Max Opray

In January, Covid-19 became Australia’s second leading cause of death after cancer. Although the disease is now less fatal, more people have died this year than in the past two years combined.

The response to climate change is increasingly gendered, with inaction tied to a phenomenon called ‘petro-masculinity’.

A South Australian aquaculture project to grow livestock feed from algae will drastically reduce the amount of methane produced by cows. But experts warn the Morrison government is using scientific solutions to greenwash the meat industry.

New analysis of the Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu National Park casts doubt on government claims it is not linked to high rates of cancer and stillbirth in nearby Indigenous communities.

Over the past few weeks a slow-moving weather event has led to record high temperatures across North America.This kind of event is known as a heat dome, and it’s breaking existing models that try to predict the weather.

A slow-moving heat dome is bringing record-breaking temperatures to the northern hemisphere. Climate scientists are alarmed by how bad it is – and what might follow in Australia.

As the public hearings of Victoria’s royal commission into Crown come to a close, discussion turns to what reforms are needed after reports of tax evasion and money-laundering.

Devastating floods over Easter sparked a coronavirus outbreak in Timor-Leste that now threatens to rage out of control. Australian aid has helped, but the nation desperately needs more vaccines and medical supplies.

A week after the federal budget, the government has revealed it will spend more than $3 billion to bolster Australia’s oil refining capacity, and a further $600 million to build a gas plant in the Hunter Valley.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor will today detail his plan to pay coal, gas and hydro plants for their capacity rather than the energy they actually produce, in a radical shake up of electricity markets. The plan, which will also cover batteries, would see …

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will today pledge to delay plans for budget repair measures, as he unveils a new target to drive unemployment below five per cent. In a Canberra speech that creates room for further big-spending measures in the May 11 federal …

Australians impacted by the shutdown of all travel from India have slammed the federal government’s decision and called for dedicated mass quarantine facilities. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday announced a temporary halt on flights from the …

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has made good on his threat to bring legal action against social media critics, taking a refugee advocate to court over a tweet that labelled him a “rape apologist”. Dutton filed Federal Court defamation proceedings on …

US President Joe Biden is eyeing a carbon border tariff to pressure countries with high emissions like Australia into taking climate action, echoing a similar European Union plan. As Biden unveiled a plan to cut US emissions by at least 50 per cent by …

Hosting a global climate summit this week, Joe Biden plans to reduce US emissions by more than 50 per cent by 2030. Scott Morrison’s focus on unproven technology, experts warn, will not achieve our climate goals.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to strengthen Australia’s emissions targets at the Earth Day global climate summit, as the United States, Japan and Canada ramped up their 2030 commitments. In his speech, Morrison boasted that Australia had …

Indonesian authorities have called for urgent Australian assistance to help rescue a submarine missing in the Lombok Strait near Bali with 53 people on board. The 44-year-old submarine was conducting a torpedo drill before Indonesian authorities lost …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced $539.2 million in funding for controversial carbon capture and storage as well as hydrogen projects, as pressure rises on his government to act on emissions ahead of a major global climate summit. The funding …

Labor’s foreign affairs spokesperson Penny Wong has called for targeted sanctions to be considered in response to Uighur human rights abuses, as a new report outlines the alleged torture and rape of women in Chinese “re-education camps”. In a speech …

Labor’s opposition resources spokesperson Madeleine King has come out in support of thermal coal exports beyond 2050, in a position at odds with achieving the ambitions of the Paris climate accord. In an interview with The Australian, the West …

The 30th anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody has sparked protests and fresh pushes for reform across the country. More than 470 Indigenous people have died in custody since the royal commission report was tabled, five …

United States President Joe Biden has announced he will withdraw remaining American troops from the “forever war” in Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York. The US will begin …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has turned to state and territory leaders to help resurrect Australia’s shambolic vaccine program, asking the National Cabinet to hold two meetings a week to get distribution back on track. In a statement, Morrison said …

A colonel responsible for reforming special forces culture has been implicated in compromising photos at a military base bar in Afghanistan. The Australian reports the officer was photographed at the Fat Lady’s Arms bar in 2009 with plastic …

Decorated military veteran Ben Roberts-Smith reportedly buried USB drives with compromising images in his backyard instead of handing them over to an investigation into possible war crimes in Afghanistan. The Age and 60 Minutes report …

Melbourne’s population growth means it could soon overtake Sydney as Australia’s most populous city, which will have huge social and political implications nationally.

Australia’s vaccine rollout has been thrown into further disarray after federal authorities on Thursday night announced a pivot away from the AstraZeneca vaccine over links to extremely rare blood clots. Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, flanked by …

Two men have been arrested in Adelaide over possession of an improvised explosive device and extremist material, as a neo-Nazi leader claims members’ homes were raided. South Australia Police told Business Insider Australia that searches had …

The European Union has denied claims made by the Morrison government that it blocked the export of 3.1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Australia. While defending missed vaccine targets on Tuesday, Morrison claimed that the major AstraZeneca shipment …

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is today expected to announce the opening of a trans-Tasman travel bubble to begin within weeks. She will reveal the details of the plan at 2pm AEST, with The Australian reporting that quarantine-free …

Brisbanites will this morning find out if their snap lockdown will be lifted in time for Easter, as Queensland’s Covid-19 outbreak spreads into New South Wales and prompts the cancellation of Byron Bay’s Bluesfest. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk …

Australia has fallen dramatically short of its vaccine targets for the end of March, as controversy grows over a failure to inoculate health workers connected to the Covid-19 Brisbane outbreak.  Australia has administered 597,000 doses, more than 3.4 …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is eyeing social media safeguards against abuse of women online, but has refused to push for the expulsion of a backbencher accused of online harassment. Tougher rules for social media companies that facilitate abuse of women …

Hundreds of thousands of Australians are today waking up to an uncertain future, with a surge in job losses expected following the expiry of the JobKeeper wage subsidy on Sunday. Treasury has estimated up to 150,000 jobs may be lost this week, while labour …

The federal government is considering a raft of cost-cutting measures for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, including the denial of support to people suffering acquired brain injuries and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. A draft of proposed legislative …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is eyeing a cabinet reshuffle that would see Attorney-General Christen Porter and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds lose their portfolios, in a bid to defuse criticism of the government’s response to sexual assault allegations. …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has issued a late-night apology on Facebook after News Corp forcefully denied his suggestion the media company faced its own sexual harassment allegations. Morrison expressed “deep regret” over his deflection of a question …

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a weather warning to 10 million Australians, as two weather systems collide and floods prompt the evacuation of more than 18,000 people in NSW. The warnings cover parts of every mainland state except Western Australia, …

Large swathes of New South Wales face another day of pounding rain, as thousands flee their homes in Western Sydney and other parts of the state to escape a historic flood event. Heavy rain will hit the north of the state, Central Australia and South …

An inquiry into the sports rorts scandal has concluded that all projects that unfairly missed out on grants the Morrison government used as a “pre-election slush fund” should be immediately funded. The Labor-controlled Senate committee tabled its …

The federal government has secured One Nation support for its industrial relations bill in exchange for minor amendments, likely leaving the fate of the package up to Centre ­Alliance crossbencher Stirling Griff. With the Morrison government pushing …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today announce support for Papua New Guinea’s Covid-19 emergency, including vaccines for frontline workers, in response to mounting concerns over the pandemic’s impact on the local population and the risk of spread …

Attorney-General Christian Porter plans to delegate parts of his job to others so he can wage a defamation battle against the ABC, in which he is willing to take the witness stand to deny the rape allegations levelled against him. Porter is seeking aggravated …

Tens of thousands of protesters are today expected to attend Women’s March 4 Justice rallies across the country, demanding that politicians address gender inequality, misogyny and dangerous workplace cultures. More than 40 rallies are planned, including …

Aboriginal justice advocates have called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to meet with bereaved families, following the third Indigenous death in custody in the space of a week. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services representatives …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today unveil a plan to halve the price of nearly 800,000 airline tickets, as part of a $1.2 billion tourism package to offset the impending end of JobKeeper. The discounted tickets will initially be offered for flights …

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has been admitted to hospital with a suspected infection, bringing the number of Morrison government ministers that will miss today’s cabinet meeting to three. Hunt will be kept overnight for observation and is being …

The Australian Conservation Foundation has announced it will challenge the Morrison government’s controversial claim that national cabinet deliberations are exempt from freedom of information laws. The ACF will take the challenge to the Administrative …

Italy has blocked the export of 250,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to Australia, in the first-ever use of special powers introduced to protect the European Union’s supply. The ruling applies to AstraZeneca doses, with the company involved in a spat with …

Attorney-General Christian Porter has received a wave of sympathetic coverage in News Corp publications, after outing himself as the government minister facing rape allegations. On Wednesday, Porter announced he was the minister accused of raping a woman …

A Morrison government cabinet minister will today publicly identify himself as the politician at the centre of rape allegations, but he is not expected to step down. The minister, who has engaged the services of MinterEllison partner Peter Bartlett, will …

Roughly two in three Australians believe the federal government is more interested in its own political interests than in protecting women who have made sexual assault allegations, according to a new poll. The latest Essential poll of 1074 people also …

A host of politicians have come forward to say they were contacted regarding separate rape claims levelled against a Morrison government minister and a Labor MP. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, Labor senator Penny …

Conservation groups have criticised “toothless” environmental law reforms introduced to parliament on Thursday, as a new report warns of the imminent collapse of 19 ecosystems. The Global Change Biology study found all but one of 20 ecosystems studied …

The International Olympic Committee has announced Brisbane as the “preferred candidate city” to host the 2032 Olympic Games. The decision means the IOC will enter discussions with the Brisbane 2032 committee about its potential to host the games. …

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will today face extended questioning from the media over her handling of Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations, after providing conflicting accounts to parliament on Tuesday. Reynolds will today give a speech …

Brittany Higgins’ partner has quit his Canberra job over fears of payback in response to her sexual assault claim, as a fourth woman comes out against the alleged perpetrator. Higgins’ partner David Sharaz resigned from his job handling federal government …

Australia’s nationwide vaccine rollout begins today, with hotel quarantine workers, frontline healthcare staff and aged care residents among those first in line for the jab. Health Minister Greg Hunt promised “more than 60,000 doses in 240 aged care …

Facebook is scrambling to restore government, essential services and charity pages caught up in its unprecedented attempt to ban the sharing of news on the platform. The sweeping ban took out the pages for the Bureau of Meteorology, fire and rescue services …

