Politics latest: 'Why should I apologise?': Senator Fatima Payman on 'voice' criticism
The former Labor senator says 'people will have objections' but her new party's name Australia’s Voice is not associated with the defeated referendum for the Indigenous voice to parliament.
Welcome to The Australian's rolling coverage of news from Canberra and around the country.
Join the conversation
Possible links to organised crime investigated in Brisbane arson
Queensland police are investigating possible organised crime links to the total destruction of a vape store in an alleged arson attack early on Thursday in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.
Read more
‘Russophobic’: Moscow investigates capture of Australian but starts diplomatic spat
The government has rebuffed a Russian description of Australia as ‘Russophobic’, after the Kremlin acknowledged the capture of Australian mercenary Oscar Jenkins.
Read more