News

POLLSociety and Culture

The nation's education ministers have agreed to more strongly promote Australian values in schools.

Why ‘fair go’ to be taught at school

Teaching kids why Australia is ‘the best country in the world’ will become part of the national curriculum as federal government calls for a major review. Find out what changes could be coming

Society and Culture

NT young entrepreneur Victoria Diaz, 8, started her app, BoredKidsClub, with a problem she and others her age knew well: boredom, February 19, 2026. Picture: Thomas McLean

Tiny entrepreneur’s boredom bid

Victoria Diaz dreams of buying a private jet to fly her family around, but first the eight-year-old entrepreneur must banish kids’ boredom – can her bright idea blow away the dullest of dull days?

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 01, 2020: Koalas seen cuddling up close at the Featherdale Wildlife Park in Sydney Australia, on SEPTEMBER 01 2020. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

New program matchmaking koalas

A unique koala breeding program aims to improve the endangered status of this beloved marsupial species by working some romantic magic via careful couples matchmaking – here’s how it works

VIDEOSport

Danielle Scott and Cooper Woods, of Australia, carry their country's flag during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Verona, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Winter Olympics: week 2 highlights

Athletes say ‘ciao’ to the memorable mayhem of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games at the Closing Ceremony in Verona, as Australians celebrate our best ever showing at the Winter Olympics

A large asteroid flying in outer space with small fragments. Threat of an asteroid impact. Dangerous space object. 3D rendering illustration

NASA move for medium asteroids

NASA announces new mission to help build better defences for Earth against asteroids of a certain size, with experts revealing a surprising estimate of undetected asteroids within striking distance

Mark Knight cartoon Herald Sun publication date 19 Feb 2026- Victoria loses the Phillip Island MOTO GP to Adelaide

MotoGP banished instead of bikies

Record attendance last year and a $60 million boost to the region’s economy wasn’t enough to save Phillip Island’s MotoGP in Mark Knight’s spin on the Allan government’s biker bungle

The story of Punch, the baby macaque, has captivated the world. When his mother abandoned him, zoo keepers gave him a stuffed orangutan toy to help cure his loneliness - and he’s never left its side.

Why this monkey carries a soft toy

Meet Punch, a wee little baby monkey who proves that humans aren’t the only primates to become attached to a particular cuddly toy when they’re anxious and lonely. Watch the adorable video

An artist’s impression of ASASSN-24fw after the eclipse is over, where the star is seen shining unobstructed - with its own remnants from possible planetary collisions along with its companion red dwarf star and the dark “saucer”. Picture: : S. Shah et al. / DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staf2251 illustration

Why this gigantic star went dark

Astronomers have solved the baffling mystery of why a well-known star suddenly disappeared for nine months before reappearing 3200 light years away. Find out what happened

VIDEOAsk Healthy Harold

KIDS NEWS 2026: Healthy Harold and the team at Life Ed share helpful hints on how kids can manage big feelings and banish those back-to-school blues. Picture: supplied/Life Ed

Banish back-to-school butterflies

Does your heart race and stomach flip when big feelings flood in? Don’t worry – we all feel overwhelmed sometimes and Healthy Harold is here to help with his best tranquillity tips for first term

Georges River Council will host the Lunar New Year festival at Hurstville on February 21, 2026.

Giddy up for the Year of the Horse

Join Asian-Australians celebrating Lunar New Year from February 17 as the rare Year of the Fire Horse brings special significance to family traditions and cultural unity – discover what it’s all about

VIDEOSport

Gold medalist Australia's Jakara Anthony celebrates after the women's freestyle skiing dual moguls finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Winter Olympics: week 1 highlights

MORE GOLD! Jakara Anthony tastes redemption, winning the inaugural dual moguls final after Josie Baff’s snowboard cross comeback in Australia’s best ever Winter Olympics UPDATED

EXPLAINERNews

Mark Knight cartoon Friday 13th Feb 2026. Angus Taylor to challenge Sussan Ley for the Lib Leadership

Liberals fire up the leader barbie

Australia has a new Opposition Leader after the vote Friday morning, with Sussan Ley going down in flames drawn by Mark Knight as the Libs ‘throwing another leader on the barbie’

KIDS NEWS. One of the new Fig Parrots at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria. A handsome bird by the name of Brad Pitta has recently been joined by a bachelor group of Fig Parrots at Healesville Sanctuary. The flock of males set to ruffle the feathers of visitors this ValentineÃ¢â¬â¢s weekend. Thursday, 12 February 2026. Picture: Zoos Victoria

Bachelor birdies buddy up

A handsome group of bachelor birds are winning hearts ahead of Valentine’s Day at one Australian animal sanctuary, with the debonair ‘Brad Pitta’ welcoming his new wingmen. See the video

A baby crocodile was found in the pool at Nitmiluk Camping and Caravan Park on Monday, February 9, 2026, delighting staff. Picture: Facebook/ Nitmiluk Tours

Snappy swimmers take to the pool

Splash-happy Australians got more than they bargained for this week after a crocodile and a shark were both spotted swimming laps in two separate swimming pool incidents. Watch the video

Society and Culture

Logan, 14 yrs, was verbally abused by tennis legend John McEnroe at Melbourne airport where he tried to get a photo and autograph. Pictured with some of the other celebs he has met. Friday, February 6. 2026. Picture: David Crosling

Teen autograph-hunter’s adventure

The old saying ‘never meet your heroes’ has new meaning for one Aussie selfie-snapper but with 100 wins on the autograph circuit, the tenacious teen has already set his sights on the Grand Prix

Gout Gout has run in a 400m relay Championships at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Picture: David Crosling

Gout Gout out of Comm Games

Teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout has made a tough call on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in favour of his final World U/20 Championships tilt, pursuing the win that eluded him last time

Society and Culture

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JULY 29: (EDITOR NOTE: STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY - NO MERCHANDISING). Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims of the Youth Jubilee at the end of the Holy Mass of Welcome and Dialogues with the City at St. Peter's Square on July 29, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Francesco Sforza - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Pope Leo XIV to visit Australia

Pope Leo XIV will make the first papal visit to Australia in two decades, with hundreds of thousands of worshippers expected to flock to one lucky capital’s famous horse racing venue

EXPLAINERSpace

Space debris. Space Junk. ESA Artist impression. Supplied

Earth’s problem with space junk

More than one million pieces of space junk are thought to be orbiting around Earth, and while they put on a dazzling light show upon re-entry, they pose a major problem for the future

EXPLAINERMoney

Mark Knight cartoon Wednesday 4th Feb 2026. Today's RBA interest rate rise.

All aboard RBA runaway rate train

Award-winning Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight returns to Kid News with the Reserve Bank and Treasury clashing at the coalface of our economy as Aussies become nervous passengers

x x x x x x

Kiwis to host our State of Origin

The State of Origin has always been a battle for glory between two Australian states, but now the game is travelling overseas for the first time in 40 years. Find out why Origin is heading to NZ