The Senate has narrowly passed controversial changes to fold the Family Court of Australia into the Federal Circuit Court, with the Coalition securing the support of One Nation and independent Senator Rex Patrick. On Wednesday night, the Senate passed …

A secret inquiry into Parliament House security has spent months investigating how the alleged rape of a political staffer was handled, including concerns over cleaners being sent to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’ office. The former director of security …

Former federal ministerial staffer Brittany Higgins plans to reactivate a police complaint about an alleged sexual assault in Parliament House in early 2019. In interviews with news.com.au and Network Ten’s The Project, Higgins alleged she …

The latest release of JobKeeper recipient numbers indicates an unequal recovery from the recession, with lockdown-hit Victoria and tourism regions continuing to rely on the wage subsidy. According to figures released by the Tax Office, 626,000 Victorians …

Crown Resorts chief executive Ken Barton and director Andrew Demetriou will both step down in the wake of a damning report into the casino giant’s dealings. Barton is expected to formally step down today, in the wake of the NSW Independent Liquor and …

South Australia has implemented a hard border closure on Greater Melbourne overnight, as a Covid-19 cluster linked to the use of a nebuliser at the Holiday Inn hotel grows to eight. With a further two cases identified late yesterday afternoon, Victorian …

Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial has opened in the United States Senate, with Democrats arguing that the former president should be convicted for inciting a violent mob of his supporters to attack the Capitol. Senators sitting as jurors watched …

ANZ has refused to continue funding the world’s largest coal export port at Newcastle, under its new climate change policy to cut back on loans to the fossil fuel sector. National Australia Bank has stepped in to help underwrite the port on the promise …

Warnings have been issued in Victoria and NSW overnight after officials confirmed new Covid-19 cases linked to hotel quarantine. Victorian authorities reported that a symptomatic hotel quarantine worker at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport tested positive …

Calls are growing louder for reforms to the political donations system, as billionaires such as Anthony Pratt and Clive Palmer pour money into their parties of choice.

State premiers are set to confront Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a national cabinet meeting today over ­responsibility for the hotel quarantine program. Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles said it was “time for the federal government to contribute”, …

Federal Parliament is today set to debate a Coalition plan to open up clean energy funds for use in upgrading fossil fuel infrastructure and encourage private companies to build new power supply. Labor will propose amendments to prevent proposed changes …

The Australian government is facing calls to cut financial assistance and training to Myanmar’s military following a coup in the country. Labor and the Greens are calling for the Morrison government to reconsider its relationship with the Myanmar military, …

The parliamentary year kicks off today in Canberra, with a debate on plans to end JobKeeper and cut JobSeeker set to be top of the agenda. Labor will interrogate the Morrison government over why it plans to end the JobKeeper wage subsidy in March despite …

Perth and surrounding regions have begun a five-day lockdown, after a hotel quarantine security guard tested positive to Covid-19. In an emergency press conference on Sunday, Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said the hotel the guard worked at housed …

The Morrison government has belatedly released a once-in-a-decade review of Australia’s environmental laws, three months after receiving the final report. On a Thursday dominated by the news of Labor’s shadow cabinet reshuffle, the environment minister …

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese is set to shift left powerbroker Mark Butler out of the climate portfolio in favour of Labor right shadow health spokesperson Chris Bowen, in a bid to defuse escalating tensions within the party over emissions targets. …

A small number of people have been arrested at largely peaceful and socially distanced Invasion Day rallies, with protesters defying bans in order to call for Indigenous policy reform and the abolishment of Australia Day on January 26. In Sydney, organisers …

Sexual assault survivor Grace Tame, whose case led to the overturning of a Tasmanian law preventing victims from speaking about their experiences of assault, has been named Australian of the Year. In a case that sparked the #LetHerSpeak campaign, Tame …

The ABC has defended a social media post and article referring to “Australia Day/Invasion Day”, as News Corp publications frame use of the dual terminology as divisive. The Australian, Sky News and the News Corp tabloids published …

As debate rages internationally over the question of whether the social media giants can self-regulate, Australia’s attempt to force big tech to share revenue with media companies is meeting intense pushback from Google, Facebook and the US government.

US President Joe Biden will sign 10 executive orders on his second day in office to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic that continues to ravage the country. The orders include that agencies use the Defense Production Act to address critical shortfalls in 12 …

Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, delivering an inaugural address to an empty National Mall cleared of observers due to the threat of violence and Covid-19. Also absent was former president Donald Trump, the first …

Labor leader Anthony Albanese will today claim Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s kowtowing to US President Donald Trump has damaged relations with the incoming Biden administration. On the final day of Trump’s presidency ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration, …

The Trump administration has called on Australia to abandon plans to force Google and Facebook to pay news organisations for sharing their content. The call came in a letter submitted to an Australian parliamentary inquiry by US trade representatives, …

The Australian Open has suffered another blow with a further 25 players moved into quarantine, after a passenger aboard a third flight into Melbourne tested positive to Covid-19. Players aboard a Qatar Airways flight that arrived on Saturday morning from …

Christmas travel plans for thousands of Australians have been thrown into chaos by travel restrictions imposed on New South Wales, after a northern beaches Covid-19 cluster jumped to 17 cases. Following a late night meeting of federal and state chief …

The Victorian Government is launching a review of Crown Resorts’ Melbourne casino licence, as executive chairman James Packer is sued by a casino security guard over an alleged assault. The state’s gaming minister Melissa Horne has brought forward …

Federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg has backed a proposed inquiry chaired by Coalition climate sceptic George Christensen that would interrogate banks refusing to finance coal investments. Christensen, the proposed chair of the parliamentary probe, would …

A new assessment of the Murray-Darling Basin plan finds it requires major reform in 2026 to cope with increased dry periods due to climate change. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s self-assessment finds dry spells will likely occur on average every …

Energy minister Angus Taylor will today unveil a rescue package for oil refineries, despite the UN calling for an end to fossil fuel support at a global climate summit.  The support to start on January 1 will provide a minimum 1 cent payment for each …

The Morrison government has terminated a deal to buy more than 50 million doses of the University of Queensland’s potential Covid-19 vaccine after trial participants returned false positive HIV test results. UQ and biotech company CSL informed the federal …

The Senate has voted to extend trials of a cashless welfare card for two years, after the federal government failed to secure the numbers to make the controversial scheme permanent. After debate that stretched late into Wednesday evening, the government …

The Morrison government will immediately examine whether to scrap Victoria’s Belt and Road infrastructure agreement with China, after the federal parliament passed powerful new foreign veto laws on Tuesday. The Foreign Relations Bill gives Victoria …

Unions are opposing the Coalition’s proposals for casual work, the creation of a new “part-time flexi” role, and a high bar set for wage theft penalties. The Australian Council of Trade Unions’ concerns include the proposed “part-time flexi” …

The Morrison government will today unveil legislation that will see casual workers able to apply for permanent roles after a year in the job, but remove the right for misclassified employees to claim billions of dollars in backpay. Employers will be required …

The Law Council of Australia has warned Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton against rushing through new surveillance powers before Christmas that would allow police to take over online accounts. The Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) …

The United Kingdom has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. Australia is sticking to its March rollout plan as the British are poised to receive the first doses from next week. Pfizer said shipments …

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus will today call for the “virus” of insecure jobs to be halved by the end of the decade, as unions gear up for a fight over a new industrial relations bill. In a speech to the National Press …

China’s foreign ministry has rejected Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s call for an apology over a “deplorable” social media post about war crimes in Afghanistan, arguing Australia should be the one apologising. Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian released …

Consumer advocacy group Choice has called for the rest of Australia to follow Victoria’s lead and ban school banking programs it describes as “marketing masquerading as financial literacy”. The Victorian government on Sunday announced it would ban …

Rights groups fear a prisoner-swap deal with Iran to free Kylie Moore-Gilbert will encourage more hostage-taking, as new revelations indicate the British-Australian academic was arrested over her relationship with an Israeli citizen. The discovery of …

Australian-British academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been released from jail in a prisoner swap involving three Iranians, according to state media outlets in the Islamic republic. The University of Melbourne lecturer on Middle Eastern studies was serving …

The Morrison government has granted environmental approval to the $3.6 billion Narrabri gas project in New South Wales, despite concerns it could contaminate groundwater and fuel the climate crisis. The approval allows gas giant Santos to drill 850 wells …

Promising late-stage trials of Australia’s preferred Covid-19 vaccine and alternatives mean the national vaccination program could begin in March for health workers and the vulnerable. Trials of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which Australia has a deal to …

Victorians today are no longer required to wear masks outdoors and are free to cross the border into New South Wales, as the state continues to report no Covid-19 community transmission. The end to mandatory mask wearing is one of a host of restrictions …

While South Australia scrambles to contain its coronavirus outbreak, there are concerns whether the state – and the rest of the country – will be able to cope with the dual crises of the pandemic and bushfire season.

