Australia breached the Convention Against Torture by subjecting an Iranian man to offshore and prolonged detention, a UN committee has found.
The Australian government says it was not in control of offshore detention facilities in Papua New Guinea, despite funding the centres.
Iranian asylum seeker exposed to torture by Australia, UN finds. By Max Walden , ABC News
United Nations says man experienced ‘serious violence’ in detention but Australia argues it did not control PNG facilities.
Australia exposed an Iranian asylum seeker to torture and ill-treatment during his years in detention, a UN committee has found, amounting to a breach of international obligations.
Last week, a UN watchdog ruled that Australia violated the rights of asylum seekers arbitrarily detained on Nauru, in a warning to other countries intent on outsourcing asylum processing.
A spokesperson for the federal government said it was Australia’s “consistent position” that people in regional processing countries “do not engage our international obligations”.
Australia exposed Iranian asylum seeker to torture on Manus, UN says. By Caitlin Cassidy, The Guardian
Australia's population will grow by another four million people over the next decade despite falling migration and fertility rates.
The federal government's latest population statement predicts the current population of 27.5 million will grow to 31.5 million by the end of 2035. It's roughly 150,000 lower than projected in the previous population statement.
Australia's population is forecast to reach 28 million people in 2026 despite a drop in overseas migrants and a low birth rate.
The Centre for Population's 2025 Population Statement shows Australia's population growth is projected to slow to a record low of 1.3 per cent this year, down from 1.5 per cent last year.
The slow growth has been driven by a projected decrease in migrant arrivals and increase in migrant departures, according to the centre's projections.
Melbourne forecast to become the nation's most populous city, reaching 9.1 million by 2065-66, according to the projections.
A foreign national has had his visa cancelled and is facing deportation from Australia, amid claims of links to the "White Australia" movement.
The ABC understands the man is a UK national who has been living in Perth.
Over 12 years, SisterWorks says it has supported more than 3,500 women from 105 nationalities, offering tailored assistance based on each woman's skills, background and aspirations.
When a seat is damaged or stained, it is removed from circulation and sent to SisterWorks for a "multistep" repair process. Depending on the damage, the sisters replace the fabric and foam, and even comfort-test the seat until they are satisfied.
The rhetoric around refugees in Australia can be divisive.
But new research shows the majority of refugees are settling well in regional Australia, and providing a welome boost to country towns. …
The Karen community in Nhill has grown to around 300 people in just over a decade.
Research shows refugees settling in well to regions. Louise Miolin, ABC Listen
Elias is still technically employed by the Department of Home Affairs, but he hasn’t worked full-time since July 2021, when he walked out on his role in Operation Sovereign Borders following what he describes as “a significant probity breach” involving lucrative Home Affairs contracts in Nauru.
Life as a Home Affairs whistleblower: ‘I’m just falling over’. By Nick Feik, The Saturday Paper
A 24-year-old chef charged with helping three Chinese nationals, who arrived into Darwin illegally by boat, has been sentenced to home detention for his role in the operation.
The NT Supreme Court heard the trio were eventually caught and deported.
Australian people smuggling operation laid bare in NT Supreme Court. By Matt Garrick, ABC News
People from diverse backgrounds face several barriers that limit their participation in swimming and water safety education, both in their homelands and after coming to Australia.
They include restrictive cultural or religious attitudes to water activities, lack of access to water bodies or aquatic infrastructure, cost and transportation issues, a fear of water, the absence of community role models, or a sense of indifference to the value of knowing how to swim.
The reforms follow a federal review of migration laws sparked by the Bondi Beach massacre, which the government says will inform tighter rules and a more selective approach to arrivals.
While the permanent migration cap remains steady, stricter student visa rules and a more selectively targeted skilled stream will redefine the profile of new arrivals, supported by new digital tools designed to streamline compliance and application processing.
A hotline supporting refugees who have fled war, violence and persecution has received a funding boost after the Bondi terror attack. Those running the hotline service in New South Wales says the funding will allow it to extend its reach nationally, supporting refugees as they navigate the ongoing effects of complex trauma and triggers of what happened at Bondi.
Sima Samar, former Afghanistan vice-president and head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, is in exile but dreams of returning to the country she has helped rebuild once before.
“The international community has lost interest, has stopped paying attention,” Samar says. “There are conflicts all around the world, some very bad conflicts, but Afghanistan is also important … there is a moral responsibility to defend human rights everywhere.
“What is security when a woman is not safe to walk in the street? What is security if a girl cannot go to school? What is security if families have food for lunch but no food for dinner. There’s no human security.”
Racism has been described as the "elephant in the room" of the aged care industry, and one regional nursing home is tackling the problem head on.
Pope Leo decried conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon on Thursday, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service on the day Christians across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus.
The view west from Perth’s Kings Park looks out over the Swan River as it runs towards the Indian Ocean.
Far beyond the horizon lies Sri Lanka, where one desperate decision changed the course of Alex’s life, leading him to Australia – and ultimately to end it.
After 16 years trapped within Australia’s byzantine immigration system, most of that time incarcerated, shuttled between bleak detention centres in a confusing and capricious internment, Alex could abide no more.
A refugee community is using a traditional sport to stay connected to home and each other in Australia.
Sepak takraw is a popular South-East Asian sport similar to volleyball, except players cannot use their hands.
The community is welcoming new players to learn the sport and help it grow in Australia.
Karen community keeps traditional sport of sepak takraw alive and kicking in Bendigo. By Anna McGuinness, ABC News
People leave notes of support at Avner’s Bakery after the owner decided to close the store in the wake of the Bondi mass shooting.
A Jewish bakery in Sydney has closed – apparently for good – after the Bondi beach terror attack, with a message posted on the shop’s window saying it can no longer ensure the safety of its staff and customers.
Avner’s Bakery in Surry Hills, which is run by celebrity chef Ed Halmagyi, closed after Sunday’s massacre at a gathering to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukah.
…UNHCR’s legal mandate is now also complemented by its operational role in a range of displacement contexts, delivering life-saving assistance including shelter, food, water and basic household items, as well as support to access education and medical care. UNHCR works to ensure that sustainable, longer-term planning is embedded from the start of any emergency, while always ensuring that protection remains at the heart of its humanitarian response….
..On UNHCR’s 75th anniversary, the challenges are profound. One in every 70 people on Earth is displaced. Conflict, persecution, human rights abuses and the impacts of climate change and disasters are contributing to displacement at near-record levels. At the same time, some States are adopting ever-restrictive policies and processes to block access to their territory and undermine refugee rights.
Statement on UNHCR’s 75th Anniversary: Kaldor Centre and RCOA
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