Australia will expand its Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listing for pembrolizumab on September 1, 2026, adding three cancer indications. The government expects about 700 people a year to benefit, but access will depend on the Australian scheme's prescribing conditions.
The Pacific Islands Forum ended its Palau summit on September 3 with a call for at least 24 hours’ notice before intercontinental ballistic missile tests. The communiqué did not name China, Nauru dissented from the paragraph and Kiribati did not attend the leaders’ retreat.
Australian police charged Russian-Australian dual citizen Vladimir Teslov on August 21, 2026, with attempting to engage in intentional foreign interference. They allege he joined Ukraine’s armed forces to obtain military information for people he believed were linked to Russian intelligence; the charge carries a 20-year maximum penalty.
Australian National University researchers told a federal royal commission on August 17 that social media can circulate distrust, polarization and extremist narratives. Their polling linked trust in social media to weaker support for democracy but could not establish which caused which.
Mastercard said a scheduled system update caused transaction declines on August 15, 2026, as shoppers across Australia reported payment failures. The available public statement did not identify the countries, issuers or transaction volume affected.
Australian Attorney-General Michelle Rowland granted former army lawyer David McBride parole on August 13, 2026, after he served 27 months for taking and sharing classified military files. He remains under community supervision for the balance of a five-year, eight-month sentence.
South Australia announced on August 10, 2026, that a three-member royal commission into artificial intelligence is expected to begin October 1, 2026, and report by July 1, 2027. The state inquiry can compel testimony and documents, but its terms of reference and commissioners have not been published.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating an August 9 taxiway near miss between a Jetstar Airbus A320 and a towed Qatar Airways Boeing 777 at Sydney Airport. One cabin crew member sustained a minor injury, while separate roster constraints had already forced flight-spacing measures and delays.
Australia's proposed gambling-ad restrictions were awaiting an August 17 Senate committee report after opponents demanded tougher limits. The bill caps television ads through the early evening but stops short of the comprehensive ban proposed by a 2023 parliamentary inquiry.
Australian researchers found the body ratios of four Fashionista Barbie dolls were closer to a young-adult reference group than those of the original doll. A newer Ken had more realistic individual girths, but most of his body ratios remained outside the reference range.
Australian police and corrections officials told a federal royal commission on August 7 that referrals involving online extremist content had risen over the previous three years. They described cases shaped by overseas conflicts, economic hardship and combinations of otherwise opposed ideologies.
More than 20,000 people had signed a petition by August 6 urging Kmart to withdraw its sold-out Anko camera glasses in Australia. The A$89 device can record hands-free, while its small indicator may give bystanders little practical notice.
Victoria's lower house passed a bill on July 30 that would give eligible employees a right to work from home for up to two days a week where reasonable. The measure still needs approval from the Australian state's upper house before its proposed September 1 start.
Australia’s H5 bird flu tally reached 220 confirmed or presumed-positive detections on August 9, all outside poultry and agricultural production. A mass mortality event among greater crested terns in South Australia shows why the number of positive samples does not capture the outbreak’s full toll.
Australia's Fair Work Commission awarded aircraft engineer Mohammad Israfel Khan more than A$40,000 on August 3 after finding his dismissal by Heston MRO unfair. The tribunal rejected reinstatement because his undisclosed work for Virgin Australia had damaged the employment relationship.
Australia and Fiji signed the Ocean of Peace Alliance in Suva on July 6, creating Fiji's first formal alliance and Australia's fourth. The treaty calls for action against a common danger after an armed attack in the Pacific, but each country retains its domestic decision-making process.
Australia’s antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal appeared before a federal royal commission on July 30 as it examined education and training responses to hate. Her plan spans age-appropriate school lessons, professional development and scrutiny of universities, while the commission’s final recommendations remain pending.
Australia's communications regulator sued Optus Mobile on July 30 over 1,005 alleged emergency-call rule breaches during a September 2025 outage. An Optus-commissioned review found that 455 of 605 affected callers did not connect during the 14-hour failure.
Victorian ministers Harriet Shing and Lily D'Ambrosio said on July 30 that they would leave the cabinet and retire at the November state election. Their departures gave new Premier Ben Carroll two vacancies as he prepared to reorganize his frontbench.
