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Two children have died in hospital almost three days after being found inside a burning house in Melbourne.
Police say the two girls died surrounded by family in the hospital.
A third child, a boy, remains in a critical condition.
Detectives from the arson and explosives squad are continuing to investigate the fire, including who was in the property at the time and just before the blaze.
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The bus driver responsible for a deadly crash in the New South Wales Hunter Valley has been sentenced to decades in jail.
Brett Button has been ordered to serve 32 years in prison, 24 of those without parole, for the deaths of ten people in the accident.
Newcastle District Court Judge Roy Ellis has said the 59 year old was clearly impaired by the opioid Tamerol and was driving too fast before the crash in June 2023.
Families of the ten people who died in the crash say they welcome the sentence.
But Leoni Bowey, whose sister Nadene McBride was killed - says it's also bittersweet.
"I don't think closure ever happens. Listening to stories within the court, you realise that many of the victims that were on the bus that night are all living with trauma, depression, anxiety, those other things that will live with for the rest of our lives."
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A group of soldiers who held command positions in the Afghanistan war have been stripped of their awards after a war crimes investigation.
The action does not apply to soldiers who have been directly accused of war crimes, rather it targets those in the chain of command at troop, squadron and task group level.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has not confirmed how many people are affected by the decision, but he says it's fewer than 10 that have lost their medals and citations.
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Ten culturally significant Indigenous artefacts are returning to Australia from the United Kingdom.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens is returning the items to the Warumungu community from Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory.
The items include a water carrier, a pick, knives, a sheath, an axe, boomerangs and a spear thrower.
Gordon Seabright from the Museum says he's been honoured to facilitate the return, and learn more about the significance of the objects.
"Our friends from the Warumungu community were kind enough to take time with the Horniman team of staff and volunteers and explain more about the objects and how they were used. And it was an absolute eye-opener for us. It's funny, we've been looking after these things for a long time. It was so good learning more about what they were for but also how much they mean to the community they were taken from."
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Victoria Police say they are ready for a third day of demonstrations by anti-war protesters outside a major weapons convention in Melbourne.
Police have been out in force again since early Thursday morning, maintaining no-go lines near the convention centre.
Some activists are alleged to have set alight wheelie bins and threw them at police barricades on Wednesday.
42 people have already been arrested and charged with arson, assault, hindering and obstructing police, and blocking roads.
Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton has warned they will hold troublemakers to account.
"If you wish to come and protest, do so peacefully. We will not tolerate criminal behaviour. We will take action as we have done."
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Legislation to boost childcare workers wages by 15 per cent across the next two years will be introduced to parliament today.
The wage boost is dependent on centres not increasing their fees by more than 4.4 per cent over the next year.
Education Minister Jason Clare says the increase will reflect the true value of workers in the sector.
"Our early educators do some of the most important work in this country, but you wouldn't know from what they're paid. And that changes with this legislation that we'll introduce today."
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Tasmania has become the last state in Australia to pass industrial manslaughter laws.
The bill was put forward by Labor, with Opposition Leader Dean Winter saying it sends a clear message to employers.
The state's Liberal minority government opposed the legislation because it says Tasmania is "well served" by existing criminal laws.
