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Schools shut after wild weather

The search continues for a woman swept away in floodwaters as rubberneckers worsen the damage for drenched residents. Scores of communities spent Monday mopping up and replacing roofs after wild weather battered Sydney and northern NSW over the weekend. More than two dozen schools were shut on Monday across the state’s mid-north coast, Hunter and central coast including Kempsey High School where the main building roof was tossed into trees.

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Gaza

Statehood would bring ‘end to Hamas’

The prime minister faces mounting pressure to fast-track recognising the state of Palestine, as the federal government pledges millions more in aid for Gaza. More than 100,000 Australians took to the streets in protest against suffering in Gaza, including 90,000 who marched at the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

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Police scour Bass Strait for couple after plane disappears

Police remain cautiously optimistic as efforts continue to locate a married couple and their dog aboard a missing light plane. No distress call was made from the green two-seater plane which disappeared during a flight across Bass Strait, Tasmania Police Northern Commander Marco Ghedini said.

AAP Newswire

Police

AFP appoints first female leader

Australia is set to have its first female Australian Federal Police commissioner with Krissy Barrett being appointed to the role. Barrett will become the ninth AFP commissioner after a 25-year career in law enforcement that has included involvement in the Solomon Islands and Bali bombings investigation.

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Tourism

New tourism push for Australia

Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson and other international stars are tempting tourists to the land Down Under. Shots of these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes are part of the federal government’s newest tourism push to attract travellers from five countries.

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Weather

Woman swept away amid wild weather

Multiple emergency service crews have joined the search for a woman swept away in floodwaters as police urge people not to drive on submerged roads. Emergency workers were called north of Cessnock in the Hunter region of NSW following reports a Mini car was grounded due to the floods about 8pm on Saturday. The driver, a 27-year-old woman, managed to get out but the passenger, in her mid-20s, was dragged away with the strong current.

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Economy

Australia urged to wind back tax breaks

Australian workers could be locked out of home ownership unless property concessions are reined in, but any reform would require careful manoeuvring from the government. As the federal government seeks ways to reinvigorate the nation’s languishing productivity, the Australian Council of Trade Unions has urged the government to reform the tax system and make housing affordable. Tax concessions like negative gearing, which allows investors to claim deductions on losses, and the capital gains tax discount, which halves the amount of tax paid by those who sell assets owned for a year or more, have incentivised property investment and tied up capital that could otherwise be invested more productively, according to the union.

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Rugby

Wallabies deny Lions sweep

The Wallabies have restored some national pride and avoided a dubious place in Australian sports history with a face-saving 22-12 third-Test win over the British and Irish Lions in Sydney.

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Swimming

McEvoy claims world title

Cam McEvoy has carved more slices of swimming history with a powerhouse victory in the men’s 50m freestyle at the world titles. McEvoy, 31, triumphed on in Singapore to become Australia’s oldest gold medallist at a swimming world championships.

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Protest

Harbour Bridge rally to go ahead

Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a major show of force, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to manage the court-sanctioned event. Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as “worsening famine conditions” in Gaza. Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored.

AAP Newswire

Australia

PM touts Indigenous partnership

A “real economy” is needed in Arnhem Land, say Indigenous leaders addressing a major Australian cultural gathering. Yothu Yindi Foundation chair Djawa Yunupingu has told crowds at Garma Festival at Gulkula in northeast Arnhem Land his people plan on being part of the future. “Yolngu people are not suddenly going to stop and rest and think everything is OK,“ he said on Saturday.

AAP Newswire

Protest

Court OKs Harbour Bridge protest

A pro-Palestinian rally across the Sydney Harbour Bridge has been authorised by a court, with thousands of protesters likely to gather. NSW Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected a police application to prohibit Sunday’s planned rally due to public safety risks. Thousands of anticipated protesters are expected at the demonstration to highlight what the United Nations has described as “worsening famine conditions” in Gaza.

AAP Newswire

Agriculture

Quad bike standards saving lives

Farmers, their families and workers are returning home safely after a day on the land due to stronger quad bike safety standards, but tougher enforcement could save even more lives. Quad bikes have long been a leading cause of deaths on farms, with 10 fatalities in 2024 and 46 reports of injuries, according to Farmsafe Australia. National standards introduced in 2020 require vehicle stability testing, along with the installation of anti-crush devices that keep quad bikes off the ground if they roll over.

AAP Newswire

Business

Business rejects proposed company tax overhaul

Commerce groups have dismissed calls by the Productivity Commission for a new tax that would be offset by a cut in the rate paid by small business. A report by the commission proposes cutting the income tax rate to 20 per cent for firms earning less than $1 billion while introducing a 5 per cent tax on cashflow, which it says would reap $14 billion without worsening budget sustainability. The new tax would allow for immediate investment deductions and the reforms would help lift floundering labour productivity by 0.4 per cent, it said.

AAP Newswire

Energy

Aussies soak up battery subsidy

Australian households are installing solar batteries at record rates, with more than 19,000 registered in a month. Figures released on Friday by market analysis firm SunWiz indicated consumers could more than double the number of home batteries installed in a single year, with NSW households leading the pack. The unprecedented adoption comes one month after the launch of the federal government’s $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which offered discounts of 30 per cent on the technology.

AAP Newswire