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Federal Health Minister Mark Butler is meeting his state and territory counterparts in Brisbane as the Albanese government tries to lock in a new five-year agreement for public hospital funding.
Mr Butler says his counterparts are already aware he wouldn't be bringing any more offers of additional funding to the meeting.
But the states say the current offer is still not enough.
South Australian Health Minister Chris Picton has cited a report that has found up to one in 10 public hospital beds are being filled by patients needing accommodation in aged care and disability support.
"The figures released today are stark. There are now over 3,000 Australians who are stuck in hospital waiting for federal aged care beds don't need to be in hospital. That's an absolute tragedy for those 3000 Australians that they're effectively homeless, stuck in our hospital system. It is also awful for other patients who need a hospital system for emergency care where there's both beds aren't available."
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Gusty winds are challenging firefighters in Western Australia as they battle two bushfires threatening residents and homes in Perth.
WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services Regional Superintendent Peter Norman says warnings for some fires have been downgraded to watch and act.
But he says the threat remains and conditions are changing.
“The cause is unknown at this stage, but being investigated. We have air support was mobilised, and fire crews all on scene within 10 minutes. With the increased wind activity today, that has moved very quickly in a northeast direction. It's now some 93 hectares in size, bounded pretty much by Welshpool Road, Roe Highway and Tonkin Highway. Extremely good effort from the firefighters, air support during the day, has kept the fire within that area and our objectives.”
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Ukraine has presented the United States with a revised 20-point framework to end its war with Russia.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the issue of ceding territory remains a major sticking point in negotiations.
The President says the United States is still pushing for Kyiv to make large territorial concessions to Russia in eastern Donetsk.
The Ukrainian leader says the US is offering to create a free economic zone in the Ukraine-controlled parts of the eastern Donbas which Russia has demanded that Ukraine cede.
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2024 Eurovision winner Nemo has announced they are returning their trophy to the organisers in protest of Israel's participation in next year's event.
The non binary singer says Eurovision's stated values are at odds with the move to allow Israel's participation amid claims of genocide.
"Eurovision says it stands for unity, inclusion, and dignity for all. Those values made this contest meaningful to me. But Israel's continued participation, during what the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded to be a genocide, shows a clear conflict between those ideals and the decisions made by the EBU."
A statement from SBS says that as a public broadcaster, deciding to be involved based on the inclusion or exclusion of any country would undermine SBS’s editorial independence and impartiality.
The broadcaster says accordingly their participation in and coverage of Eurovision will continue in 2026.
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More than 700,000 hectares of land on the Tiwi Islands has been added to Australia’s national parks and reserves system in a major milestone for Traditional Owners.
The government says the new Indigenous Protected Area is expected to benefit the environment and local communities through education and employment pathways.
It’s the 93rd national Indigenous Protected Area, and supports a Commonwealth goal to conserve 30 per cent of Australia’s landmass by 2030.
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Four men have been accused of orchestrating a daring heist in the ACT that netted an estimated $10 million worth of items.
ACT Police allege the four French nationals meticulously planned the daring robbery of the South Canberra home after arriving in the country on October 7, with one allegedly hiring a rental car that was seen numerous times in the area.
Detective Assistant Inspector Mark Battye says it was a targeted and highly unusual raid.
"I've been doing this job for a long time. I've never seen a burglary of this magnitude occur here in Canberra. And the manner in which it occurred with people flying over from the other side of the world to do this targeted burglary is something like a movie."
