‘Heat engine’ fuelled by climate crisis bringing blast of summer weather to Australian winter

August temperature records threaten to break as Oodnadatta in South Australia braces for 38C and BoM forecasts above 30C in Brisbane next week

Australia is on track to face its hottest August on record as a global heating-fuelled “heat engine” brings spring and summer warmth to Australia’s winter, experts forecast.

Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said the unseasonably warm weather was coming from a “heat engine” in Australia’s red centre, where clear skies in the coming week would drive maximum temperatures towards 40C, more than 10C above average, in northern SA, southern NT, and western NSW.

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Worker dead after vehicle crash at Byerwen coalmine in central Queensland

Byerwen coalmine worker killed after 200-tonne truck ran over light vehicle, union says

A mine worker at the Byerwen Mine was killed when a 200-tonne truck allegedly ran over a light vehicle on Thursday afternoon, the mining union says.

It was the second death at the central Queensland mine in a month.

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Domestic violence victims’ addresses sent to offenders by Queensland police in major blunder

State government apologises for data system breach as victim says it left her ‘completely defeated, broken, scared and worried’

The addresses of domestic violence victims have been shared with offenders by Queensland police, including a “vulnerable woman” who was then allegedly told to relocate by officers.

The state government apologised on Thursday after it emerged a woman felt “completely defeated” when her personal information was exposed by the serious data breach.

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NDIS deal passes both houses – as it happened

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Queensland Labor’s longest-serving state MP to retire

Queensland Labor’s longest-serving state MP has announced he will retire at October’s election.

Curtis Pitt is the last survivor of the “Tarago opposition”, the seven ALP MPs elected at the 2012 wipeout election.

The party won government back in 2015, after just one term.

In a Facebook post on Thursday morning, he announced his retirement after 15 years in politics.

It’s not a decision I’ve come to lightly. I’ve always said that the day I wake up and don’t feel I can give it 100 per cent, then it’s time for me to do something else.

When I think back, all of my kids have been born since I’ve been an MP. Having been a member of parliament for five terms, I know that I’ve missed so many important milestones and occasions.

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Driver charged after cyclist killed in alleged hit-and-run in Melbourne

Southbank man, understood to be a food delivery rider, died at scene of crash on Plummer Street in Port Melbourne

A driver has been charged after a cyclist, understood to be a delivery rider, died in an alleged hit-and-run in Port Melbourne.

A car struck the cyclist on Plummer Street just after 8pm on Tuesday night, Victoria police said in a statement.

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Super to be paid on parental leave as Labor seeks to close gender gap

From July 2025, 180,000 families expected to benefit from 12% superannuation paid to parents using paid parental leave

New mothers and fathers are set to have their superannuation topped up by the federal government when they are taking time off to care for their newborn.

Laws paying superannuation on top of government-funded paid parental leave have been introduced to federal parliament in an attempt to lower the gender gap for retirement savings.

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When globally famous gay penguin Sphen died in Sydney, his partner began to sing

Zoo staff brought Magic to Sphen’s side to process the loss, and the penguin colony joined in his mournful call

Sydney gentoo penguin Sphen, whose same-sex love story made him and partner Magic an equality symbol worldwide, has died.

The couple shot to fame in 2018 when news of their same-sex male relationship in a Sydney aquarium made global headlines.

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Albanese given taxpayer-funded legal help after defamation threat from John Margerison

Attorney general approves legal assistance ‘in relation to a defamation claim’ made against PM, along with approval for claims against Bill Shorten

The attorney general has approved legal assistance for Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten in relation to defamation threats by a business associate of the former Liberal minister Stuart Robert.

On 12 August Mark Dreyfus approved assistance “in relation to a defamation claim” made against the prime minister on 23 July and for defamation claims on 23 and 25 July against Shorten, the government services and national disability insurance scheme minister, according to documents tabled to parliament.

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‘Grade five instincts’: why sook is the new insult of choice in Australia’s parliament

In the rough and tumble of the House of Representatives, this barb stands out as an oldie but a goodie

In the hardbitten bear pit of politics, any sign of weakness is pounced on.

The latest favourite barb to be hurled about the federal chamber is “sook” – an oldie but a goodie. A slightly gentler insult than “snowflake”, “bedwetter” or “old jellyback”.

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Peter Dutton’s comments on Palestinians fleeing Gaza ‘bad for cohesion and harmony’, envoy says

De facto ambassador to Australia says opposition leader’s commentary ‘not evidence based, not verified and unacceptable’

Peter Dutton’s comments about people escaping the bloodshed in Gaza are hurtful and “very bad for cohesion and harmony”, according to Palestine’s de facto ambassador to Australia.

After a week of intense parliamentary debate about Australia’s use of visitor visas for Palestinians fleeing the conflict, Izzat Salah Abdulhadi called the opposition leader’s commentary “very political”.

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Ron Coote named rugby league’s 14th Immortal ending 43-year wait

  • Lock played for Souths and Roosters in 60s and 70s
  • He won six premierships and played in nine grand finals

Ron Coote has been named rugby league’s 14th Immortal, ending one of the longest waits to earn the status.

