Has England compromised its pre-Ashes preparation by playing only one three-day warm-up match against its own reserve team before the first Test in Perth? The numbers say no.

Completion of the South Australian government’s Northern Water desalination plant and water pipeline is now forecast to occur in 2032.

It was only a week ago that the moderates in the Liberal Party were flexing their muscle privately (and some publicly), threatening a divorce with the Nationals and to walk the plank if net zero was dumped. Neither threat ever materialised.

Concerned families and retailers are inundating a materials testing laboratory with enquiries, since news broke that asbestos had been detected in decorative and coloured sand for children.

India's National Investigation Agency says two men behind last week's deadly car blast in Delhi were from Kashmir, a region that has been the source of tension between India and Pakistan.

The strange macho appeal of fossilised vegetation means that 30 years of annual United Nations meetings to stop the planet heating any more have been a bust.

In 2011, Tony Abbott was questioned over his use of the phrase "shit happens" when discussing the death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan. Instead of responding, he stared at the journalist, fighting the urge to thump him.

After Palestinians were expelled from three refugee camps in the Israeli occupied West Bank this year, some fear a new ceasefire in Gaza could prompt Israel to expand its operations in the area once more.

A survivor of last year's Laos mass methanol poisoning has started a campaign to educate travellers on the dangers of the toxic form of alcohol.

The Laos hostel accused of serving alcohol contaminated with methanol that killed six people — including two young Australian women — last November is set to reopen.

Family and former colleagues of a Ukrainian journalist who was captured by Russian forces and tortured are determined to do everything they can to ensure those who contributed to her death are held responsible.

Emma Dickeson says her "school night" adventures are about devoting time and attention to the things that energise you.

The Tasmanian government's "ban" on ambulance ramping was announced with much fanfare in 2024 — but there has been no effect on ambulance response times, and patients are still facing long waits in hospital emergency departments.

Metallica's unusual gig, John Lennon's murder and a king's abdication — how well do you know this week in history?

Amid swirling debate among conservative politicians over decarbonisation, energy bosses have warned against turning away from net zero despite cost pressures.

Jack Della Maddalena was confident he could fight his way out of Islam Makhachev's grappling prowess, but it wasn't the case in front of a packed New York crowd.

Parramatta star Zac Lomax is released from the final three years of his NRL contract, fuelling speculation of a move to breakaway rugby competition R360.

The Renegades get the better of the Stars in the Melbourne derby, while Sophie Devine bowls one of the balls of the season in the Scorchers' defeat of the Strikers.

Once considered one of Donald Trump's most loyal soldiers, Marjorie Taylor Greene has found herself an outcast of the MAGA firm.

The ACT will close more schools after additional coloured sand products were recalled by Kmart and Target, while the schools that were shut on Friday will reopen on Monday.

Western Australians must shake off their aversion to apartment living and embrace high-density housing solutions to support population growth across the metropolitan area, the state government says.

Six of 13 patients remain in hospital after a derby car crashed into a grandstand full of spectators at a Walcha council-run rally on Saturday night.

More than 90 Tasmanians who have been medically cleared to leave hospital are not able to because they are waiting for an aged care place or NDIS support. Premier Jeremy Rockliff says it's "not good enough" and is calling on the federal government to increase hospital funding.

About 1,000 people are waiting in Queensland public hospitals for more appropriate care, such as a place in aged care, with infrastructure failing to keep up with the need.

The Coalition would reduce emissions "year on year" considering the "real performance" of other developed countries and strip climate from the objectives of the nation's energy operator under a plan negotiated between the Liberals and Nationals.

Nick Dametto, a former Queensland MP, has won 61 per cent of the votes counted, succeeding in his campaign to become Townsville's next mayor.

The federal government is considering a power-purchase agreement with Tomago to supply electricity at a stable price, after warnings the smelter may need to close because of rising power costs.

The 19-year-old accused of causing a crash at Hornsby on Friday night that claimed the life of a pregnant woman and her unborn child is denied bail.

Kmart recalls four coloured sand products over concerns of asbestos contamination, as the ACT's education department is set to announce whether schools closed on Friday will reopen tomorrow.

A Labor senator says it's "stupidity" for the federal government to propose a reduction to the default speed limit for unsigned roads.

A missed turn on the bike, a miscount on the run and an athlete protest turn the T100 Dubai event into a farce, with New Zealander Hayden Wilde left particularly livid.

After a career in one of Sydney's busiest department stores, a retail expert takes her tricks of the trade to a toy library in central west NSW.

The Victorian government insists all proper safety checks were completed before Melburnians were allowed inside the West Gate Tunnel for the first time. The Premier has also announced the Metro Tunnel is opening earlier than previously announced.

Hundreds of young people from Ballarat, Victoria have taken part in ABC Takeover, an initiative that gives young people in regional areas a platform to share their stories.

As the Winton Hotel in outback Queensland changes hands, an accommodation broker says the cost of housing in coastal areas is driving outback pub and hotel sales, as a place to live and do business.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has refused to say how much it would cost Australia to hold the COP31 climate conference, as negotiations over hosting rights enter the final stages.

Polls suggest immigration has now overtaken the economy as British voters' top concern.

Authorities say a case had been identified in the Logan region after three cases linked to the concert at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on October 24 were confirmed on Wednesday.

Accusations of secrecy and abuse of process have been levelled at the Western Australian government this week on several fronts. Are they blips on the radar or signs WA Labor is under strain?

Despite thousands of cases of food poisoning, Indonesia's government intends to expand a controversial program giving schoolchildren free meals.

Tony Forrest reflects on his father's love of old tractors as he prepares them for sale.

Dusty paddocks, with no grain crop to harvest, and scarce feed for the few animals left, is the reality of many South Australian farmers right now. Four women are redefining resilience and showing what it means to endure tough conditions despite it all.

The discovery of a new "lucifer" bee with devil-like horns sparks concerns over land clearing regulations in WA's Goldfields region.

Storm Claudia moves to Wales, swamping the town of Monmouth, where dozens of people are rescued or evacuated from their homes.

Investigators warned the "situation" at a horse stud in the state's south "is likely to [be] the next welfare issue hitting the news".

The Bureau of Meteorology says parts of Queensland and New South Wales will likely see smaller pockets of severe thunderstorm activity on Sunday.

For more than two decades, Sergey Lavrov has been Russia's top foreign diplomat, representing the Kremlin's regime around the world, but late last month, he disappeared.

The Sydney-born movie star discusses how her creative partnership with If I had Legs I'd Kick You director Mary Bronstein has opened the Oscars conversation.

Dusty Victorian farms turn muddy as drenching rain brings much-needed relief.

Nine people are hospitalised after a car crashed into spectators at a rally event in regional NSW on Saturday night.