2 h. ago ‘Wouldn’t be ideal’: Steve Smith delivers emphatic retirement response

Usman Khawaja’s storybook SCG farewell has raised the question whether the batting great has considered following suit.

Politics

8 h. ago Why the ‘toughest job in cricket’ will be even harder for Khawaja’s successors

With legacy-defining tours against India and England on the horizon, the questions over Australia’s top order take on fresh urgency.

Politics

8 h. ago My dolphin swim overseas was horrible. I tried it again in Australia

Animal tourism can be disturbing – for both tourists and wildlife – if it’s not run properly. Fortunately, this Australian operator treats its attractions with respect.

Politics

8 h. ago Now the hard part for Australia’s oil and gas sector: erasing itself from the sea

Dozens of offshore steel platforms as tall as skyscrapers are no longer pumping fossil fuels from the seabed. What should happen to them?

Politics

16 h. ago Evacuation centre opens as bushfire threatens lives and homes in Perth hills

Firies have issued an alert, telling people they are in danger and need to act immediately to survive.

Events

18 h. ago People are drowning because beach flags are too hard to understand

Large numbers of visitors to Australia misinterpret the signs, with deadly consequences. The warnings need to be clearer.

Politics

18 h. ago What to stream this week: A drama about Australia’s most wanted and five more picks

Don’t miss the true-ish tale of the Postcard Bandit, a stand-up set from Kumail Nanjiani and ace Kiwi drama Top of the Lake.

Politics

21 h. ago WA man sentenced over horror kidnap of two little boys from sleeping beds

Jonathan Richard Anthony said he was suffering a psychotic episode when he donned a disguise and took two little boys form their Moora home in 2023.

Events

22 h. ago ‘This is our grand final’: But SCG curator isn’t feeling the heat ahead of Ashes finale

The Boxing Day Test was over inside two days. SCG curator Adam Lewis has given an early indication of how the pitch will play in Sydney.

Politics

22 h. ago Illness strikes Team Australia ahead of United Cup as Joint ordered to rest

Australia’s top-ranked female player Maya Joint was absent from team commitments on Friday as she tries to overcome illness before her opening match on Saturday.

Events

22 h. ago Perth house prices spike nearly 16 per cent in a year as affordability pressure looms

Perth house prices have jumped almost 16 per cent over the past year, one of Australia’s strongest-performing housing markets, despite signs momentum is cooling.

Politics

24 h. ago Search resumes for missing snorkeller off Perth’s north coast

Police were notified that two snorkellers went swimming at Ledge Point, but only one made it back. 

Events

24 h. ago Australia’s biggest industry groups demand an antisemitism royal commission

The Business Council of Australia has backed prominent captains of industry who petitioned Albanese to reverse his stance on a national inquiry following the Bondi terror attack.

Events

25 h. ago Khawaja was dropped eight times. He explains how he kept coming back

In a wide-ranging interview, Khawaja also revealed coach Andrew McDonald wanted him to keep going until the 2027 tour of India.

Politics

26 h. ago A strangled man and failed pregnancy plot: The tragic tale of the last woman hanged in Australia

In 1951, Jean Lee was the first woman in more than five decades to be hanged in Victoria. Now, for the first time in 75 years, the troubling records of her case have been made public.

Events

26 h. ago Gold, coffee and Donald Trump: Australia’s rollercoaster economic year in 10 charts

We started 2025 with interest rate cuts and ended it talking about increases. Gold soared, but it wasn’t the most precious of precious metals.

Politics

28 h. ago ‘Look at me now:’ Usman Khawaja takes parting shot at ‘racial stereotyping’ as he announces retirement

Khawaja, who will retire after the Sydney Test, went out swinging.

Politics

29 h. ago ‘Look at me now:’ Usman Khawaja announces he will retire after Sydney Test

This masthead has confirmed that Khawaja has told teammates of his decision, which he will share with the world later on Friday.

Politics

32 h. ago I’m often asked the best places to eat overseas. This takes the cake

I tell them about the best bistros, Michelin-star diners and yum cha palaces. Then I reveal the really important thing – where to find the best cake.

Politics

32 h. ago Salt Typhoon hackers ‘almost certainly’ in Australia’s critical infrastructure

China’s hacking campaign is one of the most effective long-term espionage moves ever seen, a top cybersecurity figure says.

Technology