The Australian military is reeling after a landmark war crimes inquiry recommended 19 current and former soldiers be investigated by police over the alleged murders of 39 civilians in Afghanistan. The inquiry pointed the finger at non-commissioned officers …

South Australia today begins a strict six-day “circuit breaker” lockdown, as health authorities race to contain the state’s first Covid-19 outbreak in months. The statewide lockdown forbids residents from leaving their homes even to exercise, with …

New analysis shows an additional 330,000 welfare recipients will fall below the poverty line when the Morrison government reduces the coronavirus supplement at the end of the year. The Australian National University modelling shows the $100 cut would …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has criticised the closure of state borders to South Australia over a Covid-19 outbreak, with most states imposing mandatory quarantine requirements on the state. Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Tasmania followed …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today meet Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in person for the first time since February, to discuss recovery from lockdown and the fast-tracking of major infrastructure projects. Morrison will tour CSL’s Broadmeadows …

A recently completed investigation by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force will see allegations directed at an estimated 10 Australian Special Air Services Regiment (SAS) veterans being referred to authorities, according to The Age. …

The Senate has voted in favour of establishing an inquiry into media diversity in Australia, after more than 500,000 people signed a petition calling for a royal commission into the dominance of the Murdoch media. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who …

A new poll indicates that 70 per cent of Republican voters believe the United States election was not free or fair, as President Donald Trump continues to promote baseless conspiracies that the result was rigged against him. The POLITICO/Morning Consult …

An investigation has uncovered concerns of inappropriate behaviour towards women by federal Attorney-General Christian Porter and Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge. The Four Corners report, which the federal government attempted to quash …

US President-elect Joe Biden has vowed to unify America in his election victory speech, despite President Donald Trump and top Republicans refusing to concede defeat. To a chorus of cheers and car horns at a drive-in rally in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden …

Supporters of US President Donald Trump have converged on election offices around the country to protest the counting of mail-in ballots, as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden closes in on victory. There were reports that some supporters in Arizona …

Democrat Joe Biden has edged narrowly ahead in a raft of key swing states, as the incumbent Donald Trump continues to baselessly claim the US presidency is being stolen from him in election counting. As forecast prior to the election, much of Biden’s …

Millions of Americans are today navigating a rampant pandemic, roving rightwing militias, unprecedented wildfires, and widespread voter suppression tactics in order to exercise their right to vote in the United States election. US President Donald Trump …

A rapid surge in Covid-19 cases is prompting a host of European countries to return to lockdown this week, as Australia marks its first 24-hour period without community transmission since early June. After France began enforcement of a month-long hard …

The United States has broken its own record for the most Covid-19 cases in a single day, reporting 80,622 infections less than a week before the country’s presidential election. The figure is the third time in a week that a daily case record was broken, …

ANZ Bank today unveils plans to adopt a “net zero emissions” test for loans, and to set a 2030 exit date for all “direct” investment in thermal coal mines and power stations. Starting immediately, the bank will not take on any new business customers …

A leaked briefing details allegations that Australian special forces soldiers fuelled by “blood lust” tortured and executed prisoners in Afghanistan, including children, and covered up their actions. The report details a “large number” of corroborated …

Melburnians are celebrating as they prepare to exit one of the world’s longest Covid-19 lockdowns tonight, with city residents allowed to leave their homes for any reason and a broad range of businesses permitted to reopen. After no cases were recorded …

The Australian Government has registered “serious concerns” with Qatar after 13 Australian women travelling from Doha to Sydney were subjected to an invasive internal examination. The incident occurred at Hamad International Airport in Doha on October …

A corruption investigation is under way into the Australian Border Force over allegations that it funnelled $39 million from national security needs to defence company Austal to prop up its financial position. In early 2019, then integrity commissioner …

A United States marine claims Australian special forces shot and killed a bound Afghan prisoner because there was not enough space on an aircraft flying to pick them up. The helicopter crew chief, who told the ABC he wished to remain anonymous out of …

Journalists and advocacy groups could face compulsory questioning and the fitting of tracking devices as part of a proposed expansion of Australian Security Intelligence Organisation powers, legal experts have warned. Ahead of senior ASIO officials giving …

Westpac, the Perth Mint, and hundreds of Australians have been ensnared in a major global tax evasion investigation into an offshore bank linked to organised crime syndicates. The J5 taskforce made up of the tax chiefs of Australia, the US, UK, the Netherlands …

Newly revealed correspondence indicates Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, was aware of the decision to hire private security for hotel quarantine in Melbourne as early as March, contradicting his testimony provided to the inquiry into the …

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has survived two no-confidence motions in state parliament, as her former partner Daryl Maguire admitted on Wednesday to running a “cash for visas” business out of his parliamentary office. The no-confidence …

Former Wagga Wagga state MP in the New South Wales parliament, Daryl Maguire, will today front the Independent Commission Against Corruption in Sydney for the first time since revelations he had a “close personal relationship” with NSW Premier Gladys …

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is set to face a motion of no confidence in her government today, following revelations she ignored potentially corrupt behavior from former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire. On Monday Berejiklian admitted to the …

About 600,000 Victorian students return to school today, with teachers to closely monitor the wellbeing of children who have been remote learning since June. All primary school and Year 7 students will attend classrooms for the first time in 10 weeks, …

The Morrison government allocated an additional $103 million in the latest federal budget towards the controversial community development grants program, described by Labor as a “slush fund”. The program previously awarded a $23 million grant to build …

Anthony Albanese will tonight deliver his formal response to the federal budget, backing the Morrison government’s proposed tax cuts while calling for more investment in public housing and free childcare. The opposition leader on Wednesday described …

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Tuesday night unveiled a federal budget loaded with $50 billion in fast-tracked tax cuts weighted towards high-income earners, but no permanent increase in JobSeeker support. The Treasurer hopes that the Australian Tax Office …

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will tonight announce a record deficit of $210 billion, as he unveils a federal budget loaded with fast-tracked tax cuts and infrastructure spending. After Labor and the Greens warned against plans to accelerate Stage 3 tax …

Doctors have admitted they misled the media about the progression of Donald Trump’s Covid-19 infection to foster an “upbeat attitude”, as confusion reigns over the US President’s health. On Sunday Trump’s physician, Navy Commander Dr Sean Conley, …

The aged care royal commissioners have called on the federal government to immediately fund additional staff in aged care facilities, finding there was “insufficient action” to prepare for the pandemic. In a special report, the commissioners made …

A former employee of a security firm has told Julian Assange’s extradition hearing that the company discussed plans with US intelligence to kidnap or poison the Wikileaks co-founder. In a written statement provided to the London hearing, the anonymous …

Temporary visas will be extended and welfare recipients offered incentives to take farming jobs, as a new report warns of a critical labour shortage. The upcoming federal budget will allow JobSeeker and Youth Allowance recipients to earn up to $300 per …

The Morrison government will include a legal definition of academic freedom that may make it harder to discipline racist, sexist, or climate denialist academics in exchange for One Nation support for university funding legislation. Senator Pauline Hanson …

Melburnians are waking up to new freedoms after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the lifting of the evening curfew from 5am today. Residents are now permitted to meet outside in groups of up to five people from two households, more than 127,000 …

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will today announce ($) plans to scrap responsible lending laws for banks, relaxing credit rules to permit easier loan approvals during the recession. In a shift from “lender beware” to “borrower beware”, the government …

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will today announce plans to adopt American-style insolvency laws, ahead of the looming prospect of thousands of businesses collapsing as Covid-19 economic assistance is wound back. In a speech to the Australian Chamber of Commerce …

China has for the first time announced targets for reaching a net zero emissions economy, leaving Australia increasingly isolated as major countries lock in climate plans. In a speech to the virtual United Nations summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping …

Macquarie Group and Commonwealth Bank have been identified in a leak of financial transactions as the two biggest Australian participants involved in processing suspicious payments. They were flagged for close to $US167 million ($A230 million) worth of …

A leak of thousands of reports of suspicious financial transactions reveals how major banks facilitated more than $US2 trillion in potentially corrupt payments, including Australian shell companies linked to money laundering, arms deals, and drug cartels. …

The Morrison government is to ramp up punitive measures for Australians on JobSeeker, including a restart of work for the dole and requiring recipients to apply for more jobs. People on JobSeeker will need to apply for eight jobs a month from September …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today detail his plan to redirect federal renewable energy agency funding away from wind and solar to alternative low-carbon solutions. The announcement covers $1.9 billion in ongoing funding for ARENA, CEFC and the …

New South Wales Parliament will today debate a motion of no confidence in Deputy Premier John Barilaro, as fresh revelations indicate his opposition to a koala habitat policy were at the behest of a property developer. NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay moved …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today detail plans to open up new gas reserves and offer to back the construction of a gas-fired power station, as part of his plan to drive a fossil-fuel led economic recovery. In a speech to business and industry in …

A Chinese military contractor engaged in spreading disinformation and promoting conflict has amassed profiles on tens of thousands of Australians ($), as part of a database targeting influential figures. The database of 2.4 million people, including …

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has given seven Nationals ministers a 9am deadline to back down from their mutiny over a koala habitat policy, or she will strip them of their portfolios. Nationals MPs convened an emergency meeting to discuss …

Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate personally intervened to demand that provocative Pauline Hanson merchandise be delivered to Melbourne’s locked down public housing towers in July, while lobbying One Nation over a key Senate vote. In …

Australian environmental scientists are experiencing widespread and worsening suppression of their work by industry and government, according to a new study. A survey by the Ecological Society of Australia of 220 scientists found roughly one-third reported …

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has pushed back against federal criticism of his health safeguards road map, warning a premature easing of restrictions risks a third wave of Covid-19 infections. Andrews spoke to ABC’s 7:30 after Prime Minister …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today promote a $1.7 billion deal for a freely distributed Covid-19 vaccine from early 2021, pending the uncertain outcome of clinical drug trials. The supply and production agreement covers two vaccines, with the federal …

Federal water minister Keith Pitt will today announce the end of water buybacks from irrigators, and release a report that finds the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will fail to meet a recovery deadline. Buybacks, which conservation groups have described as …

Australian special forces soldiers are operating an Instagram account that celebrates war crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan and sells bumper stickers reading “Make Diggers Violent Again”. The ABC reports that the account, titled State Sanctioned …

Victoria’s upper house has passed a six-month extension of state of emergency powers, following a marathon debate overnight that pushed the final vote to 2am this morning. The compromise deal grants a one-off extension of powers for the chief health …

Australian Signals Directorate boss Rachel Noble will today attempt to reassure the public about mass community surveillance. In a speech to the Australian National University, ASD director-general Rachel Noble will explain that her agency’s focus …

Clive Palmer is ramping up efforts to eject the Labor Government at the upcoming Queensland election, with his companies committing mining staff and $80,000 to the campaign. After spending $84 million on anti-Labor advertising at the federal election, …

Immigration Minister Alan Tudge will today unveil plans to lift limits on free English classes for migrants and to add further questions on “Australian values” to citizenship tests. In a speech to the National Press Club, Tudge will warn foreign governments …

The Australian white supremacist responsible for New Zealand’s worst terrorist attack is expected to be sentenced today, after three days of extraordinary witness testimony. Brenton Tarrant has elected not to speak, after hearing 91 statements from …

New leaks reveal assistant treasurer Michael Sukkar directed the employment of right-wing factional operatives in the Victorian electorate office of senior Liberal MP Kevin Andrews, in apparent breach of parliamentary rules. According to private messages …

Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck has been stripped of responsibility for activating aged-care emergency Covid-19 measures, as Labor calls for his resignation over the handling of the crisis. Responsibility for mobilising an aged care emergency response …

Federal and state Victorian Liberal MPs plotted to remove sitting MPs in a widespread branch stacking scheme, according to a new investigation. Federal frontbencher Michael Sukkar was taped seemingly endorsing a scheme by state MP Marcus Bastiaan to use …

