News without the noise
575 articles · page 7 of 12
A pioneering vaccination program for wild birds against H5N1 avian influenza has begun in New South Wales, with little penguins, black cockatoos, emus and owls at Taronga Zoo among the first recipients, while the state government has implored owners of backyard chickens and pet birds to strengthen precautions against the deadly virus.
The number of Australians missing after devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 42, with friends and families facing an anxious wait for news as rescue efforts continue. Among the missing are a Sydney family of four — parents Shylaja and Chandrasekaran Muralitharan and their sons Ashwin, 14, and Aarush, 11 — who were on a pilgrimage when the flood struck on Wednesday.
A woman who was allegedly stabbed with scissors while protecting her son during a random daylight attack has called for a wider public discussion about violent crime in Australia, recounting the moment she heard her child screaming in horror.
Three teenagers accused of sexually assaulting a girl in an incident allegedly orchestrated through text messages have faced court as prosecutors reveal disturbing new details about the case. The accused, whose identities are protected under Australian law, appeared in a children's court on Friday as the matter progresses.
One Nation has appointed investment banker Mike Newman as its New South Wales leader and first lower house candidate for the March 2027 state election, with the son of former ABC chair Maurice Newman set to contest the Hunter seat of Cessnock on a platform of eliminating 'wokery'.
A class action lawsuit by law firm Maurice Blackburn against Qantas for millions of dollars over the sacking of thousands of workers during the pandemic continues to grind through the courts, with a new report highlighting the prolonged ordeal for former employees. The case, which alleges the airline illegally outsourced ground handling and catering jobs in 2020, has yet to reach a final resolution, leaving workers in a state of uncertainty.
Western Australian police have laid a murder charge against a man following an alleged days-long domestic violence assault in the Perth suburb of St James, with authorities describing the incident as a sustained and brutal attack that ultimately resulted in the victim's death.
A Queensland man arrested in Bali over an alleged public sex act is expected to be deported back to Australia today, according to reports from multiple Australian news outlets. The incident has drawn attention to Indonesia's strict moral laws, which can carry severe penalties for foreigners.
Fernando Octavio Salas-Collard, the man convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl in the toilets at Coogee Beach in Western Australia, has launched a lawsuit alleging that conditions in the state's prison system are 'inhumane.' The case adds to a rising tide of legal challenges from prisoners claiming that overcrowding, inadequate healthcare, and poor sanitation violate their human rights.
A sprawling, high-security kitchen the size of a city block near Melbourne Airport operates around the clock, employing more than 1,200 staff – from chefs and cleaners to packers – to produce thousands of airline meals every day, offering a rare glimpse into the complex logistics of inflight catering.
Two men are due to appear in court today following a dramatic car chase on the Sunshine Coast, during which police vehicles and a helicopter were allegedly fired upon, raising serious concerns about violent escalation in pursuit incidents.
The federal government has announced plans for a national safety standard for e-bikes, seeking to close a regulatory loophole that has allowed dangerously overpowered electric vehicles to be legally imported and used on public roads, contributing to a surge in serious injuries and deaths, particularly among young men.
The Northern Territory parliament on Thursday passed legislation to legalise voluntary assisted dying, making it the last Australian jurisdiction to do so. The bill, approved via a conscience vote with all but one member voting in favour (one abstained), will allow eligible Territorians to access assisted dying from early 2028, ending a decades-long battle that began when the NT originally enacted the world's first such law in the mid-1990s, only to have it overridden by the federal government nine months later.
The Australian government has passed landmark reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), legislating stricter eligibility criteria that will shift assessments from a person's diagnosis to their functional capacity. The changes, expected to remove 160,000 participants from the scheme and save A$37.8 billion over four years, will not take effect until January 2028, with many critical details—including the precise assessment tools and thresholds—still being developed by a newly established technical advisory group due to report by March 2027.
A Queensland mother has reportedly given birth to twins who are not genetically related to each other, in what is believed to be a first for Australia. The rare phenomenon, known as heteropaternal superfecundation, occurs when two eggs are fertilised by sperm from different men during the same menstrual cycle, resulting in siblings who share a womb but not both parents.
