Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

Australian PM indulges in panda diplomacy with China
BEIJING (AP) -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has toured a panda breeding facility in the final stages of an extended state visit that has cast China as a fellow champion of a global fair trade system under threat from the United...

British & Irish Lions embroiled in fierce eligibility row with Australia on the eve of first Test
The Lions have become embroiled in a dispute with Australian rugby authorities on the eve of the first Test, over the enforced removal of an opposition player from their final tour match. Wallabies back-rower Pete Samu had been selected to play...
Victoria’s “truth-telling” commission: Australia’s Aboriginal elite demands a greater slice of the pie
A years-long “truth-telling” commission examining the historic and contemporary crimes of official institutions against Indigenous people in the Australian state of Victoria concluded at the beginning of this month with the release of a 455-page...

Sexton rejects Australian claims that Lions blocked Samu playing
Johnny Sexton has rejected claims made in the Australian media that the British & Irish Lions blocks blocked Wallaby back-rower Pete Samu from the playing for the First Nations & Pasifika XV in Melbourne next Tuesday.The Sydney Morning Herald...

Australian journalist who locked up in China issues an urgent warning about the Communist country for Anthony Albanese
Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who was imprisoned in China for three years, has warned the 'scars' of her detention are still present as she watches Anthony Albanese wooed in China. The Prime Minister has been photographed at tourist spots in...
Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age
Independent MP for Kooyong Monique Ryan has vowed to introduce another bill to parliament pushing for a lowering of Australia's minimum voting age, after the United Kingdom reduced its voting age from 18 to 16. In the UK, the move would see an...
Australian brothers killed near Mexican beach known as drug-running ‘hot spot’
The court heard the man believed to be responsible for the men’s murders – Jesús Gerardo – has a long background with law enforcement, including connections to organised crime and allegedly corrupt Mexican police officers. Loading Jesús Gerardo,...

One person is dead, two seriously injured after head-on crash on Mary Valley Road, Queensland
A woman has been killed in a devastating head-on crash on a major road south of Gympie, that has left two other people seriously injured. Emergency crews rushed to the scene on the Mary Valley Hwy at Gildora, near the intersection with Ashton Rd,...

TSA – Accelerating innovation in tyre-derived material use across Australia
Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) has opened the next round of applications for its 2025 Market Development Fund, inviting organisations to apply by midnight 28 July 2025. The Fund is a core part of TSA’s commitment to strengthening Australia’s...

‘May every day be a secret’: As Trump’s name appears on birthday note to Epstein, he threatens WSJ with lawsuit
In a report published by The Wall Street Journal, a 2003 album created for Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday allegedly contained a letter bearing Donald Trump’s name. The album, according to the Journal, was assembled by Ghislaine Maxwell and...

Australian law is clear: criticism of Israel does not breach the Racial Discrimination Act
Earlier this month, the Federal Court found controversial Muslim cleric Wissam Haddad breached the Racial Discrimination Act. Justice Angus Stewart ruled a series of speeches Haddad posted online were “fundamentally racist and antisemitic [and]...

Palestinian woman released from detention after Australian visa cancellation
A Palestinian woman detained for over a week following the cancellation of her visa has been released overnight. Maha Almassri was taken from her home in Punchbowl in Sydney's south-west at 5am last Thursday, and initially held in Bankstown police...
Bitcoin-backed mortgages debut in Australia amid housing crisis
As home prices in Australia continue to outpace incomes, a company is rolling out a Bitcoin-backed mortgage, offering crypto holders a new way to access the property market without selling their assets. On Wednesday, Block Earner launched the...
Victoria gives $12m to CFMEU-aligned fund under scrutiny
Detailed accounts of Incolink’s payments, obtained under freedom of information, show the fund provided $31.5 million in safety and training grants since 2018. Of that total, $9 million went to the CFMEU and $12 million went to Master Builders....
Everything producers need to know about the new Screen Australia guidelines: Part 3
Subscribe to continue reading. Keep connected to the Australian screen industry. With a subscription, you’ll get access to exclusive premium content including in-depth features, opinion, analysis and business and talent profiles. You can also...
Counsel Watch: Jane Street lawyers up in tussle with Indian regulator
Mumbai-based Sebi is investigating Jane Street for alleged market manipulation (Credit: Shutterstock/Paralllel3) In the latest Counsel Watch, the Indian law firm acting for the US trading business in its response to the Securities and Exchange...

It’s time to rethink early childhood in Australia
I’ve spent my entire career (decades of it) working in and alongside Australia’s early childhood sector. I’ve seen moments of real progress and times of immense pressure. I’ve seen dedicated educators, committed families, and strong communities...

16 Best Global Universities in Australia and New Zealand
Schools in Australia and New Zealand with top-notch research Australia and New Zealand are popular destinations for U.S. students. Of… Schools in Australia and New Zealand with top-notch research Australia and New Zealand are popular destinations...
Meta investors settle $8b lawsuit with Zuckerberg over Facebook privacy
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to settle an $US8 billion ($12 billion) lawsuit with a group of shareholders over how top executives and directors handled repeated privacy violations of Facebook users. The settlement was announced on Thursday...

Backpacker in court over fatal e-scooter crash in Australia
25-year-old Alicia Kemp allegedly collided with Thanh Phan, 51, while riding through Perth’s city centre on May 31. Mr Phan died in hospital days later after suffering a brain bleed. Kemp has been charged with dangerous driving causing death under...