Stories from Darwin · Australia

Police in the Northern Territory have responded to a large fight.

The Northern Territory's only youth mental health inpatient ward failed to meet 16 national safety standards. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws revealed the failures. The facility's safety standards were not met, and upgrades made since 2024 were insufficient. The source did not answer whether the facility's safety standards were met. Regulatory action may follow. This failure indicates potential risks to patients within the facility. The commissioner stated that the ward has not been allocated sufficient resources.

WorkSafe has charged Northern Territory Health with failing to comply with health and safety duties. The charges relate to the death of a mental health in-patient at Royal Darwin Hospital in 2022.

A person has died of diphtheria in Australia's Northern Territory, marking the country's first reported death from the disease since 2018. The death has prompted a vaccination warning.

An escalating outbreak in Australia's Northern Territory is placing pressure on the health system, with over 100 cases recorded and several individuals admitted to intensive care. Health authorities are calling for urgent assistance.

The Northern Territory Health Department is investigating a probable diphtheria-related death. This would be the first such death in Australia in almost a decade. Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection.

The Gold Coast Suns extended their winning run in Darwin to nine games, defeating St Kilda by 29 points. Ben King kicked four goals and Noah Anderson impressed with 31 disposals. The Suns secured a 13-11-89 to 8-12-60 victory, remaining unbeaten at Marara Stadium.

The Northern Territory Government is set to initiate a wide-reaching review of its child protection system. This decision follows the death of five-year-old Kumunjay little baby earlier this week. Northern Territory Minister for Child Protection, Robin Carl, is involved in this development. Three staffers from the Territory's Child Protection Department were stood down earlier this week over the case. NT Child Protection Minister Robin Carl stated today that her government "was not prepared to accept the status quo." The government's plan is to trigger this review, but the legal service has voiced its opposition.

A six-week-old baby has been flown to a hospital in Darwin following reports of suspicious head injuries. The infant had been allowed to remain with its family in a remote Aboriginal community despite previous welfare concerns being raised.

Authorities received approximately six warnings regarding five-year-old Sharon Grannett over the past three months. These warnings occurred in March, April, and May before the child was kidnapped and killed in the Northern Territory.