The Latest Breaking News from Australia

Education minister tells Guardian Australia about plans for better safety and standards; pro-Palestine activists set for fight over protest march

World Surf League is to update its format for 2026, the 50th anniversary season of pro surfing, with more women, an enhanced finale - and an Australian start.

In Australia, there is growing recognition that children and young people are not just witnesses to domestic, family and sexual violence, but victim-survivors in their own right.

This year, Australia has experienced record-breaking floods, tropical cyclones, heatwaves on land and in the ocean, drought, coral bleaching, coastal erosion and devastating algal blooms. Over the past five years, insured losses from extreme events have risen to A$4.5 billion annually – more than double the 30-year average.