Australia

Sam Wood denied bail for second time

The Queensland Supreme Court has refused Sam Wood's second application for bail.

Cyber bootcamp helps stop radicalisation of boys

A cyber bootcamp has been established to counteract the radicalisation of boys, who are increasingly being drawn into extremism via online platforms. Reports suggest that artificial intelligence is speeding up this process, with boys as young as 12 becoming radicalised within weeks in their bedrooms.

Victoria's 'dump day' reports reveal year-long mental health bed waits and missed ambulance targets

Victoria's sickest mental health patients are waiting more than a year for a secure hospital bed and ambulances are falling well short of priority response targets, according to 192 annual reports and reviews tabled to state parliament on Friday afternoon.

‘Recruited off the street’: The teenagers being groomed in Melbourne’s plague of arson attacks

Organised crime figures are recruiting teenagers off Melbourne streets and through encrypted apps to carry out arson attacks, with police and underworld sources describing a ‘crime-as-a-service’ system that can protect higher-level actors while exploiting those at the bottom.

Tasmanian integrity commissioner accused of $300,000 offer to greyhound trainer

Tasmania's racing integrity commissioner, Sean Carroll, has been accused in parliament of offering premier greyhound trainer Anthony Bullock $300,000 to leave the racing industry, allegations he denies. Labor's Dean Winter, the shadow racing minister, raised the claims under parliamentary privilege on Thursday night, drawing on a sworn statutory declaration supplied by Bullock.

NSW Local Court chief judge’s WhatsApp message leads to appeal win for deputy in misconduct fight

The NSW Court of Appeal has quashed a decision by the Judicial Commission to refer Deputy Chief Judge Sharon Freund to a conduct division, finding the decision was affected by apprehended bias after Chief Judge Michael Allen sent a WhatsApp message about her to a commission member.

Teen fined $5,000 over white supremacist stickers at ANU

Zachery James Hook, 19, has been given a year to pay the penalty for offensive behaviour after leaving stickers at Indigenous and Black, Indigenous and People of Colour facilities at the Australian National University, the ACT Magistrates Court heard on Friday, October 30.

30 Oct 2026

Rugby league World Cup organisers face unrest over pay and treatment of rival nations

Rugby League World Cup organisers are facing unrest among officials from competing nations over a gulf between the haves and have-nots, with officials from cash-strapped countries disgruntled at having to pay tens of thousands of dollars for corporate boxes while Australia's players receive higher pay and better accommodation.

30 Oct 2026· 2 sources

Hanson unrepentant over Robinson sit-down in Luton

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has remained unrepentant over her sit-down with British far-right figure Tommy Robinson, telling a crowd of supporters at the Perth electorate of Secret Harbour that she would decide who she speaks to.

30 Oct 2026· 2 sources

Police find sex offender who escaped custody

Police have found a sex offender who escaped custody, according to headlines published by three outlets on 29 October.

Albanese gives three ministers extra staff worth $550,000 amid crossbench accusations of unfairness

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has awarded additional staff to three ministers, Defence Minister Richard Marles, Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain and Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino, at a total cost of $550,000, as crossbench MPs accuse him of failing to play fair over his sole discretion to set staffing levels for all federal politicians. The hires, made between May and October, come amid pressure from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and independent senator Fatima Payman to hand the power to an independent body.

30 Oct 2026· 2 sources

AFP asked Turkey to consider removing man facing murder charges despite legal warnings, court told

The Australian Federal Police asked Turkish officials to consider removing Masood Zakaria, who faces murder charges, from Turkey despite government lawyers warning that any involvement in a foreign deportation decision could jeopardise future criminal prosecutions, the NSW Supreme Court has heard.

Ukrainian police investigate potential fire safety breach after Airbnb fire kills Melbourne charity worker

A Melbourne charity worker who relocated to Ukraine to help rebuild homes in villages ravaged by Russia's invasion has died in a house fire at a rented Airbnb, with Ukrainian police investigating a potential breach of fire safety regulations and a police investigator saying the building had not been formally put into operation.

WA man accused of planning terrorist attack faces upgraded charges

A 22-year-old West Australian man is set to face court on upgraded charges, with a joint counter-terrorism team alleging he sought assistance via a messaging platform to plan a terrorist attack.

30 Oct 2026

Dane Rampe retires, adding to Swans defensive exodus

Veteran Sydney Swans defender Dane Rampe has announced his retirement, ending a remarkable career forged against the odds and further depleting the club's leadership and experience in defence. Rampe, 36, felt he had 'nothing left to give', compounding an exodus that has seen star back Nick Blakey traded to North Melbourne, Harry Cunningham depart as a free agent, and skipper Callum Mills expected to be sidelined for the entire 2027 season with an ACL injury.

