Toddler dies after being pulled from dam, Albanese 'confident' despite Trump fears: Australia news live

Stricter new laws for red P-platers in WA have passed through state parliament and will see drivers only permitted to have one passenger in their vehicles from December 1.

The legislation, which will be for all drivers in their first six months of having a licence, is dubbed Tom's Law after 15-year-old Tom Saffioti was killed in a 2021 crash.

Premier Roger Cook said the first six months of driving were a "crucial" period and this was a welcome move.

Well this Queensland household certainly got a fright last night.

Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers had an unusual callout this morning after a family were woken to a possum running around their bathroom. When the team arrived they found the possum curled up half asleep in the sink.

The possum was safely removed from the home unharmed.

Thousands of frustrated Aussies have been left stranded after an ash cloud from Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki grounded all flights to and from Bali. And one insurance expert says it shows just how vital travel insurance can be.

“Unpredictable travel disruptions like these are exactly why you need insurance," Natalie Ball, managing director for Comparetravelinsurance.com.au, said.

"Holidaymakers whose trip plans have been affected by the ash cloud will have provision to cancel and claim for out-of-pocket expenses provided they purchased their policy prior to their insurer’s cut-off date. This will most likely be just before or on November 13th, when news of the ash cloud became widespread.”

Ball also warns travellers to check the specifics of their travel insurance cover.

“It’s important to note that your choice of insurer and benefit level can make all the difference when it comes to your cover. A basic travel insurance policy for instance, will not provide cover for travel delays or cancellation. They are often medical only policies and are priced accordingly. However, many standard or comprehensive policies will provide cancellation cover and will reimburse you for any additional travel expenses incurred as a result of a natural disaster.”

Well there it is. Elon Musk will lead a new "department" in Donald Trump's second administration. He will be head of the "Department of Government Efficiency" alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, CNN reported.

“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement.

While the move will raise questions about a conflict of interest due to their business dealings, Trump stressed the department would advise from "outside of Government".

“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk said.

A stunning coastal home in Sydney's exclusive east is expected to fetch a hefty price, with unrivalled ocean views and plenty of luxury features. But interested parties with kids might be pressured a little bit more to make that winning bid thanks to what's in the back garden.

The home in South Coogee boasts its very own water slide, which itself overlooks Coogee Beach and beyond.

Check out the impressive listing here.

NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson raised a few eyebrows yesterday when she suggested it was possible to rent a two-bed apartment in Sydney for "a couple of hundred bucks" a week.

She later clarified she did not mean $200. The Oxford Dictionary defines 'a couple' as "an indefinite small number".

She stood by her remark, saying there will be places in Sydney's west where that price can be achieved. Rental Bond Board data analysed by the Tenant's Union of NSW shows that of 25,000 two-bedroom rentals, just 23 were $200 or less, the ABC reported.

The median rental price for a unit in Sydney was $720 a week, the latest Domain data shows.

This is becoming bit of a common occurrence with lottery winners.

A Darwin man took a bit of time to accept he'd won $1.2 million after repeated calls and texts from lottery officials.

“I looked at the text message and immediately thought it was spam,” the man said.

“I had the trip from hell getting to my holiday destination, and I was not in the mood to let anything else spoil my holiday."

The man finally realised he'd won a share of the division one jackpot on Saturday’s TattsLotto draw when he logged into his online account.

At least he won't be scammed anytime soon, by the look of things.

Donald Trump’s former White House press secretary says the President-elect "does not forget" criticisms aimed at him as questions continue to be asked about how suitable Kevin Rudd is as Australia's ambassador to the US.

“Donald Trump doesn’t forget these comments,” Sean Spicer told Sky News, suggesting it would be a "smart" move if Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was to "sub out" Rudd.

Rudd previously called Trump “nuts”, the “most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West”. A recently unearthed video from 2021, the Ambassador called Trump a “village idiot.”

Spicer said such comments were "shocking".

It comes as senior Trump campaign advisor Dan Scavino Jr shared an hour glass gif on Rudd's congratulatory post to Trump.

A woman has revealed her graphic burns in a warning to people about the dangers of hot water bottles.

Jessica suffered second degree burns on her stomach, thighs and groin, with the pain so severe she ended up fainting. She spent nearly three weeks in a burns unit in the UK.

Hoping to soothe her stomach cramps, Jessica had placed the hot water bottle between her stomach and the waistband of her pyjamas while she was in bed, but was left in "agony" after the bottle exploded. "It started to trickle down my thighs from bottom of the water bottle and as I moved in shock, it burst," she said.

She was forced to undergo skin graft surgery, using skin from her outer thigh to cover the burns.

She now wants to raise awareness about the risks of not taking note of hot water expiry dates. "It is useful hot water bottles have them," she explains.

For safety tips on hot water bottles, read more here.

Travellers have been left fuming after multiple flights between Australia and Bali were cancelled due to volcano eruptions near the holiday hotspot.

There have been several eruptions from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Indonisea’s East Nusa Tenggara province for several days, causing thick, black ash and smoke to spew out of the mountain and blanket the air for several kilometres.

Volcanic ash has risen up to 10 metres altitude, with fireballs and debris smashing down on neighbouring villages.

Flights from Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have all been affected by the volcano.

Read more here.

An Australian mayor has blasted insurance companies after his region was struck by a series of earthquakes.

Muswellbrook and surrounding towns have faced two earthquakes above a magnitude of four since August alongside dozens of smaller aftershocks, with residents reporting damage to property.

However local mayor Jeff Drayton says the response to insurance claims has been "a joke".

"[Insurance companies] have taken so long to assess the claims only to reject them, leaving people in limbo and wondering what’s the point of insurance," he said after his council surveyed local residents about the aftermath of the quakes.

Experts have warned the Upper Hunter region could be impacted by similar quakes for a couple of years, leaving locals seriously distressed.

“My mental health though has skyrocketed. The minute I feel a shake I go into instant panic mode thinking it’s going to be another earthquake," one resident told council.

One resident said claims were being knocked back because insurers allegedly claimed property damage was due to the poor state of the buildings prior to damage.

The survey found 51.5 per cent of claims from the 200 respondents had been rejected while a further 39 per cent were awaiting a decision.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has moved to brush off concerns about Labor's fate with a US Trump government, insisting trade will have no issues once Donald Trump takes over as president.

The Opposition has raised concerns about Trump's comments on possible trade tariffs for foreign imports and has urged Albanese to organise a meeting with Trump to discuss the matter.

Old remarks about Trump from Albanese and cabinet ministers have raised eyebrows, while Australia's ambassador in the US Kevin Rudd has deleted social media posts heavily criticising Trump, with a big question mark continuing to hang over his role.

However Albanese says ties between the two countries will be just fine.

"The US has a trade surplus with Australia, it's in the United States' interests and also Australia's interests for there to continue to be trade between our two great nations and I'm confident that will continue to occur," Albanese said.

Read more about trade battles ahead of a Peru's leaders summit here.

A two-year-old boy has died after his body was pulled from a dam on a regional NSW property.

Emergency services were called to a Portland address in the state's west on Tuesday afternoonfollowing reports of concern for welfare, NSW Police said.

Police arrived to find a child had been pulled from a dam on the property.

"The boy was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Bathurst Hospital, where he later died," NSW Police said.

"Police have commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident."