Australia’s ‘Space Gandalf’ astronomer dies aged 62

An Australian astronomer who appeared on the BBC’s Stargazing Live alongside Professor Brian Cox, has died aged 62.

Greg Quicke from Broome, 2,000km (1,240 miles) north of Perth, was also known as “Space Gandalf” for his distinctive white beard.
In the 2017 Stargazing Live Australia series he…[Read more]

Australian rugby star Hayne wins appeal in rape case

Former Australian rugby league star Jarryd Hayne has won an appeal against his rape convictions and has been ordered to stand trial for a fourth time in the same case.

The 36-year-old was found guilty of sexual assault by a jury last year and sentenced to spend at least three years in jail.
He…[Read more]

Australia’s Titmus sets 200m freestyle world record

Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus broke the 200m freestyle world record at Australia’s Olympic swimming selection trials in Brisbane.

The 23-year-old, who won two golds at the 2020 Tokyo Games, beat Mollie O’Callaghan’s 2023 record with a time of one minute 52.23 seconds.

O’Callaghan finished…[Read more]

Health insurance premiums rose by up to 17 per cent in one month, research finds

Experts have urged Australians to re-examine their health insurance policies and assess their needs after research found premiums surged by up to 17 per cent.
Australians were hit with premium increases far higher than the industry-wide price rise of 3.03 per cent in…[Read more]

Australian economy records weakest growth in almost three years

Australia’s economy is on the verge of crawling to a standstill, with gross domestic product rising by just 0.1 per cent in the first three months of the year.
New national accounts data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirmed the weak growth – the lowest quarterly f…[Read more]

Premature interest rate cut ‘won’t be good’ for struggling households, RBA governor says

Michele Bullock has issued a word of caution to the Australians hoping for an interest rate cut, warning it won’t bring any relief unless inflation is under control.
The Reserve Bank governor said while she wants to provide relief to households str…[Read more]

Vivid attractions cancelled due to ‘severe weather’

Wild weather that dumped rain across the country has forced closures at one of one city’s most popular winter events.

A wild week-long weather pattern that dumped rains across Sydney has forced closures at one of the city’s most popular winter events.

A number of attractions at this year’s…[Read more]

World’s rarest album to go on display in Australia

An album so rare and valuable that only a few ears have ever listened to it is set to go on display at an Australian gallery, giving the public a taste of the uber-exclusive tracks.

Housed in an ornate silver box, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin – recorded in secret by the Wu-Tang Clan over six…[Read more]

What are nootropics and do they really boost your brain?

Humans have long been searching for a “magic elixir” to make us smarter, and improve our focus and memory. This includes traditional Chinese medicine used thousands of years ago to improve cognitive function.

Now we have nootropics, also known as smart drugs, brain boosters or cog…[Read more]

Senate estimates offered a brief peek inside one of parliament’s most opaque corners, but don’t expect a transparency overhaul

The windows at Parliament House have undergone extensive cleaning in recent weeks.

Sunlight is literally permeating the home of Australia’s democracy like never before.

Figuratively, though, the government is as opaque…[Read more]

Australian state appoints official for ‘Men’s Behavior Change’ as outcry over violence against women grows

As Australian women push for action on domestic violence – a problem described by the country’s prime minister as a “national crisis” – one state has appointed a special official charged with improving men’s behavior.

Victor…[Read more]

‘In a mess’: Evacuees from New Caledonia tell of relief

Australians evacuated from New Caledonia after being stranded during more than a week of violent protests have been expressing their relief at returning home.
Two Royal Australian Air Force planes landed in Brisbane on Tuesday night, carrying 108 Australians and other tourists stranded by…[Read more]

Sydney mall attacker may have targeted women, police say, as more details emerge of his six victims

Australian police said Monday that the attacker who fatally stabbed six people at a busy shopping mall in Sydney’s beach suburb of Bondi may have been targeting women, as heartbreaking details emerged of those who lost their lives, plunging a n…[Read more]

Ex-US Marines fighter pilot loses bid to block extradition to the United States over China training allegations

Brisbane, Australia
CNN
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The fate of former US Marines pilot Daniel Duggan now rests with Australia’s attorney general after a magistrate ruled he was eligible to be extradited to the United States to face charges related to the all…[Read more]

Australian abolitionist, Grace Forrest, receives coveted ‘Freedom from Fear’ award

Grace Forrest is the founding director of Walk Free, the Australian-based anti-slavery organization responsible for publishing the Global Slavery Index (GSI).

The GSI provides national estimates of modern slavery for 167 countries, drawn from thousands of int…[Read more]

Mexico authorities find three bodies in search for tourists

Mexican authorities have found three bodies in an area of Baja California where two Australian brothers and an American went missing.

The FBI said the bodies were found in the town of Santo Tomas and have not yet been identified, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reported.

Jake, 30, and…[Read more]

Church rioter arrested after unleashing on media and police outside court

A man who took part in a violent uprising at a western Sydney church has swung his arms and spat at journalists outside court.
Issa Haddad gestured both his middle fingers at waiting camera crews as he stepped out of Fairfield Local Court today.
He admitted taking part in…[Read more]

Police pull man from dumpster after alleged armed robbery in Sydney’s west

Police allege a man entered a premises on the Great Western Highway in Kingswood and threatened three staff members with a firearm before fleeing with cash at about 12.40am today.
Soon after, police stopped a rideshare vehicle and spoke to a male passenger, who a…[Read more]

Australian police shoot boy armed with knife dead

A 16-year-old boy has been shot dead by police in Western Australia’s capital Perth, after he stabbed a man in the back with a kitchen knife.

The boy was rushed to hospital but died. His victim, who was not known to him, is said to be in a serious but stable condition.

There were signs the boy…[Read more]

Surfer murders shock peaceful Mexico community

The tight-knit and peaceful surfing community in the Mexican port of Ensenada is in shock.

Three foreign surfers – two Australian brothers, Callum and Jake Robinson, and their American friend, Jack Carter Rhoad – had been in the town just a few days earlier, enjoying some of the finest surfing spots…[Read more]