NEWS

NATO's 32 nations on Wednesday appointed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the alliance's next head, handing him the job at a crucial moment with Russia on the march in Ukraine and US elections looming.

Sophie Cusworth, acting CEO of Women with Disability Australia, said the Senate's report failed to address some of the major concerns regarding the bill, and added the community expected the government to genuinely engage with them on all stages of the NDIS reform.

About 160 employees of Dhurringile Prison will be displaced as a result of the closure at the end of this year. Plans are in place to relocate them elsewhere in the criminal justice system.

"This is not a time to be walking about expelling people for particular views. It's a time where we seek to be bringing Australians together," Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said.

Russia said Tuesday it was blocking access to dozens of European media outlets, including AFP websites, in response to the EU slapping broadcasting bans on several Russian outlets last month.

Tony McDonald, the assistant secretary for Treasury, said Meta's March 1 notification that it would no longer be honoring news payment agreements was "obviously very disappointing to the government."

Even though UNESCO has not categorized the reef as "in danger," it did urge Australia to step up its efforts to safeguard the world heritage site and meet its climate goals.

"Each step I took across the Senate floor felt like a mile, [but] I know I did not walk these steps by myself, and I know I did not walk them alone," Payman told reporters.

As Qatar Airways takes the top spot and plans additional flights to Australia, Qantas drops to 24th place in the world airline rankings, while facing penalties.

On pleading guilty of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defense documents, Assange is expected to be sentenced to 62 months, which he has already served in prison. If the court approves his plea, Assange will be freed facilitating his return to Australia.

Marion Scrymgour called Senator Thorpe's claims "outrageous" in an interview on Monday.

The prime minister's assistant minister, Patrick Gorman, filed a measure in the federal parliament on Monday to increase the governor-general's pay from AU$495,000 to AU$709,017.

The nine-station section from Chatswood through Sydney's CBD to Sydenham, subject to regulatory permission, is set to open on a weekend in August and will carry about 40,000 passengers in an hour.

Kean's immediate tasks would be tracking the government's progress in achieving the 2030 emission target and advising it on the 2035 goal.

An inquiry Monday cleared Australian Rules players and support staff of feigning injuries to cover up illicit drug use, but recommended the sport overhaul its approach amid fears of "criminal infiltration".

Seoul's military said Friday it had fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the heavily fortified border in the third such incursion this month.

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the government will act urgently on the product stewardship reforms, support the waste and recycling industry and introduce incentives for safe disposal of waste batteries.

The inquiry's proposal, which backs the measure and calls for more money for the impacted industries, has prompted strong responses from lobbying groups and rural communities.

In March, Meta announced that it will not renew contracts with media organizations to pay for news at a cost of AU$70m, as the contracts signed under the government's news media bargaining code had ended.

Victorian government documents, which were released under freedom of information laws, revealed that the MoU was signed before the start of the Israel-Gaza war, and was aimed at the nations wanting to "protect their national interests" militarily and supporting "greater collaboration on defence industry objectives."

Female employees in Australia's federal public sector earn only AU$0.86 for every AU$1 earned by their male colleagues.

Food, alcohol, and groceries were among the most often taken items, indicating how big of an impact the high cost of living was having on individuals.

The agreement was signed in Port Moresby with the objectives of combating financial crime, improving the safety of correctional institutions, and enhancing justice accessible for youth and distant areas.

Energy researcher Dr Dylan McConnell, said: "There was no credible reason to think that adding the most expensive bulk form of electricity would make electricity prices go down."

It was the coldest morning of 2024 in Sydney and Melbourne, with lows of just 7°C and 1.6°C, respectively.

The danger with an election fought on immigration levels, as many past Australian politicians on both sides have recognized, is that it could degenerate into Trump-style name calling and civil unrest, former immigration official Abul Rizvi warned.

The proposed bill intends to outlaw the availability of nicotine pouches and cigarettes from vending machines in addition to targeting their sale.

Mining magnate Andrew Forrest alleged Meta profited from the fake advertisements that featured him promoting fraudulent crypto investments, leading to financial losses for victims.

The H7N8 virus, suspected to have originated from sick wild birds, has sparked emergency biosecurity measures and possible interruptions to the local egg supply.