News

A long-running dispute between Britain and Greece over ancient treasures has spilled into tensions over Brexit after a demand for the return of stolen cultural artefacts was added to the draft of a European Union negotiating mandate. Key points: Greece says the Elgin Marbles are stolen and it wants them returned from the UK Italy […]

Related Story: Barnaby Joyce backer Llew O’Brien quits Nationals party room only to win a shock promotion Related Story: Will Llew O’Brien’s decision to leave the Nationals blow up the Government? Nationals defector Llew O’Brien says a culture that supports the use of taxpayer funds to attend the party’s centenary celebrations next month speaks volumes […]

Related Story: No rain, no grain: Graincorp posts $59m loss as drought almost halves production in the east Related Story: ‘Turning moisture into money’: Farmers take a risk with late summer planting A light harvest has weighed heavily on GrainCorp’s financial position this season, but it has also triggered a $57.9 million insurance payout. Key […]

Related Story: Australia’s global rating in responding to child sexual abuse More than 250 Australians have spent more than $1.3 million to watch child sexual abuse, live streamed on the internet from the Philippines, over 13 years. Key points: 256 Australians have been linked to more than 2,700 financial transactions in the Philippines The majority […]

The Australian Space Agency has officially opened its new Adelaide headquarters, with the Federal Government predicting activities at the site will help to triple the size of the nation’s space industry. Key points: The Federal Government plans to grow the space industry from $3.9 billion to $12 billion An additional 20,000 jobs are expected to […]

Police have arrested convicted paedophile and former NSW Labor minister Milton Orkopoulos at his home in Sydney’s east. Orkopoulos was released from Long Bay prison in December after serving 11 years behind bars. Police arrested the 62-year-old at his Malabar home this morning and took him to Maroubra Police Station. Orkopoulos was found guilty of […]

Convicted paedophile and former NSW Labor minister Milton Orkopoulos has been charged with breaching his parole for the second time in a month. Key points: Milton Orkopoulos is accused of breaching his parole conditions for the second time Orkopoulos spent 11 years in prison over drug and child sex charges The former NSW Labor minister […]

A patient in a UK hospital has played the violin while undergoing brain surgery to ensure that crucial hand movement and coordination skills were not damaged by doctors. Key points: After more than 40 years as a violinist, Dagmar Turner feared losing her ability to play The surgery was performed by Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, an […]

The headmaster of St Kevin’s College in Melbourne, Stephen Russell, has resigned following a Four Corners story about his response to the grooming of a student by a former athletics coach. More to come.

Related Story: ‘I felt there might not be much hope’: Missing student’s mum describes rescue as ‘miracle’ Related Story: Police ‘risk their lives’ to scale cliff face to save student missing in bushland for six days Two police divers involved in the search for a university student who was missing for six days in the […]

In Tasmania’s north-west, fisherman Scott Inkson is one of the lucky ones who may survive the impact of the coronavirus on the lobster industry. key points lobster Key points: The average beach price for lobster this time last year was about $93 a kilogram, today it’s $60 At those prices, new entrants may not be […]

The man who filmed himself raping a seven-year-old girl at Sydney dance studio has lodged an intention to appeal his life prison sentence. Key points: Sampieri was on parole in 2018 when he punched, bound, choked and raped a girl in Sydney His life sentence without parole is unprecedented in child rape cases in Australia […]

The rainbow-coloured Gouldian finch was once found across northern Australia but it is now thought there are fewer than 2,500 birds left in the wild. Key points: A dire wet season in 2018-19 has had a serious impact on many bird species, including the Gouldian finch It is believed there are fewer than 2,500 of […]

Related Story: Break-ins decline to 32 a day but online trading challenges police A man and a woman have been arrested after they allegedly broke into a home, changed the locks and claimed to be the owners when questioned by police. Key points A man and woman have been charged with aggravated serious criminal trespass […]

