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8033 articles · page 86 of 168 · The World front page
The highest-paid head of department in Queensland earned more than $900,000 in the 2025-26 financial year, with more than half a dozen public servants paid more than Premier David Crisafulli, according to annual reports released by the state government.
· 3 sourcesDavid Rush, 49, a former CIA officer, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a sweeping $200m scheme involving fake contracts and real estate, and has admitted to disclosing secrets to a foreign government in a disclosure prosecutors said could endanger lives.
A sexual assault lawsuit against Cornell University fraternity members has reignited debate over consent laws in the United States, particularly the legal distinction between voluntary and involuntary intoxication. The woman, identified as Jane Doe, alleges she was drugged and raped after drinking and being pressured to snort ketamine at a fraternity house in 2024. Under current New York law, a person who voluntarily consumes alcohol or drugs is not automatically considered unable to consent, a provision critics call the 'voluntary intoxication loophole'.
The High Court of Australia has found that New South Wales coal mines must account for the emissions created when their product is burnt overseas, a decision an international climate law expert has labelled a 'game changer' for the industry.
· 6 sourcesA leading constitutional expert has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government of 'grey corruption' over a $6 million grant to a golf club in his electorate, describing the grants scheme as a 'farce' that dressed up political favours as sound public policy.
· 5 sourcesNick Blakey has flown to Melbourne to explore a trade from Sydney, with Geelong his preferred destination, but Gold Coast has entered the race with coach Damien Hardwick set to meet the 26-year-old. Reports from Monday indicate significant progress has been made in negotiations, though no deal is yet finalised.
· 8 sourcesLibya's eastern-based House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to remove Speaker Aguila Saleh after 12 years, electing Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi as his replacement amid growing discontent among lawmakers over his leadership.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday in Singapore that artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a key driver of countries' relative fortunes in the world economy, but that the triple forces of AI advancement, soaring energy costs and record public debt are testing already underwhelming global growth.
· 2 sourcesThe Royal Australian Mint has unveiled a new $1 coin collection chronicling five of Australia's most celebrated inventions, from the jaffle maker and baby safety capsule to the black box flight recorder and the wireless technology that underpinned Wi-Fi.
· 2 sourcesThe South Australian government has announced plans to ban the use of good character references for all convicted criminals during sentencing, following a nationwide campaign to abolish the practice. Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the proposed laws are a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence and would prevent the re-traumatisation of victim-survivors during court proceedings.
Coalition MPs have conceded that the party’s newly released immigration policy has not been costed in full by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), despite Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor repeatedly defending the plan as "budget neutral."
· 2 sourcesNew research from the Australian National University, the University of Canberra and the Australian National University indicates that university students may be open to alternative pathways for addressing sexual assault, such as restorative justice, but these options are often difficult to access. The study comes amid renewed scrutiny of how universities handle sexual misconduct, following the Cornell 7 case in the United States.
On the third anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks, residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the worst-hit Israeli communities, are struggling with how to rebuild their lives and their kibbutz. A quarter of the 400-strong community was killed or taken hostage, and the deserted dining room and burnt-out homes stand as stark reminders of the devastation.
The flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to hijack an aircraft bound for Israel described his time studying in Australia, Britain and New Zealand as the 'golden years' of his religious commitment, newly retrieved social media posts reveal, as New Zealand authorities launched an investigation into his flight training in the country.
· 6 sourcesUS President Donald Trump hit the campaign trail in the final sprint to the midterm elections, emphatically defending America's economic performance by claiming 'the best economic numbers of any president' though some indicators, such as high inflation and soaring petrol prices, challenge that rosy picture.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones at airports in Yemen and Saudi Arabia early Wednesday, escalating a conflict that has seen renewed fighting along Yemen's Red Sea coast. Yemen's Transport Ministry said a missile landed near the runway of Aden International Airport just before a flight from Cairo was due to land, forcing the aircraft to divert to Jeddah. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh, while Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport with drones.
