Ice hockey is an ‘underground sport’ in Australia but Heated Rivalry and word of mouth are helping pique interest among children and young adults

**In short: **

Tropical Cyclone Koji is approaching the north Queensland coast.

It is expected to make landfall within hours, according to forecasts.

**What's next: **

Forecaster Angus Hines says heavy rainfall is expected to be the focal point with several flood warnings in place.

In short:

The construction of a large concrete wall at a waterfront redevelopment on Tasmania's west coast has upset locals who say it blocks views of Macquarie Harbour and affects traffic.

A community meeting has been held for the council to hear concerns from residents.

What's next?

West Coast Council says it has agreed to look at options, including potentially reducing the wall's height, with a report to be presented at the next council meeting.

Victoria Police have revoked a controversial decision to declare Melbourne's CBD a "designated area", days before a Federal Court challenge to the declaration was due to be heard.

Nearly a dozen former leaders of the Adelaide Festival are calling for Randa Abdel-Fattah to be reinvited to Writers' Week, adding to a mounting crisis over the Palestinian-Australian author's exclusion from the literary festival.

Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah has been dropped from the Adelaide Writers' Week line-up by the Adelaide Festival Board, citing the festival's role in "promoting community cohesion".

Police say 49-year-old man in Springfield on Central Coast tried to stab an officer before being shot

The Melbourne Palestine movement is taking the streets this Sunday, 12pm at the State Library, to protest the federal government’s decision to invite the Israeli president to visit Australia, to demand an end to the Gaza genocide and occupation of the West Bank, and to defend our right to protest.

Nine in 10 families are worried about price of back-to-school essentials as inflation continues to bite, research has found

Some good news for once

Nationals leader David Littleproud warns against prolonged Iraq-style operation in Venezuela as Greens senator David Shoebridge raises concern about Trump’s intervention

The Australian government says it is waiting for the US to “set out the facts” on the operation to capture the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, before passing judgment.

Parts of Victoria and SA could expect highs of 46 or 47C, with winds bringing bushfire danger later in week

Coal and gas have finally been eclipsed by renewable energy as wind and solar tip in half the power to Australia's electricity grid

What started as a chance discovery of an old photo at a Dallas antique store has spawned a collection of more than 4,000 images of male couples, more than 100 of which are now on display in Canberra.

Manufacturing workers union wants capital gains tax discount to be reduced and then phased out and an effective end to negative gearing

State opposition leader says inquiry established ‘with no notice, no public hearings and an impossibly short deadline’

Since the Bondi massacre, the right-wing press has been saturated with vile slanders against the Palestine solidarity movement. We have to push back and keep protesting for Gaza.

Jean Lee and her two co-accused were executed for murder in 1950. Handwritten letters from the trio are among items publicly available for the first time since their trial captured the nation's attention.

With bells tinkling, tails flicking, and panniers packed to the brim, adventurer Stella Thurbon has spent 26 days winding through the Victorian High Country with nine goats trotting faithfully behind her.

In short:

Moderate to major flood warnings remain in place for much of north and north-west Queensland, where communities have been cut off and dozens of roads have been closed.

It comes after a man was found dead in his submerged vehicle in the outback town of Normanton on Tuesday.

**What's next? **

Graziers are waiting for the rain to ease so they can assess livestock losses.

The rush to power data centres with semi-abandoned renewable energy projects will lead to worse decarbonisation outcomes for Australia.

Large crowds of tourists gather daily at the bottom of trees home to koalas in Byron Bay, leaving the animals stressed and their habitat trampled.

In short:

The ABC can reveal the ACMA changed a draft media statement announcing action against Sportsbet after lobbying from the gambling giant.

The communications regulator maintains the changes did not "diminish" the final statement "in any way".

The ACMA has been under increasing pressure over a perception it is too close to the companies it regulates.