Coote was officially revealed as the latest Immortal at a gala dinner at the SCG on Wednesday, rewarding him for a career that dominated the 1960s and 1970s.

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NSW inquiry into death of Indigenous man shot while fleeing custody calls for urgent review of gun laws

Mother of Dwayne Johnstone urges government ministers to ‘take note’ of coroner’s recommendation ‘so no one else has to go through it’

The death of an unarmed Indigenous man who was shot while fleeing custody has prompted a coroner to recommend an urgent review of laws governing the use of firearms by correctional officers.

Dwayne Johnstone, a 43-year-old Wiradjuri man, was shot dead outside Lismore Base hospital as he ran in leg shackles and handcuffs from a prison van after receiving medical treatment on 15 March 2019.

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Sussan Ley defends Coalition’s question time ‘passion’ as Labor proposes penalties for politicians’ bad behaviour

Albanese government unveils proposal which could see MP’s salary docked by more than $11,000 for misconduct

The deputy opposition leader, Sussan Ley, says the Coalition makes “no apology” for its “passion”-filled performances in question time as parliamentary workplace behaviour is once again in the spotlight.

A new parliamentary workplace sanctions body is on the horizon after the Albanese government unveiled its proposed Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission (IPSC) on Wednesday.

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Social support payment systems may be reviewed as DV commissioner warns they are being ‘weaponised’ against women

Micaela Cronin highlights concerns that payment systems are used to punish current and former intimate partners

The federal government is considering an across-the-board audit of social support payment systems to identify whether they are putting people at risk, as the commissioner monitoring its national anti-violence plan warns they are being “weaponised” against women.

The domestic, family and sexual violence commissioner, Micaela Cronin, suggested on Wednesday that the government was reviewing all of its payment systems out of concern that they were being used to punish current and former intimate partners.

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Brittany Higgins told journalist who broke alleged rape story Linda Reynolds ‘hated’ her, court hears

Journalist Samantha Maiden was called to give evidence in the WA senator’s defamation trial against her former staffer

Brittany Higgins felt toxic and told the journalist who broke the story about her alleged rape in Parliament House that Senator Linda Reynolds hated her.

The senator is suing Higgins, her former staffer – who is defending the claim – over a series of social media posts containing alleged mistruths that she believes damaged her reputation.

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Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

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NSW Liberal council election debacle descends into accusations of factional warfare

Broadcaster Ray Hadley challenges ‘cowardly’ conservatives to ‘have a bit of courage for the sake of NSW politics’

The New South Wales Liberals’ failure to nominate in some local council elections has spilled over into accusations of factional warfare, with moderates warning a review should not be used as a pretext to dump the president, Don Harwin, or usher in federal intervention.

Brian Loughnane, the former federal Liberal director and reviewer of the 2022 election defeat, has been called in to examine the nomination failure, for which state director Richard Shields was sacked.

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Australia politics live: Coalition to reveal cost of nuclear plan ‘in good time’, Angus Taylor says; misbehaving MPs face fines under new standards commission

The government will introduce legislation today which includes penalties for MPs and parliament house staff who have been found to have committed wrong doing. Follow the day’s news live

Gambling ads ‘an issue of morality’: Sharkie

As Paul Karp reported yesterday, the independent MP Rebekha Sharkie is one of the MPs pushing for the major parties to be allowed a conscience vote on the forthcoming Labor gambling legislation.

The Murphy report called for a full ban. That’s the expectation of many members of parliament, both the opposition and government said and the crossbench, but many have said to me that they’re wrestling with their conscience on the idea that there would only be a partial ban and many people see this issue closely tied to their faith, an issue of morality.

So it would appear to me and also to Andrew Wilkie that, you know, a straightforward position would be to allow a conscience vote and in my time in the Parliament, we’ve had four conscience votes. I think it would naturally fit for the parameters an issue that sits within their soul.

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Man’s body found in creek after multiple shootings in western Sydney

Police found the body of a man in a creek in Auburn early on Wednesday morning

A man’s body has been found by police investigating multiple shootings in western Sydney which police believe to be connected.

Emergency services were called to Antwerp Street, Auburn, shortly before 10pm on Tuesday, after reports shots had been fired into a home during a domestic incident, New South Wales police said in a statement.

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Australia could save thousands of bats a year with simple tweak to wind turbines, study says

Raising the wind speed at which turbines start spinning could prevent tens of thousands of bat deaths each year, researchers find

Australian windfarm operators are being urged to embrace a simple measure used overseas that scientists say could dramatically reduce the number of bats killed by turbines.

Curtailment – lifting the wind speed at which turbines start spinning – is used in some European countries and parts of the US and Canada, but rarely in Australia. A global study published in the journal BioScience found it was an effective way to limit bat deaths.

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Aged care in the home improves lives and saves money. So why are Australians being made to wait?

‘If you ignore people at a point where they really need some of that earlier intervention … then you’re up for a higher cost,’ says expert

Twenty years ago, Patrick Evans beat cancer. Now aged 76, the repercussions of the radiation treatment that helped him are setting in.

“He has very serious aspiration and that causes him pneumonia and that lands him in hospital on a regular basis,” his wife, Inda, said. “He had a very bad episode last year and was basically in a life or death situation.”

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