Min and Steven Cho after they were killed by a martial arts instructor almost two years ago. ⌘ Read more
Italy votes to make femicide a crime
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says the measure will help “defend the freedom and dignity of every woman”, following a series of killings and other violence targeting women in Italy. ⌘ Read more
Fiery German threatens to ‘knock Opetaia senseless’ in title fight
Jai Opetaia’s next opponent, Germany’s Huseyin Cinkara, believes he has the power it takes to defeat the Australian world cruiserweight champion when they meet in the Gold Coast. ⌘ Read more
Second company confirms asbestos in imported wind turbine lift brake pads
A second renewable energy provider says it is taking “immediate action” after the discovery of asbestos in imported brake pads used on access lifts at its wind farms around the country. ⌘ Read more
Waits on housing and renewables may have just gone from years to months
Major housing, renewables and mining projects often get bogged down by Australia’s aging environment laws for years. Now a deal to rewrite them could change that. ⌘ Read more
Victorian grower finds success in relatively unknown sweet crop
Jujubes are a relatively unknown fruit for most Australians, but the sweet fruit has strong domestic demand for those looking for a taste of home. ⌘ Read more
Inquest finds murder of Lilie James ‘was a premeditated killing’
A NSW coroner has urged young people to consider their use of location-sharing technology after the “senseless” murder of Lilie James at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. ⌘ Read more
Breaking: Government projected to badly miss 2035 climate target, fall shy of 2030
The Climate Change Authority projects Australia is expected to fall well short of its commitment to cut emissions by 62 to 70 per cent by 2035 — though the minister notes that is before accounting for a number of recent commitments. ⌘ Read more
White wine grape growers already in crisis suffer ‘another kick in the guts’
The wine grape industry has written to the SA government pleading for help as it reaches breaking point after indicative pricing for the next vintage is released showing growers could face losses of up to $270 per tonne. ⌘ Read more
Swimming skills gap from lack of facilities in regional WA
Parents are reporting year-long waitlists for swimming lessons at public pools as drowning deaths continue to rise. ⌘ Read more
Newborn baby found abandoned outside Canberra fire station
The baby — estimated to be less than 24 hours old — was found this morning outside a fire station. ⌘ Read more
Labor and Greens agree on extra ABC funding for kids’ programs
A deal between the federal government and the minor party will see an extra $50 million go to the public broadcaster to facilitate passage of a bill to impose local content requirements on streaming platforms. ⌘ Read more
First permanent psychiatrist appointed in south-west Queensland
Farzin Rezaei has made the move from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences to the vast plains of south-west Queensland. ⌘ Read more
The rule change that could stop ‘overpowered’ e-bikes being brought into Australia
Bicycle industry figures welcome planned changes by the federal government, but hope state governments will update road rules to help enforcement. ⌘ Read more
Boy stabbed at Melbourne school
A boy has been treated for non-life-threatening injuries after a stabbing at a school in Melbourne’s south-east on Thursday morning. ⌘ Read more
Summer fire outlook puts Victoria at high bushfire risk
Dry conditions dogging Victoria put the state at a high risk of bushfires this summer, according to the latest summer fire outlook. ⌘ Read more
What the social media ban means for rural boarding school students
Regional and remote students are being encouraged to learn old-school ways to stay in contact as social media bans for those under 16 come into effect over the summer holidays. ⌘ Read more
Banking regulator APRA to impose home loan caps amid housing boom
The banking regulator will impose restrictions on home loans from early next year to limit the number of “high-risk” large loans being issued to customers, which could have major implications for home prices. ⌘ Read more
Floods leave at least 50 dead across Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia
The Thai city of Hat Yai received its heaviest rainfall in 300 years, while mudslides killed dozens on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ⌘ Read more
Ballarat mine operators charged over fatal rockfall
The operators of Ballarat Gold Mine have been charged over a rockfall that killed 37-year-old miner Kurt Hourigan and seriously injured a 21-year-old workmate in March 2024. ⌘ Read more
Liverpool crashes to 72-year first after shocking Champions League loss
Liverpool’s nightmare run of form continues after being humbled at home once again as Arsenal flexes its muscles in a heavyweight clash to go top of the Champions League. ⌘ Read more
Contender for Khawaja’s Test spot calls him one of Australia’s best ever
Matt Renshaw is gunning for a spot in Australia’s Test side, but does not want it to come at the expense of Australia’s veteran opener Usman Khawaja just yet. ⌘ Read more
Mother horrified to see needle thrown into backyard on CCTV
A mother is in disbelief after a needle she believes was used to inject drugs was thrown into her Karratha backyard. ⌘ Read more
Varroa mite detected in bee hives in two more SA locations
Beekeepers are being urged to monitor their hives more frequently after further detections of the deadly bee parasite varroa mite in South Australia. ⌘ Read more
Labor strikes deal with Greens to end environmental reform stalemate
The years-long stalemate over reforms to environmental laws is set to clear in the final week of the parliamentary year. ⌘ Read more