National Cabinet will debate border closures today, as federal ministers and business leaders ramp up the pressure on state premiers to open up travel. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud described the meeting as a “flashpoint for our federation”, …

An Australian priest claimed he was summoned to the Vatican to be questioned by the Pope regarding his testimony against an archbishop accused of concealing child sexual abuse. Father Glen Walsh met with the pontiff in 2016, reports The Sydney Morning …

The federal government has signed a letter of intent to procure a potential University of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, with every Australian able to access it for free if trials are successful. The vaccine, currently in third-stage trials, could be available …

A security company attempted to cover up a potential breach of its hotel quarantine agreement with the Victorian Government, according to leaked correspondence. An email obtained by the ABC’s 7.30 suggests Wilson Security failed to inform at …

The Australian Federal Police war crimes investigation into former special forces soldier Ben Roberts-Smith was compromised after confidential information was leaked to the Afghan veteran. In June 2018 former AFP chief Mick Keelty was informed of details …

The Morrison government plans to amend the Defence Act to empower the prime minister to declare a national emergency or disaster and deploy the military within Australia. The Australian Defence Force would be given more powers while dealing with national …

Industry and conservation groups have criticised changes to the federal government’s “safeguard mechanism” that allow companies to increase emissions depending on how their business is performing. The Clean Energy Regulator in late July granted …

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced Auckland returns to lockdown today, after the country recorded its first Covid-19 cases of community transmission in 102 days. In an unscheduled late-night news conference on Tuesday, Ardern revealed …

The Morrison government is bracing for further revelations from the royal commission into aged care this week, after claims at Monday’s hearings that federal agencies failed to develop a Covid-19 plan for nursing homes. Counsel assisting the aged care …

A survey of Australian doctors and nurses finds one in five have limited or no access to face masks, as active Covid-19 infections in Victorian health workers jumped to nearly 1000 at the weekend. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians president …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will today announce an extra $15 billion for JobKeeper and wider eligibility criteria, prompted by the Victorian shutdown. In a reversal of moves announced last month to toughen eligibility for …

New restrictions came into force overnight in Melbourne, shutting down thousands of businesses and requiring eligible residents to carry a special permit to travel to work and access childcare. As Victoria recorded 725 new cases of Covid-19 and 15 deaths …

The Australian Border Force has admitted the Christmas Island detention centre will be reopened, claiming that Covid-19 had strained the capacity of the onshore detention network. The decision was confirmed on Tuesday night, following a report in The …

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will today provide more detail on doorknocking, compliance measures and penalties to enforce an unprecedented shutdown of Melbourne’s economy. Authorities are scrambling to define who is allowed to move around Melbourne …

Five million Melbourne residents have awoken from their first night of a six-week evening curfew, as Victoria declares a state of disaster over the Covid-19 pandemic. Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday revealed Melbourne would progress to Stage 4 restrictions, …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews held crisis talks overnight regarding new health safeguards in Victoria, after the state registered a record 723 new Covid-19 cases and 13 deaths.  A total of 10 of those deaths were …

A national agreement will today commit Australia to reducing rates of Indigenous imprisonment, suicide and removal of children by welfare agencies. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will reveal all state and territory governments have signed up to 16 targets …

Hundreds of critically ill aged-care residents are being evacuated from Victorian nursing homes into hospitals, after elective surgeries were suspended to free up capacity to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. Victoria recorded 384 new cases on Tuesday, with …

The Fair Work Commission has ruled aged-care workers are entitled to two weeks' paid leave if  required to self-isolate, as Victoria identified 532 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday driven by infections in aged care. The ruling includes casual employees …

An investigation into workers’ compensation schemes has uncovered tens of thousands of underpayments in New South Wales and “immoral and unethical” conduct in Victoria. A joint investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and ABC …

One day after warning of historic government deficits, federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will today push a recovery plan featuring the fast-tracking of deregulation, tax cuts, and industrial relations reform. In a speech to the National Press Club in …

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will today reveal an “eye-watering” budget deficit of nearly $90 billion for 2019-20, which will more than double the following financial year. Today’s pre-budget economic statement will detail the largest deficit …

A new survey reveals community sporting clubs require more than $1 billion in support to survive the Covid-19 crisis, as fresh revelations emerge in the sports rort saga. An Australian Sports Foundation survey found nearly a quarter of the country's 70,000 …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to today announce the extension of JobKeeper to March 28 at a reduced fortnightly rate, with further cuts for part time workers, casuals, and JobSeeker claimants. The Australian reports the new rate will …

The Morrison government is planning to announce tightened eligibility requirements for a reduced JobKeeper payment, including the exclusion of casual workers from the full wage subsidy. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Thursday will announce an extension …

Victoria’s healthcare system is scrambling to respond to the state’s Covid-19 crisis, suspending elective surgeries as rising numbers of frontline medical staff test positive for the virus. The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services confirmed …

The Federal Government will today spruik a $1.5 billion extension in wage subsidies for apprentices and trainees, along with a new $500 million skills and training scheme. Ahead of labour force figures expected to show another rise in unemployment, Prime …

Soldiers from the Australian army’s Special Air Service Regiment allegedly planted the same weapon on the bodies of two Afghan civilians to make them look like Taliban militants, in a practice known as a “throwdown”. The incidents occurred after …

Security guards working in immigration detention in both Sydney and Melbourne have been linked to Covid-19 outbreaks, as calls mount to move asylum seekers into the community. Serco guards at Sydney's Villawood Immigration Detention Centre have been forced …

Australian families resume paying for childcare today, as experts warn attendance may plummet after the federal government’s relief package ended on Sunday. The free childcare scheme has been replaced ($) with funds for childcare centres, representing …

The National Cabinet of federal, state, and territory leaders will today discuss a review of hotel quarantine arrangements and a potential cap on international arrivals. In a move that has sparked concern among Australians stranded overseas, Prime Minister …

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has flagged the introduction of new restrictions, as more than 50,000 people formed queues to cross the border from Victoria on Wednesday. As Melbourne re-enters lockdown today, epidemiologists warn that it is …

Authorities are scrambling to extend welfare support and loan repayment relief, in addition to boosting childcare services as Victoria’s return to lockdown risks a weekly $1 billion hit to the state economy. Australia’s major banks have pledged to …

Albury-Wodonga has recorded its first Covid-19 cases in weeks, as the Australian Defence Force mobilises to enforce the closure of the border between New South Wales and Victoria from midnight tonight. One confirmed case of the virus was recorded in Wodonga …

The spike in Covid-19 cases in Victoria has prompted the Australian Medical Association to call for a pause in the lifting of restrictions nationally. After a weekend in which Victoria recorded 182 new cases and imposed unprecedented hard lockdowns on …

Melbourne’s locked-down suburbs will be monitored by drones and more than 1000 police, following a record rise in community transmission on Thursday and infections spreading interstate. Police from the specialist critical incident response team will …

Supporters of New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro are reportedly working to undermine the Morrison government’s bid to win the Eden-Monaro byelection, so the Nationals state party leader can contest the seat at the next federal election. Some …

Victorian Police will establish border checkpoints on 36 Melbourne suburbs locked down over Covid-19, with more than 300,000 residents facing on-the-spot fines for leaving their homes from 11.59pm tonight. The unprecedented controls, in place for all …

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has flagged that the lifting of state borders within Australia will delay reopening international travel between the two countries, as Victorian cases continue to surge. Ardern on Monday said New Zealand would …

Special Forces Commander Major General Adam Findlay has admitted that Australian soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan, according to leaked records of a secret military briefing. Findlay claimed “there are guys who criminally did something” …

A joint bid from Australia and New Zealand has edged out Colombia to win the right to host the 2023 FIFA Women’s football World Cup. In the early hours of Friday, FIFA announced that Australia and New Zealand received 22 of the valid 35 votes from the …

The International Monetary Fund has warned governments that a sudden end to wage subsidies would jeopardise the recovery, as updated forecasts indicated the world will be left with more debt than at the end of World War II. The IMF projects a deeper global …

Labor leader Anthony Albanese will today offer the Morrison government bipartisan support to design a new energy policy, including potential backing of controversial carbon capture and storage technologies. In a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison …

Labor will today join the Greens’ call for a royal commission into the Coalition’s robodebt program, which saw 470,000 unlawful demands for money made to welfare recipients. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese will pledge to initiate a public inquiry …

Australia's chief health officers have urged against travel to six local government areas in Melbourne, as authorities switch to more targeted measures to ward off a second wave of Covid-19. On Sunday night the Australian health protection principal committee …

Education minister Dan Tehan will today announce a plan to more than double the cost of humanities degrees and slash prices for “job-relevant” science, engineering, nursing and maths courses. In a speech at the National Press Club at 12.30pm AEST, …

Australian troops and warships will join major military exercises ($) with the US and Pacific allies, as China and India seek to de-escalate following a violent border confrontation. Australia is planning to participate in joint exercises in Hawaii and …

The Australian Labor Party’s national executive will stage a dramatic intervention into the Victorian division, seizing control of all state and federal preselections for three years. Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks and former federal deputy leader …

Federal Labor is considering an overhaul of the party’s Victorian division, as secret recordings implicate a third state government cabinet minister in the branch stacking scandal. According to tapes obtained by The Age and 60 Minutes, …

An investigation into Victorian cabinet minister Adem Somyurek has uncovered secret cash drop-offs and “industrial-scale” stacking of branches with fake members in a bid to amass political power. The Age and 60 Minutes unearthed …

Refugee activists have pledged to go ahead with a protest this weekend in Sydney despite the Supreme Court of New South Wales moving to block the gathering on public health grounds. In a Thursday night ruling, Justice Michael Walton granted a NSW police …

Leaked invoices reveal four global insurers are underwriting the Adani coal mine in Queensland, despite all of them promoting climate policies that restrict coverage of new coal projects. Global firms Liberty International Underwriters, HDI, XL Australia, …

The JobKeeper wage subsidy is expected to dominate debate today as parliament resumes for two weeks of sittings in Canberra. The Senate will vote on whether to expand the scheme to include workers at foreign government-owned companies such as airline …

A meeting will be held today ($) to discuss more ambitious targets to reduce Indigenous incarceration, as a new study finds three quarters of the Australian population is biased against Indigenous Australians. In the wake of mass weekend protests, Indigenous …

The federal government is to propose ($) a new national security test for all foreign investment bids for sensitive assets, with no minimum dollar threshold to trigger the assessment. According to The Australian, the test will encompass sectors …

The former Minneapolis Police officer who pressed his knee into George Floyd's neck has had his charges upgraded to second-degree murder, and a trio of police officers on the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting the act. Derek Chauvin, 44, …

The US ambassador to Australia has said his country remains committed to a free press, as Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed a formal complaint over a police assault of Channel 7 media during a brutal crackdown on non-violent protests outside the …

The federal government is considering new laws to preserve the controversial income data method that prompted the refund of $720 million in unlawful robodebts on Friday. According to Guardian Australia, the solicitor-general explored legislative …

Australians in the United States have been issued a Smartraveller warning to avoid large gatherings, after the country imposed curfews and authorities violently cracked down on protests over police killings of African Americans in custody. Protests and …

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, plans are afoot to revitalise Australia’s city centres, even though international students and office workers may never return in the same numbers.

