A single image can turn the world upside and tank a career — as politicians and artists know
What happened? Future historians might puzzle over this seismic shift in sentiment at the top of Australia's foremost public arts funding body.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-19/creative-australia-venice-biennale-khaled-sabsabi/104952110
It was the rate cut he wanted but Jim Chalmers knew not to smile
Treasurer Jim Chalmers was quick to speak after the Reserve Bank cut rates. As welcome as the news might have been, he knew he couldn't be seen smiling.
Principal bans e-scooters from school grounds after near miss with car
Sunshine Coast students are being told to park their transport devices off-site, and discouraged from using them at all, after an underage rider narrowly avoided a crash.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/sunshine-coast-primary-school-escooter-parking-ban/104949594
Man charged with negligent driving after fatal crash near Orange
Police allege a New South Wales man breached an apprehended domestic violence order and drove negligently when he went over an embankment and smashed into a tree, killing his female passenger.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/lake-canboloas-fatal-crash-breach-advo-orange-nsw/104949272
Peak Muslim groups decry 'selective outrage' over Sydney nurses
A number of Muslim groups have signed an open letter condemning both the comments made by two Sydney nurses about treating Israeli patients, as well as the subsequent response.
Tigers confirm fractured jaw for top draft pick Lalor after preseason match collision
Richmond's top draft pick Sam Lalor will race the clock to be fit for round one after suffering a fractured jaw in the Tigers' preseason match against West Coast.
Students search for design solutions to heat issues in new subject
About 900 students at public schools in Western Sydney will learn about the impacts of climate change and urban heat island effects in a new program run by Powerhouse Parramatta.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/western-sydney-subjects-to-learn-urban-heat-subject/104945006
Harrison Ford is a Trump-coded president in the new Captain America
Rather than seizing upon a new Captain America as a fresh slate, Brave New World feels more like an MCU greatest-hits playlist to remind audiences of how much they enjoyed previous films.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/captain-america-brave-new-world/104946352
RBA delivers an interest rate cut. Just don't expect too many more
Rate cuts are like cockroaches: there's rarely just one. But the RBA board has warned households and financial markets not to expect an infestation.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/reserve-bank-interest-rate-reasoning-analysis-rba/104949910
Police offer $500k reward in beloved grandfather murder investigation
Detectives are determined to find the killer of a Coffs Harbour grandfather who had fallen on hard times.
World's fastest waterski race becomes boat race amid sporting suspension
The Mildura 100 waterski race cannot go ahead as normal this year due to a suspension following four deaths in the sport across an eight month period last year.
BHP records 23pc fall in first-half profit but expects a recovery in copper and steel demand
BHP has reported a 23 per cent fall in first-half profit, but the miner says demand for key commodities should improve.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/bhp-suffers-23-per-cent-fall-in-first-half-profit/104949316
Understanding 'time confetti' and how it's stealing your downtime
Ever feel like your downtime is constantly interrupted by other tasks niggling away at you? Frequently jumping from task to task is called time confetti, and while it might sound cute, it isn't great for productivity or our wellbeing.
Bob Brown Foundation and Huon salmon at odds over 'material' washed up on beach
Something has washed up on a Tasmanian beach over the weekend. The Bob Brown Foundation has sounded alarm bells but the salmon farming company it is targeting is reassuring locals there is nothing to worry about.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/verona-sands-bob-brown-foundation-huon-salmon-row/104947624
Project to give homeless a safe sleeping space runs out of money
Fundraisers feel ripped off after backing the Sleepbus charity that they thought would deliver buses and give homeless people a decent night's sleep.
Deep-sea sponge trial nurseries hope to rescue ocean ecosystems
Marine biologists will drop 120 tonnes of rubble onto the sea floor off the coast of south-west Victoria to grow new sponge nurseries which act as the forests of the sea.
Why the Reserve Bank has little option but to cut interest rates
After more than six months of on-again off-again signals, interest rates are about to start a descent. But even with inflation on the mend, the cost-of-living crisis is nowhere near being solved.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/why-the-rba-has-little-option-but-to-cut-rates/104947520
'Quite shocking': Education experts sound alarm over worst ever civics scores
National test results show just 28 per cent of Year 10 students are proficient in civics.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/civic-education-curriculum-assessment-students/104946138
Timor-Leste calls $523m Australian lawsuit 'major fraud'
A high-stakes legal battle spanning nearly a decade sees Australian energy company Lighthouse Corporation suing Timor-Leste for $523 million, while the nation hits back with explosive fraud allegations.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-18/australian-energy-company-sues-timorleste/104921504
Households slash power bills by turning into modern power plants
Households are handing over control of their solar systems in exchange for equipment. Experts believe virtual power plants could play a vital part in our future energy system as the grid struggles to cope with excess solar.