Latest National news
Obesity can shave eight years off life
Nicky Phillips 12:15 AM Being obese has the potential to reduce a person's life expectancy by up to 8 years and diminishes their number of healthy years by up to 19, international researchers have found.
Tony Abbott is the problem with the federal government
Peter Hartcher 12:15 AM Today's poll starkly identifies the people's problem with the Abbott Government. It's Tony Abbott.
Polish hero’s daughter became wartime pilot
9:06 PM Jadwiga Pilsudska-Jaraczewska, who has died aged 94, was a daughter of the pre-war Polish leader and military hero Marshal Jozef Pilsudski.
Defence fuel stations still need fixing two years on
Phillip Thomson 11:45 PM The problems have been on the agenda for years. But Austender reveals major work is only about to be started.
Public service clean, survey says, but corruption experts sceptical
Markus Mannheim 11:45 PM Just 2.6 per cent of public service staff witnessed a colleague engage in corrupt behaviour over the past year.
Rattled banks up the ante
Michael West 7:09 PM When it comes to reports to government there is a deep schism between recommendations and implementations.
Canberra's ghost building
Phillip Thomson 11:45 PM It is the public service office block nobody wants but costs taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Economy: Not good but not disastrous
Ross Gittins 12:15 AM Don't drop your bundle over the economy, it's a snail but that's all.
Don't ignore stay-at-home mums, MPs warn Prime Minister
Judith Ireland 4:58 PM Coalition MPs have welcomed Prime Minister Tony Abbott's move to water down his unpopular paid parental leave scheme, but have warned that he should not ignore support for stay-at-home mothers in the process.
Australian teachers being recruited to the UK to cope with "ghastly" shortage
Amy Mcneilage 4:36 PM Young Australians looking for jobs as teachers are increasingly being recruited to work in schools in Britain, where there is an acute shortage of qualified teachers.
Boss faces insolvent trading probe after transport company collapse
Nick Toscano 12:15 AM Former St Kilda football club president Greg Westaway is under investigation for insolvent trading.
Court of Appeal overturns $200,000 malicious prosecution claim by Sydney woman
Paul Bibby 1:39 PM The decision to award a Sydney woman more than $200,000 in damages after she was falsely accused of intending to kill her husband and held on remand for six months has been overturned by the state's highest court.
Release of ministerial travel costs could damage our international standing, government claims
Heath Aston, political correspondent 12:15 AM EXCLUSIVE
Can you work out which politician is sending which Xmas card?
Tim Barlass 12:04 PM Can you match the Australian politician in Ye Olde Fairfax Christmas Card quiz?
Abbott's Coalition 'not a happy family', say backbenchers
Jacqueline Maley 11:22 AM The Coalition is "not a happy family" and there is a "shitload of room for improvement" say government MPs.
The unprecedented immigration powers awarded to Scott Morrison
Adam Morton Asylum seekers will no longer have access to a legal challenge.
Police suspect Australians caught up in international drug networks
Phillip Wen, Rose Powell, Nick Ralston Kalynda Davis could have become embroiled in what police suspect is the work of sophisticated international drug trafficking syndicates.
Inquiry to outline blueprint for financial system; ASIC overhaul expected
Georgia Wilkins Tougher penalties for white collar criminals have been sought in the lead-up to the financial system inquiry.
MH17: All 38 Australian victims identified
Alana Schetzer The remains of all 38 Australian victims of doomed flight MH17 have been formally identified and the final remains are expected to be brought back to Australia in the coming weeks, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop announced.
Victorian springs to dry out, temperatures to rise as climate changes
Peter Hannam Victoria’s crucial spring rains will diminish, temperatures will rise and fire danger days will increase, according to climate projections.
Manus Island detainees on hunger strike, refugee advocates say
Alana Schetzer More than 250 asylum seekers are on a hunger strike on Manus Island over their frustration at being held in detention for the past 17 months and without being given any guarantee about their futures, refugee advocates say.
Kerr backs body scrub campaign
Tim Barlass Miranda Kerr has backed the campaign calling on cosmetic manufacturers to stop using tiny plastic beads in their products which are polluting Sydney Harbour.
Meet the $1.3 billion super woman
Julia Medew Bronwyn King knows the lethal power of tobacco better than most.
Historic indigenous collection in "severe and catastrophic state"
Matthew Raggatt Priceless footage of the world's longest continuing civilisation is in danger of being lost forever.
French railway to pay Holocaust survivors over deportations
Dan Bilefsky Survivors could receive up to $US100,000 each, while spouses or heirs could receive several tens of thousands of dollars.
Dumped Defence services staff owed thousands
Matthew Raggatt With Christmas looming redundant workers owed thousands are beginning to feel the pinch.
Twitter tackles terrible tweeters
Lisa Robinson Twitter takes steps to speed up its responses to requests to remove offensive tweets.
Iron ore's downturn puts WA in the doldrums
Tess Ingram Further job cuts are expected from Western Australia’s resources sector as the depressed iron ore price forces miners big and small to slash spending.
