Double demerits will soon come into effect for the Christmas holidays, but not all Australian states and territories enforce them equally.

Some impose double demerits year-round, while others opt out entirely – though drivers from some states can still cop double demerit penalties across borders.

Here's when and where double demerits will be enforced over the 2025 Christmas holidays.

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NSW, the ACT and WA

NSW, the ACT and WA impose double demerits over most holiday periods and long weekends, including:

• the Christmas and New Year period
• Australia Day
• Easter
• Anzac Day
• King's Birthday
• Labour Day
• state-specific public holidays (e.g. WA Day)

Double demerits only apply to specific road offences.

In NSW, they are: speeding, using a mobile phone while driving, riding without a helmet, not wearing or incorrectly wearing a seatbelt (drivers and passengers).

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The same rules apply in the ACT, and a few additional offences are subject to double demerits in WA.

They are: drink or drug driving, running a red light, driving a vehicle fitted with a device designed to evade detection by a speed camera, and driving in a manner to evade detection by a speed camera.

Double demerits will be enforced on the following dates over the Christmas holidays:

• NSW: December 24 to January 4
• ACT: December 24 to January 4
• WA: December 19 to January 4

Queensland

Queensland also imposes double demerits, though in a slightly different way.

Instead of limiting double demerits to holiday periods, they are enforced year-round and apply to motorists who repeatedly commit specific offences.

These offences include:

• speeding more than 20km/h over the speed limit
• mobile phone offences
• driver seatbelt offences
• seatbelt offences for passengers under 16
• motorcycle helmet offences

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Drivers will have double demerits applied if they're caught repeating an offence from the same offence group two or more times within a year.

For example, a driver caught on their phone will receive double demerits if they are caught using it a second or subsequent time within 12 months.

Victoria, SA, NT and Tasmania

Unlike the other states, Victoria, SA, NT and Tasmania don't impose double demerits at all.

But that doesn't mean drivers are totally in the clear.

Motorists who hold a Queensland licence could still cop double demerits if they're caught committing an eligible offence in another state or territory.

That's because Queensland drivers who commit demerit-point offences interstate are subject to the demerit points that apply in their home state for the same offence.

The same goes for drivers from NSW, who are also subject to double demerits in their home state if they're caught breaking the rules across state lines.

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Donald Trump says his administration is "very seriously" considering a move to replicate Australia's superannuation system in the US.

Speaking at the White House during the announcement of a $US6.25 billion ($9.5 billion) donation towards the "Trump Accounts" program for American children, the president singled out Australia for its $4.1 trillion retirement savings pool.

"There's a certain Australian plan that people are liking and they're talking about … not for children, necessarily, but it's for people, working people," Trump said.

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"We're looking at it very seriously. It has worked out very well, it's a good plan."

It is not clear how the US would adopt superannuation alongisde its longstanding 401K pension fund system, where workers make voluntary payments into a retirement account or request their employer to make them.

But it is also not the first time Australian superannuation has been mentioned in Washington this year.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported in February comments from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who at the time said he was amazed at the reliable growth of superannuation.

Trump's praise of superannuation today was made alongside tech billionaires Michael and Susan Dell, the couple who made the massive "Trump Accounts" donation.

Michael Dell, the founder of $US91 billion tech company Dell, said their donation would provide $US250 for every child aged under 11 who qualified for the program.

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Under the scheme, the US Department of the Treasury will deposit $US1000 into investment accounts it sets up for American children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028.

The Dells' gift will use the "Trump Accounts" infrastructure to give $250 to each qualified child under 11.

"Trump Accounts" are available to any American child under 18 with a Social Security number.

Account contributions must be invested in an index fund that tracks the overall stock market. When the children turn 18, they can withdraw the funds to put toward their education, to buy a home or to start a business.

– Reported with Associated Press

A Chinese naval flotilla that is being monitored by the Australian Defence Force has been revealed to have daunting firepower in new satellite imagery.

A private New Zealand intelligence company said it had detected the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships with satellite technology.

Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed this week that the ADF is tracking the Chinese task force, which was first reported by the Australian Financial Review last Thursday.

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Private firm Starboard Maritime Intelligence says analysis of its satellite imagery shows a frigate, destroyer, Landing Helicopter Dock ship and replenishment vessel have been sailing through the Philippine Sea.

The company has released an image of the flotilla on X, captured about 260 nautical miles east of the Philippines.

"This formation represents a significant projection of expeditionary power, capable of operating untethered from shore-based ports for extended periods," commented Starboard Maritime Intelligence.

The company's analyst, Mark Douglas, told the ABC the PLA-N destroyer and the frigate offered defence for the flotilla, and that the frigate would be "looking for submarines that might be tracking the task group.

