Latest News Stories
Grace Tame cancels 2024 speaking engagements due to controversy over pro-Palestinian chant
Grace Tame, a survivor of child sexual abuse and former Australian of the Year, announced in March 2024 that she would not be speaking at any further paid events for the rest of the year due to a 'nat...
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- Grace Tame announced her last speaking event for 2024 at the No to Violence national conference in Hobart on March 2024, citing a 'smear campaign' against her
- Tame led a chant of 'globalise the intifada' at a Sydney protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit in February 2024
- The Australian Jewish Association attempted to cancel Tame’s appearance at an International Women’s Day event in Bendigo in March 2024, but the organiser Be.Bendigo declined
Cuba confirms US talks amid energy crisis and US blockade
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed for the first time that his government held recent talks with the United States to address long-standing bilateral differences, including the US energy blo...
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- Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed recent talks with the United States to resolve bilateral differences, marking the first official confirmation by Havana
- No petroleum shipments have arrived in Cuba in the past three months, contributing to widespread blackouts and service disruptions
- Cuba produces 40% of its own petroleum but power generation remains insufficient to meet demand
Real Madrid's 3-0 Champions League first-leg win over Manchester City, featuring Valverde's hat-trick
Real Madrid’s 3-0 Champions League first-leg victory over Manchester City was dominated by Federico Valverde’s first-half hat-trick, ending City’s hopes of an early quarter-final berth. Valverde’s bri...
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- Federico Valverde scored a first-half hat-trick (22 minutes) for Real Madrid against Manchester City in the Champions League first leg, ending 3-0 at halftime.
- Kylian Mbappé was absent from Real Madrid’s squad due to injury, leaving a 13-goal-shaped hole in their attack (Mbappé led the competition in scoring with 13 strikes).
- Erling Haaland returned to Manchester City’s lineup after being rested for the FA Cup win at Newcastle.
Australian media mogul Antony Catalano charged with assault and mental health struggles
Australian media mogul Antony Catalano, 59, co-owner of Australian Community Media, was charged with assault, false imprisonment, and threats to kill after allegedly dragging a woman by her hair and a...
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- Antony Catalano, 59, co-owner and chairman of Australian Community Media (ACM), was charged with assault, false imprisonment, and making threats to kill in Melbourne on April 26, 2024, after allegedly dragging a woman by her hair and ankles and swinging a clothes iron at her head
- Catalano was granted bail on April 26, 2024, after Magistrate Rohan Lawrence described the evidence as 'relatively strong' and noted a possible jail term if charges are proven
- The victim sustained a fractured coccyx and was hospitalized for several hours following the incident, which was captured by CCTV
Review and analysis of the 2024 video game Marathon by Bungie, focusing on its 90s-inspired design and competitive gameplay.
Marathon is a 2024 sci-fi extraction shooter by Bungie that revives 1990s cyberpunk aesthetics through fluorescent visuals, ASCII menus, and retro-futuristic design, drawing inspiration from Sony’s Wi...
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- Marathon is a 2024 online sci-fi extraction shooter developed by Bungie, released on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5 for £34.99.
- The game is heavily inspired by 1990s futurism, featuring fluorescent colors, ASCII text, and retro-futuristic aesthetics reminiscent of cyberpunk anime and 90s club culture.
- Bungie’s global franchise director, Philip Asher, cited Sony’s Wipeout game, Mental Wealth ads for PlayStation, and translucent Dual Shock controllers as direct inspirations for Marathon.
Youth advocate Cody Schaeffer pleads guilty to assaulting teens through charity work
Cody Haywood Schaeffer, a former youth advocate and founder of the charity Borderline Australia, pleaded guilty to six counts of common assault after abusing his position of trust to assault five teen...
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- Cody Haywood Schaeffer pleaded guilty to six counts of common assault in Brisbane Magistrates Court on 2024-03-20 (or equivalent date)
- Schaeffer was aged between 27 and 30 during the offenses (2021–2023) and his victims were aged 14 to 17
- The assaults involved victims being hogtied, blindfolded, gagged, and having their feet beaten with coat hangers at Schaeffer’s home in Alexandra Hills, Brisbane
Alcoa mining access restrictions near Perth’s drinking water sources spark regulatory disputes
Western Australia’s Water Corporation is locked in a dispute with Alcoa over restricted access to mining sites near Perth’s critical drinking water sources, including Serpentine Dam. Both sources conf...