Australia has joined the United States in condemning new laws approved by China’s national congress to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong. The National People’s Congress of China voted 2878 to 1 to advance with alteration to the former …

The New South Wales government has secretly paid out millions of dollars to at least 14 Indigenous men who were abused by a paedophile teacher when they were children. Guardian Australia reports that the state’s education department included …

An Australian SAS soldier is under investigation for allegedly executing an unarmed and intellectually disabled civilian, in an act referred to within the military as “the village idiot killing”. The ABC reports that the accused soldier was shown …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today pivot from the beleaguered JobKeeper scheme to a “JobMaker” plan, including a federal overhaul of the Technical and Further Education system. Morrison will use his National Press Club address to put conditions …

The first hearings for the bushfire Royal Commission begin today, with the initial two weeks to focus on climate change, the impact on communities, and Commonwealth responsibilities. The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements will …

A survey of workers finds most claim their employers are yet to implement sufficient hygiene measures and make arrangements for pandemic leave, as major businesses are poised to reopen for business. Of 1367 workers polled by UComms on behalf of the Australian …

A leaked draft report for the National Covid-19 Coordination Commission details plans for a taxpayer-supported investment into new gas fields and pipelines that would operate for decades. It recommends helping companies develop the Northern Territory’s …

The World Health Assembly has unanimously voted in favour of a resolution calling for an impartial and independent review into the Covid-19 pandemic. The European Union motion was formally adopted at a virtual meeting hosted in Geneva on Tuesday evening, …

China has followed through on a threat to impose an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley imports from today, with the tax set to remain in place for five years. The tariff is expected to wipe out Australia’s trade of the grain with China, worth $1.5 …

An Australian and European Union proposal for an independent inquiry into Covid-19 has secured the support of 62 countries, ahead of this week’s World Health Assembly meeting. Russia, Turkey, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea are among the countries …

The national cabinet of federal and state leaders will today consider the mental health impacts of the pandemic and economic crisis, which experts fear could overshadow deaths from the virus itself. The plan will see more ($) data on mental health shared …

The Morrison government will today push legislation granting new powers to Australian Border Force, one day after proposing controversial draft laws bolstering the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said …

A coalition of integrity groups is calling for legislation to govern the National Covid-19 Coordination Commission, as fossil fuel executives and lobbyists on the advisory body push for a gas-fuelled recovery. Guardian Australia reports that …

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will today warn the public that ignoring Covid-19 prevention measures could see lockdown restrictions return at a cost of billions of dollars per week. In a formal address to federal parliament on the day he was due to release …

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese will today warn against a “snap-back” to the problems of pre-coronavirus Australia, calling for a reshaping of the national economy. Albanese will today deliver a broad ranging “vision statement” pushing high-speed …

As the federal government pushes for schools around the country to reopen, many teachers are concerned about poor communication and fear for their health and safety.

The national cabinet will meet today to consider a timetable for easing restrictions, as state premiers warn against relaxing measures too early. The meeting of federal, state and territory leaders will discuss a staged lifting of restrictions, potentially …

Federal police are investigating a data breach in the early-access superannuation scheme, as Labor warns the hack could undermine confidence in the ailing COVIDSafe app. There have been at least 100 cases of fraudulent activity affecting those who registered …

Victoria’s Health Department was aware of a Covid-19 case at an abattoir weeks before the infections worsened, as private medical company Aspen Medical faces new allegations over handling of a Sydney nursing home outbreak. The Australian ($) …

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will participate in Australia’s national cabinet meeting of state and federal leaders today, to discuss a “trans-Tasman bubble” to open up travel and business between the two countries. Ardern, who will …

The ABC altered a story on Australia’s Covid-19 contact tracing app following a written complaint from the office of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, which criticised “unnecessarily alarmist” coverage of privacy concerns. Morrison’s senior media …

As the Covid-19 disruption pushes Australia to rethink its energy security, minister Angus Taylor is championing a national bioenergy road map. But is this plan as green as he claims?

A draft voluntary code of practice allowing visits to dying relatives in nursing homes will be released today, as the national cabinet meets to discuss aged care restrictions. Council on the Ageing chief executive Ian Yates told The Sydney Morning …

Australia’s chief scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, has cautioned against claims of sudden cures for COVID-19, as results from preliminary drug trials dominate media headlines. Finkel issued the warning on Wednesday at the launch of the Rapid Research Information …

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan has unveiled an offer of more than $3.3 billion in early funding for private schools on the condition students return to classrooms within a month. Tehan wrote to the independent schools’ peak body and the National …

Renewables advocates and mining sector lobbyists are jostling for federal government support to shape the direction of the recovery from the COVID-19 shutdown. Australian Renewable Energy Agency chairman Martijn Wilder has called for a long-term green …

More than a million Australians have already downloaded the national contact tracing app, after the federal government released it at 6pm on Sunday evening. The government, which also released its privacy impact assessment, previously said that 40 per …

The federal government has promised to develop legislation to address privacy fears about the COVID-19 tracing app, after rejecting law enforcement requests for “added capabilities” in the software. Experts warn that encryption laws passed 18 months …

Labor has accused the Morrison government of using the pandemic to push its ideological industrial relations agenda, as business groups call for taxes and regulations to be slashed. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the federal government signalled …

A new report from a collection of Australian researchers and public figures has called for governments to use the COVID-19 crisis to address 10 threats to humanity’s survival. The Commission for the Human Future proposed ways the disruption and recovery …

The board of Virgin Australia has agreed to ($) put the airline into voluntary administration today, after the Morrison government rejected a late bid for support. International shareholders signed off on the move on Monday night, reports The Australian, …

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will today announce a mandatory code of conduct that requires Facebook and Google share online advertising revenue with Australian media companies struggling with the COVID-19 downturn. In response to a report of the digital …

Federal Government modelling has detailed how strict control measures have sharply reduced COVID-19 transmission rates, as the national cabinet plans a three-step process to relax social restrictions. The modelling shows that while physical distancing …

Employers are shutting retrenched workers out of the federal government’s $1500 wage subsidy scheme, as legal analysis reveals businesses are not required to nominate all eligible staff. Workers say employers are refusing to rehire them so they can …

The International Monetary Fund has forecast that Australia’s economy will shrink by 6.7 per cent in 2020, with the world facing a $14 trillion hit in the space of two years. In a baseline projection that assumes the global pandemic peaks in the next …

Cardinal George Pell is under investigation by Victoria Police over child abuse allegations by a new accuser, in news to emerge just days after his previous convictions were quashed by the High Court. Victoria Police had been quietly undertaking a probe …

The federal government’s $130 billion JobKeeper legislation has passed both houses of parliament without amendment, meaning eligible workers will receive $1500 fortnightly payments for at least six months. Labor supported the package despite its proposed …

A special one-day sitting of Federal Parliament today is expected to debate and pass the $130 billion wage subsidy package, with no further scheduled parliamentary dates until August. The legislation allows businesses to use the payments to pay down workers’ …

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson is being treated in intensive care after his COVID-19 symptoms “worsened”, as another 439 British patients died from the virus in the space of 24 hours. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will deputise “where …

Leaked correspondence shows thousands of people were allowed to board the Ruby Princess after a wave of passengers fell sick, as New South Wales police begin a criminal investigation into the cruise ship. 7NEWS reports that the NSW Port …

Police in New South Wales and Victoria have used new laws restricting public movement to fine more than 50 people for reasons including eating a kebab on a bench and sitting in a car. With police in most states empowered to arrest or heavily fine people …

Two men have come forward publicly for the first time to accuse George Pell of sexually abusing them when they were young boys housed in a Catholic orphanage. In allegations to be detailed in the ABC's Revelation program tonight, the men say …

The Morrison government plans to continue with hundreds of billions of dollars in income tax cuts, despite massively ramping up spending to address the COVID-19 crisis. Former Reserve Bank of Australia governor Bernie Fraser has told The Sydney Morning …

Business and union leaders have broadly welcomed the Federal Government’s $130 billion wage-subsidy scheme, but there are concerns that it excludes some casual workers and comes too late. More than 8000 employers have already signed up to the scheme, …

The national coronavirus cabinet has agreed to a six-month moratorium on evictions and to limit gatherings to a maximum of two people. Speaking after a Sunday night meeting with state leaders, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said “states and territories …

The federal government expects to lose an upcoming class action against the robodebt scheme and be forced to refund more than 400,000 welfare debts, according to a leaked ministerial submission. The advice, obtained by Guardian Australia, reveals …

A broader range of people will be eligible to be tested for COVID-19 from today, after a national panel of medical experts urged the expansion of the current criteria. At a Wednesday night meeting of the National Cabinet, comprising Prime Minister Scott …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a complex new set of restrictions on Tuesday night, including bans on guests at weddings and a 10-person limit on funerals. The regulations, which come into force at midnight tonight to address the continued rise …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a mass closure of pubs, clubs, gyms, cinemas, religious venues and other “non-essential” indoor facilities starting from midday today, following a meeting with state premiers and chief ministers on Sunday …

Migration advocates are calling on the federal government to provide support to two million temporary visa holders, as a travel ban on non-citizens and non-residents comes into force tonight. Migration Council of Australia chief executive Carla Wilshire …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended his decision not to recommend the closure of the nation’s schools, as some private education providers defy government advice under pressure from parents. Morrison warned on Wednesday night that closing schools …

The federal government has called on Australian travellers who wish to return home to do so now, as it unveils $715 million in assistance for airlines hit by COVID-19 travel bans. The Department of Foreign Affairs upgraded international travel advice, …

An investigation has uncovered explosive evidence of potential war crimes committed by Australia’s Special Air Service Regiment in Afghanistan. Ahead of a major inquiry soon to report on concerns about the SAS, ABC’s Four Corners team has …

Australia is just one of dozens of countries to impose tight new restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19, as a sharply rising death toll in Italy and Spain serves as a warning to the world. In the space of 24 hours, the Spanish death toll doubled …

While the nation’s elite schools outspend one another building new facilities, experts question why public schools have effectively had their funding cut.