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Marles, speaking yesterday during a visit to Papua New Guinea for a meeting with his PNG counterpart, reiterated he would not provide a "running commentary" about the Chinese task group.

"Obviously, we speak very closely with our friends and allies, and we will do that," he said.

The current flotilla comes almost 10 months after another Chinese task group circumnavigated Australia and launched live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea that were first discovered by a commercial airline pilot.

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Two international acts have pulled out of Australia's Good Things music festival days before it was slated to kick off in Melbourne.

American rock band The All-American Rejects and American hardcore punk band Knocked Loose both cancelled their scheduled appearances due to family emergencies.

Both bands were supposed to play all three Good Things shows on December 5 in Melbourne, December 6 in Sydney, and December 7 in Brisbane.

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"We're heartbroken to share that due to a sudden family loss, we won't be able to make it to Australia as planned," The All-American Rejects said in a statement on the Good Things website.

"This has been an incredibly difficult moment for us, and as much as it devastates us to miss such a great opportunity to reconnect with our Australian fans, family has to come first."

The band last toured Australia in 2009 and promised to return as soon as possible.

Knocked Loose also provided a statement which read, "We're very sorry to everyone but we have to cancel our Australia trip, including the Good Things Festival and our headline shows around it.

"Anyone familiar with this band knows we do not take cancelling shows lightly; but family will always come first."

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The hardcore band, which last played in Australia in 2023 at Knotfest music festival, is already planning to return.

Both bands were also scheduled to play additional headline side shows separate to the festival dates.

The All-American Rejects were supposed to perform in Melbourne, and Knocked Loose had headline shows planned for Sydney and Melbourne.

These shows have now been cancelled and ticketholders will be refunded.

Ticketing platforms have contacted ticketholders directly about the cancellations.

Good Things ticketholders will not be offered refunds.

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This is the second bout of bad news for Australian music lovers this week, coming just hours after the Park Waves music festival was cancelled.

The 11-date metalcore festival was supposed to kick off in February 2026 with Australian band Parkway Drive headlining.

It was cancelled yesterday due to "rising costs".

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at Google Play.

Almost a quarter of Aussie kids falsely believe having a suntan will protect them from long-term damage and skin cancer, new research claims.

Social media trends promoting tanning could be contributing to attitudes, with 49 per cent of young Aussies saying they prefer to be tanned, the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne's Child Health Poll said.

The study, taking in responses from 1400 parents as well as one of their children aged between 12 and 17 years old, also found many teens lacked education or awareness of how to properly protect themselves from the sun or from the negative impacts of sunburn.

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"We know there's a lot of trends on social media that highlight tan lines and even promote sunburn, and teenagers might not fully understand the risk tanning or sun exposure can pose," Dr Anthea Rhodes said.

"There's nothing healthy about a suntan, it's your skin's response to harm from the sun."

Around 44 per cent of teenagers surveyed admitted to being sunburnt multiple times in the last six months, with 60 per cent saying they knew they didn't use adequate protection from the sun when out in peak UV times.

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Dermatologist Dr Susan Robertson said the idea that children cannot get skin cancer is a myth.

"Teens may think skin damage isn't something that will affect them until later in life, but we know that's not true," she said.

"While it's not common to see young children with skin cancer, it sadly does happen in children as young as ten."

Experts tell parents to ensure their child wears enough sunscreen when going outside, even on a cloudy day, and to ensure they wear a hat, sunglasses and proper clothing to protect themselves from the threat of sunburn and long-lasting damage to their skin.

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YouTube has confirmed it will adhere to Australia's upcoming social media ban and remove the accounts of Aussie children under 16.

From December 10, anyone with an account who is under 16 years of age will be signed out of their accounts, and will be barred from re-accessing them or from creating new accounts.

This means they will lose the ability to create content, to like and comment on videos, or to subscribe to other channels.

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They will still have access to YouTube and be able to watch videos, and they can gain access to their accounts once they turn 16.

The company claims parents will also be unable to use parental controls, such as appropriate content settings or blocking certain channels.

Despite agreeing to comply, the company has criticised the new laws, arguing it will fail to protect children from risks online.

"This is a disappointing update to share," Google and YouTube Australia Public Policy Senior Manager Rachel Lord said in a blog post.

"This law will not fulfill its promise to make kids safer online, and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube."

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Lord believes kids need to be protected whilst still being able to access social media, rather than being blocked entirely.

She also claimed the law removes important parental protections that keep kids safe.

"It removes the very parental controls and safety filters built to protect them, it will not make kids safer on our platform," she said.

"These are the unfortunate consequences of a rushed legislative process that failed to allow for adequate consultation and consideration of the real complexities of online safety regulation."

