What happened in Australia, 25 August: AEC hits back on referendum; Antarctic icebreaker in ‘farcical’ bridge impasse

From the latest breaking news to the events of the day, catch up on what you need to know in our summary of the Australian news of the day

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The Australian Electoral Commission has come out swinging against critics who say counting ticks as a yes response in the upcoming voice referendum will undermine its fairness and impartiality.

Australia's $528m icebreaking research vessel the RSV Nuyina is significantly wider than initially designed and lacks the turning ability to safely pass underneath Hobart's Tasman Bridge and refuel on the other side.

A man is in a critical condition after a shark attack on Friday morning in Port Macquarie.

The Catholic church's bid to block a legal ruling that would allow the father of a choirboy allegedly sexually abused by Cardinal George Pell to sue for damages has been knocked down at the first hurdle.

A dramatic overhaul of the nation's family laws, which puts more focus on a child's best interests than on shared parental responsibility, is set to go ahead.

The Queensland government's steadfast defence of new laws allowing children to be held in police watch houses continues to draw harsh criticism from the opposition, the Greens and Katter's Australian party.