Isolation for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients will be reduced from seven days to five days among a series of major decisions made by national cabinet on Wednesday. The rule change comes with a caveat that the workers must demonstrate no symptoms when leaving isolation. But workers in high-risk industries, such as those employed in hospitals and in aged and disability care, will …

More than half of young Australian women have been victims of sexual crimes, according to shocking new figures showing the scourge of violence across the nation as much higher than previously reported. New prevalence rates show 51 per cent of women aged in their 20s, 34 per cent in their 40s, and 26 per cent of women aged between 68-73 …

There will be no new cost of living measures in the upcoming federal budget that have not already been made public, the treasurer says. The budget will contain “familiar” initiatives to help households manage soaring living costs, including boosted childcare supports, relief for medicine costs and measures to “get wages moving again”. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government was up …

NSW fire authorities warn the state could face a “big grassfire season” this summer on the back of significant grass growth fuelled by recent wet weather. NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers on Wednesday warned wet conditions had boosted grass growth across the state while bush regeneration from the Black Summer bushfires was occurring faster than predicted. He said …

The minister responsible for employment and industrial relations, Tony Burke, has expressed strong interest in a proposal for multi-employer bargaining, saying he wants to see the idea “fleshed out”. The idea is a key part of the agenda the trade union movement is taking to the federal government’s jobs summit next week. It would see workplace laws amended so workers …

A teenage boy has been sentenced to at least two months in custody for raping a fellow student from a Blue Mountains high school during a house party. The girl’s family is now receiving advice about taking legal action against the NSW Department of Education and the school, their lawyer revealed outside Parramatta Children’s Court. The boy was 16 when …

The behaviour of CFMEU protesters inside a state government building was disgraceful and affected workers are owed an apology, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says. Workers’ safety was likely put at risk when Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union members entered the Transport and Main Roads building in Brisbane on Tuesday morning, Ms Palaszczuk said. “No worker should go to …

Plans to extend a cut to the fuel excise tax are being examined by the Albanese government ahead of the federal budget. The fuel excise was halved for six months by the previous Coalition government in March, in response to soaring fuel prices, with the cut slicing 22 cents off a litre of petrol. It was expected to cost the …

A telco which pledges to stand up for its customers is facing nearly $300,000 in penalties and compensation after exposing consumers to identity fraud. Digital telco Circles.Life has been fined $199,800 by the communications watchdog for failing to conduct proper identity checks when transferring mobile phone numbers to its services. The company, established in 2019, has also offered to pay more than …

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s government has said it wants to extend parliament until after it hosts the Pacific Games in November 2023, for which China has donated a stadium and other sporting venues that are being built by Chinese companies. Australia will be the second largest contributor to the games, after Pacific Minister Pat Conroy announced in Solomon Islands that …