Category Archives: Australia news

Queensland fails to crack down on ‘rebranded sunbed’ that claims to stimulate collagen but accelerates ageing

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Collariums, which emit UVA radiation, are often advertised on private social media accounts, thwarting search warrant efforts

Queensland Department of Health investigators are struggling to prosecute sunbed operators claiming the devices are “safe” because inspectors do not have the necessary UV detection equipment, and because services are being advertised on private social media accounts.

Guardian Australia called and messaged several wellness clinics and individuals operating out of their homes throughout New South Wales and Queensland, confirming that businesses are offering “collarium” treatments with rates starting at $25 for 20 minutes of use. Some of these businesses did not explicitly advertise collariums on their social media pages or websites but did offer collarium bookings over the phone.

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Labor and Liberals will get double their public funding if ‘biased’ electoral rules are passed, Climate 200 says

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ALP denies reforms rushed into parliament are designed to target Simon Holmes à Court and Clive Palmer

Australia’s two major political parties will more than double their public funding at the 2028 federal election to reap a combined $140m under the government’s proposed changes to electoral laws, according to the organisation which funded successful teal independent candidates at the 2022 election.

Climate 200 has calculated the likely increase in the amount the Labor and Liberal parties could claim in public funding at the 2028 election, after the proposed new system is slated to take effect.

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Bushfires force evacuations in Victoria’s west as wild weather menaces Australia’s south-east

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Firefighters battle two out-of-control blazes as other communities brace for winds, storms and possible flash flooding

Two out-of-control bushfires in Victoria have forced townships to evacuate and destroyed at least one home as parts of Australia’s east remain on alert for fires while being hit with wild winds and storms.

Firefighters were on Sunday working to contain the fires in Victoria’s west, with flash flooding and heavy rainfall possible in the state’s north-east, south-east New South Wales and north-east Tasmania.

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Marles announces closer military ties with Japan and US

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Warning for heavy rainfall, damaging winds and potential flash flooding in north-east Victoria

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for the north-east of Victoria, with forecasts of heavy rainfall and “damaging to locally destructive wind gusts”:

Heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding is forecast with areas of rain and thunderstorms for the northeast of Victoria from Sunday morning.

Six-hourly rainfall totals of 30 to 60mm are likely, with isolated totals up to 80mm possible. 24-hourly rainfall totals of 60 to 80mm are likely, with isolated falls of 100mm possible.

He’s Australia’s appointment. It says something about the importance of the United States that we have appointed a former prime minister.

That’s a sign of how seriously we take this relationship, which is a relationship between our peoples, based upon our common values.

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Banks could face levy for failing to meet ‘baseline’ services in regional Australia, Treasury proposal suggests

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Confidential report comes in the wake of Senate inquiry which highlighted ‘deficiencies in branch closure processes’ across regional areas

Australian banks would have to meet a minimum level of service in regional areas or contribute funding to bolster the number of branches and ATMs offered by other institutions, in a proposal put forward by Treasury.

According to a confidential report sent to bankers this week, seen by Guardian Australia, Treasury has outlined two proposals to better support the presence of in-person branches and ATMs.

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Apec nations pivot trade priorities in light of Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariffs

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Anthony Albanese meets with leaders of Peru and Indonesia as middle nations seek to diversify trade away from the US

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has hailed “inclusive trade and investment” at a major Asia-Pacific economic forum in Peru where leaders are attempting to push against the protectionist policies favoured by US president-elect Donald Trump.

Speaking at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders summit, which assembles 21 of the world’s largest economies, Albanese told a press conference that Apec leaders consistently “spoke about the importance of free and fair trade between our economies to lift up the living standards of people throughout this region”.

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Bushfire evacuations in Victoria’s west as conditions prompt catastrophic danger warnings

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Gellibrand, Dereel and Kadnook residents told to leave as total fire bans declared across parts of South Australia and Victoria

Several communities in Victoria’s west have been urged to evacuate as firefighters work to control a number of bushfires.

A short-lived heatwave has brought hot, dry and windy conditions to much of southern Australia, with total fire bans in place and some areas experiencing catastrophic fire danger.

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Melbourne warehouse fire leads to evacuation of 150 nearby residents in middle of night

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Victoria police believe building on Spencer Street was empty at the time of the blaze

Police are investigating a warehouse fire in West Melbourne which led to 150 people being evacuated from an apartment complex in the middle of the night.

Fire Rescue Victoria found the warehouse “fully involved with fire” after being called to the incident on Spencer Street early on Saturday.

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Woman wins right to sue Queensland over alleged historic sexual and physical abuse as a ‘state child’

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High court rules Aboriginal woman can pursue damages for abuse allegedly suffered in state care more than 60 years ago

The high court has ruled an Aboriginal woman can pursue damages on some allegations of historical sexual and physical abuse while in state care in Queensland.

The woman, 70, had tried to sue the Queensland government for almost $1.76m in damages, claiming she suffered a psychiatric injury as a “state child” decades ago.

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Chris Bowen makes last-minute diplomatic stop in Turkey as Australia ramps up bid to host Cop31

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Climate change minister’s effort to convince Ankara to drop out underlines push for ‘Pacific Cop’

The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, made a whistle-stop visit to Turkey on Friday night in an attempt to reach a deal for Australia to host tens of thousands of people at a major UN climate summit in 2026.

