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Prime Minister Albanese skips Garma this year, breaking his promise to attend every year as PM — a blow to Yolngu hosts and fans of his consistent presence since 2019. While his absence stings, other ministers like Penny Wong will step in. Critics like Professor Megan Davis remind us that real commitment lies in policy, not just appearances — and Garma remains a vital stage for Indigenous culture...

An article defending Sarah Schwartz from harsh political attacks—calling out terms like “kapo” and rat comparisons as morally corrosive—was quietly removed from the Australian Jewish News, sparking debate over free speech and community discourse. Written by Nomi Kaltmann, the piece urged restraint, arguing that shared identity should transcend political divides. Though unpublished on her site, Kal...

Telstra’s CEO Vicki Brady is facing backlash after a massive network outage crippled trains, payments, and emergency calls — all triggered by a software glitch that sent systems back to November 2006. Despite government warnings about the critical role of time-keeping infrastructure, a reset caused a domino effect, with backup systems failing to intervene. This isn’t an isolated incident — a simil...

A chilling discovery in regional Victoria has sent shockwaves through the community: human remains believed to be those of a 13-year-old girl who vanished last Saturday in Donald. After an intense multi-agency search involving dogs and aircraft, the remains were found Thursday afternoon. Authorities are treating the case as suspicious and have executed a warrant at a local home. If you saw or hear...

Antisemitism is rising, and while public broadcasters like the ABC and SBS have faced valid criticism for their Middle East coverage, the proposed fixes are dangerously flawed. Forcing them to adopt a government-backed definition of antisemitism undermines their editorial independence. Worse, creating a special oversight body to police antisemitism in news reporting risks turning journalism into a...

Melbourne just leapt into third place in the 2026 Global Liveability Index, edging out Vienna in culture and environment thanks to its buzzing arts scene — while Australia proudly claims three top-ten cities, including Sydney at fourth and Adelaide at eighth, making it the only country with such elite representation. Copenhagen and Vienna remain the top two, but Australia’s strong showing proves t...

Virtual reality is breaking out of gaming and transforming real-world challenges—from training firefighters in bushfire simulations to helping foster carers understand kids’ struggles. It’s revolutionizing aged care, hospital staff prep, and mental health access, while bridging gaps in remote healthcare and reducing trauma. Even more groundbreaking: paralyzed patients walking via thought control,...

CFA’s gearing up for a brutal bushfire season with cutting-edge tech—VR training simulators, thermal imaging drones, and mobile driving sims—to prep volunteers for real-world dangers, as a powerful El Niño threatens hotter, drier conditions through early 2027. Listen in comfort: Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN: advertise@thednn.ai This is an au...

Shots fired at a cafe in Essendon North early this morning sent cops rushing in — and led to a high-speed chase through Keilor and Taylors Lakes, ending with two suspects, both under 21, caught hiding in a property on Old Calder Highway. The stolen Kluger, reported missing since May 15 in Macleod, was the getaway car. Both teens are now in custody facing questions about the chaos — and this is jus...

Environmental groups are sounding the alarm over “logging by stealth” in Victoria’s state forests, where hazardous tree removals—officially halted two years ago—are allegedly targeting vital hollow-bearing trees that shelter endangered species like the Leadbeater’s possum. While the government insists these operations are for bushfire safety and forest health, not commercial logging, conservationi...

Former BHP chief economist Dr. Huw McKay is sounding the alarm: without stronger government climate policies, big resource companies won’t make the hard emissions cuts needed. Leaked documents show BHP delayed and scrapped major renewable projects—even as it touted progress toward its 2030 emissions target. McKay argues voluntary pledges aren’t enough and backs a carbon price to force real change,...

New South Wales government and police are paying a steep price for defending controversial anti-protest laws—over $300,000 total—after courts struck them down as unconstitutional, ruling they violated political speech rights. The latest case, costing more than $117,000, involved laws enacted after a major attack and used during a February protest against the Israeli president. This isn’t the first...

A brown huntsman spider from Australia just shattered the record for fastest spider on the planet, clocked at a blistering 3.59 metres per second—outpacing even previously thought champions. Scientists analyzed over 250 species using high-speed cameras across continents, revealing that spiders move with a unique blend of muscle and hydraulic power. While the huntsman’s top speed is fleeting, its a...

