Category Archives: Australia news

Police seek answers over Queensland woman’s body found on NSW beach six months after ‘highly unusual’ disappearance

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Wendy Hansen was last seen near Bundaberg in February before her remains were discovered at Coffs Harbour in June. Police say her death is suspicious

Mystery surrounds the death of a Queensland woman whose remains were found in dunes at a New South Wales beach, hundreds of kilometres away from where she was last spotted.

NSW police have launched a homicide investigation into the death of Wendy Hansen, who vanished six months ago.

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Qantas profit down 16% to $2.1bn as surging demand for cheap fares helps Jetstar

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International business revenues fell significantly on last year’s result, while budget carrier’s earnings rose 23%

Qantas Airways has posted a $2.1bn annual underlying profit – down 16% from last year’s record result – amid a surge in demand for budget Jetstar fares and mounting public anger at its service and ticket policies.

Australia’s biggest airline said bookings and travel demand remained stable across its flying brands, although moderating air fares had eroded profits, especially on international flights.

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Australian PM caught on camera joking with senior US official over funding of Pacific policing plan

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Anthony Albanese tells journalists to ‘chill out’ over comments filmed in the wings of Pacific Islands Forum

The Australian prime minister has been caught on camera in Tonga joking with a senior US official about going “halvies” on the cost of a newly announced Pacific policing plan.

The deputy secretary of state, Kurt Campbell, appeared to suggest in the video that the US had been planning to pursue an unspecified security-related proposal but had been encouraged by Australia not to proceed.

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Australia’s electricity grid to remain reliable if renewable projects delivered ‘on time and in full’, Aemo says

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Investments in solar, wind, batteries, pumped hydro and transmission links must be delivered ‘on time and in full’

Australia’s electricity authority has declared the country’s main power grid will remain reliable as it shifts from coal domination to running overwhelmingly on renewable energy – but only if investments in new generation are delivered “on time and in full”.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) reached its conclusion in a report that considered what needs to be built over the next decade to maintain the National Electricity Market, which links the five eastern states and the ACT.

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Brittany Higgins had counselling days after her alleged rape, court hears

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Lawyer Rachael Young tells the court Higgins had encountered a delay in accessing parliament’s employee assistance program

Brittany Higgins had counselling within days of her alleged rape in Parliament House, a defamation trial has been told.

Higgins is being sued by her former boss, senator Linda Reynolds, over a series of social media posts the ex-defence minister alleged damaged her reputation.

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Nine-month-old baby undergoes surgery after man allegedly pours hot coffee on him

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Police increase patrols near Hanlon Park in Brisbane after nine-month-old boy taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

The mother of a baby boy hospitalised after hot coffee was allegedly poured on him by a stranger has described the experience as “torture”.

The nine-month-old underwent surgery after suffering burns to his face and chest following what police described as a “cowardly” and random attack in a Brisbane park.

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Woman claims she was asked to catalogue sex tapes before high-profile Sydney man raped her, court told

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The man, who cannot be named, denies he raped the woman or asked her to watch sex tapes

A high profile Sydney man allegedly asked his intern to catalogue sex tapes of himself and his ex-wife moments before he allegedly raped her, a court has heard.

The woman, who was 19 at the time she was allegedly raped, appeared before the NSW Downing Centre district court on Wednesday, in the second day of a trial expected to last 10 weeks. She said the footage was “incredibly explicit sexual intercourse”.

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Sydney property developer who ‘washed’ money for tax fraud scheme blackmailer forced to repay $11m

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Liquidators to recoup millions sent to blackmailer who threatened to expose Plutus Payroll tax fraud scheme

A Sydney property developer who helped “wash” money for a blackmailer convicted for threatening to expose tax fraud will have to cough up more than $11m.

Plutus Payroll and its directors stole $105m from the Australian Taxation Office by skimming off GST and transferring it elsewhere, according to court findings.

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CFMEU administrator moves for ‘clean sweep’ of union super fund directors at Cbus

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Exclusive: Former national construction union secretary digs in, while ETU suspends Labor and ACTU contributions in protest of ‘trial by parliament’

The administrator of the construction union wants a “clean sweep” of union-appointed board directors on the Cbus industry super fund, prompting two resignations and a plan to sack another former union official.

On Wednesday a spokesperson for the Construction Forestry Maritime Employees Union confirmed Rita Mallia, who was sacked from her New South Wales construction president role on Friday, and former ACT secretary, Jason O’Mara, had resigned as member directors of the fund, which is one of Australia’s largest, with $94bn under management.

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Australia overcomes last-minute concerns to secure sweeping Pacific police training plan

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Anthony Albanese says it is ‘a Pacific-led initiative’ that reflects the desire of neighbours to ‘stand with each other’

Pacific island leaders have agreed to back a sweeping regional policing plan after Australia and other supporters overcame last-minute concerns the proposal was part of a geopolitical play to exclude China.

But each Pacific nation will decide whether to contribute to the proposed new multinational police unit, which will provide a rapid response to disasters or other major security challenges.

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New peregrine in town: female falcon becomes latest to nest atop Melbourne skyscraper

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The cameras that made the falcons a social media phenomenon are rolling again for a new breeding season

For more than three decades, Melbourne’s famed Collins Street peregrine falcons have treated a CBD skyscraper ledge as home.

Now, the cameras that made them a social media phenomenon are again rolling for a new breeding season, with the first egg laid this week.

