The New South Wales coroner has confirmed that COVID-19 was responsible for the death of a two-month-old baby at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital in December. It is understood to be Australia’s youngest COVID-19 victim. The death was first reported publicly in January, at which time authorities said the cause of death was uncertain. The case was referred to the coroner who has determined the infant …

The Socceroos’ hopes of automatic qualification for November’s World Cup in Qatar have been flattened after an uninspiring 2-0 loss to Japan in Sydney on Thursday night. While a win against a nation it had not defeated since 2009 seemed unlikely in the first instance, the disastrous build-up to Australia’s penultimate Asian qualifier made a win almost out of the realms …

Ash Barty has told media to be patient in revealing whether she will take up another sport, after fronting a press conference to explain her shock retirement. The 25-year-old shocked the tennis world on Wednesday when she revealed she was stepping away from the sport, prompting an outpouring of tributes from tennis players and fans alike. Barty said there was “no …

A federal government frontbencher says a new security agreement being negotiated by China and Solomon Islands is “deeply concerning” as fears grow in Australia that Beijing could establish a military presence in the Pacific Island country. A draft official document – which emerged on social media on Thursday – lays down a framework which could permit Beijing to deploy forces …

Labor has maintained its 10-point lead over the Coalition in the latest Newspoll, a matter of weeks before the federal election is expected to be called. The exclusive poll, which was conducted for The Australian newspaper by YouGov between March 9 and March 12, surveyed 1520 voters nationally. Support for the ALP and Coalition did not change since the previous Newspoll a fortnight earlier …

South Australia’s 47th Premier Peter Malinauskas has been sworn-in after Labor’s decisive state election victory. Mr Malinauskas took the oath of office at Government House on Monday. Susan Close was sworn in as deputy premier and Stephen Mullighan as treasurer. Mr Malinauskas is yet to reveal other members of his cabinet, though most who served on his frontbench during opposition …

It comes as US and UK defence officials said Russian forces were roughly 30 kilometres outside Kyiv as of Saturday, and that an unspecified number of Russian military sabotage groups had entered the capital. A senior US defence official said Washington estimates that more than 50 per cent of Russia’s combat power arrayed along Ukraine’s borders had entered the country, an …

Flood-hit parts of Queensland have been warned to brace for rising waters on Sunday after another night of incessant rain and even more “intense” downpours forecast for the daylight hours. Flood warnings now span almost 1000km of coastline in NSW and Queensland as the death toll from flooding rises to seven. The “completely unpredictable” extreme rain event has claimed six …

NATO has announced it will take additional steps to strengthen the alliance’s deterrence and defence after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine. The defence alliance will also hold an emergency summit of its 30 member nations on Friday. Russian forces invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea on Thursday, confirming the worst fears of the West with the biggest attack by …

Australia is comparatively insulated from the direct effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but we have been warned to brace for strategic and economic fallout. Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined leaders from around the world on Thursday, condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a “flagrant breach of international law”. Mr Morrison declared that “Russia has chosen war” and followed many …