NAB is the first of the big four banks to crack down on poor treatment of animals by implementing animal welfare principles that will guide future lending decisions. 

A spokesperson for the bank says it understands the agricultural industry is a fundamental part of Australia's economy and maintaining its integrity was critical to its long-term sustainability.

"The new animal welfare principles reflect balanced input from a number of industry associations, animal welfare organisations, and other stakeholders," the spokesperson said.

The wife of a Sydney retiree sentenced to 12 years in a Vietnamese prison has questioned Prime Minister Scott Morrison on whether the Government’s ‘weak’ response would have been stronger if her husband was a white Australia. 

70-year-old Van Kham Chau was last Monday convicted and sentenced for the “crime of terrorism against the people’s government” in a Ho Chi Minh City courtroom - he will lodge an appeal against the conviction. 

A Queensland grandmother charged with drug offenses is calling for the legalisation of cannabis after benefiting from the drug’s medicinal benefits. 

Debra Leigh Lynch, who suffers from PTSD and a rare auto-immune disease faces charges of producing and possessing the drug and has been fighting the courts since 2017. 

Ms Lynch’s case was adjourned yesterday in the Beenleigh Magistrates Court until February 26, pending the outcome of a Supreme Court appeal that could have implications for her case.

A 16-year-old boy has been accused of starting a bushfire that destroyed 14 homes in central Queensland. 

Police say the teenager has not been charged with arson but will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.  

The Coorabell fire near Rockhampton started around 1.30 pm on Saturday and continues to burn.

Two top national security aides who listened to President Donald Trump's July call with Ukraine's president, are testifying at US House impeachment hearings as the inquiry probes deeper into goings-on the White House.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, an Army officer at the National Security Council, and Jennifer Williams, his counterpart at Vice President Mike Pence's office, say they had concerns as Trump spoke on July 25th  with the newly elected Ukraine president about political investigations into Joe Biden.

Protestors have stopped Lebanon’s parliament from holding its first session in two months, as demonstrators rage against those they blame for steering the country towards economic collapse.

The session's agenda had included re-electing members of parliamentary committees and discussion of an amnesty law that would lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners.

Protesters were angry the MPs were not tackling their demands for reform, making it the worst economic crisis since the civil war.

The Curtin University "Passbox" study has found that a Melbourne cyclist gets passed by a car in a dangerous way three times, on average, during their daily commutes, and that the most dangerous spots are the Princess Highway in Pakenham and Sydney Road, Brunswick.

The CEO of the Bicycle Network, Craig Richards, has called for laws in Victoria requiring drivers to give cyclists one meter of space when overtaking, as is the case in some other states.

A school in Perth is facing criticism over its decision to reduce the amount of free play for students to 15 minutes a day, prompting calls for an urgent review by the WA Education Department.

Clarkson Primary School abolished free play at recess for Years 1-6, replacing it with "instructional play" with class teachers taking students to playgrounds for coordinated sessions lasting 15 minutes focusing on "learning dispositions and playground rules".