The end of Australian motorsport as we know it. That’s how one Supercars fan put it when asked what Holden’s demise meant for Australia’s premier motorsports formula. He inarguably has a point. Aside from the 600-odd jobs that will be lost at Holden’s factories in Australia, US company General Motors’ decision to retire the Holden […]

US President Donald Trump has gone on a clemency blitz, commuting what he has called a “ridiculous” 14-year prison sentence for former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich and pardoning former New York police commissioner Bernie Kerik, among a long list of others. Key points: Mr Trump took clemency actions related to 11 people, including former governor […]

Related Story: Jetstar workers ‘in the fight of their lives’ trigger cancellation of 48 flights Almost 50 Jetstar flights have been cancelled today, as ground staff and baggage handlers strike for 24 hours to back demands for changes to working conditions. Key points: The airline cancelled flights days earlier to minimise disruption The workers are […]

A car has allegedly been set on fire with people inside it on a street in Camp Hill, east Brisbane this morning. Queensland police are on the scene of what they have described as a “major incident” in Raven Street this morning, where a car is on fire. A witness told ABC News there was […]

The State Opposition has seized on new documents surrounding the selection of an executive principal for the much touted Inner City South State Secondary College, accusing Deputy Premier Jackie Trad of meddling in the process. Key points: The report contradicts the reason given by the Department of Education for the re-advertisement of the role last […]

Australian universities are bracing for a significant financial hit if the coronavirus travel ban continues, with more than 80 per cent of Chinese students enrolled at some institutions still stuck overseas as lectures are set to resume. Key points: An estimated 100,000 university students have been held up by the ban China’s restricted internet is […]

Police are searching for a car involved in the hit-and-run of five cyclists who were on an early morning ride in Townsville in north Queensland this morning. Emergency services were called to the incident at Dalrymple Road at Mount Louisa, about 5:40am. The Queensland Ambulance Service said four people were taken to hospital. Two of […]

American machine mate Samuel Logan was down in the engine room when the first bombs hit. Key points: Today marks the 78th anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin Californian Sam Logan has travelled to Darwin to share the story of his father, who narrowly escaped death during the bombing of Darwin His father wanted to […]

An all-female acting class will go ahead in Hobart after being put on ice for almost a year following a complaint from a man who claimed the classes were “exclusionary”. Key points: The studio received a three-year exception from the Tasmanian anti-discrimination commissioner to run the classes There are 35 active exemptions in the state, […]

Related Story: Child found dead on childcare centre minibus in Cairns The chief executive of a childcare centre chain says the death of a three-year-old in one of their minibuses in north Queensland is every family’s worst nightmare. The boy’s body was found at 3:15pm by the driver of the Goodstart Early Learning minibus, which […]

Tayla Vlaeminck is shaping up as Australia’s World Cup x-factor with former star Mel Jones declaring she can become the woman to break the 130-kilometres-per-hour barrier. Tayla Vlaeminck in form For Australia: 1 Test 6 ODIs: 6 wickets at average of 25.83 9 T20Is: 11 wickets at average of 14.63 Last three games: 2-32 (4 […]

A Sunshine Coast man who has been in quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship has tested positive for coronavirus and will be separated from his wife. Paul and Coralie Williamson have been in isolation on board the stricken ship, docked off Yokohama in Japan, since February 4. Mr Williamson said he would be transferred […]

The Trump administration says it will begin treating five major Chinese state-run media entities with US operations the same as foreign embassies, requiring them to register their employees and US properties with the State Department. Key points: US officials say the move comes after China intensified use of media to spread pro-Beijing propaganda overseas President […]

The Boy Scouts of America have filed for bankruptcy in the first step toward creating a huge compensation fund for potentially thousands of men who were molested as youngsters decades ago by scoutmasters or other leaders. Key points: The Boy Scouts estimate 1,000 to 5,000 victims of abuse will seek compensation The bankruptcy claim will […]

