Exclusive: New research points to need for ‘holistic approach to combating illicit tobacco’ including having support of health advocates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Slashing the tobacco excise might not be enough to lure smokers back to legal cigarettes, and could even widen the multi-billion dollar hole blown in the budget by the booming illicit trade, new research shows. The analysis from the e61 Institute comes as Jim Chalmers revealed next week’s mid-year fiscal update will reveal an extra $12.7bn in unanticipated spending, including an additional $6.3bn in higher than expected disaster relief payments. Continue reading...

Attorney general Deb Frecklington says ban was a ‘financial gerrymander’ because it didn’t apply to trade unions * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Queensland’s Liberal National party government will overturn a ban on property developer donations and quadruple the state cap on electoral donations, after tabling new laws which the Greens claim will “legalise another avenue of corruption”. Developers have been prohibited from donating to candidates and parties in state elections since a 2018 bill passed under Labor. Continue reading...

Emergency warning issued in parts of Kenwick, Wattle Grove, Maddington and Beckenham in Perth’s southeast A life-threatening bushfire is burning near suburban homes of a capital city, with residents warned to leave and multiple roads already closed. An emergency warning has been issued in parts of Kenwick, Wattle Grove, Maddington and Beckenham in Perth’s southeast. Continue reading...

The federal opposition and crossbenchers have backed a review of expenses spending rules Anthony Albanese has sidestepped calls for reform or an inquiry into politicians’ expenses and travel perks, saying he is more focused on the under-16s social media ban than growing community outrage over MP’s using taxpayer funds to fly their spouses to football games, cricket matches and exclusive dinners. At a press conference held at a school in Canberra to promote the under-16s social media ban, Albanese was asked repeatedly about Guardian Australia’s reporting that senior politicians like himself, Anika Wells and Don Farrell enjoy essentially “unlimited” entitlements to fly their spouses around the country. Twice he said: “I haven’t changed the rule”. Continue reading...

As part of wider strategy, opposition is exploring options to force visa holders to adhere to ‘Australian values’ * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Curtailing procedural rights for asylum seekers will trigger more appeals and keep people “in limbo for years”, advocates warn, as the opposition weighs a hardline plan to speed up deportations. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s head of advocacy, Ogy Simic, implored the Coalition to heed the advice of experts “not the opinions of Pauline Hanson” as it develops an immigration policy that is designed, in part, to combat the political threat of One Nation. Continue reading...

Updated estimate reflects more accurate technology and extensive survey work, rather than a true increase in the koala population * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The first comprehensive koala survey conducted in New South Wales suggests populations of the endangered marsupial are higher than previously thought. The NSW government’s statewide survey, released on Thursday, estimates there are 274,000 koalas across the state. Continue reading...

Visitors will have to reveal at the border all social media activity over the past five years * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australians are abandoning travel to the US, and boycotting World Cup matches there next year, as the Trump administration flags new rules that will soon require visitors to hand over their social media history when applying to enter the country. In a notice published on Tuesday, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) said tourists to the US from 42 countries including Australia would have to reveal all of their social media activity over the past five years under the new rules, which are up for a 60-day review before coming into effect. It would be a part of the application for a visa waiver under the ESTA application process. Continue reading...

* Four independent directors sacked by Holman Barnes Group invited back * No bearing on Shane Richardson’s exit as hunt for new CEO starts Barry O’Farrell is set to return as Wests Tigers chair alongside his ousted independent directors after the joint-venture club’s owners bowed to NRL demands. In the latest bizarre twist after 10 days of Tigers turmoil, the Holman Barnes Group (HBG) on Thursday agreed to invite back the board members sacked last Monday. Continue reading...

The government will argue that the under-16s ban is a pragmatic first step in trying to reduce the potential harm on young people of addictive products. It is not undermining the democratic process * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A constitutional challenge is pending against the government’s under-16 social media account ban. The case argues that the law contravenes the implied freedom of political communication. It is likely to fail. Two 15-year-olds, Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, backed by the Digital Freedom Project advocacy group will argue that the law is unconstitutional because it impermissibly burdens the implied freedom of political communication. Continue reading...

