Detectives initially charged 17 people in May over their alleged links to a fake business called Red Roses Family Day Care. It was alleged the illegitimate company accumulated the sum in rebates in ten months alone by exploiting the federal government’s childcare subsidy scheme. Police have claimed the alleged scam could be as many as 100 childcare fraud syndicates operating …

An Iranian football fan has died after she set herself alight in what has been seen as a protest against a ban on women in football stadiums. Media in Tehran have reported that Sahar Khodayari died in hospital earlier this week after suffering burns across 90 per cent of her body. The woman, known as “Blue Girl” after her team’s …

Gladys Liu’s association with Chinese figures who were deemed a security risk was the subject of an ASIO investigation even before she entered Parliament or became a Liberal Party candidate. The ABC understands ASIO Director-General Duncan Lewis advised that then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, based on the guest list, should not attend a “meet and greet” organised by Ms Liu in …

Clouds of thick black smoke are billowing from a large fire at a factory in Sydney’s south-west, with one witness describing the noise during the fire as “bomb-like explosions”. More than 20 fire crews with 100 firefighters were called to Yulong Close in Moorebank after the fire engulfed the Baker & Co food factory just before 2:00pm. Aerial footage shows …

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong are appealing to President Donald Trump for help as they march near the US consulate general in the city. Some are carrying banners reading, “President Trump, please save Hong Kong” and “Make Hong Kong great again”. The protests, now in their 14th straight week, have continued despite Hong Kong’s leadership finally meeting one of the …

NSW police are investigating whether former ALP power broker Sam Dastyari should be slapped with a $2200 fine after riding a lime green share bike on a Sydney footpath. Mr Dastyari, a former Labor senator, was riding the bike in a suit and helmet along the Elizabeth Street footpath on Thursday morning on his way to testifying at an anti-corruption probe …

  For the first time, the long-term outlook for the Great Barrier Reef has been downgraded from “poor” to “very poor” by the federal government’s five-year reef report. The evidence-based report is written by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and reviewed and released by the federal Environment Minister. The report said climate change is escalating and is the …

Worksafe are investigating the tragic death of a 22-year-old apprentice jockey after she died in a fall during pre-dawn training at a racecourse in Melbourne, police have confirmed. The female apprentice rider from Clyde fell while training at Cranbourne Racecourse in Melbourne’s south-east about 4.35am on Friday morning. Her death is not being treated as suspicious and no other riders were …

Police in the US state of Oregon seized a number of weapons as hundreds of far-right protesters and counter-demonstrators rallied in the city of Portland on Saturday (local time). The far-right rally was organised by the Proud Boys, classified by a major US civil rights organisation as a hate group. The Proud Boys said the aim of gathering was to …

Australian universities are not doing enough to combat the influence of China’s ruling Communist Party, a group of Federal Government backbenchers has warned. The comments follow recent pro-Beijing rallies staged in several Australian cities against Hong Kong’s democracy movement — rallies which were praised by Chinese Government-controlled media— and come just days after Liberal MP Andrew Hastie warned about China’s activities. Fellow Liberal MP …