Another major telco meltdown has left Australians stranded — this time Telstra, but it’s a familiar pattern echoing Optus’ collapse last year. The root cause? A decades-old policy that prioritized competition over reliability, leaving us with a duopoly controlling 70% of the market and a system dangerously fragile when it comes to emergency services. Despite government efforts to patch coverage ga...

Telstra’s nationwide network crashed this week due to a bizarre software glitch that made its systems believe it was 2006—triggering a digital meltdown where security certificates expired and phones fell into SOS-only mode, leaving millions stranded and emergency services disrupted. Listen in comfort: Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN: advertise@...

Even the toughest survivors—desert frogs that live on sand and deep-sea snails near volcanic vents—are now endangered due to human mining. But there’s hope: Australia’s numbat, once on the brink, is rebounding thanks to predator control, proving conservation works. Yet, five other marsupials are gone forever, and the IUCN warns that protecting nature isn’t optional—it’s essential for our planet’s...

Opposition leader Angus Taylor is warning Australians that Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is a dangerous gamble, calling their platform “a column of smoke” and predicting a runaway inflation crisis if they win power. With polls showing One Nation surging ahead, Taylor blasts their trillion-dollar spending plans as unfunded and economically suicidal, promising cuts to pensions and Medicare that would...

When Telstra’s network crashed, plunging Australia into chaos with disrupted calls and emergency services offline, the opposition’s response was a disaster. Instead of holding the government to account, Angus Taylor’s team stumbled through a series of PR missteps — from a shadow minister admitting to testing triple zero (illegal unless it’s a real emergency), to a senator falsely claiming a death...

Australia and India are on the verge of finalizing a long-delayed uranium deal, a major milestone in their growing partnership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a high-profile three-day visit to Melbourne—drawing a crowd of 30,000 eager fans. Aussie PM Anthony Albanese praised Modi’s personal diplomacy and the energy of Indian-Australian communities, crediting their unity and business ties fo...

New flood maps reveal over 20,000 homes in Melbourne’s west and southwest now at risk—up to eight times more in Hobsons Bay alone—with Brimbank also doubling its vulnerable properties. Based on rare, heavy rainfall events, these updated models signal rising flood threats, especially by 2100. Residents in Hobsons Bay and Brimbank are urged to check their addresses online and share feedback before S...

A trainee surgeon secretly filmed hundreds of hospital patients in bathrooms across Melbourne hospitals, pleading guilty to 13 charges including stalking and producing intimate images — a shocking case that exposed thousands of private moments and led to his hospital ban and compulsory treatment. Listen in comfort: Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on D...

Jillian Segal, Australia’s antisemitism envoy, is demanding a new oversight body to ensure balanced coverage of Israel by the ABC and SBS, arguing that current complaint systems fail Jewish communities and that broadcasters often amplify anti-Israel voices while underreporting Israel’s actions. She cites specific reporting errors and biased sourcing as evidence, while the ABC defends its coverage,...

Indian PM Narendra Modi’s high-profile Melbourne visit is all about deepening trade, defense ties, and strategic alignment with Australia—complete with a massive public event and glowing praise from PM Albanese, who calls Modi a “living bridge” for reshaping regional economics. No Q&A, but plenty of high-stakes diplomacy and global partnership-building on the agenda. Listen in comfort: Get a disco...

A Melbourne man scaled the Bolte Bridge to paint a giant cartoon bird, sparking a nine-hour traffic jam and police standoff—then surrendered peacefully. Now, over 4,000 people are rallying to save “Pam the Bird,” calling it a beloved urban landmark and symbol of Melbourne’s creative soul. The artist, Jack Gibson-Burrell, faces 13 charges—including endangering life—and has a history of over 200 “Pa...

Melbourne’s waking up shrouded in thick, eerie fog—visibility so low it’s making skyscrapers vanish. This radiation fog, born from overnight cooling and moisture condensing, is causing real disruptions: one Bali-bound flight diverted, slick roads ahead, and drivers urged to slow down and space out. While relief’s on the way for northern suburbs in 2-3 hours, spots like Moorabbin and St Kilda may s...