Federal and state politics, policy, and governance
One Nation has narrowed its Farrer by-election candidate field to three finalists, including Narrandera-based irrigation specialist David Farley. The party received over 80 applications for the seat.
Rachel Thornbury 
Australia's teacher shortage is forcing schools to hire unqualified staff, cap enrolments, and eliminate specialist classes. Politicians debate causes while the classroom faces collapse.
Daniel Kovac 
Canadian-owned Aylo, which operates PornHub and RedTube, is blocking Australian users ahead of mandatory age-verification laws taking effect Monday, citing privacy and enforcement concerns.
Fatima Al-Rashid 
Australia has banned Hizb ut-Tahrir under new hate group laws, marking the first use of powers introduced after the Bondi terror attack. The move raises questions about how broadly these laws will be applied.
Tanya Birch 
California's new age verification law requires all operating systems to collect age data from users, but the mandate creates practical problems for Linux developers and raises legitimate privacy concerns.
Riley Fitzgerald 
As India's Karnataka announces plans to ban social media for under-16s, Australia's three-month experiment reveals the gap between legislative intent and practical enforcement.
Samantha Blake 
A House of Lords committee has warned that weakening UK copyright law to accommodate AI training could cause significant damage to creative industries worth £124 billion annually.
Tanya Birch 
The UK government has postponed its AI copyright legislation after consultation responses rejected all proposed options. The delay reflects genuine policy complexity that demands more than careful avoidance.
Marcus Ashbrook 
Seven years after Gatwick Airport shut down over disputed drone sightings, the UK Department for Transport is fighting in court to keep its findings secret. The government's appeal raises hard questions about transparency versus security.
Daniel Kovac 
The National Audit Office warns that HM Treasury's lack of formal commitment to the Matrix shared services project could slash expected savings from £185 million to £109 million, raising serious questions about fiscal prudence.
Riley Fitzgerald 
Queensland Labor voted against the state government's hate speech legislation this week, citing rushed parliamentary procedure and inadequate consultation despite initially signalling support.
Riley Fitzgerald 
President Trump has removed Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary, replacing her with Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin. The change comes after congressional criticism of Noem's immigration crackdown and a series of high-profile controversies.
Oliver Pemberton 
The Senate's swift approval of new NASA legislation signals genuine confidence in administrator Jared Isaacman's plan to accelerate lunar missions by standardising rockets and increasing launch frequency.
Aisha Khoury 
Kristi Noem's removal as Department of Homeland Security secretary marks the Trump administration's first significant cabinet departure, following controversy over two fatal shootings in Minneapolis and a $220 million ad campaign.
Priya Narayanan 
The Coalition will keep the government's $10,000 apprenticeship bonus scheme despite labelling it inflationary. Shadow minister for skills Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has questioned the policy's approach.
Kate Morrison 
A Queensland parliamentary inquiry has recommended banning children under 16 from riding e-bikes and e-scooters, citing concerns about cognitive and motor skills development.
Victoria Crawford 
Trump's data centre pledge looks good on paper. The gap between political theatre and actual deployment is where the real challenges lie.
Oliver Pemberton 
Apple began blocking US users from downloading ByteDance apps in January, enforcing a US law designed to protect national security. The move highlights the growing intersection of geopolitics and consumer technology.
Sophia Vargas 
The Pentagon has formally designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk, escalating a bitter dispute over artificial intelligence safeguards. It marks the first time the government has applied this extraordinary measure to a domestic company.
Tom Whitfield 
After broad opposition from opposition, Greens, and transparency advocates, Labor has withdrawn its controversial freedom of information reforms from parliament, conceding the bill lacks Senate support.
Tanya Birch