Fiona Carruthers has published the ultimate passenger guide, answering three critical questions for air travellers: which aircraft give the widest seat, how to reduce jet lag, and which plane flies the longest route. The guide, revealed across Brisbane Times, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, aims to help passengers make informed choices before booking their next flight.
Multiple Australian news outlets report that the Wallabies' scrum, which has shown significant improvement in recent matches, will face its toughest challenge yet against Argentina, drawing comparisons to the dominant pack of the 1984 Grand Slam tour.
More Australian women are seeking out the so-called 'egg timer' fertility test, but doctors warn the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) test is being marketed misleadingly and cannot determine a woman's actual chances of conceiving.
EnergyAustralia has confirmed it will begin winding down the open-cut mine that supplies its Yallourn coal-fired power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, locking in the plant’s planned exit in 2028. The move, announced on Thursday, signals the start of a multi-year process to decommission the mine, with the coal unit expected to cease operations by the end of the decade as part of the company’s transition away from fossil fuels.
A catastrophic flash flood that swept through villages in Nepal’s central region on Thursday has left hundreds dead or missing, triggering desperate searches among Australia’s large Nepali diaspora for friends and family. Suman Shrestha, a Sydney resident who moved from Kathmandu in 2017, described the scene as ‘awful’ after seeing video of a thick, muddy wall of water smashing into towns. ‘Lots of my friends are missing,’ he said, voicing the fear gripping the community as they await news.
Melbourne Storm and Queensland Maroons star Cameron Munster has publicly stated he is 'not a fan' of the proposed change to the NRL kick-off, which is currently being trialled. The rule change, aimed at reducing concussions by limiting high-speed collisions, has divided opinion among players and coaches ahead of a potential permanent adoption.
Autumn Glow, the standout winner of the Golden Eagle, has been named Australia’s best racehorse at the annual Australian Racehorse of the Year awards, marking a historic night for Arrowfield Stud.
Northern Territory Police have declared a death in custody investigation after a 43-year-old man died following a confrontation with officers during a police pursuit in rural Darwin. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, has triggered a mandatory probe overseen by the NT Police Professional Standards Command, with the matter also to be referred to the coroner.
The Northern Territory parliament has passed the Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill in a late-night conscience vote, making voluntary assisted dying (VAD) legal nationwide for the first time in nearly three decades — but the legislation includes a controversial gag clause that prevents doctors from raising end-of-life options with patients unless asked directly.
Fresh off a man-of-the-match performance in State of Origin seven weeks ago, Nathan Cleary is preparing for what his camp is calling the greatest challenge of his club career when the Penrith Panthers take the field on Friday night.
Western Australian Premier has come under fire for his recent attacks on the Productivity Commission, with an editorial in The Australian Financial Review arguing that his rhetoric diminishes the quality of public debate by pandering to parochialism rather than engaging with the substance of the commission’s recommendations.
A dress code loophole has been exposed in Australia, but the person who allegedly exploited it was still caught — or ‘collared’ — according to near‑identical reports from the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Brisbane Times. The brief, cryptic coverage offers no further details, sparking speculation about which institution or event is involved and whether the revelation will lead to policy changes.
Brisbane Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam intercepted a Cameron Munster pass and sprinted 70 metres to score a try in their NRL clash against the Melbourne Storm, producing a moment that has become an instant highlight of the season.
Police on the Sunshine Coast came under fire during an extended crime spree early Thursday morning, which began with the theft of a dozen firearms from a residence, according to authorities.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was confronted by regional leaders over his government's green energy rollout and migration strategy at a summit in regional New South Wales on Wednesday, with attendees expressing mounting frustration over the pace of change and its impact on local communities.
The Geelong Cats have been handed a significant fine by the AFL after admitting they failed to lodge a required concussion waiver for a player, an oversight that has ignited a broader ethical discussion about player welfare and club responsibility in Australia's premier football competition.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has intervened to guarantee that Australia's annual refugee intake will not be cut next financial year, shutting down plans by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to reduce the quota by one-third to 13,750. The move comes amid anger from Labor MPs and refugee advocates, and follows reports that the government was considering a sharp reduction in the humanitarian program as part of its response to migration pressures.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has scrapped a plan to reduce Australia's refugee intake, overriding his Immigration Minister Tony Burke and potentially jeopardising the government's target to cut net overseas migration to 225,000 per year by 2027-28, as set in the May budget.
