Amid growing concerns the Great Barrier Reef is reaching an environmental tipping point beyond repair, there is hope two sections of the natural wonder could persist even on a warming planet. And there are recommendations that both sections be given greater protection from pressures like fishing and shipping. New modelling shows the outlying reefs in the Eastern Torres Strait and the Whitsundays …

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested for the first time he would be willing to give up Ukrainian territory to Russia in exchange for NATO membership — a deal he says would end the “hot phase” of the 33-month-old war. The Ukrainian president told UK-based Sky News the NATO membership invitation would have to be officially extended to the entire country as …

Children in war-torn parts of the world are suffering more than before with violence against them reaching the highest numbers seen in almost two decades, according to Save the Children (STC). Its report has found grave violations against children in conflict-hit regions increased 15 per cent in 2023, the highest level since UN reporting of these crimes started in 2005. …

Global social media giants are resisting the Australian government’s proposed youth social media ban. Labor is pushing for the controversial legislation to be passed by the end of the year and, if made law, it could see teenagers aged under 16 banned from signing up to Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and even LinkedIn. Thousands of submissions were made to the one-day parliamentary …

The Greens will back Labor’s Help to Buy and Build to Rent bills after a months-long stalemate on housing. The Help to Buy scheme would see the federal government contribute up to 40 per cent of the cost of a new home, while Build to Rent would incentivise the development of tens of thousands of new rental properties. The bills …

US prosecutors have decided to drop two criminal cases against president-elect Donald Trump. Special prosecutor Jack Smith has told courts in Washington DC and Florida he is discontinuing the cases, which related to alleged election interference and mishandling of classified documents. In a motion filed in Washington, he cited a longstanding Department of Justice (DOJ) policy not to prosecute a …

The world has already warmed 1.49 degrees Celsius because of humans compared to pre-industrial levels, according to a new study of carbon dioxide content in Antarctic ice cores. Research published today in Nature Geoscience said when compared to a pre-1700 baseline, the planet reached the temperature increase at the end of 2023. The figure is higher than globally accepted estimates of about …

Australian farmers and some of the nation’s biggest companies could face the burden of significant tariffs on goods exported to the United States from next year. US president-elect Donald Trump successfully campaigned on a promise to introduce an across-the-board tariff of either 10 or 20 per cent, which would represent a dramatic shake-up of current trade arrangements. Andy Stoeckel, an …

Chris Little has mastered the art of packing up his life. For the 49-year-old father of two, folding away clothes has become a familiar ritual — not just because of his young daughters but because of the constant moves. “This is the fifth house I’ve lived in in this area in the last 10 years,” he said. “It’s a pain …

Donald Trump has nominated former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard to be his Director of National Intelligence. The former Army Lieutenant Colonel who served Hawaii in Congress was tipped for a senior national security role after becoming a Trump ally. The 43-year-old formally announced that she joined the Republican Party at a campaign rally alongside Trump in the summer. She will be nominated to succeed current DNI Avril Haines …