NSW racing minister David Harris to retire, first Minns frontbencher to quit before election

The NSW gaming and racing minister, David Harris, will retire at the March state election, becoming the first of Premier Chris Minns' frontbenchers to quit before the March 13 poll and leaving Labor to defend his Central Coast seat of Wyong against a likely significant One Nation challenge.

29 Oct 2026· 4 sources

Beau Lamarre-Condon reportedly called colleague during search for missing men

While investigators were searching for Beau Lamarre-Condon over two missing men, the wanted police officer was picking up the phone to a fellow youth command officer, according to reports from the Brisbane Times and The Age.

ASIC ignored ATO request to check other agencies after VIQ data concerns, emails reveal

Australia's corporate regulator failed to alert other government agencies about concerns that transcription provider VIQ Solutions had potentially sent sensitive data offshore, internal emails released under freedom of information laws reveal, despite being asked by the Australian Tax Office to assess whether other departments had been affected.

Sharp rise in deaths of children in state care or recently in contact with system

A state child protection department has reported a sharp increase in deaths of children either in direct care or who had recent contact with the system, with upwards of 25 children dying in the past year compared with nine the year before.

Police appeal for information after woman sexually touched during Bondi morning jog

Police are appealing for information after a 33-year-old woman was sexually touched by a man who was not known to her while jogging on Bondi Road early on Thursday morning.

Former gymnastics hopeful James Ramm named in Wallabies squad for spring tour

James Ramm, who once trained as a gymnast with Olympic dreams, has been called into the Wallabies squad for the first time in six years as the team gathers at Sydney Olympic Park ahead of the spring tour. The 28-year-old utility back, who signed with the Western Force ahead of next year's Super Rugby season after four successful seasons at Northampton, is now in contention for his first Test cap.

Gold Coast Suns' Bodhi Uwland to make triathlon debut after back injury recovery

Gold Coast Suns defender Bodhi Uwland will contest his first triathlon in Noosa on November 1, four years after wearing a back brace for nine months due to severe stress fractures that left him unable to run for over a year.

WA year 12 students celebrate end of school as final exams approach

Year 12 students across Western Australia have finished their final week at school with celebrations ranging from running into the ocean in uniform to dress-up days, before many go on to sit final exams.

Mushroom killer Erin Patterson to die in prison after court scraps parole

Erin Patterson will die in prison after the Victorian Court of Appeal on Friday dismissed her bid to overturn her triple murder convictions and accepted prosecutors' argument that her 33-year non-parole period was manifestly inadequate. The decision makes her the first Victorian woman, and only the second woman in the country's history, to receive a life sentence without parole.

29 Oct 2026· 24 sources

Progressive social justice critics driving new wave of antisemitism, Australian envoy's report argues

The most pervasive form of discrimination against Jewish Australians comes from progressives motivated by social justice who give antisemitism a 'respectable veneer', argues a new report from Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism (ASECA).

29 Oct 2026· 4 sources

1 in 4 ADF members not fit for deployment, Senate Estimates told

The Australian Defence Force has admitted that up to a quarter of its personnel are not medically fit for deployment, a revelation that emerged during Senate Estimates hearings on Thursday after independent Senator David Pocock pressed officials on the issue.

Column 8: Lawn prawns, VoVos and a Rinehart rockfall plaque

This week's Column 8 brings a mix of reader observations from the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere, covering everything from land-dwelling crustaceans slinking under doorways to one reader's claim that VoVos are getting smaller.

Woman shot dead by police in Adelaide after alleged axe attack

A 63-year-old woman has been shot dead by police in Adelaide's eastern suburbs after allegedly attacking an officer with an axe early Thursday morning. Acting Commissioner Linda Williams has defended the officers involved and described the incident as tragic.

29 Oct 2026· 9 sources

WA man jailed 10 years for raping six-year-old niece

A 54-year-old Kimberley man has been sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for repeatedly sexually abusing his six-year-old niece, after a Broome District Court jury found him guilty of three counts of sexual penetration of a child under 13.

Treasurer considers big infrastructure cuts

The Treasurer is reportedly considering big infrastructure cuts, according to reports from the Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times, and The Age.

Police search for man believed swept away in Central Australian floodwaters

Northern Territory Police are searching for a 60-year-old man believed to have been swept from the roof of a vehicle that became stuck in floodwaters near the remote community of Santa Teresa, south of Alice Springs, on Wednesday night.

Payman, Hanson push Albanese for fairer staffing

Independent senator Fatima Payman and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson have formed an alliance to pressure Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over parliamentary staffing allocations, with Payman apologising after linking her lack of staff to the attack on fellow MP Helen Haines.

New book traces Gen Z's romance struggles to 'mass social separation'

A new book argues that young people still want sex, friendship and romance as much as previous generations, but are being kept from them by technology, a dominant culture of individualism and the shrinking of shared social spaces. In Generation Uncoupled, public opinion pollster Dr Daniel Cox describes a 'social malaise' among the young and warns of an 'experience deficit' produced by what he calls 'mass social separation'.