Bowen visited the Turkish capital, Ankara, on the way to the Cop29 climate conference in the Azerbaijan capital, Baku. The two countries are vying to host Cop31, and the Albanese government hopes Turkey will exit the race in time for an announcement before next week.

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Man charged over Melbourne carjacking and siege involving father and toddler

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Man charged with assaulting police, false imprisonment, threats to kill and other offences following a carjacking and siege

A man has been charged over carjacking and a siege involving an innocent father and his toddler, who were held inside their own home for hours.

The ordeal stared on Tuesday when a police helicopter followed a car in Melbourne’s west that was believed to have been stolen in a carjacking in Snake Valley earlier in the day, Victoria police said.

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Santos figured out net zero roadmap ‘literally on the fly’, court hears in world-first greenwashing case

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Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility accuses Australian oil giant of misleading and false claims in closing arguments

Santos misled investors by positioning itself as a “clean fuels company” with a credible net zero plan, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) has alleged in closing remarks to a world-first greenwashing case.

Noel Hutley SC, representing ACCR, said the case was about protecting the public interest by “ensuring that commitments by Australian companies regarding climate change are reasonably based and not misleading”.

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Woman caught with golden gun in luggage at Sydney airport ‘deeply regrets’ actions, court hears

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Liliana Goodson is ‘capable of rehabilitation’ after being caught travelling from US to Australia with firearm, lawyer says

A woman who “deeply regrets” packing a gun in her bag before she flew to Australia will face sentencing in December following further delays in her court case.

Liliana Goodson admitted illegally importing an unauthorised illegal firearm and illegally importing ammunition as she faced a hearing earlier this year.

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Winning designs: the terraces and apartments designed to fast-track NSW housing

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State’s housing pattern book, launching in 2025, seeks to cut red tape and reduce development application times with pre-approved designs

Five winning terrace and apartment designs will be pre-approved in a new NSW government “pattern book” in a bid to fast-track housing development in the state.

The designs were selected from more than 200 in the state government’s Pattern Book Design Competition, submitted by architects from Australia and around the world.

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Coles and Woolworths face class actions over claims misleading promotions deceived customers – as it happened

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Watt says issue of reconciliation not closed in Australia despite voice referendum

Wrapping up the interview, Murray Watt was also asked about the haka performed in New Zealand parliament yesterday over a controversial bill that proposes to radically alter the way New Zealand’s treaty between Māori and the crown is interpreted.

I think there are many Australians who care very deeply about the rights of our First Peoples. Of course, Australians had their say on the voice to parliament in the recent referendum but I don’t think that means the issue of reconciliation is closed in Australia. That is something that our government remains committed to working on with our First Peoples and I think a lot of Australians support that as well.

I probably won’t comment on what’s happening in New Zealand because it’s their own affairs, but it shows these issues still really matter to people.

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Weekend thunderstorms forecast for northern Australia with south to see temperatures drop

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BoM warns of severe storms in northern rivers and northern tablelands of NSW, with possible damaging winds and large hailstones

Thunderstorms are expected to continue this weekend on both sides of the country. Warm and humid conditions in the tropics will push wet weather over Australia, with the possibility of severe storms in parts of Queensland.

Rain and thunderstorms have developed over parts of eastern Australia almost every day this month, with severe thunderstorms hitting parts of Queensland and New South Wales on numerous occasions in the past fortnight.

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No adverse findings in probe into elite Northern Territory police triggered by offensive ‘awards’

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Corruption watchdog rules out further investigation into racism within the force despite evidence of historical racial discrimination

WARNING: This article contains offensive content

A corruption watchdog has closed an investigation into racism within the Northern Territory police force’s elite tactical response group with no adverse findings despite uncovering historical evidence of race-based discrimination.

The probe was triggered after former constable Zachary Rolfe attempted to prove the force’s ingrained culture of racism, using as evidence a historical racist mock-award handed out in the group to the officer who behaved “most like an Aboriginal”.

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Clive Palmer-scale political donations to be blocked under new electoral spending caps

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Candidates to receive $5 per vote from public funding, while parties and independents will receive $30,000 per MP and $15,000 per senator each

Donation and electoral spending caps could pass parliament as early as this fortnight, with Labor confident the Coalition will help it block campaigns of the size run by Clive Palmer at the national level and teal independents at the local level.

But the bill, to be introduced next week, could spark outrage from independents, emerging and minor parties, with plans to increase public funding of elections from $3.35 a vote to $5.

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Anger as CFMEU ‘sweetheart deal’ suspended in Queensland government crackdown

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Union members hit out at LNP as deputy premier announces pause on pay and conditions policy

A “sweetheart deal” for the CFMEU has been suspended in an unprecedented crackdown after the embattled union was blamed for major project cost blowouts.

Construction union “perks” were put on ice as the Queensland government stepped up a campaign to tackle the CFMEU, with some union members clearly not happy.

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Australia backs UN resolution recognising ‘permanent sovereignty’ of Palestinians in major departure

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Vote cast with 158 other countries to recognise ‘permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory’

Australia has backed in a United Nations resolution to recognise the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, marking a major departure from its previous position.

At a UN committee vote on Thursday, Australia voted with 158 other countries, including the UK and New Zealand, on a resolution to recognise the “permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources”.

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