The Queensland government has conceded that its new ‘breach bail, go to jail’ laws, which impose a mandatory 12-month jail sentence on some offenders as young as 10, violate human rights and risk exacerbating overcrowding in youth detention centres, police watch houses, and adult prisons, according to documents tabled with the legislation on Thursday.
The Australian federal government has softened its stance on powering new data centres, abandoning initial plans to require renewable-only energy and instead permitting coal and gas under new standards to be legislated in early 2027, a move welcomed by Queensland and the Northern Territory but criticised by environmental advocates.
The Queensland parliament has passed a controversial critical minerals bill granting extraordinary powers to accelerate mining and processing projects, with last-minute amendments that calmed some farming groups but left other critics, including environmental advocates and community representatives, voicing concerns about weakened oversight and long-term costs.
The Fair Work Commission has declared that working from home is now entrenched across Australian workplaces but rejected union arguments that this widespread adoption justified further regulatory intervention, in a major ruling that contrasts directly with the rationale used by Victoria to introduce its own WFH laws.
The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has questioned Anita Perrottet, the wife of former Premier Charles Perrottet, about messages that were deleted or went missing, as the Operation Rosny inquiry prepares to hear from Charles Perrottet and fugitive developer Jean Nassif next week. Nassif, who is wanted in Australia on fraud charges, will appear via video link from overseas.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has been granted expanded powers to secretly question individuals, after an unusual alliance of left and right politicians failed to block the legislation. The new laws, passed with bipartisan government support, allow the domestic spy agency to detain and interrogate people in secret, without access to a lawyer or oversight.
Carlton coach Josh Fraser has declared he has no fear about fielding his youthful side in the high-stakes AFL wildcard clash at the MCG, while St Kilda have made a dramatic list call by axing their No.3 draft pick in a clear signal of a new direction under the club’s rebuild.
Jeroen Weimar, who led Victoria’s pandemic response and later became secretary of the Department of Transport and Planning, is leaving his role — the most senior public servant to depart since Premier Ben Carroll took office.
Search and rescue teams are continuing to scour remote waters off the Northern Territory coast on Thursday for the wreckage of a plane belonging to Tasmanian pilot Bob Bramley, who crashed on Tuesday. Bramley's family has described the incident as a 'great loss', as authorities work to locate the aircraft and determine the cause of the crash.
A proposed AI data centre in north-west Tasmania would rely on a combination of trucked-in water and rainwater for its cooling systems, according to plans submitted by Firmus Technologies. The project, which has now opened for public submissions, has sparked questions about water sourcing and environmental impact in a region known for its agricultural and ecological sensitivity.
Queensland grazier Darryl Valroy Young, accused of triple murder and attempted murder, will give evidence in his trial in Townsville, a significant development as the defendant prepares to take the stand in his own defence.
A Federal Court case will determine what constitutes 'direct care' under Labor's new aged care minimums, raising the possibility of hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for providers who fail to meet the standards. The outcome could set a landmark precedent for the industry, clarifying which daily tasks — from personal hygiene to cleaning up after meals — count toward the mandated minimum care minutes.
A senior Department of Transport and Main Roads official has told Queensland's CFMEU inquiry that union bosses made her feel 'stalked' and that their behaviour towards her was 'disturbing, creepy, and inexcusable', including unsettling comments about the whereabouts of her school-aged daughter.
A teenage girl has died from strangulation during a sexual encounter, prompting two Australian commentators to argue that pornography and social media are normalizing dangerous sexual practices like 'choking' among young people, and must be held accountable. Writing in major Australian newspapers, David Corlett and Maree Crabbe warned that such practices are now common but carry lethal risks, calling for urgent regulatory action.
The AFL has imposed a $140,000 fine on the Geelong Football Club for failing to lodge a contract variation with player Jake Kolodjashnij, a breach linked to the league’s concussion waiver protocols. The penalty, announced on Thursday, underscores the AFL’s enforcement of administrative rules around player safety agreements.