ABC News

US President Joe Biden has granted his son a full and unconditional pardon.        

The White House has repeatedly said the president would not intervene in Hunter Biden's court cases.  

The president said he believed there was a political element to the convictions.    

House prices are losing steam, with four of the eight capitals recording a fall in values in the last quarter.

Although house prices nationally rose in November, prices will continue to fall next year despite interest rate cuts.

The median value of housing now stands at $812,933.

The BOM has forecast warmer than average day and night temperatures across the country this summer.            

Parts of Qld, the NT, WA and NSW have already endured heatwaves.          

Heatwaves have killed more Australians than all other natural disasters combined.  

HECS indexation changes flagged in May are finally legislated and will be applied retrospectively for the past two financial years.

The changes will mean some people will get a credit on their student loans, while others may end up with a refund in their bank accounts.

If you completely paid off your HECS debt before indexation applied on June 1 last year, you will not get a refund or a credit.

Backpackers tried to warn other travellers about a Laos hostel at the centre of methanol poisoning scandal.  

At least five of the six people who have died from suspected methanol poisoning were staying at the hostel in Vang Vieng.   

Police have ordered the closure of the hostel and eight staff members have now been detained.  

Senator Lidia Thorpe says she does not regret actions that led to her suspension from the Senate.  

The senator tore up a motion by Pauline Hanson questioning Fatima Payman's citizenship and threw it at her.  

Senator Thorpe will miss the Senate for the rest of the year, and her vote will not be counted.