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A mother has been arrested after two children were found dead in the New South Wales Blue Mountains on Tuesday afternoon.
The 42 year old mother remains under police guard in hospital, with detectives waiting to question her.
Police have declined to speculate on what had occurred before the 9 and 11 year old boys died, but they have confirmed they are not looking for any other parties.
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Youth groups say children will find it more difficult to access mental health support and express themselves if they are banned from social media.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced new legislation to be enforced by the end of the year setting a minimum age limit for social media use.
The government says the move is intended to create stronger protections for young people and improve mental health.
But Daniel Argues, the Director of the Queensland University of Technology's Digital Media Research Centre, says social media platforms like TikTok aren't all bad.
"And it's not just government, it's all parts of our society that really just, I think sometimes position used in a very negative and pejorative way that you think about the ways that TikTok is often framed. And this can happen in research as well, that it's perennially framed as this problematic social media platform. And that's not the experience of most youth and users of that platform. They find it incredibly positive. They are able to actually express themselves creatively, use it creatively as a platform."
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A state productivity commission has called for infrastructure spending to be re-directed to housing targets.
The New South Wales Productivity and Equality Commission report says the money being spent on massive projects like the Sydney Metro or Melbourne's northeast link would be more useful elsewhere.
The call has followed confirmation that every state and territory is behind on agreed housing targets.
Housing Minister Claire O'Neill says she doesn't agree that cutting back on infrastructure is the way to address that issue.
"What I would say is that we need to invest in the capacity of our construction sector, and we've got to support these amazing tradies around the country who are going to build all the homes that we need to get us out of the crisis."
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The federal government has released a new draft suicide prevention policy.
Tackling the root causes of distress, such as childhood abuse, alcohol and drug-related harm and intimate partner violence, are at the heart of the approach.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton says the policy will be supported by the Coalition.
"We all want to be positive about what the future holds but there is a lot of despair and a lot of reason for the angst that we hear, particularly from those service providers in our own electorates and from people who are trying to access services as young people. Let's be honest about that today as well. And I thank the Prime Minister for his words and for the actions the government's undertaking and we're keen to support all of those programs in whatever form they take."
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Experts say Australia needs to step up its diplomatic efforts to win hosting rights for the 2026 UN climate talks in the Pacific.
A report co-authored by the Climate Council and the Smart Energy Council has found that hosting the negotiations could be an economic boon for the host city.
But Richie Merzian from the Climate Council says for Australia to succeed, Turkiye needs to be convinced to drop out of the race.
"We would love to see the foreign minister, the PM, get on the phones, get on the blower, and make sure that Australia is all lined up and ready to go. Because the more time we have to prepare and use in the next two years, the better this opportunity can be both economically and diplomatically."
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Controversial politician Mark Latham has been ordered to pay thousands in damages over a social media post.
The federal court has ruled the post defamed independent MP Alex Greenwich.
Latham has been ordered to pay the MP $140,000 in damages.
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A demonstration outside a weapons expo in Melbourne has turned violent.
Victoria Police say they created a barricade outside the convention centre to make way for attendees to enter, but protesters flanked either side, hurling abuse and objects at those going in.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told Channel 7 the demonstrators have gone too far.
"People have a right to protest peacefully, but you don't say you are opposed to defence equipment by throwing things at police. They've got a job to do, and our police officers should be respected at all times."