Incumbent Ashraf Ghani has been declared the winner of Afghanistan’s disputed presidential election, but his main rival has rejected the “illegal” result and vowed to form his own government. Key points: Ashraf Ghani won 50.64 per cent of the vote, while his main rival Abdullah Abdullah had 39.52 per cent. The pair had previously served […]

A coalition of four Melbourne councils has launched a Supreme Court legal challenge to the State Government’s approval of the $16 billion North East Link project. Key points: Manningham, Banyule, Whitehorse and Boroondara councils argued there was a lack of clarity about the final build The councils said the reference design used during the consultation […]

Wayne Miles has not got the energy to open his eyes, but a faint smile flickers across his face as he silently mouths the words to the John Denver song Some Days Are Diamonds. The 59-year-old Glasshouse Mountains man is dying from cancer, and amid the pain and grief music provides solace. The former truck […]

Related Story: Wesfarmers reveals multi-million-dollar Target staff underpayment Related Story: China’s stimulus boosts global markets but ASX goes backwards Big gains for Fortescue and Wesfarmers are helping the Australian share market keep its head above water, as company reporting season continues to drive trade. ASX at 11:20am (AEDT): The ASX 200 is three points higher […]

Here’s what you need to know this morning. Storm clean-up underway NSW was battered by storms overnight, causing property damage and leaving thousands of people without power. A man was killed by a flying gas bottle in Sydney’s The Rocks last night during the storms. Police are investigating the circumstances. The NSW State Emergency Service […]

Prime Minister Scott Morrison may be angry but, when it comes to automobile production in general and General Motors in particular, the writing was on the wall. When the last locally built Holden rolled off the production line in Elizabeth more than two years ago, the promise of maintaining Australia as a design and engineering […]

One of Australia’s major supermarkets is looking to capitalise on a growing appetite for organic food with plans to reduce organic prices and increase market share. key points organic Key points: Australian Organic Limited valued the domestic organic industry in 2019 at $2.6 billion and described the sector as growing to record levels Supermarket giant […]

Two animal activists have been spared jailtime after being found guilty of invading a farm in West Australia’s south-west under the cover of darkness and stealing a calf. James Warden, 25, and Arkadiusz Swiebodzinski, 26, had pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing and aggravated burglary at the White Rocks farm near Brunswick in October […]

Once we thought that ours was the only species to use rituals to mourn the dead. Then archaeologists discovered hints of pollen from colourful meadow flowers around a Neanderthal skeleton in a remote cave in Iraq. Now, half a century later, new remains of these human cousins have been unearthed at the same “flower burial” […]

Australia’s top cop has admitted the Australian Federal Police (AFP) could have better handled media raids on the ABC and the home of Newscorp journalist Annika Smethurst, but threw his support behind investigators, saying they were simply abiding by their oath to uphold the law. Key points: A review of the AFP’s handling of media […]

A new program in outback Queensland is aiming to bring “smaller” graziers together to reduce methane emissions and trade carbon credits. Key points Grazier carbon credits Key points: Outback graziers join a program to trade carbon credits, with their combined herd of 50,000 head of cattle One grazier from a station north of Richmond in […]

The idea that we should decentralise our population has come up many times in Australia. Recently, the National Farmers’ Federation president pushed the notion, calling for a shift to the regions. And the premise is this: city living is unpleasant. Roads are jammed, housing is expensive and it’s all so much nicer out in the […]

For generations of Sydney pub-goers, a Tooth and Co establishment was the place to go for a good time. At one point, the family company — founded 1835 — owned, ran, or brewed for hundreds of hotels and public houses across the state. Few of their properties have survived the years unchanged but the recent […]

Nestled in bushland on the side of Canberra’s Capital Hill, in the shadow of Parliament House’s mighty flagpole, is arguably the most ruthless but cohesive party rooms in federal politics. Key points: Severe weather has devastated pollen supplies Parliament House’s honey yields are down two thirds on previous years Despite smoke filling Canberra in January, […]

