Latest National news
Mexico confirms burnt remains are missing Australian surfers
10:07 PM A Mexican official on Monday identified charred bodies found in a camper van as two Australian surfers missing since last month in a state infamous for narcotics gangs.
Canberra cops MYEFO capital punishment
![Treasurer Scott Morrison says he has been careful to steer clear of "extreme responses" as he unveils the mid-year outlook.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/o/6/a/w/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnxdx.png/1450180107823.jpg)
Noel Towell 9:52 PM Treasurer avoids extreme responses, but capital feels pain.
Students may pay tens of thousands as Phoenix goes to court
![ACN chief executve Ivan Brown.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/t/l/5/e/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glo75o.png/1450174548623.jpg)
Michael Bachelard 9:15 PM Ivan Brown, the chief executive of Melbourne's Phoenix Institute, has taken the Turnbull government to the Federal Court in the first legal challenge to its attempts to rein in the scandal-plagued industry.
Want to know if you'll live to be 100? The answer may be in your genes
![Illustration: Simon Letch](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/o/e/d/5/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gloe2b.png/1450175958289.jpg)
Marlene Cimons 9:15 PM Scientists say exceptional longevity probably has a genetic component - but a healthy lifestyle helps.
Girl power reigns supreme in HSC
![Mala Rigby, Grace Parker, and Claudia Nielsen came first in HSC subjects and received their awards at Australian Technology Park in Sydney.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/o/3/j/r/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnzhn.png/1450174517046.jpg)
Alexandra Smith 9:15 PM Girls have topped the state in agriculture, primary industries and automotive studies as well as English and history.
Public schools, independents share honours
![Sophia Berlyn came first in Music and Luke Glendenning came first in Environmental Science.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/o/3/h/7/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glo2oe.png/1450174357153.jpg)
Eryk Bagshaw 9:12 PM Public and independent school students have shared the honours at the HSC First in Course awards.
Girl in suitcase: Man charged with murder of Khandalyce Pearce
![Daniel James Holdom](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/l/z/w/q/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnnik.png/1450150221503.jpg)
Ava Benny-Morrison 9:12 PM Homicide detectives have charged a man with the murder of a two-year-old girl.
'Poorly' Cardinal George Pell weighed down with worry over questioning
![Cardinal Pell's appearance at the child abuse royal commission has been deferred.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/n/h/d/u/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnvbc.png/1450151955843.jpg)
Jane Lee 9:11 PM Cardinal's fears about appearing before the royal commission may be contributing to his ill health, his former housemate says.
Leading a country takes years off your life, study suggests
![Former US President Bill Clinton admitted weakness for fast food may have resulted in "stress eating".](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/o/d/u/g/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glodsp.png/1450171586056.jpg)
8:26 PM Leading a country comes with extraordinary privileges but also, apparently, a price: new research suggests heads of state age faster.
Turnbull introduces 'co-payment by stealth': doctors
![RADIOLOGY AFR 060922
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Julia Medew 8:07 PM Many Australians will face a new "co-payment by stealth" for pathology and diagnostic imaging tests because the Turnbull government is slashing its health budget by more than $650 million, doctors say.
Cash's public servants vote no to pay offer – but it's close
![Public Service Minister Michaelia Cash: Her Employment Department has rejected a pay offer for a second time.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/t/p/n/3/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnsy3.png/1450147105579.jpg)
Noel Towell 7:28 PM Four thousand public servants at Employment and Environment Departments vote no.
Year 11 boys share the top honours in mathematics
![Aidin Karahasan was one of four students who came first in mathematics.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/o/3/i/t/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glo8lg.png/1450165648857.jpg)
Alexandra Smith 6:47 PM For four mathematics whizzes, it would seem nothing could separate them when it came to securing the top spot in this year's first in course awards.
Former Ballarat bishop 'profoundly sorry' for moving suspect priests to new parishes
![Ronald Mulkearns was the bishop of Ballarat between 1971 and 1997.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/c/h/g/8/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnqxc.png/1450164075104.jpg)
Jane Lee 6:21 PM Ronald Mulkearns 'struggles to sleep' over his part in the child abuse scandal, one of his former advisers has told a royal commission.
'When the shots rang out I knew Tori's life had ended'
![Tori Johnson.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/0/u/g/n/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glo3h2.png/1450161566599.jpg)
Ken Johnson 5:39 PM On the first anniversary of my son Tori's passing my feelings of great loss have been amplified.
Caught on camera: scorned partner spraypaints ute in Tasmania
![The spraypainted car spotted in Launceston was posted to Facebook page 'Dash Cam Owners Australia' on Monday.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/o/7/p/g/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glo7sv.png/1450160761630.jpg)
5:37 PM A Tasmanian cheater got more than they bargained for, after their scorned partner gave their ute a new paint job.
Centrelink apologises for web welfare shut-down
![A screenshot of the Centrelink website.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/o/4/4/b/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnyg2.png/1450157910042.png)
Noel Towell 5:10 PM Centrelink clients around Australia are furious over missing payments.
