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Kids in space: a Melbourne primary school puts an astronaut in the hot seat

John Elder 3:05 PM There is a famous scene from The Right Stuff, the movie about the first astronauts, where the entire world sits on the edge of its seat, waiting for word from John Glenn on his overheated re-entry to Earth, NASA control calling to him, time and again. Everybody waiting.

Magnitude 5.9 earthquake recorded in central Australia

Rachel Olding 7:54 AM A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck central Australia early on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Welcome to the autumn of the future

Peter Hannam 5:45 AM Tired of the seemingly endless bushfire haze over the city? Better get used to it.

Downer flags 'freer movement' for Australians emigrating to Britain

Latika Bourke 3:53 AM Australia's High Commissioner to Britain says Australians should be able to travel freely to the United Kingdom, in comments that will be interpreted as veiled support for those campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union.

I don't trust ABS with my personal data: ex-ABS staffer

Noel Towell 10:47 PM Ex Bureau of Statistics public servant would 'love' to be taken to court for not completing Census

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Unaoil fixer paid bribes under nose of FBI

Jessica Schulberg, Nick McKenzie, Richard Baker, Michael Bachelard 9:05 PM A middleman who received millions of dollars from Unaoil — a Monaco-based firm now at the center of an international bribery scandal — in return for improperly influencing officials in U.S.-occupied Iraq was also operating businesses in America. He did all this under the nose of the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI — for years, without getting caught.

Weight gain between pregnancies can impact babies

Katie Burgess 8:46 PM Women who gain weight between pregnancies could be putting their babies at risk, an Australian-first study has revealed.

Big-name hotels shortchanging staff

Anna Patty 5:37 PM Three major 4- and 5-star hotel chains in Sydney, Melbourne an Brisbane have been found to be short-changing their housekeeping staff.

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Barnaby Joyce faces the reality of climate change

10:00 AM It is the moment deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, a renowned climate change sceptic, confronted the reality of global warming.

Public servants both offenders and victims, report finds

Noel Towell Report finds Canberra bureaucrats have 'homicide victims and perpetrators' of family violence.

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Lyle Shelton from The Australian Christian Lobby responds to questions on marriage equality

Jill Stark What is the Australian Christian Lobby's opposition to same-sex marriage based on? Are you only opposed to the proposition of equal marriage or is the opposition to equality under the law for LGBTI people in general?

David van Gend from The Australian Marriage Forum responds to questions on marriage equality

Jill Stark What is Australian Marriage Forum's opposition to same-sex marriage based on?

Sydney Uni cracks down on colleges

Eryk Bagshaw A joint task force is being set up to tackle the culture of the university's residential colleges.

Macca's pay: Work with the lot, hold the penalties

Nick Toscano A Fairfax Media investigation has examined hundreds of payslips from McDonald's staff Australia-wide and a leaked roster of one entire store

National Archives of Australia staff off to Cuba to restore historic documents

Most travel packing includes a little sunscreen, perhaps, or the latest novel, but for two Canberra conservators, their luggage to Cuba will contain a little more interesting items.

Children's Panadol batches recalled

Jane Lee Children's Panadol is being pulled from shelves, with the national drug regulator warning batches contaminated with invisible fibres could prompt allergic reactions.

Hospital on superbug alert

Julia Medew St Vincent's Hospital is screening patients for a superbug that can kill up to half the people it infects after the bacteria was discovered in an elderly patient who had surgery there six months ago.

Fresh domestic violence dispute breaks out in public service

Noel Towell Trouble flares again over public servants and domestic violence.

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Why the vice-chancellor had to act

Eryk Bagshaw Sandwiched between abhorrent college traditions and the social norms of 21st century, Michael Spence had to act.

Australia's spending on healthcare unsustainable, futurist says

David Ellery The future can be excellent but only if we choose to make it so CSIRO seer tells medical conference.

Dirty little secret of the penalty rates debate

Ben Schneiders You would assume that those who work for the country's largest employers, under union agreements, would be paid proper, award rates. Not necessarily so. Not so.

What to do when a woman's waters break

Harriet Alexander A new study has challenged conventional thinking about when to induce babies.

Chiropractors allegedly caught sneaking into hospitals to treat babies

Kate Aubusson and Rania Spooner "She said the chiro had to sneak in like some sort of criminal and pretend to be a visitor because the hospital won't let her do her work."

Tax cuts will make up for Medicare freeze: Morrison

Fergus Hunter Treasurer Scott Morrison has dismissed criticism of the continued freeze on Medicare rebates, suggesting that doctors would be compensated by the government's centrepiece company tax cuts.

'Catch yas later' teen said, then ran, leaving mum-to-be dead in horror Hobart smash

Adam Langenberg 16-year-old pleads guilty over death of pregnant woman killed after stolen 4WD he was driving at 110km/h ran a red light and ploughed into her car.

Supporters stay seated as 'Tinnie Terror' accused face Melbourne court

Tammy Mills Relatives and friends of five men charged over their intention to sail to Indonesia before heading on to Syria to fight for Islamic State refused to stand for the magistrate hearing the case in a Melbourne court.