Medical professionals are urging the Morrison Government to ban large public gatherings in response to COVID-19, as organisers of the Australian Grand Prix agree to call off the event. West Australian president of the Australian Medical Association, Andrew …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today unveil a stimulus package expected to be worth almost $18 billion, as the World Health Organisation officially designated COVID-19 a global pandemic. The package includes ($) tax breaks for small businesses which …

A classified ASIO intelligence report warns that Australian white supremacists may launch a terrorist attack in a bid to “accelerate the race war”. The report, obtained by The Saturday Paper, details concerns that the far-right movement may …

Federal cabinet is today expected to sign off on a stimulus package worth up to $10 billion, in the wake of the worst day for the Australian sharemarket since the global financial crisis. The Morrison government will consider ($) reversing its opposition …

State tourism ministers will lobby federal trade and tourism minister Simon Birmingham for extra funding at a crisis meeting in Canberra today, as the travel sector reels from COVID-19 containment measures. The agenda paper for the meeting, obtained by …

A 95-year-old resident of a Sydney aged-care facility who died this week tested positive for COVID-19, as criticism of the federal government’s response to the outbreak grows. It is feared that an aged-care worker also diagnosed with COVID-19 exposed …

A former Manus Island detention centre security guard wrote a suicide note addressed to the Prime Minister and took her own life, ahead of a legal showdown with the Australian government and G4S Australia. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald …

The Queensland Police Service has admitted that 84 serving officers have been accused of domestic violence in the last five years. In a statement, the police service told Guardian Australia that they “manage or support” officers in domestic …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will unveil new Commonwealth procurement rules to increase demand for recycled products at a national plastics summit in Canberra today. Commonwealth agencies would need to consider environmental sustainability and use of …

Federal health minister Greg Hunt will meet with state and territory ministers today to prepare for a possible COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. “We are doing all of that work across medical stockpile, personal protective equipment, supply chain, in particular …

Up to 1.5 million international visitors could be lost to Australia due to the coronavirus and bushfires, as cases of COVID-19 continue to spread globally. A draft Deloitte Access Economics report projects Australia will suffer at least a 10 to 15 per …

Infrastructure Australia has called for federal and state governments to respond to the climate crisis by investing billions of dollars into safeguarding access to fresh water and protection against rising sea levels. In a new list of priority projects, …

A New York jury has found Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein guilty on sex crimes charges, but acquitted him of two counts of predatory sexual assault crimes. Weinstein, whose sexual abuse of female actors sparked the #MeToo movement when revelations …

Advocates are pushing for coercive control to be made a criminal offence, as an emotional vigil was held in memory of the victims of the Camp Hill killings. The Queensland Women’s Legal Service have proposed reforms in the wake of the murders of Hannah …

Two people have been killed and a dozen injured after a train came off the tracks in the town of Wallan, 45 kilometres north of Melbourne. Investigators are picking through the wreckage to determine the cause of the derailment, which killed the driver …

United States President Donald Trump offered Julian Assange a pardon if he would say Russia was not involved in the hacking of Democratic party emails, a court in London has been told. Lawyers acting for Assange made the claim at Westminster Magistrates’ …

Australian tax authorities are not doing enough to counter money laundering and international tax avoidance, according to the 2020 Financial Secrecy Index. The Cayman Islands topped the Tax Justice Network’s index, with Australia ranked at 48th position, …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to take a technology investment target to this year’s United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, in place of a goal of zero emissions by 2050. According to The Australian ($), the target is designed …

The federal government will today unveil changes to the working holidaymaker program that encourage backpackers to help in the reconstruction effort in areas hit by bushfires and boost regional tourism. Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge told The …

A “business as usual” response to climate change will cost Australia at least $29 billion a year, according to a new study. The World Wide Fund for Nature report projected that Australia’s economy will be the fifth worst-affected over the next three …

Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt has acknowledged failures to meet targets to address Indigenous childhood mortality, life expectancy, school attendance and employment, as detailed in the 2020 Closing the Gap report to be released today. Wyatt told …

Economists are confident that the coronavirus and bushfire crises mean the Morrison government’s optimistic forecast of a budget surplus will not come to pass. Former Reserve Bank of Australia board member Bob Gregory told The Sydney Morning …

The heaviest downpour in decades has prompted evacuations in Sydney, as New South Wales suffers flash flooding and mass blackouts. In the most severe rains for coastal NSW since 1998, thousands were ordered to evacuate from low-lying suburbs, with the …

Heavy rainfall has brought relief to communities ravaged by fires and drought in Queensland and New South Wales. The downpour reduced the number of active fires in New South Wales by almost one-third in a day, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service. …

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says remote area mining camps and hotels are being identified to potentially quarantine more evacuees from the coronavirus outbreak in China. Dutton said he worried “whether we face the prospect of trying to assist …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is set to announce a rejigged cabinet today, following the resignation of two Nationals ministers in as many days. Vacancies have been created after Bridget McKenzie gave up the agriculture portfolio on Sunday in response …

The Nationals and the Greens will determine their respective leaders in party meetings today, on the first sitting day of Federal Parliament in 2020. Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce says he “will put my hand up” to challenge Deputy Prime …

Australian travellers are being evacuated by plane this morning from the central Chinese city of Wuhan for a two-week quarantine stay on Christmas Island. On Sunday a Qantas flight operated by a volunteer crew, left Sydney for Wuhan in Hubei province, …

The World Health Organisation has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency. After deciding not to do so last week, the United Nations health body opted to go ahead with the declaration after a health regulations committee meeting …

The federal government plan to quarantine Australian coronavirus evacuees from China at Christmas Island detention centre has been criticised by doctors, refugee advocates, island residents and the evacuees themselves. In a joint operation with New Zealand, …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is today expected to push for federal state of emergency powers at his National Press Club address in Canberra, as bushfires encroach on the city. He plans to call for constitutional and legal changes to allow the declaration …

Foreign Minister Marise Payne says it is unknown how many Australians are caught up in China’s coronavirus quarantine lockdown, and would not commit to an evacuation. With countries including the United States, France, and Germany planning evacuations, …

Tens of thousands of people have marched in Invasion Day rallies in every Australian capital city. A small group of far-right counter-protesters at Flinders Street Station attempted to disrupt the Melbourne event, but were soon contained by police. Ky-ya …

Two volunteer firefighters have been killed and two put into induced comas after a record heatwave fanned fires in New South Wales and melted roads in South Australia. The firefighters are believed to have died when their NSW Rural Fire Service truck …

The record-breaking national heatwave is set to combine with forecast 100km/h wind gusts to fan bushfires across the country today. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service has issued "extreme" fire warnings for the Sydney, Illawarra/Shoalhaven and Southern …

Indigenous people in Central Australia fear rising temperatures will force them to become climate refugees, as another wave of extreme heat sweeps the country. Guardian Australia reports that Indigenous leaders around the Alice Springs region …

Federal Water Minister David Littleproud will push for additional powers for a federal water compliance inspector when meeting state ministers today in Brisbane. Littleproud will argue that the inspector-general of the Murray-Darling Basin water agreement, …

A handful of major polluters including Australia have seen off efforts to ramp up emissions reduction targets at the United Nations climate summit in Madrid. The talks finished two days late on Sunday afternoon with countries failing to ramp up targets …

Unusually long queues across the United Kingdom indicate high voter turnout for the country’s third election in less than five years. Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been the warm favourite to retain power for much of the election campaign, …

New South Wales Environment Minister Matt Kean plans to introduce targets for a 35 per cent cut in emissions by 2030, breaking ranks with Liberal Party colleagues on the link between bushfires and climate change. After a climate rally in Sydney attracted …

Former emergency leaders have called for a national summit to address how to resource bushfire containment in a changing climate. “What we’re saying long term is there needs to be a paradigm shift for how we deal with these fires,” former chief …

Five people are dead, eight are missing and 31 are in hospital after a New Zealand volcano eruption on Monday caught visiting tourists, including Australians, off guard. New Zealand police believe there are no survivors among those left behind on Whakaari/White …

Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor is heading to the United Nations climate negotiations in Madrid this week, where he will fight to justify Australia's plan to count “carry-over credits” towards national targets. The conference …

An investigation has uncovered a covert enterprise that co-opted at least 21 far-right Facebook pages to monetise Islamophobia across the world. The Guardian reports that the pages would funnel audiences to 10 websites to earn advertising revenue. …

Scandals continue to swirl around Energy Minister Angus Taylor, with key developments in the grasslands inquiry and the doctored documents saga. A Senate committee on Wednesday found Taylor “consciously used his position as an MP and minister” to …

A ring of bushfires around Sydney is causing the city to experience record levels of hazardous particulates in the air, with smoke expected to linger across New South Wales for weeks. The NSW environment department reported that ($) safe guidelines for …

Technology companies Facebook, Google and Twitter are lobbying the Morrison government to roll back its response to the competition watchdog’s digital platforms inquiry. The Australian reports that the company representatives met MPs in Parliament …

The Morrison government will spend close to $90 million on a new counter foreign interference task force to target those believed to be undermining Australia's national interests. The initiative will for the first time ($) see domestic spy agency ASIO …

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said an inadequate response to the Westpac scandal prompted her surprise blocking of the Morrison government’s crackdown on unions. Hanson, who with fellow One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts, unexpectedly voted with …

Senator Jacqui Lambie has asked the Morrison government to consider New Zealand’s offer to receive offshore asylum seekers, as she weighs her critical vote on whether to repeal the medical evacuation laws. The Tasmanian independent issued a statement …

The Morrison government appears on the verge of passing its union-busting legislation, with Senate crossbenchers agreeing to extend sitting hours to debate the laws. Having already secured the support of Centre Alliance, the government needs the support …

Wang Liqiang, the alleged Chinese spy who defected to Australia, is in significant danger, warn experts. Wang, who the Chinese government say is being investigated for fraud, has made a claim for asylum and is staying at an undisclosed location in Sydney. …

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is investigating allegations that a Chinese espionage ring tried to get a spy elected to federal parliament. The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes report that the group offered a million dollars …

Dismissed by James Cook University, climate sceptic Peter Ridd sued for unfair dismissal and won. Now, he’s touring the globe, and being feted for insisting the Great Barrier Reef is fine and the science behind claims to the contrary is broken.