Dean Sanderson died of head and chest injuries and his wife, Shannon, suffered broken ribs and a fractured scapula after falling 20-25 metres to the ground * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A man died and his wife was badly injured after a tourist zip line system they were riding on failed because it wasn’t anchored tightly enough, a coronial inquest has heard. Coroner Wayne Pennell held a pre-inquest hearing on Thursday into the death of Dean Sanderson at Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours at Cape Tribulation, in north Queensland on 22 October 2019. Continue reading...

Former judge did not prove the ACT integrity commission’s findings of his “dishonesty, bad faith, and partiality” were without evidence, court finds Walter Sofronoff has lost his bid against the ACT integrity commission’s finding he engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” by leaking his inquiry into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann to two journalists ahead of its official release. On Thursday, Justice Wendy Abraham dismissed Sofronoff’s attempt the overturn the the integrity body’s finding earlier this year in federal court, upholding many it’s conclusions. Continue reading...

Labor and Coalition cut deal which unions argue will deny income support to people who can’t work * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Workers suffering psychological injuries in New South Wales will have their compensation entitlements slashed under a controversial deal between Labor and the Coalition. The major parties announced on Thursday that they would pass legislation early in 2026 that would freeze premiums for 18 months, saving businesses and charities from a projected 36% increase over the next three years. Continue reading...

Running tends to get characterised as an entirely physical pursuit, which is probably why I avoided it for so long For a long time, one of the defining activities of my life has been collecting little facts: I never really grew out of that “show-and-tell” mindset that defined us all as children. There’s nothing I like more than submerging myself in a subject area for a couple of weeks, grabbing as many stories as I can, and then turning to my friends and saying, “Did you know …” If this makes me sound insufferable, it’s because I probably am, but at least I make up for it by providing little anecdotes about the life of Ludwig von Köchel, the man who invented the system for organising the music of Mozart (he was also an accomplished botanist). It doesn’t even really matter what the area of interest is. Over the course of a couple of weeks this year, I read back to back biographies about Malcolm X before discovering the Swedish band Bob Hund, who sing exclusively in a language I don’t speak, and who I could now deliver a short-ish university lecture on, if anyone was interested (my email’s available on my website). Continue reading...

Stargazers will be able to see potentially dozens of meteors an hour, with the peak on Sunday night * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast They’re bright, they’re plentiful and the Geminids – which make up what’s regarded as one of the best annual meteor showers to witness – are about to reach their peak viewing time. The Geminid meteors have already been active in our skies since 4 December, building up to the best night of the year to see them on Sunday. Continue reading...

Sex and nudity, violence and health and safety rank as top concerns among 5,000 complaints assessed by watchdog * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Cars driving through a zombie neighbourhood, a boy picking his nose and a girl flipping off the camera are among the ads that garnered the most complaints. Sex and nudity, violence, and health and safety drew the most reactions among the 5,000 complaints about more than 230 commercials assessed by Australia’s regulator in 2025. Continue reading...

Whether you’re a kitchen rookie or an advanced home cook, these appetiser and pot luck recipes bring self-confidence too Like nibblies, the concept of bringing a plate to a social event or a host’s home can be deeply confusing across cultures and generations. Are you carting canapes? Are you slinging salad? Are you delivering dessert? If we’ve learned anything from the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, it’s that communication is key. So if you’re unsure about what your host expects, just ask. Below are nine summer-friendly recipes to suit various bring-a-plate scenarios: one-bite snacks that go with cocktails, salads to bring to barbecues and make-ahead dessert for dinner parties, arranged in each category from easiest to most ambitious. Continue reading...

Atars and VCE results released on Thursday morning, with other states to follow next week * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Two years ago, Ethan Bundle-Bell was considering dropping out of school, considering himself “not a book person”. Yet he has now become the first person in his family to complete year 12. “I didn’t think it would happen,” the 17-year-old says. “I didn’t think I’d be finishing year 12.” Continue reading...