Cass Whitehill is running out of time to find a rental property for her and her five children. Key points: Mother-of-five Cass Whitehill said there were sometimes 50 other people at house inspections for prospective tenants She said time was running out for her to find a rental property her family could afford People on […]

From above, Australia is a nation torched and scarred. Nowhere is this more evident than the eastern seaboard. The yellow you see is infrared imagery that shows where the fires have been. The charred landscape, now doused in torrential rain, is a reminder of the awesome power of fire, and the mammoth recovery task ahead. […]

Over her 14 years as a personal trainer, Jen Dugard has seen it all. From people hoping to lose weight, to clients wanting to gain muscle — or those just looking to maintain it all. But according to Ms Dugard, there’s another element to fitness that is not often discussed. “People overtraining? I’d say a […]

Having beer readily available on tap at home might be a dream for some, but residents in southern India were left shocked when they discovered their entire water supply had become alcoholic. Key points: Alcohol is flowing out of taps in an apartment block in Kerala, India Local officials never showed up to fix it, […]

After lending a helping hand in the Victorian town of Omeo during the summer’s bushfire crisis, Papua New Guinean troops are preparing to head home. Key points: It was the largest deployment of PNG troops on an overseas mission Pacific military engineers helped clear roads and made a mark on regional communities Locals recalled PNG […]

TikTok is under scrutiny in Australia for its ties to China, with some of the country’s top cyber and national security minds warning the app could potentially be used by Beijing authorities to influence and monitor millions of Australian users. Key points: There are concerns that Chinese-owned app TikTok could be used to monitor users […]

Related Story: Victoria Police ‘extremely’ disappointed with alt-right memes shared by officer accused of making white power gesture Australian soldiers are being warned they will be immediately suspended from active duty, and possibly kicked out of the Army, if caught making white supremacist hand gestures. Key points: Defence Forces Command has written to senior personnel […]

Related Story: A man didn’t lodge a tax return for 31 years — but someone had to after his death Related Story: Man finds empty house, changes locks and rents it out. 20 years later it’s his What would you do if a stranger called to break the news that you have just inherited a […]

Australia continues to host significant quantities of illicit funds from outside the country and is not doing enough to counter money laundering and tax avoidance, according to the 2020 Financial Secrecy Index. Key points: The Tax Justice Network’s index, released every two years, rates countries based on financial transparency Cayman Islands ranked as the world’s […]

Dozens of Australians who were on board the MS Westerdam cruise ship in Cambodia have been cleared of having coronavirus [COVID-19] but the immediate fate of those still on board remains unclear. Key points: The Westerdam was refused entry into several countries due to fears over the coronavirus 10 Australians remain on the ship as […]

Spectacular lightning has lit up Sydney’s night sky with severe thunderstorms hammering parts of New South Wales, causing property damage in parts of the state and widespread power outages. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for a large part of NSW, including Sydney’s metropolitan area, Wollongong and Orange. Wind gusts as high as 111 kph were […]

Related Story: Qantas charter to fly stranded Australians from cruise ship to Darwin Related Story: ‘Kept in the dark’: Tensions grow on Diamond Princess as coronavirus quarantine continues For Australians on board the Diamond Princess, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement that a charter flight would bring them from Japan to Darwin marked the beginning of […]

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has qualified for this week’s Democratic presidential debate in Nevada, putting him on the same stage as his rivals for the first time in the race for the party’s nomination. Key points: Bloomberg had support from 19 per cent of the people surveyed in a recent national poll He […]

Nick Russoniello only boarded the Diamond Princess cruise ship to play two gigs, but found himself trapped amid a novel coronavirus outbreak after passengers on board tested positive. Key points Saxophone player Nick Russoniello is one of more than 200 Australians on the Diamond Princess He says the crew on the ship have not been […]