The passports of 73 Australians have been cancelled because the government is concerned about fighters returning from the Middle East, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Parliament on Monday. The passports belong to people whom Australia’s security agencies are concerned want to travel to Iraq and Syria to fight with extremists. Ms Bishop said the number […]

Australia’s 21st prime minister, Gough Whitlam, died this morning aged 98. Mr Whitlam defeated the conservative coalition government led by William McMahon in 1972 to become the first Labor prime minister in 23 years. His “It’s Time” election campaign changed the face of political campaigning in Australia with its celebrity and entertainment focus. The campaign […]

About 3000 protestors took to the streets of Sydney on Sunday to rally against Israeli bombing of Gaza. For the third week in a row protesters gathered at the Town Hall at 1pm, where speakers addressed the crowd and led chants against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and the Abbott government’s perceived pro-Israeli stance. More than […]

The New South Wales Origin side has ended an eight-year losing streak in a thrilling match which looked poised to go either way right up to the final minutes. The Blues failed to score a single point until the 70th minute when half-back Trent Hodkinson ran over the line after fooling the Maroons with a […]

Comic book nerds gather round – for it is once again time to venture into the realms of society to witness Earth’s greatest heroes save the planet from sure destruction – all for a reasonable $16.99. X-Men: Days of Future Past is the latest addition to director Bryan Singer’s seven-film saga, but despite the very […]

NSW Premier Mike Baird evoked former prime minister Paul Keating when he told parliament the state budget was a “beautiful set of numbers” during question time yesterday. Despite the risk of Keating’s 1990 comments jinxing the budget (with recession setting in soon after the words Keating uttered as federal treasurer), Mr Baird was triumphant in […]

A surplus one year ahead of schedule was announced by New South Wales Treasurer Andrew Constance yesterday when bringing down the state’s budget. The surplus is based on the federal government’s commitment to give NSW an early payment of $700 million for the Pacific Highway upgrades. Premier Mike Baird said in question time the government […]

A striking image of African migrants raising their phones to catch an elusive signal took out first prize in this year’s World Press Photo contest. The image, “Signal”, is on display at the New South Wales State Library in Sydney as part of a touring exhibition of the best photos. The year-long exhibition, which travels […]

Savage cuts to local government will flow from the federal budget, Blue Mountains Labor mayor Mark Greenhill warned this week. Cr Greenhill said the budget would cost the council $267,000 in the first year and more than a million dollars over four years. “If you vote against resisting this cut, you are in effect voting […]

A Cairns woman has been accused of spitting in the face of her taxi driver and stealing his phone. Police say the 32-year-old woman took the phone during the cab ride and when she arrived at her destination, left the cab to get money to pay the fare. When she returned to the taxi with […]

A spectacular bright flash and enormous explosion witnessed by Brisbane residents has been put down to a positively charged lightning strike, with a second sighted in the Ipswich area. After the flash and loud rumble, Higgins Storm Chasing’s Facebook page was inundated with comment about people’s own experiences of the lightning strike. Some described a […]

A gas bottle explosion is the possible cause of a fire that destroyed a house in Maryborough yesterday. The two-storey timber house was completely engulfed in flames by the time rural firefighters arrived at 11.30am. It is believed no one was home at Nangarin Rd house at Oakhurst, on the outskirts of Maryborough. A spokesperson […]

A 15-year-old boy has an exciting story to tell after he was rescued by a helicopter from dense bushland on Fitzroy Island near Cairns yesterday. The boy went bushwalking with his carer and after reaching the lighthouse at the high point of the island, he left the track and became lost in bushland. Urgent calls […]

Farmers from Victoria’s Gippsland region took their campaign against coal seam gas exploration to Melbourne on Sunday, with hundreds of supporters backing their call for a ban on new coal mines and CSG exploration. The protesters marched from city square to the state library, where a petition signed by 1000 people was handed to Greens […]

A judge told the District Court today that a father of two took advantage of a vulnerable 14-year-old girl under his care for his own “sexual gratification”. Steven Andrew Brady, 36, pleaded guilty to charges of indecent treatment, unlawful carnal knowledge and maintaining a sexual relationship with a child under 16. Judge Richard Jones labelled […]

A police officer faces the end of his career after being assaulted while arresting a drunken man north of Brisbane last year, the District Court has been told. Judge Philip Robin QC said as an unintended consequence of the incident Sen. Const. Mark Zeller had seriously injured his knee while struggling with Brent James Mattingley, […]

A District Court judge has described a street robbery in Brisbane’s Forest Lake last year by a gang of juveniles as a disgraceful cowardly act. Judge Philip Robin, QC, told Brendan Scott Williams, now 18, he was part of a gang of six or seven drunken, rowdy teens roaming the streets. He told Williams: “You […]

In the wake of record fuel prices across Queensland, motorists say increased shopper docket discounts will have a “dramatic impact” on where they fill up. According to locals, most drivers go out of their way to shop at Coles or Woolworths in order to take advantage of the discounts. The shopper dockets offered by major […]

About 600 angry protesters converged on Brisbane’s King George Square on Saturday to oppose Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s asylum-seeker policy. The policy, which declares that asylum-seekers arriving by boat without a visa will be sent to Papua New Guinea and will never be admitted to Australia, drew strong reactions from speakers. “If deterrents worked, hundreds […]

Pruning of street trees could prove costly for Brisbane residents. People could face hefty fines for cutting too much off street trees, Opposition councillors warned at this week’s Brisbane City Council meeting. “It is a poor law because it is not in simple language and anyone who reads this local law is still left without […]