As the bushfire crisis spreads to southern states this week, hospital visits have spiked from the smoke enveloping cities and towns across the country. With record spring temperatures and wild winds fanning fires across the country, Sydney and Adelaide …

A senior United States diplomat has testified that he was ordered by President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to pressure Ukraine into announcing an investigation into political rivals. On Wednesday the US Ambassador to the European Union, …

Swedish authorities have discontinued a preliminary rape investigation into WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The deputy chief prosecutor, Eva-Marie Persson, said that after nearly a decade the memories of witnesses had faded. “Time is a player in this …

Dozens of Hong Kong protesters have made a bold escape from a police siege of a university campus. The anti-government protesters used ropes to lower themselves from a footbridge onto waiting motorcycles, as thousands of others approached the Polytechnic …

Aboriginal people were made to collect wood for their own pyres in at least four mass killings in Western Australia, according to new research. Guardian Australia and the University of Newcastle found the practice was still happening as late …

Behrouz Boochani, the Kurdish Iranian refugee and journalist detained by Australia in Papua New Guinea for six years, has flown to New Zealand. He has been granted a visitor visa to New Zealand to appear at the WORD Christchurch literary event, and told …

A Northern Territory police officer charged with the murder of an Indigenous 19-year-old has been released on bail. Charges were pressed against Constable Zachary Rolfe, 28, after the alleged shooting on Saturday night of Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker.  …

The New South Wales rural fire services commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has warned it could be months before more than a million hectares of bushfires are brought under control. After a day of catastrophic conditions in which firefighters battled more …

Areas of Sydney, regional New South Wales and Queensland are bracing today for some of the most dangerous bushfire conditions on record. A “catastrophic” fire warning has been issued for the first time for Sydney, as well as for the Hunter, Illawarra …

As devastating bushfires continue to burn in New South Wales and Queensland, on Tuesday Sydney will face its first “catastrophic” fire risk since the rating was introduced a decade ago. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service RFS warned the bushfire …

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has declared New Zealand on the “right side of history” as the country’s Parliament passed the landmark Zero Carbon Bill with near-unanimous support. In a speech on Thursday Ardern said the world is “undeniably” …

The federal government will today unveil a major drought relief program, including a $1bn concessional loan package. Loans will be available up to the value of $2m for farmers and $500,000 for small businesses. “Farmers will not have to pay a cent for …

The world faces “untold suffering” from climate change unless there are deep and lasting shifts in global society, warn more than 11,000 scientists. In a paper published in the journal BioScience on the 40th anniversary of the first climate …

Dozens of alternative events will be held on the first Melbourne Cup day since explosive reports on systematic abuse and culling of racehorses at abattoirs. According to The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, at least 26 events have been organised …

The leaked phone call between Malcolm Turnbull and Donald Trump is to become a key part of the United States President’s defence against impeachment, according to Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon. In an interview with The Australian …

Victoria Police is investigating two suspected whistleblowers linked to revelations that travel company Helloworld gave free international flights to Finance Minister Mathias Cormann’s family. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald …

Weeks of massive street protests against inequality have prompted Chilean President Sebastián Piñera to withdraw from hosting two major international meetings. In what he described as a “very difficult decision”, Piñera announced the country could …

Consumer advocate group Choice has called for an inquiry into private health insurance, after finding some insurers “scamming” more money for less cover than competitors. A Choice investigation found a new tiered ranking system introduced by the federal …

In his first vision statement as Labor leader, Anthony Albanese will today argue that coal has a valuable role to play in the transition to a zero-carbon economy. Speaking in Perth, Albanese will distinguish between thermal coal, which is burned for energy, …

United States President Donald Trump has claimed Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “died like a dog” during a US military raid in north-west Syria. At a Sunday press conference at the White House, Trump said a special operations team targeted Baghdadi, …

A surge of climbers is expected to scale Uluru, on the last day in which they will be legally allowed to defy the wishes of the Anangu traditional owners. This afternoon workers will begin the process of removing any indication that climbing ever took …

A major contractor for Adani’s Carmichael coal mine has been plagued by internal dissent over its work on the controversial project. An ABC investigation reveals that engineering firm GHD plunged into “crisis mode” after protests outside the company’s …

British MPs have for the first time voted in favour of a Brexit withdrawal bill, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson “paused” the legislation after his fast-track timetable was rejected. The House of Commons voted by 322 to 308 to reject his plan to …

Clive Palmer’s Waratah Coal has applied for a mining lease and environmental assessment to build a coalmine four times the size of Adani’s Carmichael mine in the Queensland Galilee Basin, reports Guardian Australia. If burned, coal in the …

Newspapers across the country carry heavily redacted front pages today, as part of a campaign to protest against laws restricting freedom of the press. The initiative, which includes an advertising campaign as well as news articles, opinion pieces, and …

US Vice President Mike Pence claims to have reached a deal with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for a ceasefire in northern Syria. The 120-hour pause on the Turkish invasion would allow a pullback of the Kurdish YPG militia. Pence, who met with Erdogen …

A businessman blacklisted by the United Nations over smuggling arms to a war criminal gambled millions at Crown Resorts in Australia, according to confidential gambling records. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald report that Joseph …

Australian universities could be complicit in development of mass surveillance and military technologies for the Chinese Communist Party, reports the ABC. A joint Four Corners-Background Briefing investigation has detailed collaborations between …

Coalition backbencher Barnaby Joyce and former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr are leading calls for the Morrison government to intervene to stop WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s potential extradition from Britain to the United States. “I support …

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to send millions of refugees into Europe in response to international criticism of his attack on Syria. Erdogan said if European leaders refer to the assault as an occupation “we will open the gates …

Reports have emerged that Australia has stripped citizenship from three dual nationals in Syria, as Turkey begins its invasion of the country. The Morrison government is under pressure to evacuate about 80 Australians from Syria held in camps for Daesh-affiliated …

Dozens of bushfires are blazing through New South Wales and Queensland, as the two states swelter through unseasonably high temperatures and dangerous fire conditions. Up to 20 properties were lost in the NSW town of Rappville, and at least one home was …

United States forces have begun a sudden and unflagged withdrawal from Northern Syria, which critics warn will further destabilise the region and put Australian lives at risk. US President Donald Trump, who agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan …

The Labor Party faces a budget deficit after spending $31.9 million on the failed federal election campaign. The New Daily reports that the Labor Party budgeted for greater public funding from what it expected would be a successful election result …

A number of Liberal National Party MPs have supported Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s call to strip welfare payments from climate protesters and jail them. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash told The Australian ($): “Taxpayers should …

A gunman has been killed by police following a shooting spree across Sydney's west on Wednesday night. The man pulled up outside the Penrith police station on High Street and approached police armed with a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, NSW Police said. …

A former adviser to US President Donald Trump has said it is time for payback for former Australian foreign minister, diplomat and “Clinton ally” Alexander Downer, who he claims was “spying” on him. In an interview with The New Daily, …

US President Trump pushed Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to help gather information to discredit the investigation into collusion with Russia, according to two American officials. The New York Times reports that officials claim to have …

Australia was the world’s second biggest importer of military arms in 2018, according to analysis from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The ABC reports projects including the $17 billion Joint Strike Fighters program and the $50 …

An anonymous whistleblower claims the White House attempted to “lock down” records of a phone conversation at the heart of the impeachment inquiry against US President Donald Trump. The New York Times reported Thursday that a male …

Sea levels are rising faster than previously thought, with a new UN report warning Australia's coastal communities are set to face massive disruptions from climate change unless rapid action is taken to cut carbon emissions. The report, compiled by more …

The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has announced a formal impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump. According to The Washington Post, Pelosi will support the inquiry on the back of allegations …

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has delivered a scathing speech at the United Nations Climate Action summit in New York on Monday, warning her generation will never forgive world leaders if they fail to cut carbon emissions. “People are dying,” …

The highly decorated former Australian soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, is being investigated by federal police for allegedly kicking a handcuffed Afghan man off a small cliff before he was shot dead. The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and …

Employers, unions and governments around the globe are urging people to walk off the job today to join students in what organisers claim will be the largest climate protest in history. For the first time adults are being asked to join the growing student …

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton would have the exclusive right to strip citizenship from dual nationals, under legislation to be introduced to parliament today. The Australian ($) reports the laws would allow Dutton to revoke citizenship for …

Cardinal George Pell is attempting to make one final appeal to overturn his child sex abuse convictions to the High Court of Australia. The 78-year-old’s lawyers lodged an application on Tuesday for special leave to appeal his convictions. If granted, …

A trio of New South Wales Liberal MPs have pledged to move a spill motion today against Premier Gladys Berejiklian over her handling of the abortion decriminalisation bill. Mulgoa MP Tanya Davies and upper house members Matthew Mason-Cox and Lou Amato …

Disability advocates are calling for a boycott of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, which begins today. Craig Wallace, the convener of the Disability Royal Commission Action Group, is one of …

The dirtiest form of coal energy is on the decline in Australia, with renewables sharply up, according to statistics to be released by the Morrison government today. Brown coal use dropped 17 per cent in the 2018 financial year, now meeting roughly 13 …

New revelations have emerged about Liberal MP Gladys Liu's links to Chinese identities considered a security threat. The ABC understands that in February 2018 the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Director-General, Duncan Lewis, advised …

Papua New Guinea's Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Petrus Thomas, claims that only nine people remain at the asylum seeker detention centre on Manus Island. Transfers have reportedly occurred daily since last week, with most asylum seekers …

Wild winds and dry conditions have exacerbated Queensland’s worst start to a bushfire season on record, with at least 10 more homes destroyed and hundreds evacuated overnight. Unprecedented fires for early spring saw homes lost at Peregian Beach on …

The government has secured key crossbench support for a national cashless welfare card program, with independent senator Jacqui Lambie endorsing the idea. “I've always been a big supporter of the cashless welfare card,” she said. Two One Nation senators …

