1+ hour, 11+ min ago (619+ words) Thousands of people have signed a petition in support of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's controversial burqa ban bill after the Senator was censured for wearing the garment. A petition in support of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's controversial burqa ban push has surged in the wake of her Senate stunt. The Senator attempted to introduce a bill outlawing burqas and other full-face coverings in public spaces on Monday before the motion was objected to, prompting her to reappear later in the Senate session wearing a burqa. Ms Hanson was formerly censured by the upper house after the controversial act. A Change.org petition recently launched in support of the burqa ban had since surged in support, with over 3,500 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon. Petition starter Jolene Brezina said while she respected the "cultural and religious reasons" for wearing the…...

2+ hour, 4+ min ago (467+ words) Energy Minister Chris Bowen got a sharp welcome back to Australia, when he was grilled by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley over his new role as President of Negotiations at COP31." Energy Minister Chris Bowen has been brutally sledged by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, after it was revealed he has been appointed President of Negotiations at COP31 next year." Bowen travelled to Belem in Brazil earlier this month, leading the Australian delegation at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30). Now, he has been appointed President of Negotiations, which has prompted the Coalition to urge Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to give him the boot from his ministerial position." UK minister Alok Sharma opted to leave his position as Secretary of State in 2021 to become President of COP26, which saw him take part in 51 global meetings." If Bowen is moved on to focus on COP31, Paramatta MP Andrew…...

2+ hour, 44+ min ago (519+ words) Nicole Kidman has broken her silence on the delicate state of her emotions - and how the Aussie star's teenage daughters are faring amid her shock divorce from Keith Urban." Nicole Kidman has spoken out about her feelings after filing for divorce from Keith Urban, and how the pair's teenage daughters may be faring. The Aussie Oscar-winning actress, 58, interviewed Wicked: For Good star Ariana Grande for Interview Magazine on Monday when their conversation turned to Nicole's well-being amid the highly publicised separation. Kidman filed for divorce from Keith after 19 years of marriage in September, citing "irreconcilable differences" while reports emerged the singer had already moved on with a younger woman in the music industry. Nicole appeared to hint about her delicate emotional state to Grande. "I'm hanging in there," she said. Kidman added she felt "safe" and "protected" while filming Practical…...

4+ hour, 45+ min ago (478+ words) Usman Khawaja's Australian Test career is under threat as the true extent of an ongoing injury has been laid bare following a disappointing showing in the first Ashes Test. Usman Khawaja's Test career is under a dark cloud as he races against the clock to recover from an injury which has now forced him to withdraw from a golf event. The 38-year-old suffered ongoing troubles in the first Ashes Test against England and had to spend time off the field while Australia was bowling as he was treated for back spasms. Khawaja came under fire for his decision to play golf three days in a row before the first Test but Cricket Australia has stressed it had no impact on his back problems. After visibly struggling during Australia's two-day victory, Khawaja has since pulled out of an Australian PGA Pro-Am…...

5+ hour, 53+ min ago (549+ words) More Australian windfarms have been placed under internal investigations for asbestos exposure, as a shadow minister calls for a probe into the nation's renewables supply chain." More windfarms are investigating their turbines for traces of asbestos, as the shadow industrial relations minister called for more scrutiny on Australia's renewable supply chains to ensure workers' safety." On Friday, operator Goldwind discovered asbestos in lift brake pads at its Cattle Hill wind farm in Tasmania. " The Clean Energy Regulator, SafeWork New South Wales, and WorkSafe Victoria all launched investigations into the discovery. The investigations prompted other wind farm operators to check their brake pads. Over the weekend, Goldwind revealed they tested the parts " supplied by Chinese manufacturer 3S Industries " and found they did contain asbestos. " Another operator, Beijing Energy International Australia, confirmed asbestos had been found in trace amounts in its windfarm in…...

7+ hour, 30+ min ago (594+ words) Veteran ABC radio presenter Chris Bath has announced the "very difficult" decision to quit her coveted role after less than a year, just weeks after she announced her shock exit from Channel 10." Radio presenter Chris Bath has announced her shock resignation from ABC Radio Sydney Drive, less than a year after taking on the coveted role. Bath, 58, announced the "very difficult" decision to step down from the show live on Monday afternoon, to focus on "passion projects". "As I'm sure you know, timing in life is a funny thing. What the world throws at you is not always under your control," Bath said. "My dream is to create a show with a real community focus. "Where you can take a break from the news cycle and perhaps find out a bit more about the things that aren't dominating news during…...

9+ hour, 13+ min ago (526+ words) Former ABC journalist turned Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson is demanding the national broadcaster be subjected to a parliamentary inquiry, declaring it needs to be "held to account. Senator Henderson has informed the Upper House she will push ahead with calls for an inquiry into the ABC's impartiality and accuracy obligations this week, with Senators to vote on the matter on the matter on Tuesday. "I have lodged a Notice of Motion today and that is to establish an inquiry into the impartiality and accuracy obligations of the ABC, she told Sky News Australia's Chris Kenny. The Victorian Senator said these were "statutory obligations under the ABC charter, but there had recently been some bad instances of a "lack of impartiality". "I'm really concerned that when the ABC makes egregious errors, when it's clearly not being impartial, too often the Albanese…...

9+ hour, 49+ min ago (401+ words) Jaw-dropping footage has revealed the moment a teen leaped from a tree at 25 metres in Sydney, as authorities issue a warning to others thinking of trying the daring stunt. Jaw-dropping footage has revealed the moment a teen leaped from a tree at 25 metres from sea surface at the notorious Manly Jump Rock, as authorities issue a warning over the daring stunt. The video titled "ahahahah when will they learn" was uploaded by the Creatures of Manly Instagram page - showing the daring teen leaping through branches as a crowd cheered on at a nearby rock. The crowd counted down from five, before the male could be seen spiralling out of control in mid-air before brutally hitting the water on his back. The video quickly amounted to online backlash over the daring jump. "Looks like a life changing injury waiting to happen,…...

11+ hour, 3+ min ago (417+ words) Scientists confirm a deadly strain of avian influenza has been detected in southern elephant seals on a remote Australian island. Scientists confirm a deadly strain of avian influenza (H5 bird flu) has been detected in southern elephant seals on Heard Island, a remote sub-Antarctic Australian external territory. Samples were collected from the animals during a voyage to the island for the Australian Antarctic Program. Scientists observed unusual levels of mortality in elephant seals but not in other species. Testing conducted by the CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness confirmed the presence of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza in the samples. Scientists will return in December to gather more information about wildlife health. The remote island is located in the Southern Ocean more than 4000km southwest of Perth and 1700km north of Antarctica. Scientists are not surprised by the results given the virus was detected…...

12+ hour, 13+ min ago (403+ words) Tasmania could see a fresh dusting of snow just days away from the beginning of summer as a wintry cold front blasts the country's south-east. Temperatures look set to plunge in Australia's south-east amid a mid-week wintry blast which could even bring snow to Tasmania. An incoming cold front could also bring wet and potentially stormy weather with it across the region, as multiple cities appear set to experience chilly conditions just days away from summer. Sky News Meteorologist Tamsin Green called the outlook "really a tale of two halves" as temperatures soar in the north of the country, but drop in the south-east as the front moves in. "You wouldn't believe it as we're just days away from summer, but another cold front pushes in midweek and we'll see temperatures drop away quite significantly once again, particularly across Tasmania…...