Perth Now

A deal described as "costly" and "perverse" that hands Western Australia a larger share of GST than it needs is not going anywhere, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says. Hounded by Western Australian journalists to lock in the Morrison-era funding arrangement, which the Productivity Commission said in a recent report should be scrapped, the prime minister was unequivocal.

Torrential rain triggered by Typhoon Narra has caused widespread flooding across China's southwestern Guangxi region, forcing tens of thousands of people to relocate as forecasters warn of more downpours in the days ahead. Some 54,000 people have been relocated because of the flooding, including 8087 who were moved to emergency shelters, state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday.

Three West Australians are being urged to check their Saturday Lotto tickets after scoring life-changing division one wins — but Lotterywest is still waiting to hear from them. Ten tickets across Australia shared Saturday night’s jackpot, with each winner pocketing almost $650,000. Three of those winning tickets were sold in WA — at Nextra Boutiques in Forrestfield, Kingsway City Lottery Centre in Madeley and through Lotterywest Play Online.

Skoda Australia is keen to get its hands on upcoming hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the Octavia, both of which are currently in development. "Yes... we're investigating both options," Skoda Australia director Lucie Kuhn told CarExpert in Queenstown, New Zealand. However, Australian launch timing for either electrified Octavia has yet to be confirmed.

Port Adelaide star Zak Butters will leave the club, ending ongoing speculation of his future in South Australia. “Port Adelaide has been informed by Zak Butters and his management that he intends to exercise his rights as a restricted free agent and explore a return home to Victoria,” Port said in a statement on Monday. “Zak has been an outstanding servant to the football club since debuting in 2019.

Zak Butters has told Port Adelaide he's leaving for an undisclosed Victorian club. Butters has confirmed he's departing Alberton as a restricted free agent, with Geelong, the Western Bulldogs, Collingwood and Richmond making huge offers for the 25-year-old. Butters' future move to Victoria had been flagged throughout the season, which for Port ended with a win over Essendon on Sunday. The brilliant midfielder told Port's hierarchy of his intentions on day one of exit meetings.

A modular home factory will receive $120 million in taxpayer backing to turbocharge the fledgling industry and solve Australia's housing shortage. The investment in Built Living - a 50:50 joint venture between Australian contractor Build and Bunnings owner Wesfarmers - is the first foray into housing by the federal government's investment vehicle, the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund.

Nvidia is reportedly in talks to invest in Perplexity as part of an equity funding round that would value the AI startup at more than $US30 billion ($A42 billion). The funding round would increase Perplexity's valuation by more than 50 per cent from its previous financing a year ago, according to The Information, which cited people with knowledge of the discussion.

BMW’s interiors have long been renowned for their intuitive, driver-focused layouts, but the Bavarian auto brand – like myriad others – is moving away from physical switchgear. Gone from the latest BMW models, such as the Neue Klasse-based iX3, are physical climate controls. Indeed, inside the new mid-size electric SUV there’s only a tiny cluster of physical switchgear on the centre console and nothing on the dashboard, with most functions controlled via the touchscreen or by voice.

A young tradie accused of killing Labor identity Tim Picton has formally pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, setting the scene for a 10-day trial. Brodie Jake Dewar entered the plea during his first appearance in the West Australian Supreme Court on Monday. The 21-year-old, who is on bail, allegedly bashed Mr Picton, 36, in Northbridge, in Perth's inner city, in the early hours of December 27. His case was listed for a 10-day trial in the Supreme Court beginning July 20, 2027.