Special

New national standards for artificial intelligence will set out "clear rules" for large data centres, prime minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday, including where they are built and how they are powered.

Car makers Tesla and Hyundai have argued NSW's law imposing a road-user charge on electric vehicles may be invalid following a High Court decision which struck down Victoria's EV tax as an invalid excise, while urging the state government not to introduce any new road charges.

The Boroondara City Council has sued over a James Packer-backed residential development slated for construction in the heart of Kew Junction, alleging the planning minister wrongly accepted that adjoining land could be utilised in the development. 

The Queensland government is facing a possible union challenge to a proposed new construction code, with the union voicing concerns about how the state rules would interact with federal obligations.

Victorian businesses are seeing red over the state government's proposed law to allow employees to work from home two days a week and make employers cover the reasonable costs of the arrangement.

Former One Nation politician Mark Latham wants the High Court to overturn a ruling that found he defamed independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich in a homophobic tweet and owes $140,000 in damages, saying the Full Court erred in construing the threshold for serious harm.

A new ban on unfair trading practices could significantly broaden the scope of consumer class actions, with experts predicting plaintiff firms will use the reforms to pursue claims over conduct that has until now fallen outside the reach of misleading or deceptive conduct laws.

Telstra could face a multimillion dollar fine from the telco regulator and a class action investigation after Wednesday's nationwide outage that affected over 600 emergency calls and downed the EFTPOS network.

Counsel assisting Queensland's inquiry into the CFMEU is pushing for a new construction code of practice and independent regulator, saying time is of the essence with the government poised to spend $7.1 billion for construction projects for the 2032 Olympic Games. 

Competition lawyers are watching with interest to see if Coles appeals the ACCC's decision to block its proposed acquisition of a leasehold interest in a site in Kalgoorlie, with a tribunal review to provide a valuable early test of the new merger regime.