A Ukrainian court has released a man linked with the downing of flight MH17, in what is believed to be part of a prisoner swap deal with Russia. Ukraine captured Vladimir Tsemakh in June, with European lawmakers describing him as a “key suspect” in …

A bill that aims to prevent the United Kingdom from exiting the European Union without a deal has passed 327-299 in the House of Commons, which also rejected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s wish to hold an early election. The no-deal prevention …

The Federal Court in Melbourne is poised to make a final decision regarding the fate of a family facing deportation to Sri Lanka. Tamil couple Priya and Nadesalingam and their two Australia-born daughters Kopika, 4, and Tharunicaa, 2, could be deported …

The Australian Medical Association has officially declared climate change a health emergency. According to Guardian Australia, AMA president Tony Bartone says that climate change will affect human health “by increasing the environment and situations …

A Sri Lankan couple and their Australian-born children, spared deportation by a last-minute injunction, will have their case heard in the Melbourne Federal Circuit Court today. Thousands of people rallied across Australia on Sunday to voice support for …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today visit Timor-Leste to sign an oil and gas deal on the 20th anniversary of the young country’s vote for independence. Morrison, the first Australian prime minister to visit the regional neighbour in nearly 12 years, …

The Queen has approved an order from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend parliament ahead of the October 31 Brexit deadline. The parliament will be prorogued from the second week in September until 14 October. The move provoked outrage on …

Internal documents reveal that the Australian Bureau of Statistics last month toned down references to wealth inequality to help craft a “good media story”. Records of messages and earlier drafts show that statistics and language used in press releases …

The G7 leaders’ summit in France has agreed to deliver a $29 million package of aid to fight massive fires burning across the Amazon rainforest. The amount – around the same outlay as the cost of the summit itself – would be complemented by the …

Foreign spies are attempting to silence asylum seekers in Australia, according to a top domestic intelligence agency. An Australian Security Intelligence Organisation spokesperson issued the warning following revelations by the ABC that Rwanda has a network …

Environmental organisations have contradicted the claims of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who says non-government-organisations are behind vast fires burning across the Amazon rainforest. Instead the environmental movement blames cattle ranchers …

Australia is the third biggest exporter of fossil-related emissions, according to a new report. Analysis by the Australia Institute finds that the country is responsible for 7 per cent of global fossil fuel exports based on carbon dioxide potential, behind …

Australia has prevented a statement of unanimous regional support for the phasing out of coal at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu. In a marathon meeting with 17 regional leaders that lasted nearly 12 hours, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison …

The 24-year-old woman killed in a Sydney CBD apartment on Tuesday has been formally identified as Michaela Dunn. Friends said she was a "true delight" who spent her last few months travelling the world. Mert Ney, 21, is accused of killing her with a kitchen …

New South Wales police say the alleged perpetrator of a stabbing rampage in Sydney was arrested carrying a USB drive full of extremist materials, but has a history of mental health issues and no apparent links with terror organisations. The 21-year-old …

Australia’s major cities are on track to become paralysed with congestion, according to a new audit of infrastructure spending. The Infrastructure Australia report released today finds that congestion cost the economy $19bn in 2016 – a figure that …

Three different investigations in the United States will look into the circumstances of the apparent suicide in prison of wealthy financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the US justice department, and …

We need to immediately change our diets, how we grow food, and the way we use land if the world is to tackle climate change, according to a new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. The report found the current trajectory of forest destruction …

Canadian police believe they have found the bodies of Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod, the teenagers suspected of murdering Australian Lucas Fowler, his American girlfriend Chynna Deese, and university lecturer Leonard Dyck. The discovery was made at …

A 42-year-old man has won a record $3 million payout from former asbestos manufacturer James Hardie, after he developed a rare form of mesothelioma. Adelaide man Mathew Werfel was exposed to asbestos from renovating two homes between the late 1990s and …

More than 60 women who have had abortions urged authorities to arrest them ahead of the New South Wales parliament debating a decriminalisation bill today. Emily Mayo, who had an abortion in 2005, launched the #ArrestUs campaign on Facebook and Twitter, …

Two separate mass shootings in the United States have left at least 29 dead and 53 injured, with one attack linked to white supremacy and the other counting the suspected gunman’s sister among the victims. The first, a massacre in El Paso, Texas, saw …

Documents leaked to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reveal that while Australia’s banks faced scrutiny at the royal commission into banking, National Australia Bank chairman Ken Henry privately confided to auditors that the bank …

Crown Resorts is today running a series of full-page advertisements to counter what it describes as “deceitful” reporting on alleged links with organised crime. The casino operator is reportedly outlaying at least $250,000 on the advertisements ($) …

Civil liberties groups warn new counter-terrorism laws could see Australian journalists and whistleblowers refused entry to Australia. The “temporary exclusion” bill yesterday passed the Senate with bipartisan support, allowing the government to block …

The man charged with investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible obstruction of justice by US president Donald Trump, testified in Washington on Wednesday before two congressional committees. Over the course of nearly …

Boris Johnson will today become the new British prime minister, after comfortably winning a ballot of Conservative party members to replace Theresa May as leader. Johnson defeated rival candidate Jeremy Hunt 92,153 votes to 46,656. In his victory speech, …

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern plans to address Australia’s deportation of thousands of Kiwis when she meets with her trans-Tasman counterpart Scott Morrison in Melbourne today. Changes to Australian law in 2014 saw the automatic cancellation …

A report by an Australian philanthropic organisation has estimated 10,000 people per day must be liberated to meet the UN goal to end slavery by 2030. Unveiled at the UN headquarters in New York yesterday, the assessment of 183 countries by the Walk Free …

A poll has found a majority of Australians support recognition of Indigenous Australians in the constitution, and the establishment of a voice to parliament. The Essential survey found that in a sample of 1097 respondents, 70 per cent supported constitutional …

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, yesterday promised to work towards holding a referendum for Indigenous recognition “during the current parliamentary term”, but met immediate resistance in Coalition ranks. Wyatt, who is Indigenous, …

The Senate has passed the Morrison government’s tax cut package in full, with the Greens the only party to vote against the legislation. The package will cost Commonwealth coffers $158 billion in revenue, but delivers more than 10 million Australians …

The Federal Government believes it has secured crossbench support to pass its $158 billion tax cut package, with Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie understood to have committed to back the legislation. A senior government source told The Australian ($) last …

Israel Folau has claimed Rugby Australia offered him money to remove the controversial Instagram post that led to his sacking. Rugby Australia issued a statement declaring the allegation, made in Folau’s first public interview since the scandal broke, …

Prime minister Scott Morrison plans to ask US president Donald Trump to halt the trade war with China when they dine tonight. Morrison has secured a working dinner with Trump and his advisors in Osaka, Japan, on the eve of the G20 Summit. Joining Morrison …

Home affairs minister Peter Dutton has told Sky News that female asylum seeker detainees on Nauru had pretended to be victims of rape and in need of abortion so they could get to Australia. Dutton claimed the women would change their minds upon arrival …

Nearly half a decade after the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, four suspects have been charged with the murder of 298 people on board an aircraft that included 38 Australian passengers. International arrest warrants have …

The Manus Island detention centre may be closing, but its legacy lives on in Europe, where leaders have looked to Australia for lessons on how to stop the boats – no matter the human cost.

The outcome of the South Australian government’s bold energy policy could be key to the future of renewable energy throughout the nation.

One year after an iron ore tailings dam part-owned by BHP Billiton burst its banks, locals of a Brazilian village lament ruined livelihoods and uncertain health risks.

In Rio de Janeiro, the locals are trying to find positives in lavish spending on the Olympic Games while the city is mired in corruption and economic recession.

Nick Xenophon’s team of candidates looks set to give the major parties a shake-up at the federal election, but there are questions about what exactly the NXT stands for.

The ABS unemployment figure, used to direct government policy, ignores hundreds of thousands of jobless Australians.

The initial findings of a royal commission into the merits of South Australia becoming a hub for uranium mining and waste storage raised as many questions as they answered.

Right-wing populists aren’t the only ones arguing to lower Australia’s immigration rate – some environmentalists worry it will doom efforts to cut carbon emissions.

Is developing a driverless car industry the answer to South Australia’s unemployment crisis, or a harbinger of far greater job losses across the nation?

Angry at the tearing down of a conservative PM, traditionalist parties of the right are hoping to at least benefit by attracting disaffected Liberal voters, or even a notable backbencher.

Keen to join the fight against Daesh, a group of former Australian servicemen have enlisted legal help in a bid to wage their own war on the government’s Foreign Fighters bill.

The debate over same-sex marriage has led to a focus on children, with opponents citing the damaging effects of of what they call “imperfect families”.

One-time billionaire Nathan Tinkler continues to flout the law, as his many creditors remain no closer to seeing their money.

A woman's murder has renewed debate in South Australia over the lack of protections for sex workers and decriminalisation of the industry.

Inquiries into fly-in fly-out workers reveal hidden depression and an industry in denial. With the weakening mining sector now delivering redundancies, it will only get worse.

The government is threatening to jail Australians who join the fight against Islamic State.

A recent ban on commercial solariums has seen many turning to backyard operations, ignoring the cancer risk.

As the states toughen up vaccination regulations, anti-vaxxers claim their rights as parents are being denied.

There are still three years before General Motors pulls the pin on its South Australian operations, but plans to soften the blow remain stuck in first gear.

A small dairy producer is accused of supporting terrorism and then, perversely, of racism.

With South Australia already reeling from impending manufacturing job losses, calls grow to sink the PM’s plan to send submarine building offshore.

Asylum seekers who say they are under-age are being cross-examined by immigration authorities and given new dates of birth.

While an inquiry into children in detention has been told psychological damage is being covered up, two Vietnamese boys have given immigration the slip in Darwin.

Fifteen children fled community detention during a ministerial review. A month later, they are still missing.

Changes to the control of game-hunting in Victoria may be giving shooters the upper hand.

Amid false reports and an official policy of evasion, the public is being kept in the dark about the murderous violence at the Manus Island detention centre.

The government plans to buy a fleet of unproven unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol for asylum seekers and illegal fishing boats. Basing it in Adelaide suggests a political agenda.

As the Liberals claim the popular vote in every state, a fight-to-the-death campaign by SA Labor may yet get them over the line.