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- Alcoa’s bauxite mining operations in Western Australia’s northern jarrah forests span 12 public drinking water catchments, including near Serpentine Dam, a major source for Perth’s water supply.
- The Water Corporation has faced repeated roadblocks in accessing Alcoa mine sites since May 2025, with fencing installed by Alcoa significantly diminishing ranger access for water quality monitoring near Serpentine Dam.
- Alcoa pledged a $100 million guarantee in 2025 to help fund government response to potential impacts on Perth’s drinking water dams, but the Water Corporation stated this was insufficient for major pollution remediation.
Queensland coronial inquest into preventable death of diabetic child Elizabeth Struhs
The death of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs in January 2022 after her parents withheld her insulin due to extremist religious beliefs opposing medical treatment has prompted a coronial inquest. Both ...
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- Elizabeth Struhs, an eight-year-old with type 1 diabetes, died in January 2022 after her parents withheld insulin due to extremist religious views opposing medical treatment
- Fourteen members of the Struhs family’s home-based Christian group (the ‘Saints’) were convicted of Elizabeth’s manslaughter in 2023: Jason Struhs (father) received 14 years, Kerrie Struhs (mother) received five months, and 12 others received sentences ranging from suspended terms to prison
- A coronial inquest began on October 12, 2025, to examine interactions between the Struhs family and Queensland government agencies (Child Safety, Department of Health, Queensland Police, Department of Education, and Queensland Corrective Services) before Elizabeth’s death
Federal government considering buffel grass as a Weed of National Significance in Australia
The core issue is whether buffel grass—a non-native invasive species—should be listed as a Weed of National Significance in Australia. Introduced in the 1920s, it now dominates arid landscapes, increa...
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- Buffel grass is native to Africa and parts of Asia but has spread across Australia’s arid regions since the 1920s
- Buffel grass is currently declared a weed in the Northern Territory and South Australia
- A delegation including Wiradjuri man Richard Swain (Invasive Species Council Indigenous Ambassador) and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is advocating for federal listing as a Weed of National Significance
Mel Schilling’s terminal cancer diagnosis and public announcement of brain metastasis
Mel Schilling, a psychologist and relationship expert on *Married at First Sight*, publicly revealed her terminal cancer diagnosis after the disease spread to her brain in January 2026. Initially diag...
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- Mel Schilling, 54, is a psychologist and relationship expert on *Married at First Sight* (Australian and UK versions)
- Schilling was first diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2023 after a 5cm tumour (size of a lemon) was removed via surgery
- She was given an initial ‘all clear’ after surgery but cancer returned in February 2024 with nodules in her lungs
Queensland arrests protesters under new hate speech laws banning 'from the river to the sea' chant
Queensland’s new hate speech laws, enacted on March 27, led to the first arrests under the legislation when two protesters—Liam Parry, a 33-year-old Students for Palestine organizer, and an 18-year-ol...
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- Queensland’s new hate speech laws, passed on March 5, ban the phrases 'from the river to sea' and 'globalise the intifada' when used to menace, harass, or offend, with penalties of up to two years in prison
- Two protesters—a 33-year-old man (Liam Parry) and an 18-year-old woman—were arrested on the first day of enforcement (March 27) at an 'unauthorised' pro-Palestinian protest outside Queensland Parliament in Brisbane
- The man was arrested at Speakers Corner around 12:30 PM for verbally reciting the banned phrase; the woman was arrested later at King George Square for wearing a shirt with the phrase
Guardian Australia newsletter sign-up promotions and technical issues
All three Guardian Australia articles focus on promoting their free daily newsletters, including the Morning Mail for weekday mornings and the Afternoon Update for evening summaries. The content highl...
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- Guardian Australia offers free daily news emails
- The Afternoon Update newsletter is a three-minute daily news snapshot
- The Morning Mail newsletter is a curated news roundup sent before 7am on weekdays
Australia’s 2026-27 GST distribution dispute and WA’s guaranteed funding floor
Australia’s 2026-27 GST distribution reveals deep divisions over funding fairness, with Western Australia set to receive $9.3bn—$6.6bn above its standard share—thanks to a 2018 legislated floor guaran...
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- The Commonwealth Grants Commission (CGC) allocated $102.5bn in GST revenue for 2026-27, up from $97bn in 2025-26.
- Western Australia will receive $9.3bn in GST for 2026-27, up $1.3bn from 2025-26, due to a 2018 legislated GST floor guaranteeing it a minimum share of 0.82 (equal to NSW).
