10,000 US troops join Australians for Philippines training exercise Troops from the US, Philippines, Australia and Japan unite for the biggest military exercise in "real-world conditions" to ensure security in the Indo-Pacific region. But China has criticised the dril...

China has warned countries, including Australia, that participating in military training exercises in the Philippines is "playing with fire". www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

"The leak meant that Harry and Meghan’s itinerary had to be changed at the 11th hour and that the police involvement in their security had to be increased – an unpopular aspect of the pair’s trip to Australia which was criticised as a waste of taxpayer money."

“Complete change of regime” in Hungary Peter Magyar vows to root out corruption

Peter Magyar promises never to allow “government without accountability”—a pledge that resonates far beyond Hungary

No police report filed over dramatic footage of boy being dragged by bus Authorities are investigating how a 12-year-old became trapped in a bus door before being dragged hundreds of metres down a suburban street in Melbourne.

A bus company has stood down a driver after a schoolboy was dragged down a suburban Melbourne street for hundreds of metres after becoming trapped in a door www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

Former Shell executive and ex-Malaysian minister Idris Jala says Australia should use the global energy crisis to tax the windfall profits of gas giants, dismissing the industry’s claims that it would scare off investment and jeopardise trade with Asian neighbours. www.theage.com.au/world/asia/n...

When ‘the birdman’ of St James tunnel died, Sydney commuters streamed past his body for days Exclusive: The strange and lonely death of Bikram Lama exposes a glaring gap in homelessness services. What hopes and dreams brought him to Australia, and what went wrong?

Devastating one here from the Guardian - it's really something

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Garbage collectors and teachers plan strike action for budget week More than 1,000 workers across seven local councils in Melbourne are set to walk off the job next month on the same day the Victorian government releases its budget, with garbage collection to be impa...

Melbourne council workers and Victorian teachers to strike during budget week
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

Voters return to major parties as One Nation support dips Support for One Nation has climbed all year – until now. A new poll shows even as fewer people warm to Pauline Hanson, some believe her party could take power.

Resolve Political Monitor shows that through April, as America and Israel launched their war against Iran, support for One Nation dropped by two points as voters made a small return to the major parties www.theage.com.au/politics/fed...

Liberal candidate under investigation for roadworks ahead of Nepean by-election The Liberal Party's candidate for the crucial upcoming Nepean by-election is being investigated by Victoria's transport department for unauthorised roadworks in a campaign stunt with Opposition Leader...

Early voting in the seat of Nepean on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula opens Wednesday.

While the Liberal Party's Anthony Marsh, a former council mayor, starts as favourite, the party is facing a serious challenge from One Nation's Darren Hercus. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

Victoria's free public transport continues in May with half-price fares to follow Public transport will be free in Victoria for another month, and fares will then be slashed by half until the rest of the year in a bid to curb fuel demand and provide economic relief.

Public transport will be free in Victoria for another month, and fares will then be slashed by half until the rest of the year, the Victorian government has announced. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

'Australians deserve to know': Victorian political donations site goes dark Victoria has been left without laws to govern party donation disclosures — exposing the state's politics to a flood of unchecked donations.

Years of disclosure history about who has made donations to political parties and candidates in Victoria has been wiped from the public record after Australia’s High Court threw out all donation rules and left the state exposed to unchecked influence.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

'Same general, new clothes': Civilian facade as military hides wealth in Thailand As the Myanmar military carried out air strikes during a brutal civil war, the junta chief's family quietly purchased luxury real estate in Thailand.

“My biggest fear is that the international community — especially those in South-East Asia — will start to recognise and accept him slowly … while it may appear a civilian government, it is civilian clothing only.” www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

Ben Roberts-Smith seeks taxpayer funding for criminal defence The former SAS corporal has been charged with war crimes over the alleged murders of unarmed detainees in Afghanistan.

Ben Roberts-Smith is seeking public funding for his criminal defence after being charged with war crimes over the alleged murders of five unarmed detainees in Afghanistan www.theage.com.au/national/nsw...

Australian federal court warns lawyers over ‘unacceptable’ use of AI New guidance to legal profession ‘embraces’ use of technology but flags penalties for lawyers who ‘mislead the court’ with AI-generated errors

There have been at least 73 identified cases in Australia where courts have discovered the use of generative AI had resulted in false citations, made up quotes or other errors www.theguardian.com/law/2026/apr...

Creators of fuel dashboard quoted by News Corp have links to Liberals An ABC NEWS Verify investigation raises questions about popular independent fuel security dashboards that have emerged online, including one whose creators are linked to the Liberal Party.

