A Labor government would significantly reduce funding pools for community and regional grants schemes as part of a budget-repair strategy, leader Anthony Albanese revealed during his National Press Club address. Mr Albanese spoke at the National Press Club on Wednesday afternoon, saying a Labor government would inherit the “worst set of books” of any government elected since Federation. He unveiled a …

Dhungutti artist Blak Douglas (aka Adam Hill) has won the $100,000 Archibald Prize for his portrait of Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens — the second Indigenous artist to win the prize in its 101 years, following Western Arrernte artist Vincent Namatjira in 2020. This is Douglas’s fifth time as an Archibald finalist, and accepting the prize at the Art Gallery of NSW …

Some 36 years after he was sexually abused by one of his high school teachers, Sam Leishman stood up in a courtroom and read a statement, detailing the impact it had had on him. CONTENT WARNING: This story contains details that may cause distress.  It was a turning point for him. No longer was he a terrified young boy who did …

Allies of the presumptive next president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, appear set to dominate both chambers of Congress after the late dictator son’s apparent election victory restored his family to the seat of power. Ongoing counts from Monday’s vote show they’re set to capture most of the 300-seat House of Representatives and half of the 24-seat Senate that …

A Tasmanian councillor has been fined $800 for flashing his penis three times at a Crown prosecutor and her son on a beach in the state’s north-west. Councillor Darren Fairbrother, who has served on the Waratah-Wynyard council since 1996, was found guilty last month on a charge of prohibited behaviour. In delivering her sentence, magistrate Teresa Anderson said the offending was …

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says there is no rush to deal with the issue of Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the next G20 leaders’ summit. Labor frontbencher Jim Chalmers said he also shared concerns about Mr Putin’s attendance at the summit. “The membership of the G20 is a matter for the G20, but we’ve made our views on Mr Putin …

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has launched Labor’s election campaign with the promise of giving Australians the government they deserve and policies for cheaper medicines, more affordable housing and gender pay equity. “We can do better than this,” Mr Albanese told a crowd of party diehards at Perth Stadium. “We will look after the young, we will look after the sick, …

One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies has warned NATO that if Sweden and Finland joined the US-led military alliance then Russia would have to bolster its defences in the region, including by deploying nuclear weapons. Finland, which shares a 1300-kilometre border with Russia, and Sweden are considering joining the NATO alliance. Finland will make a decision in the …

China’s financial hub Shanghai has reported over 27,000 coronavirus cases, setting a new record. On Thursday, Shanghai reported a record 2,573 total symptomatic cases for the previous day, up from 1,189 a day earlier. Asymptomatic cases, meanwhile, reached 25,146, up from 25,141. The numbers came a day after President Xi Jinping said the country must continue with its strict “dynamic …

Four people – all believed to be young women – have been killed after a car collided with a truck near Stanthorpe in southern Queensland. They were all travelling in a vehicle that collided with a semi-trailer at a New England Highway intersection in the Southern Downs at about 5.30pm on Wednesday. The women reportedly died on impact. The truck …