Australia will honour a multi-million dollar pay-off promised to Papua New Guinea to settle unwanted refugees - despite PNG moving to shut down the Manus Island detention camp.

It was more than a century in the making, so it was probably fitting the first train to depart Kippa-Ring Station on the new Redcliffe Peninsula Rail Line was 20 minutes late.

Labor has not given up its fight for a royal commission into the nation's banking sector, as the Big Four prepare to face the first of what Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised will be an annual accounting of their actions.

The storm – both real and political – continues to rage over South Australia, with Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg admitting initial inquiries had found renewable energy was not to blame for the statewide blackout, while refusing to back down from attacks on "aggressive" state Labor renewable energy targets.

When an employer reported David Evers to Centrelink, saying he had failed to show up for work, his welfare payments were swiftly cut.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said "all trust has broken down" between the United States and Russia over Syria.

Kevin Rudd has said another country offered to nominate him for the top job at the United Nations after the Turnbull government knocked back his bid.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has flagged the possibility of a "Lockerbie-style" international prosecution to bring the perpetrators of the downing of flight MH17 to justice.

There is no reason Australia can't have energy security and a network increasingly reliant on renewables, energy experts say, as the Federal Government steps up its attacks on Labor state governments' "aggressive" targets.

Turnbull government MP Stuart Robert has close ties to an African church that supports harsh anti-gay laws and is run by a man described as "one of the most homophobic people in the world".

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EXCLUSIVE: Data reveals some wealthy schools are over-funded by up to $7 million a year while many others remain significantly underfunded.

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President urges board members to delete an email in which he promises to be "ruthless in looking after the team" following an audit.

Clean energy providers, including market giant AGL, have called for more certainty in government policy amid warnings the fight over renewables between the Turnbull Government and Labor states will drive investment out of Australia.

A 35-day delay to ship capping technology to Australia in the event of a major oil spill has prompted warnings the Great Australian Bight could suffer an environmental disaster to rival the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's army of spin doctors and communications staff is costing taxpayers more than $8 million a year.

Bill Shorten is talking up the underdog. Malcolm Turnbull is quietly confident of victory. Sound familiar? It's footy finals season in Parliament House.

Victorian Premier has slammed Malcolm Turnbull for promulgating "ignorant rubbish" in the energy debate.

Australia has selected US defence company Lockheed Martin Corp as its preferred bidder to supply the combat system for its new fleet of submarines.

The 'irresponsible' trip could have led to his capture by the so-called Islamic State, Ms Bishop said.

Australia must embrace immigration, trade and foreign investment - or risk the prosperity of future generations, according to Treasurer Scott Morrison.

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The NSW bid to host Prince Harry's Invictus Games for wounded veterans has so far failed to attract a pledge of financial help from the state branch of the RSL, forcing the government to seek contributions from individual local branches instead.

Constant budget cuts, known as efficiency dividends, are wrecking galleries and museums, according to the directors of Australia's major cultural institutions.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has put Australia's renewable energy mix up for discussion as a political storm unleashed by the blackout in South Australia forced experts to insist the statewide electricity failure had "absolutely nothing" to do with that state's heavy reliance on wind power.

NBN dumps plan less than a year after vigorously denying reports the network it purchased from Optus was in a dire state.

Breaking years of silence about his ordeal, Marcus Lee has waded into growing questions over Turnbull government MP.

Sussan Ley has apologised to doctors over the accidental leaking of sensitive Medicare data.

Labor is calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to sack embattled Coalition MP Stuart Robert from a committee position that pays him an extra $30,000 a year amid controversy over his links to property developers.

The Turnbull government has celebrated hitting its target for getting women on government boards, but one minister - who should know better - is lagging...

Tony Abbott says Vladimir Putin is "heavily responsible, if not personally guilty" for the deaths of 38 Australians.