The creators of a fuel security dashboard that has been used to attack the government have links to the Liberal Party.

The dashboard has been publicised extensively by News Corp, including in several mastheads and on Sky News. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

High Court throws out Victoria's $5,000 cap on political donations Victoria's political donation and disclosure laws have been scrapped by the High Court just seven months out from the state's upcoming election.

Major political news today as Australia’s High Court scrapped Victoria’s political donation and disclosure laws just seven months out from the state's upcoming election. It could have implications for jurisdictions across the country. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

Gina Rinehart frustrated in year-long campaign to buy Hancock.com.au The billionaire was found to have engaged in “reverse domain name hijacking” by an international tribunal after offering less than $100,000 to buy the URL.

Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart, has been found by an international tribunal to have tried to hijack a domain name after spending months fighting to gain control of Hancock.com.au – and losing. www.afr.com/companies/me...

Palestinian groups take Australia to court over Israel arms exports A group of Palestinian human rights organisations launch legal action against the defence minister seeking transparency over Australia's arms exports to Israel.

A group of Palestinian human rights organisations is taking the government to the Federal Court seeking answers over Australia's weapons exports to Israel. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

New ministers appointed to Victorian cabinet after resignations Four new ministers have been promoted to cabinet unopposed at a meeting of Labor MPs at Victorian parliament this morning.

Four new ministers have been promoted to cabinet unopposed at a meeting of Labor MPs at Victorian parliament this morning.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

A judge has dismissed Trump's defamation lawsuit against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal about a letter it published to financier Jeffrey Epstein bearing the US president's name
www.wsj.com/business/med...

Trump's 'AI Jesus' post sparks backlash as pope responds to attack Donald Trump is criticised by religious sections of his supporter base after publishing, then deleting, the image, but the US president says: "I thought it was me as a doctor."

Provocative and combative social media posting has been characteristic of Trump's time in office.

But several of his recent Truth Social posts have generated pushback on his own side of politics and prompted opponents to question his mental state. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

🇭🇺 Hungarian youths danced and sang into the early hours of Monday in central Budapest to celebrate the end of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's 16-year "illiberal" rule following a resounding electoral drubbing.
➡️ u.afp.com/SEpc

ASEAN ministers call for peace over Iran as oil prices breach $100 Diplomats push for revival of talks as Trump's Hormuz blockade threat looms

ASEAN ministers call for peace over Iran as oil prices breach $100
asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/iran-tensions/...

Pope says he will continue to speak out against war after Trump attack Pope Leo told Reuters on Monday that he plans ​to continue speaking out against war after U.S. President Donald Trump'sdirect ‌attack on the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.

Pope says he will continue to speak out against war after Trump attack reut.rs/48qeEcU

Secret documents reveal landmark housing project's budget headache Internal documents the Victorian government tried to withhold reveal that a landmark social housing construction project was facing a significant budget blowout two years after it was unveiled.

Details of a major budget blowout facing Victoria's Big Housing Build program have been revealed in internal state government documents released to the ABC.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

'Cosplay is not consent': The rules of dressing up for conventions Cosplayers say their hobby has had an astronomical rise in popularity over the past decade. While the subculture promotes 'no limits' creativity, there are still strict rules.

Cosplayers say their hobby has had an astronomical rise in popularity over the past decade. While the subculture promotes 'no limits' creativity, there are still strict rules.

New Zealand ‘comfort women’ statue could jeopardise diplomatic relations, Japan says Planned statue symbolising the women forced by Japan into sexual slavery during the second world war has raised the ire of Tokyo’s embassy

New Zealand ‘comfort women’ statue could jeopardise diplomatic relations, Japan says
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

A Melbourne council is investigating an Easter event at the Werribee racecourse after attendees criticised it as unsafe, underwhelming and poorly organised www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

His brother’s leg became a grisly trophy. Now, he wants justice The families of two men allegedly murdered under Ben Roberts-Smith’s direction said they had lost faith in Australia’s justice system.

The families of two Afghans allegedly executed on the orders of Ben Roberts-Smith have welcomed the criminal charges but criticised the years-long delay in bringing the famous soldier to justice.
www.theage.com.au/national/his...

Family still waits to know how their loved one died, one year on The family of Indigenous man Kumanjayi White has criticised the secrecy around the independent review into his death, which has been handed to NT Police and the DPP but not released publicly.

The family of an Aboriginal man who died after being restrained by police in an Alice Springs supermarket has demanded a review into his death be made public, amid criticism from the Northern Territory opposition about the "secretive" approach to the investigation.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...