We asked you to share your views on your children’s use of social media and how the ban is affecting your family. Here is what you told us For some parents, social media sucks up their children’s time and steals them away from family life, instilling mental health issues along the way. For others, it provides their children with an essential line to friends, family, connection and support. When Australia’s social media ban came into effect on Wednesday, millions of under-16s lost access to their accounts and were prevented from creating new ones. Continue reading...

Government strikes deal with private operator Transurban as part of bid to reform tolls in state, while $60 cap will be made permanent * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Toll road drivers in New South Wales will no longer have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in extra fees, under an agreement reached by the state government with private operator Transurban. The NSW government announced on Thursday it would end the costly “administration fees” on toll notices from mid-2026 – which are issued by post to people without a tolling account and can escalate if left unpaid. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Prime minister defends Anika Wells as controversy over use of taxpayer-funded travel entitlements continues Expenses rules for federal politicians are so broad that ministers and senior politicians have “unlimited” travel entitlements for their spouse, according to guidelines governing spending. Despite days of controversy around spending by the communications minister, Anika Wells, and growing calls for reform of the rules, Anthony Albanese did not indicate there would be changes to entitlements. Continue reading...

The reboot brought a parade of new and aged-up faces, multiple returns of Toadie and a violent siege at Harold’s. But in the end Ramsay Street faces death by freeway Forty years ago, some plucky kids with broad accents rode their bikes around a quintessentially Australian cul-de-sac, lined with postwar houses that could have been any of ours. A catchy tune promised that, if we were there for one another, we could become good friends with the people next door. But now it’s over. Neighbours has a habit of ending. After it was axed in 1985 by its first Australian broadcaster, Channel 7, the network even destroyed the sets to make sure it was truly gone. We have, more than once, grieved the end of a community so tightknit that the school principal is also your estranged dad’s ex-wife’s former fake-son-in-law’s surrogate mother. Continue reading...

The readers have spoken and this list of books will comprise the best Australian children’s picture books poll in a few weeks Continue reading...

From dark, sound-proofed rooms to clever storage solutions, families with autism and ADHD are finding inspired ways to adjust their environments In the middle of Cherie Clonan’s bright Melbourne home sits a room in total darkness, “for our son to retreat to”, she says. “It’s all black in there. You wouldn’t believe it’s the same home!” The space, lined with sound-blocking panels, is a sanctuary for her autistic son: a quiet cocoon for decompressing after school. “He loves to go in there to game online with his mates,” Clonan says. Diagnosed autistic at 37, Clonan lives in a weatherboard cottage with her husband, Chris, and her two neurodivergent teenagers. Since buying the house five years ago, she has been reshaping it around their needs. “Our family’s split half-half – 50% sensory-seek versus sensory-avoidant,” she says. “I chase light. I love light-filled everything. But my son really is the opposite.” Continue reading...

Less than two months ago the market was predicting the cash rate would be at 3.35% and that by May next year a cut to 3.1% was almost certain The statements on Tuesday by the governor of the Reserve Bank, Michele Bullock, sent markets into a tizz, but even while she suggested rate cuts are now off the table, there’s no reason to think Australia’s economy needs to cool. Usually when the Reserve Bank leaves rates on hold, little happens. But on Tuesday when the RBA monetary policy board announced the cash rates staying at 3.6%, the markets all got a bit spooked. Continue reading...

With no stability in sight, a return to the Wests v Balmain friction of old threatens to make the club undesirable to players, coaches and fans A return to glory for the longsuffering Wests Tigers appears increasingly distant after a high-level purge which has accounted for four independent board members and CEO Shane Richardson, and created instability that threatens to consign the Tigers to NRL irrelevance for years to come – and maybe even the existence of the club. Despite a quarter of a century passing since the Western Suburbs Magpies and Balmain Tigers merged, traditional divisions have persisted and the uneasy alliance within the club has been thrown into the spotlight by the recent upheaval, led by the Magpies-aligned majority owners of the club, the Holman Barnes Group (HBG). Continue reading...