· 2 sourcesThe head of the International Monetary Fund has warned that the global economy faces threats from an energy price shock, record public debt and the artificial intelligence investment boom, in a speech ahead of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok next week.
At least two people were killed in a Russian missile attack on Kyiv early Wednesday, as Moscow said it carried out a “massive strike” targeting the capital and other regions of Ukraine.
· 2 sourcesThree years after the start of its assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks have killed at least 74,000 Palestinians and injured more than 175,000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. A ceasefire that took effect in October 2025 has been violated with near-daily attacks, an Al Jazeera analysis found, with over 1,460 people killed since the truce began.
· 3 sourcesVictorian Premier Ben Carroll has apologised to the Jewish community for what he said was the state government's inadequate response to the rise in antisemitism following the October 7 2023 attacks. In his first major public address to Melbourne's Jewish community since becoming premier, Carroll told students at Mount Scopus Memorial College that it was his personal mission to rebuild the relationship between Australia and its Jewish people.
· 3 sourcesThe Albanese government is facing a domestic political cost for hosting a pre-COP climate meeting in Fiji, as just two leaders from outside the Pacific region attended the gathering. The poor turnout has left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Climate Minister Chris Bowen in the position of having to justify the $20 million-plus cost of the summit.
· 3 sourcesMatildas star Mary Fowler has pulled out of upcoming international friendlies against Germany and Haiti citing unexplained personal circumstances, with reports linking her absence to a visit to Sydney to be with her partner, NRL star Nathan Cleary, as he recovers from a career-threatening broken leg.
· 3 sourcesCricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg has told curators at major venues to prepare flatter pitches for this summer and beyond, warning that a recent spate of two-day Test matches is hurting the game’s finances and risks damaging Test cricket’s appeal.
· 3 sourcesThe Armed Forces Commissioner has opened an independent investigation into 10 military training establishments in England, following allegations of rape and sexual assault at an Army college for under-18s. Polly Miller-Perkins, in her first investigation since taking the role, called the claims "absolutely appalling" and will visit the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Britannia Royal Naval College and the Army Foundation College, where the youngest recruits are trained.
· 2 sourcesVictoria recorded 632 drug overdose deaths last year, the highest number since the Coroner's Court began collecting data in 2000, with a sharp rise in fatalities among men aged 45 to 54 driving the state's drug-related deaths to their highest levels since the late 1990s heroin glut.
· 3 sourcesThree women who were sexually abused by serial rapist Amar Ilyas say they feel 'betrayed' and 'frustrated' after he fled to Pakistan while on bail. Ilyas, 41, was convicted of 20 sexual offences against five girls and sentenced in his absence to a minimum of 27 years.
· 2 sourcesNew data shows a jump in Australian home building in the June quarter, but the Labor government is still about 100,000 dwellings behind the pace needed to reach its 1.2 million home target over five years, and experts caution that deteriorating economic conditions could slow future projects.
· 3 sourcesThe Australian government has announced that current and former Defence personnel may apply to have historical homosexual convictions expunged from their service records, and will issue a formal apology later this year for the persecution of LGBTQ+ members of the Australian Defence Force.
Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were arrested at their Arcadia mansion on charges of child abuse and conspiracy, accused of using a surrogacy network to build a family of 21 children who were allegedly subjected to daily beatings while the couple watched via surveillance cameras. Los Angeles County prosecutors described the case as unprecedented and horrific; the pair pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations through a Mandarin interpreter.
Oman's air force evacuated 10 crew members from a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker that was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, setting off a fire on board and wounding at least 12 of its 19 crew, according to Omani and Indian officials.
Benjamin Wen, a former Perth child psychiatrist, has been jailed for 10 years and six months for sexually abusing young patients under the guise of routine "puberty checks" at his Cockburn clinic between 2012 and 2016.
