Australia | DD News

February 12, 2026 10:29 AM

Instagram chief defends youth mental health decisions at trial

The top executive at Meta Platforms' Instagram defended the social media platform's choices around features that some company insiders called harmful to young users, at a trial on claims the app helped fuel a youth mental-health crisis. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, testified in Los Angeles as part of a trial on what plaintiffs call "social media addiction" in children and young adults. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is also expected to testify in the coming weeks. A California woman who bega...

January 22, 2026 3:05 PM

Three people shot dead in eastern Australia, town in lockdown

Three people have been killed in a shooting in the Australian state of New South Wales, police said on Thursday, with reports a gunman remained at large. Police said an operation was currently underway in the town of Lake Cargelligo, about 611 kilometres (379 miles) west of Sydney, and urged residents to stay indoors. Emergency services were called to the scene following reports of a shooting in the late afternoon. Two women and one man have died, and another man has been taken to hospital in...

January 20, 2026 3:29 PM

Sydney beaches close after three shark attacks in two days

Beaches in the north of Sydney remained closed on Tuesday after a shark bit a man in his 20s, the city's third shark attack in two days. Emergency services were called to a beach in Manly in the north of the city on Monday evening following reports a surfer had been bitten by a shark, New South Wales police said in a statement. He was treated for serious leg injuries and taken to hospital in a critical condition. All beaches in the Northern Beaches, a council area straddling the city's northe...

January 20, 2026 10:28 AM

Australia set to pass tougher gun control laws in response to Bondi mass shooting

Australia is poised to pass new laws to enable a national gun buyback and tighten background checks for gun licences in response to the country’s worst mass shooting in decades at a Jewish festival last month. The bill passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday by a vote of 96 to 45, despite being opposed by conservative lawmakers. It will now go to the Senate where it is expected to pass with the support of the Greens party. The December 14 attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people wa...

January 18, 2026 8:02 PM

Flash flooding eases in Australia’s largest city Sydney

Australian authorities on Sunday downgraded a flood alert for a suburb of the country's largest city Sydney, after residents were evacuated due to rising waters sparked by torrential rains. Flooding was "receding and no further significant rise in flood levels is expected," State Emergency Services said on Sunday afternoon, referring to the suburb of Narrabeen, a beachside area with a population of around 8,000. Residents and holidaymakers in the low-lying area of New South Wales capital Sydne...

January 15, 2026 6:35 PM

Australia social media ban hits 4.7 million teen accounts in first month

Social media companies have collectively deactivated nearly five million accounts belonging to Australian teenagers just a month after a world-first ban on under‑16s took effect, the country's internet regulator said, a sign the measure has had a swift and sweeping impact. The eSafety Commissioner said platforms had so far removed about 4.7 million accounts held by under-16s to comply with a law that went live on December 10. Some platforms had said they would start closing affected accounts ...

December 28, 2025 11:17 AM

Australian police arrest man following fatal stabbing in Sydney

Police in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) arrested a 47-year-old man on Sunday after a woman was found dead and another man was stabbed in Sydney’s northwest. NSW Police said in a statement that emergency services were called to a home just before 5:00 a.m. local time in Quakers Hill, a suburb about 40 km northwest of Sydney’s central business district, following reports of a disturbance. On arrival, officers found a man on the footpath suffering from stab wounds and a woman ...

December 15, 2025 11:50 AM

PM Modi condemns Sydney terror attack; Jaishankar speaks to Australian Foreign Minister, offers support

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday strongly condemned the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Australia that targeted people celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Strongly condemn the ghastly terrorist attack carried out today at Bondi Beach, Australia, targeting people celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. On behalf of the people of India, I extend my sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved one...

December 10, 2025 12:25 AM

Australia’s ban on social media access for under-16s takes effect

Australia has become the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook from midnight. Ten of the biggest platforms were ordered to block children from midnight on Wednesday (1300 GMT on Tuesday) or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million) under the new law, which drew criticism from major technology companies and free speech advocates, but was welcomed by parents and child ...

December 8, 2025 9:18 AM

Australian bushfires raze homes in two states; firefighter dies

An Australian firefighter was killed overnight after he was struck by a tree while trying to control a bushfire that had destroyed homes and burnt large swathes of bushland north of Sydney, authorities said on Monday. Emergency crews rushed to bushland near the rural town of Bulahdelah, 200 km (124 miles) north of Sydney, after reports that a tree had fallen on a man. The 59-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and died at the scene, officials said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the "terr...