Australia

The killer of Ethan Hoac — who was murdered in an unprovoked attack in Melbourne's north-west in 2023 — is sentenced to more than a decade behind bars for a crime labelled "appalling" and "vicious".

A road rage attack in which a motorcyclist rode a P-plater's bonnet all the way to a police station costs him his licence for eight months.

A judge rules in favour of Mr Lehrmann, who has been seeking a full copy of the woman's phone for several months.

In short:

A man with schizophrenia who set a Melbourne synagogue alight in July will be released from jail after months in solitary confinement.

Angelo Loras pleaded guilty to recklessly placing people at risk of death and arson following the fire at the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation synagogue.

What's next?

Loras will be sentenced to time already served in prison, and a community corrections order requiring him to continue medical treatment.

Health ministers are furious with a letter from the prime minister demanding they rein in spending if they want a public hospital funding deal honoured.

More than 750 people have been charged under Operation Amarok XII, though support services say they are desperate for funding to match this police response.

Artificial intelligence is to be embedded across the Australian Public Service as the Federal Government seeks to tap into the full potential of the technology to help it run the country.

Every government agency will have an SES-level chief AI officer by July next year; a new team will be created within the Finance Department to guide the adoption of AI across the service; and contractors to the government will have to become AI-savvy to comply with new rules.

AI will be utilised across all areas of government, with the rollout of its own AI chatbot accessible to all employees, and training in the use of the technology will be made mandatory.

In short:

The Allan government will introduce new laws aimed at protecting workers in service jobs to parliament today.

Assaulting or threatening to assault workers in retail, hospitality, fast food or transport will carry a five year jail term as a penalty.

What's next?

The bill will be tabled in parliament on Friday, with the government aiming to have the laws in effect by next month.

Ten public schools in Canberra will be closed today and at least another 10 will be partially closed due to potential asbestos contamination.

The risk relates to the use of a decorative coloured sand, which has been found this week to contain traces of chrysotile — a type of asbestos.

There will be an ambitious attempt in Melbourne today to break a world record for the most bagpipers ever playing at one time.

Organisers are hoping AC/DC's iconic "It's a Long Way to the Top" will see bagpipers flock to Federation Square to overtake the current world record, which stands at 333 pipers and is held by Bulgaria.

Everybody needs good neighbors, not nazi neighbors.