Just some of the dumb things people said and did in 2015
![Shut it down: Mark Latham's Twitter account attacking women was one of many stupid things that happened in 2015.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/j/h/t/s/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glj6br.png/1450161132000.jpg)
Tom Cowie 4:28 PM What a dumb year it has been. Has it been the dumbest ever? There's plenty to suggest that's the case. Let's take a look at some of the evidence for the prosecution.
Calvary failed to disclose cost information to patients
![Calvary Private Hospital has agreed to provide patients with more information relating to potential out-of-pocket costs.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/1/0/a/l/o/5/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnmne.png/1450180706223.jpg)
Alexandra Back 2:46 PM Calvary Private Hospital failed to give patients sufficient information, leading some to experience "bill shock".
Doctors use Star Wars to detect disturbances in the bowel
![scene from star wars: episode II - the attack of the clones
yoda](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/n/r/0/0/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnpux.png/1450155342721.jpg)
Craig Butt 2:03 PM A short time ago, in a hospital not too far away from Melbourne, a group of doctors found they were better at picking up on the signs of bowel cancer while they were listening to music from Star Wars.
You think AFL coaches face pressure: what about school principals?
![Pitsa Binnion, principal of McKinnnon Secondary College, oversees one of the state's most high-achieving non-selective state schools.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/n/g/8/f/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glng4h.png/1450174371043.jpg)
Tate Papworth 6:00 PM Being a high-achieving non-selective state school produces high demand for places and a lot of pressure to keep improving results. Meet Pitsa Binnion, principal of the highly sought-after McKinnon Secondary College.
Bishop accused of not being 'candid', lacking 'compassion'
![Justice Peter McClellan at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/6/6/7/b/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glnd66.png/1450101399972.jpg)
Jane Lee 12:56 AM A Catholic bishop has been accused of being untruthful to a royal commission in order to protect himself and the church from criticism over their handling of child sexual abuse allegations.
APS spends $10 billion on consultants
![New figures reveal procurement spending by the Australian Public Service has soared.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/j/u/4/r/x/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gln4lj.png/1450129824785.jpg)
Noel Towell More than $10 billion has been spent on "management and business professionals" as thousands of public servants have been shown the door.
Former HSC art and English winners now rising stars in field of science
![High achievers: Former HSC students Emma Watson and Vicky Stanojevic in the science lab at Sydney University.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/m/z/s/6/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glhmzj.png/1450087158637.jpg)
Eryk Bagshaw Three former HSC high-achievers in arts and english are now rising stars in the world of science as thousands of students await their results this week.
Nuclear fusion breakthrough opens door to clean, cheap and safe energy
![Nuclear fusion experiments like this one may soon give rise to commercial reactors.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/i/m/l/u/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gln6bi.png/1450124726838.jpg)
Peter Spinks Powering our planet using the kind of energy produced by the sun is a dream that may come true sooner than expected.
Federal politicians to join the Uber revolution
![A ministerial circular has confirmed that Uber cars are an official mode of transport, but only in the ACT.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/g/v/z/f/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gln08j.png/1450087913473.jpg)
Noel Towell 11:30 PM MPs and Senators now free to bill Uber rides to the taxpayer, but there's a catch
Tasmanian police catch 12-year-old girl driving at 122km/h
![Police say somebody doing 122km/h at 12 years of age is 'just unbelievable'.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/n/6/x/d/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gln71y.png/1450072097600.jpg)
Driver of speeding car told police she was 16. Then they asked a few questions. It turns out she was a bit younger.
The frightening epidemic affecting one in three Australians
![John Hatty has had a liver transplant after suffering from fatty liver disease. He sees the big scar on his tummy as 'L' for love....love for the life he now gets to lead and love for the donor he gave him a new liver. He's at the Austin hospital starting his new weights program. Photo: PENNY STEPHENS. The Age. 9TH NOVEMBER 2015](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/m/8/w/m/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glmgbw.png/1450056711879.jpg)
Julia Medew For years, John Hatty was a senior businessman travelling the world. The former scientist's job with a mining company took him to many fine restaurants where he would consume what he now calls his 'three enemies' - sugar, salt and fat.
NCA expects Parliament expansion sooner rather than later
![The National Capital Authority expects changes to increase the capacity of Parliament House.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/z/r/d/0/u/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.gll48e.png/1450011554202.jpg)
Tom McIlroy Overcrowding and demand for parking at Parliament House will see the building expanded much earlier than planned.
NT embraces Chinese chief as 'honorary Territorian'
![Chinese billionaire Ye Cheng and NT Chief Minister Adam Giles express their mateship.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/m/b/u/a/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glminp.png/1449995002192.jpg)
Philip Wen The rest of Australia and even the US might not feel the same way about selling out a strategically crucial port to the Chinese, but the Northern Territory's Chief Minister is lauding the Landbridge Group's leadership as "a good friend, a brother and a good partner".
Former South Australian Premier John Bannon dies
![John Bannon, pictured here in 2006.](/web/20151215120144im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/m/i/y/d/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glmisb.png/1450058765023.jpg)
Former South Australian Premier John Bannon has died, aged 72.