A former top Pentagon official has urged Australia to give the United States more “concrete” commitments on how it would deploy Virginia-class nuclear powered submarines in the event of war, as the Defence Minister Richard Marles arrives in Washington DC for high level meetings with the Trump administration. Abraham Denmark — who served as senior AUKUS advisor to former US …

Australia’s navy will begin operating long-range lethal underwater drones from January next year, after the government confirmed it will spend $1.7 billion to locally build a fleet. The drones, known as “Ghost Sharks”, will be capable of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike operations. As the United States reviews the $368 billion AUKUS defence pact, which will enable Australia to acquire …

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has again refused to apologise for her comments about Indian-Australians and declined to back the leadership of Sussan Ley, as a public spat between Liberal frontbenchers enters a second week. In a hastily-convened press conference in Perth, Senator Nampijinpa Price said she “won’t be silenced” on the issue of migration and that Ms Ley’s leadership was “a …

There is open despair inside the Liberal party about how to rebuild its standing in multicultural communities after its new colleague in the party room Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s inflammatory comments about Indian migrants put the brakes on that already monumental task. But the party’s fear goes beyond those comments alone. One Liberal MP told this column that some wanted the …

The number of people entering Australia through the permanent migration program will remain unchanged, with the government maintaining its annual cap of 185,000 places. It was confirmed on Tuesday morning that the 2025-2026 intake will remain at the same levels and settings as the 2024-2025 program, with a focus on skilled migration. The government said it has undertaken consultations with …

Nine Sydney suburbs have been identified as priority areas for “well-located”social housing builds. For the first time, researchers from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) have mapped neighbourhoods where social housing has been built and compared access to amenities such as healthcare, schools, public transport and jobs. They found suburbs with less access to amenities had a higher …

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, Australia’s largest pizza chain, has posted its first annual profit loss in about 20 years, prompting promises of a major restructure. The chain, which operates more than 3800 stores in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Europe, suffered a loss of $3.7 million in net profit after tax for the 2024-2025 financial year. Dividends for shareholders also fell …

The Israeli government is claiming credit for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and intelligence agencies publicising Iranian involvement in antisemitic attacks on Australian soil, as well as kicking Tehran’s envoy out of Canberra. On Tuesday, Mr Albanese and ASIO director-general Mike Burgess accused Iran of directing at least two attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. In protest, the government announced it would expel Iran’s …

Iran has criticised Australia’s move to cut diplomatic ties with the regime after an investigation found the country directed antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, labelling it an “assault on diplomacy”. ASIO chief Mike Burgess on Tuesday accused Iran of ordering the attacks on Adass Israel Synagogue and Lewis Continental Kitchen in October and December, prompting the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador …

The Albanese government will pay Nauru more than $408 million to resettle hundreds of non-citizens caught up in the High Court’s NZYQ decision after the home affairs minister signed a deal in an unannounced visit to the Micronesian nation on Friday. In signing a memorandum of understanding with Nauru President David Adeang, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke also committed the Australian government …