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Conservationists have made a thrilling discovery just an hour's drive from Perth, uncovering a large, thriving patch of one of Western Australia's rarest carnivorous plants: Drosera silvicola.

The remarkable find at Australian Wildlife Conservancy's (AWC) Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary offers a vital lifeline for the species, which was previously known from only two other highly vulnerable populations in the south-west of WA.

It was at the end of a long, two-day search for the elusive plant, when spirits were flagging, that the remarkable find was made. 

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A team of 10 scientists and volunteers, including experts from Curtin University and AWC, were ready to call it quits at the Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary, just east of Perth along the Avon River on Whadjuk country.

Then, a last-minute detour led to a triumphant moment.

"I was so excited when I first spotted the plant out of the car window, I jumped out of the door fist-pumping the air and threw myself on the ground next to it," Thilo Krueger, a PhD student and carnivorous plant expert from Curtin University, said.

The crew was heading toward their third and final search area when Krueger noticed a side track with habitat that, based on his knowledge, seemed perfect for the species.

"The area had ridges and slopes that sat high up," he said. 

"It was in the Jarrah forest, but it was an open area with very little leaf litter – the perfect environment for the species."

Following Krueger's instincts, the team quickly explored the new area.

Within minutes, they were greeted by the sight of thousands of the small, yet unmistakable, plants.

The Drosera silvicola, also known as a sundew, is easily identified by its stunning features, despite only being a few centimetres in size.

"Drosera silvicola is a very distinctive species of sundew because of its beautiful, absolutely stunning flowers with pink, glossy petals and a dark red centre," Krueger said.

"It captures and digests tiny insects using its leaves which are covered with sticky tentacles."

The team collected a few specimens to officially document the population with the WA Herbarium and will be returning to the site to observe the spectacular sight as the plants enter full bloom over the coming month.

This discovery is especially significant as Drosera silvicola is listed as a Priority 1 species by the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA). 

This status marks it as extremely rare and potentially threatened, urgently requiring a full conservation assessment.

Before the Paruna find, the only two other confirmed populations were located 70 km away – one on an active mine site and the other on a mining tenement – making them highly vulnerable.

"To find such a healthy population of this rare species on a protected conservation area is a huge win for conservation," Dr Amanda Bourne, regional ecologist with AWC, said.

"The discovery highlights the importance of wildlife sanctuaries like Paruna in preserving Australia's unique biodiversity."

The South West of WA is renowned as the world's centre of diversity for carnivorous plants, with over 150 species recorded.

Many of these are confined to tiny, fragile areas, making them highly susceptible to habitat loss and climate change.

In fact, during their survey, the researchers encountered a total of six sundew species, including Drosera walyunga (endemic to the region), Drosera hyperostigma, and Drosera glanduligera

Experts from the Wildflower Society of WA believe Paruna's diverse landscape likely holds many more rare species waiting to be found.

"Paruna's landscape and relatively undisturbed habitats is likely to make it a treasure trove for native flora," Jolanda Keeble, from the Wildflower Society of WA, said.

"Discoveries like this underscore just how much we still have to learn about the plant life in our own backyard, and how vital it is to protect these landscapes."

Italian officials are on thin ice after a skating rink was built around a bronze statue of Luciano Pavarotti and passersby were encouraged to "high-five" the famous tenor.

Located in the northern Italian city of Pesaro, the monument features Pavarotti in a tailcoat, holding his signature handkerchief in hand.

Nicoletta Mantovani, the last wife of Pavarotti – who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 71 in 2007 – complained that the positioning of the ice rink around the life-size homage to her late husband was disrespectful.

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"I'm sorry the city allowed something like this, because it affects Luciano's image and the respect he deserves," she told the newspaper Il Resto del Carlino last week.

"It's just not right."

Pesaro's mayor, Andrea Biancani, came under fire after posting a doctored image of the famous tenor skating, complete with a hockey stick, on Facebook on November 23.

In the post, he suggested that skaters #daiUnCinqueAPavarotti" or to "high-five" the statue.

"The smile, the humour, the ability to see the bright side of things. Let's never lose it," he wrote on the post after Mantovani first complained.

Biancani explained that the city decided to inaugurate the rink to kick off the holiday season as planned despite the bad tone.

The mayor's post, which is still online, garnered several critical comments, with concerns about safety, should people try and high-five the statue, as well as concerns about poor taste.

'No intention of disrespect'

Biancani has now formally apologised to Mantovani and a spokesman for the city hall told CNN that it was not their intention to offend the singer's family or his legacy.

The spokesman said that the installers mistakenly built the rink around the statue, instead of next to it.

"There was no intention of disrespect," the spokesman told CNN on behalf of the mayor.

He added that the presence of Pavarotti embedded in the ice was not part of the original plan for the Christmas rink.

