Breaking news, politics, business, economy, and current events from Australia.
Karl Stefanovic once called himself “Joe Bogan” when asked whether he was the Aussie version of American podcaster, Joe Rogan. But the breakfast TV king’s foray into the medium, which attracts millions of listeners online, has given his employer Channel Nine a headache, after Stefanovic got cosy on the couch with British far right activist,…
Australia’s domestic spy chief, Mike Burgess, has defended the agency’s resourcing decisions in the years leading up to the Bondi terror attack, arguing his agency is grappling with an “unprecedented” volume of threats. In his annual threat assessment, Mr Burgess revealed the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has foiled 31 major terrorism plots since 2014….
The Victorian Liberal Party is in chaos after an MP claimed they were assaulted by a member of their own party room. The accused MP is actively considering legal advice to sue their colleague for defamation over the claim, which they deny. The ABC has chosen not to name the MPs. Both have declined to…
Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE Tas) has defended using a padded pole and a board to coerce Neil the seal off a southern Tasmanian road. A video posted online on Wednesday showed two NRE Tas staff members poking and hitting the 1,000-kilogram southern elephant seal with a pole and a board in…
Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, has refurbished beach houses in Perth to help homeless veterans, naming the complex after Victoria Cross recipient and alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith. The block of townhouses in the suburb of Scarborough will be managed by Veteran Housing Australia, which is based in Victoria. Large signs featuring the residential complex’s…
A University of Wollongong (UOW) governance manager has told the NSW corruption watchdog she received extensive assistance during recruitment processes that led to her appointment. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry is examining recruitment processes at UOW. It is also investigating allegations that chief governance officer Alyssa White subverted the recruitment process to benefit…
Wayne Bennett has defended South Sydney’s $25 million training facilities as Latrell Mitchell’s calf tear once again fuels speculation that Heffron Park’s turf could be responsible for the Rabbitohs’ alarmingly high casualty toll. Mitchell has joined teammates Campbell Graham and Talanoa Penitani on the sidelines with soft-tissue injuries after David Fifita missed more than a…
A Territory Labor politician who was convicted over a fatal crash 17 years ago had his licence suspended last year for speeding multiple times, it has emerged. Manuel Brown reportedly had his licence suspended for three months in October for racking up multiple speeding tickets in a taxpayer-funded car — a matter Opposition Leader Selena…
A billionaire tech investor accused of assaulting his former partner as well as stealing and damaging expensive gifts he had bought her has had his bail varied to allow him to visit his mother in Sydney. Perth-based Laurence Emmanuel Escalante, 44, made his fortune through his Virtual Gaming Worlds company which offers virtual slot machines,…
A court has been told an alleged cult leader told a young girl they would go on a cruise to circumvent consent laws and carry out “God’s mission” of her becoming his queen and repopulating a post-apocalyptic world. William Kamm, known as “Little Pebble”, and his co-accused Sandra Susan Mathison, are fighting allegations in a…