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Gig economy workers could win minimum employment standards under new laws

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Transport union will apply for food delivery drivers and couriers to be given superannuation, insurance and a pay safety net

Food delivery riders and parcel couriers could be granted minimum employment standards for the first time, as changes to employment law come into effect.

Independent contractors, including gig economy drivers and riders for companies such as UberEats, Menulog, DoorDash and Hungry Panda, could receive mandated workplace protections including superannuation, personal injury insurance and a safety net on pay to ensure they recover their costs each week, as the Transport Workers Union (TWU) makes landmark applications to the Fair Work Commission on Wednesday.

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‘Impossible’ to make policy for LGBTQ+ community without extra census questions, crossbenchers say

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Crossbench MPs demand explanation for government’s decision to drop proposed ABS questions about sexuality, gender diversity from census

Crossbench MPs are seeking an urgent explanation from the Albanese government about why it dumped new topics on sexuality and gender diversity from the next census – a decision that left the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras “deeply concerned and disappointed”.

The move, confirmed by the assistant minister for the Treasury, Andrew Leigh, on Sunday, comes more than a year after the Australian Bureau of Statistics issued its statement of regret over the distress felt by the LGBTQ+ community as a result of being left out of the census.

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Brisbane’s bus rapid transit service to expand to outer suburbs in time for 2032 Olympics

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The city’s LNP mayor and the state Labor government have agreed to work together on 22 new stations, including the airport

Brisbane’s Metro bus rapid transit service is set to expand to the outer suburbs of the city in time for the 2032 Olympics in a plan which now has the backing of the Labor state government.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and premier Steven Miles will on Wednesday jointly announce a “long-term” plan for 22 new stations, expanding the service to Springwood, Capalaba, Carseldine, and the Brisbane airport.

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High-profile Sydney man raped 19-year-old in his home while she was doing an internship with him, court told

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The man, who cannot be named, has pleaded not guilty to raping five women

A high-profile Sydney man accused of raping five women raped one 19-year-old woman in his home while she was undertaking an internship with him, a court has heard.

The man, whom Guardian Australia cannot name due to a suppression order, has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges alleged to have occurred over a six-year period against six women on separate occasions.

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org. The Stop It Now! helpline is 1800 011 800.

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Perth man preyed on 180 children in ‘one of the worst’ sexual extortion cases in history

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The 29-year-old man pretended to be a teenage social media celebrity to get sexually explicit content from hundreds of victims

A Perth man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for coercing 286 victims, including 180 children, into performing sexually explicit acts on camera or video.

The scale of the offending, in which he targeted victims from 20 different countries, makes it one of the worst sexual extortion cases in history, the Australian federal police assistant commissioner David McLean said.

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Australia news live: thousands rally in capital cities as CFMEU workers walk off sites; fears of overdose crisis as use of nitazenes grows

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Rallies in support of the CFMEU have kicked off across the nation’s capital cities, from Sydney, Melbourne to Brisbane. Follow the day’s news live

Jim Chalmers accuses Liberals of ‘economic insanity’ on potential housing cuts

Jim Chalmers was asked about the $100bn in cuts the Coalition is set to announce today, mostly from Labor initiatives, if it wins the next election. Would this appeal to the electorate?

What we know from what’s in the newspapers today is that they plan billions of dollars to cuts in housing at a time when we’ve got a very severe housing shortage, and this goes with the absolute economic insanity of the Liberals and Nationals. During an extreme housing shortage, they want to swing the axe on billions of dollars in housing funding.

Also this is $100bn they reckon – let’s see the details. They flagged more than three times that amount when it comes to cuts, so let’s hear them come clean on the other cuts. Let’s hear what it means for Medicare and pensions and for the economy more broadly.

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New powers for councils to cap short-term accommodation as Victoria moves to 7.5% ‘Airbnb tax’

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State treasurer says levy will help in ‘getting the balance right’ for mix of housing and prioritising long-term rentals

The Victorian government will grant local councils new powers to limit short-stay accommodation as it moves to introduce a 7.5% levy on properties listed on platforms like Airbnb and Stayz.

The Allan government will on Tuesday introduce legislation for its nation-first levy – which some have dubbed the “Airbnb tax” – that will begin on 1 January 2025. Properties that are the owner’s primary residence will be exempt from the short-stay levy, as well as hotels, motels and caravan parks.

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Coles profit surges to $1.1bn as shoppers grapple with cost-of-living crisis

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Greens accuse company of price-gouging, as supermarket attributes sales boost to seasonal campaigns and rising digital revenue

Coles has posted a surge in revenue from its groceries business and expanded supermarket profit margins to the highest level recorded in the pandemic era, even as shoppers grapple with fast-rising household costs.

The revenue bump underpinned a robust rise in annual profit to $1.1bn. It threatens to draw Australia’s second largest chain back into the public limelight as cost-of-living pressures become a central political issue for the next federal election.

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Crocodile culling an ineffective and expensive way to reduce attacks, Northern Territory study finds

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Education campaigns to change human behaviour and relocation of problem reptiles are better ways of managing risk, researchers say

Culling crocodiles is an ineffective and expensive way to reduce attacks on humans, new research has found.

Research published in the journal People and Nature found 91% of crocodile attack victims in the Northern Territory were locals, with human complacency and water-based activities contributing factors.

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