· 2 sourcesEU trade negotiators are flying to China for two days of crunch talks aimed at sealing a breakthrough deal over Beijing's record £1bn-a-day trade surplus by curbing its exports of cheap hybrid electric cars into Europe.
· 2 sourcesThe Australian Defence Force has suspended operational use of the Supacat troop carrying vehicle following a rollover accident during a training exercise at Mount Bundey, south of Darwin, which killed Army Corporal Brendan Hannam on Monday. Five other soldiers were injured, with two still in Royal Darwin Hospital and two returned to Robertson Barracks.
· 2 sourcesNo article was written because the editor supplied instructions but no source material.
· 3 sourcesTuareg-led rebels have withdrawn from the strategic town of Kidal in northern Mali, six months after capturing it, as the country's military, backed by Russian fighters, pressed large-scale air and ground operations in the region. Pro-government forces were reported to have re-entered the town on Tuesday.
Three friends of Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teen who died after a July boating trip, have filed a defamation lawsuit against NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens over an Instagram video that accused them of deleting evidence from Wells's phone.
Comedian Dave Hughes says he will stop speaking at Victorian Liberal Party events after the party decided his unpaid appearances could breach the state's political donation laws. A report to the Victorian Electoral Commission raised concerns that the market value of his speaking services constitutes an in-kind donation that exceeds the legal cap.
· 2 sourcesThe National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report finding that rotor-speed warning tones sounded in the final 29 seconds before an NBC Los Angeles news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth on September 15, killing a pilot, a reporter and a person on the ground. The Airbus AS350B2, operated by Angel City Air, was covering a fatal traffic collision when it entered a rapid right turn and descended into a metal storage container.
Senator Susan Collins distanced herself from Donald Trump in a televised debate Tuesday, claiming she is not the president's 'favorite senator' and emphasizing her record of crossing party lines, as Democratic challenger Troy Jackson attacked her 2018 vote for Brett Kavanaugh and tied her to the overturning of Roe v Wade in a race that could determine control of the Senate.
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said US President Donald Trump's suggestion that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is Asia's problem holds some merit, but warned against allowing Iran to gain effective veto power over the critical waterway. Speaking at the Milken Institute's Asia Summit in Singapore, Balakrishnan stressed that freedom of navigation through international straits is an existential issue for the city-state.
Former Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders has been sentenced to six years and six months in prison for sexually abusing two young Aboriginal men over a decade, in a case that has made him one of Australia's most senior Catholic clergymen convicted of child sexual abuse.
· 9 sourcesAn 18-year-old man linked to the Coconut Cartel has been arrested at Sydney International Airport as he allegedly attempted to flee the country, charged with 10 offences including conspiracy to murder over the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy in an apartment in Sydney's northwest last month.
· 7 sourcesLionel Messi ended his 21-year international career on Tuesday night with a goal and two assists as Argentina beat Benin 3-0 in a friendly at a packed Monumental Stadium, capping a national celebration that saw landmarks lit in sky blue and white and fireworks over Buenos Aires.
· 2 sourcesParinga Estate, the Red Hill South restaurant and vineyard on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, has been awarded a score of 14.5 out of 20 in an updated review by the Good Food Guide, as published by Nine newspapers.
· 3 sourcesAbout 700 people gathered at Bondi Pavilion at dawn on the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Israel, where Israel's ambassador to Australia drew a direct line between the Nova festival massacre and December's Bondi terrorist attack.
· 5 sourcesFrench Polynesia has formally proposed an independence process at the United Nations, marking a significant step in the territory's long-running push for self-determination from France.
Bear's Wine Bar in North Melbourne has received a score of 13.5 out of 20 in the Good Food Guide, according to a review published across Nine newspapers.
· 3 sourcesAcross Venezuela, worsening power outages are disrupting daily life and essential medical services, with nearly two-thirds of households now experiencing daily electricity cuts. The crisis has sparked street protests and drawn sharp criticism of the interim government's management of the country's energy infrastructure.