- NSW’s GST share will be $26.1bn in 2026-27, a $316m increase from 2025-26, but its relativity drops to 0.82 (lowest since GST introduction in 2000).
Tony Popovic’s preparations for Australia’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign and squad management
Tony Popovic is intensively preparing Australia’s Socceroos for the 2026 World Cup, focusing on squad selection, tactical adaptation, and managing a prolonged camp. Both sources highlight his consulta...
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- Tony Popovic met Eddie Jones for breakfast in Tokyo to discuss World Cup preparation strategies, including managing a 5-6 week camp.
- Popovic has selected over 60 players in his 18 months as Socceroos head coach and is now narrowing the squad for the World Cup.
- The Socceroos will play friendlies against Cameroon (March 27, Sydney) and Curaçao (March 31, Melbourne) before the World Cup.
Atlassian announces global job cuts driven by AI disruption and financial pressures
Atlassian announced a 10% workforce reduction (1,600 jobs globally, 480 in Australia) on April 11, 2024, citing AI-driven efficiency gains and financial pressures. The move follows a 66% share price d...
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- Atlassian cut 1,600 jobs globally (10% of workforce) as part of its largest restructure in company history
- About 480 of the 1,600 job cuts (30%) were in Australia, affecting Atlassian’s 3,500-strong local workforce
- CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes announced the layoffs via a pre-recorded video message to staff on Thursday, April 11, 2024
Sudden closure of specialist autism early intervention provider AEIOU and its impact on families
The sudden closure of AEIOU Foundation, a specialist autism early intervention provider with centres in Queensland, South Australia, and the ACT, has left dozens of families scrambling for alternative...
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- AEIOU Foundation, a specialist autism early intervention provider, announced it was closing all centres (ACT, Queensland, South Australia) effective immediately after appointing external administrators on Wednesday, 23 October 2024.
- AEIOU cited 'millions of dollars in funding shortfalls' and 'a sustained period of financial pressure across the disability services sector' as reasons for liquidation, with no centres reopening.
- AEIOU centres offered combined childcare and specialist early intervention services including speech pathology, occupational therapy, and behavioural therapy for autistic children under 6.
Measles outbreak surge in NSW linked to Southeast Asia travel
NSW is experiencing a measles outbreak with cases surging due to travel to Southeast Asia, where the virus remains common. As of March 2026, 60 cases have been reported since January 2025, with 34 lin...
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- NSW Health confirmed 27 measles cases in NSW as of Friday (Article 1) and 60 cases between January 1, 2025, and March 7, 2026 (Article 2).
- 34 of the 60 NSW measles cases were acquired overseas, with 32 linked to travel in Southeast Asia (Article 2).
- Measles is airborne and highly infectious, spread via coughing or sneezing (both articles).
House fire in Morphettville, South Australia, results in fatality and investigation
A fatal house fire occurred in Morphettville, Adelaide’s southern suburbs, on Friday afternoon when a person was found dead inside a fully engulfed home on Dalby Avenue. Emergency services were called...
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- A person was found dead inside a house fire in Morphettville, Adelaide’s southern suburbs
- The fire started at approximately 4:30pm on Friday (4:40pm per NEWSCOMAU)
- Firefighters from a crew of 13 (NEWSCOMAU) battled the blaze at a home on Dalby Avenue, Morphettville
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticizes CNN and hints at Trump administration’s media influence over CNN’s new owner
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly criticized CNN for reporting that Trump administration officials had not anticipated Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to US-Israeli strikes, dis...
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- Pete Hegseth, US Defense Secretary, criticized CNN for reporting that top Trump administration officials conceded during classified briefings that they did not plan for Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to US-Israeli strikes, citing three sources familiar with the matter
- Hegseth called the CNN story ‘patently ridiculous’ and stated ‘Iran has threatened shipping in the strait for decades’
- Hegseth said ‘The sooner David Ellison takes over that network the better’ in a remark interpreted as implying the Trump administration expects changes at CNN under new ownership
Multiple drowning incidents in NSW coastal areas over two days
Multiple drowning incidents occurred in New South Wales over two days, with two separate tragedies involving boats and beaches. On the NSW North Coast, a boat capsized near Yamba on the Clarence River...
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- Two people drowned and one person was hospitalized after a boat capsized on the Clarence River bar near Yamba on June [date implied] around 6:30am
- A 52-year-old man was pulled from the water at Yamba and rushed to Maclean District Hospital for assessment and mandatory testing
- A man and woman in their 50s died after being pulled from the water near Yamba; both were treated by paramedics but died at the scene