One Nation rejects $200,000 staffer; Hanson accuses PM of 'grubby politics'

One Nation MP David Farley has rejected an unsolicited offer from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to hire an additional staffer worth up to $200,000, with party leader Pauline Hanson accusing the government of seeking to "exert undue political influence" over the new Farrer MP.

29 Oct 2026· 4 sources

Leaked letter reveals Labor rift over Kimberley fracking

Federal Western Australian Labor MP Josh Wilson has become the first Labor member based in WA to express strong opposition to fracking in the Kimberley in a leaked letter. The letter, sent to a constituent, highlights a growing internal divide within Labor over the only region of Western Australia not covered by a moratorium on the practice.

Defence secretary backed push to stop social media sharing of hearing evidence, emails show

A Senate committee has rejected deputy secretary Celia Perkins’ proposal to discourage social media sharing of public servants’ evidence, with emails obtained under freedom of information showing the plan to cite bullying and security concerns was backed by the department’s secretary.

29 Oct 2026· 2 sources

Alcoa ordered further from Perth's drinking water as Greens call exemption 'a free pass'

The WA government has issued a new exemption order requiring Alcoa to keep its bauxite mining further away from Perth's drinking water sources, doubling the buffer around reservoirs to two kilometres and expanding protections for black cockatoo habitat, while announcing it will approve the company's 2025-2029 mining program imminently.

29 Oct 2026· 5 sources

Man Allegedly Stabs Partner to Death in Apartment

A man has allegedly stabbed his partner to death in an apartment, according to a headline published by the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times on 29 October 2026.

29 Oct 2026· 6 sources

Two NDIS managers on leave after IBAC COVID grant cover-up findings

Two senior managers overseeing the $50 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme are on leave while the agency reviews findings from a Victorian integrity probe that found three senior public servants withheld or provided misleading information about COVID-19 business grants to ineligible applicants, which the watchdog estimated cost taxpayers almost $260 million, NDIA chief executive Graeme Head confirmed to Senate estimates on Thursday.

Saint George scratched from Melbourne Cup after failing pre-race scan

Saint George, regarded as a serious chance for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup, has been scratched from the race after failing a mandatory pre-race scan, with stewards advising connections that an independent panel reported the horse was at a heightened risk of injury.

Teenage boy from Darwin charged with terrorism offences

A teenage boy from Darwin has been arrested and charged with alleged terrorism offences following a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police, NT Counter Terrorism Teams and ASIO. Police allege the boy had multiple social media accounts on which he accessed, discussed and reposted violent extremist material; devices found allegedly contained blueprints for 3D-printed firearms. The boy is scheduled to appear in children’s court on Thursday, October 29.

29 Oct 2026· 2 sources

Man extradited to NSW ahead of expected further charges

A man has been extradited to New South Wales, where he is expected to face further charges, according to reports.

29 Oct 2026· 14 sources

Defence chief rules out further action against senior commanders after SAS inquiry

Australia's defence chief has ruled out further action against senior military commanders over failures linked to alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, telling a Senate estimates hearing that Defence's response to a long-suppressed inquiry into the Special Air Service Regiment is complete.

28 Oct 2026· 8 sources

Canavan calls $10b EU trade benefit figure fake

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has branded the Coalition “nativist and protectionist” over its resistance to the European Union trade agreement, but Nationals leader Matt Canavan is pushing back and claiming the government’s $10 billion benefit figure relies on pre-Brexit projections. Albanese escalated the political fight by seizing on Liberal backbencher Alex Hawke's warning in a closed-door meeting that opposing the deal would be “nutty”, while Canavan detailed what he called the “fake figure”.

28 Oct 2026· 7 sources

Woman fatally stabbed in Armidale, man arrested

A 53-year-old man has been arrested after a woman was fatally stabbed inside a home in Armidale in the NSW New England region early on Thursday, in what police will allege was a domestic violence incident.

28 Oct 2026· 5 sources

Inglis resumes with century in sight as Australia look to build lead on day three

Josh Inglis will resume on day three of the series-deciding third Test against South Africa in Cape Town with a Test century in his sights, as Australia seek to build a commanding lead after finishing day two at 4-330 in reply to the hosts' 329.

28 Oct 2026· 9 sources

Record cohort of 11 Indigenous chefs graduates from National Indigenous Culinary Institute

The National Indigenous Culinary Institute (NICI) has celebrated its largest graduating cohort to date, with 11 First Nations apprentices completing the commercial cookery program that places talented cooks in Australia's finest restaurants. The 2026 graduates, honoured at a long lunch designed by an alumni chef, represent the culmination of a pathway established by chefs such as Neil Perry and Matt Moran to increase Indigenous representation in high-end kitchens.

28 Oct 2026· 2 sources