Australia Telstra

The Australian government released its response to a special envoy's report on Islamophobia on July 18, 2026, rejecting calls to overhaul counter-terrorism legislation while committing to new measures in education, community policing, and social cohesion. The response establishes an education taskforce — including a curriculum...

The South Australian government has initiated compulsory acquisition of land at Mount Barker to build a new school, affecting developer Lanser's master-planned community and the Wok the Duck restaurant. According to ABC News Australia, the acquisition will eliminate up to 150 planned homes, trees, a...

A growing number of Australians in their 20s and 30s are being diagnosed with early-onset bowel cancer after their symptoms were dismissed by doctors for months or years, according to ABC News Australia reporting. Bowel Cancer Australia is developing what could become the world's first...

The Australian government elevated its travel advisory for Laos following the charging of a distillery owner connected to a 2024 mass methanol poisoning event that killed Australian tourists including Melbourne women Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles. Families of the deceased have expressed dissatisfaction with the...

Coles Group, Australia's largest supermarket chain, has abandoned its planned acquisition of Greencross' veterinary clinics and pet businesses following investor opposition. The Australian Securities Exchange declined alongside global markets as technology and artificial intelligence stocks fell sharply amid concerns about excessive spending and potential AI...

Three Victorian men have been sentenced to prison for orchestrating a scheme to smuggle 500 kilograms of cocaine into Australia by light aircraft from Papua New Guinea, according to ABC News Australia. The plot collapsed when the aircraft crashed seconds after takeoff, derailing the operation...

The interim vice-chancellor of Australian National University (ANU) apologized for the institution's failure to protect the psychological safety of Jewish staff and students during pro-Palestinian encampments in 2024, according to ABC News Australia. The apology came during Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion hearings...

Australia's Northern Territory government announced ambitions to become a global AI data centre hub, according to ABC News Australia reporting on statements made at an NT investment summit on the same day the federal government established its national AI office. The territory is simultaneously promoting...

Former employees of PAWS Darwin, an Australian animal welfare charity, are reporting that the organization failed to pay approximately $150,000 in superannuation (retirement savings) owed to them, according to ABC News Northern Territory. The report indicates that under-18 staff members were particularly affected, with promised...

Tim Mander, Queensland's Olympics minister, returned to cabinet on July 16, 2026, according to ABC News Australia, after the Australian Federal Police concluded their investigation into a referral from the Australian Electoral Commission. Mander had stood aside from his ministerial duties in May 2026 following...

Australia's Labor government is developing a national framework to coordinate its artificial intelligence policy response, according to ABC News. The initiative addresses growing concerns over copyright protections, employment impacts, and data center infrastructure as states take divergent regulatory approaches. The coordination effort reflects escalating debate...

Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications company, is accepting compensation claims from consumers and small businesses affected by a major outage last week, requiring customers to submit individual claim forms and provide proof of losses, according to ABC News Australia. Consumer advocates argue the case-by-case assessment process...

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced new regulatory standards for artificial intelligence companies on July 15, 2026, requiring data centres to minimize water usage and secure or supply their own power infrastructure. The government will also enforce copyright protections preventing AI companies from training models...

Vice chancellors from the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney expressed remorse before Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, acknowledging that pro-Palestinian protest encampments on their campuses made Jewish staff and students feel unsafe. The university heads told the Commission their...

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency on Tuesday recommended that airlines avoid operating through the airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE following renewed military conflict between the US and Iran. Travel and tourism analyst Gary Bowerman, speaking from Kuala Lumpur to ABC News...

Australia's December 2025 law barring children under 16 from platforms including Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube has failed to prevent youth access, with studies showing most minors remain able to create and use accounts. The Australian government doubled maximum fines for tech company non-compliance and threatened...

Comedian Jonathan Harvey, performing as the character "Count Binface," entered a UK parliamentary by-election triggered by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage's decision to contest his own seat on July 4, 2026. Dr. Andy Mycock, chief policy fellow at the University of Leeds, joined ABC News...

South Korea's Air Force is participating in the multinational air exercise "Pitch Black 2026" in Australia, deploying six KF-16 fighter jets and approximately 100 personnel for a three-week training event beginning Friday, according to Arirang News. The deployment includes aerial refueling tankers and transport aircraft,...

Dharminder Singh was remanded in custody at Toowoomba Magistrates Court in Queensland, Australia on a domestic violence charge related to the death of Jana Armstrong, a local mother whose body was found in bushland. Singh's defence lawyer asserts his client's innocence. The case highlights Australia's...

Australia's Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion heard testimony this week in Melbourne that universities have systematically failed to protect Jewish staff and students from antisemitic harassment, including Nazi salutes and derogatory jokes. The commission found the tertiary sector's complaints processes are inadequate to...