"I was assured that Pavarotti wouldn't be touched or incorporated into the ice rink floor," he told local media.

While officials say it isn't possible to dismantle the rink or move the statue at this stage, they have built a short wall around it, separating it from the rest of the rink.

However, skaters can still touch the monument if they pass close to the edge.

The Pavarotti statue was inaugurated in April 2024 to honour the late singer and his wife who had a holiday home on the Adriatic Coast nearby.

Pavarotti is considered one of the greatest tenors of all time and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

His collaboration with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras as The Three Tenors produced the biggest-selling classical album in history.

Pavarotti's last public performance was during the 2006 winter Olympics in Turin.

The White House social media team is in hot water with one of the world's biggest pop stars after using Sabrina Carpenter's song "Juno" in a video depicting law enforcement apprehending individuals in apparent immigration actions.

The Grammy-winning singer and songwriter called the video "evil and disgusting".

"Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda," Carpenter posted on X.

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When reached for additional comment, a PR representative for Carpenter referred CNN to the singer's social media post.

On tour, Carpenter does her own playful "arrests" during the "Juno" song with celebrities attending her shows, passing over a pair of pink fluffy handcuffs.

Doubling down, the White House used Carpenter's own lyrics in a statement responding to her criticism.

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https://x.com/SabrinaAnnLynn/status/1995876972405420114?s=20

"Here's a Short n' Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: we won't apologise for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?" White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

The video using the song still up on X and TikTok as of late Tuesday afternoon.

This isn't the first time the Trump White House has used artists' songs without their consent, often employing an unserious tone on social media with memes and videos.

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In a similar video posted by the Department of Homeland Security last month, media for one of Olivia Rodrigo's songs, "All-American Bitch," was disabled on Instagram, though it still appears on X.

The singer-songwriter slammed the use of her song in a since-removed reply. "Don't ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda," she wrote, according to Billboard and Rolling Stone.

The White House social media accounts also posted a video of the president with audio of singer Usher's "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" – a reference to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte referring to President Donald Trump as "daddy" at a summit in the Netherlands. The media was ultimately "disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner."

And the White House TikTok account posted a video using Taylor Swift's song "The Fate of Ophelia" with images of Trump administration officials.

However, Swift – whom Trump has personally attacked in the past – has stayed quiet on the use of the song. When the White House used the song last month, the singer's representative did not respond to CNN's request for comment.

Celine Dion, the Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen and Beyoncé are among the artists over the years who have objected to the use of their music by Trump.

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Bunnings remains Australia's most trusted brand, while distrust is surging for online retail giants such as Temu and Shein.

Roy Morgan's latest quarterly update on brands trust showed the homewares and hardware giant had retained the top spot for the eighth consecutive time, a run stretching back to late 2023.

The top four remain as they have for the past four quarters, with Bunnings followed by Aldi, Kmart, and Apple.

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Some of the big movers in the most trusted names were the banks, with Commonwealth Bank moving up to replace Toyota in fifth place.

Westpac (14th), NAB (19th), ING (20th) and Bendigo (15th) were also climbers, while the banking industry as a whole was named Australia's eighth-most trusted industry – a huge 10-spot rise in the past 12 months.

"This is by far the biggest increase of any industry, with the second-best performance by the closely related Insurance Industry, up three rankings to 13th overall," Roy Morgan chief executive Michele Levine said.

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In Roy Morgan's "most distrusted" rankings, Woolworths and Coles retained the top two spots for the fourth consecutive quarter.

But online retailers could be swiftly catching up, with Temu rising to the fifth-most distrusted brand for the quarter.

Amazon was 10th and Shein 11th.

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"Since Roy Morgan began measuring Temu in mid-2023, the brand has been on a steady downward trajectory that shows no signs of ending anytime soon – and is now Australia's fifth most distrusted brand overall in the 12 months to September 2025," Levine said.

"In fact, in the single month of September – Temu was the most distrusted brand of all."

Other distrusted brands included Tesla (7th), McDonalds (16th), Jetstar (18th), Shell (19th), Qantas (6th), Telstra (8th), News Corp (12th), Rio Tinto (17th), and BP (20th).

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Out of the online retail sector, only eBay retains a trustworthy rating, with customers turning on the likes of Amazon, AliExpress, and Kogan, as well as Temu and Shein.

The pollster noted this was despite increasing usage, highlighting unethical attitudes and profit-driven behaviour as driving distrust.

"As more Australians trial the platform, distrust is accelerating rather than stabilising, a sign real-world experience is feeding the decline," Levine said.

"The biggest drivers of Temu's distrust are poor quality, a lack of ethics, dishonesty, a lack of data privacy, and overall unreliability. Poor quality and low standards are accelerating fastest, but every negative driver is reinforcing the overall surge in distrust."

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