The father of an Olympic champion swimmer has called for mandatory swimming lessons in schools amid the deadliest year on record for coastal and ocean drowning deaths.

The number of applications for medical marijuana prescriptions dropped for the first time since the treatment was legalised in Australia, but Queensland continues to have more prescriptions approved than the other states and territories combined.

Coles is extending its price freeze program, in a win for Aussie shoppers staring down the barrel of soaring inflation and interest rate hikes.

And older Australians are continuing to march into the workforce, with more working than ever before.

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