9 To 5 Aussie

Updated: 30 October 2026, 3:22 am AEDT (Sydney) More than 100 Victorian business, sport and media figures have signed an open letter asking every party contesting the state election to produce a credible plan to reduce government debt. Campaign group AMPLIFY announced the joint appeal on Thursday, 29 October , ahead of the 28 November election. The signatories include AFL figures Toby Greene and Gerard Healy, former Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett, entrepreneur Sid Myer and Afterpay co-founder Anthony Eisen. The letter asks political leaders to explain how they would bring debt down, rather than make broad promises. AMPLIFY founder Paul Bassat said the campaign reflected concerns about the cost of servicing debt and its effect on future generations. These are the campaigners’ arguments for changes to fiscal policy; the letter does not announce a government decision. In an interview published by news.com.au on Thursday , signatory and former Australia Post chief Ahmed Fahour called for an...

Updated: 29 October 2026, 10:41 pm AEDT (Sydney) KATSEYE have added Melbourne and Sydney concerts to their Wildworld Tour for February 2027, with general ticket sales opening on Friday, 6 November. The group will perform at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Wednesday, 24 February , followed by Afterpay Arena in Sydney on Sunday, 28 February , promoter Live Nation confirmed. Both events are listed as all-ages shows. General sales begin at 2 pm local time on 6 November. Fans seeking access to the paid EYEKONS membership presale or the free Katseye.World presale must register by 9:59 pm AEDT on Sunday, 1 November. The membership presale starts at 11 am local time on Wednesday, 4 November. The free Katseye.World presale follows at 3 pm local time on Thursday, 5 November, according to the promoter’s event information. Billboard reported the tour expansion on Thursday , confirming the Australian dates as part of 11 additional shows across Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The new leg starts in ...

Updated: 29 October 2026, 10:32 pm AEDT (Sydney) A Victorian coroner has recommended that the Therapeutic Goods Administration review the benefits and safety risks of unapproved peptides after finding that an injection triggered actor Richard Norton’s death in March 2025. Coroner David Ryan’s findings, handed down on Wednesday, 28 October, called on the medicines regulator to consider further restrictions on products such as CJC1295 and ipamorelin. The recommendation appears in the court’s published finding . Norton, 75, died at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital on 30 March 2025. Ryan found that injecting the peptides caused an anaphylactic reaction leading to cardiac arrest. The finding also recorded that Norton had been taking more than the dose prescribed by his doctor. ABC News reported that the TGA said it was continuing to assess the products’ risks and considering whether further regulatory measures were appropriate. The regulator said the unapproved peptides had not been assessed fo...

Updated: 29 October 2026, 10:32 pm AEDT (Sydney) Bomberry has recalled four varieties of its 150g chocolate-covered berry products sold across Australia because of metal contamination. Food Standards Australia New Zealand published the recall on Wednesday, 28 October. The recall covers blueberries with dark chocolate; blueberries with white and milk chocolate; raspberries with white and dark chocolate; and raspberries with white and milk chocolate. All best-before dates up to and including 20 January 2028 are affected. Atomic Changes Pty Ltd, trading as Bomberry, said the products had been sold nationally and online through Woolworths and independent retailers, including IGA, Harris Farm and Drakes Supermarket, according to the official recall notice . The regulator warned that food containing metal can cause illness or injury. Consumers should not eat the affected products and should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Anyone concerned about their health should see...

Updated: 29 October 2026, 9:24 am AEDT (Sydney) Apple has announced an M6-powered 14-inch MacBook Pro starting at A$3,199 including GST in Australia, with preorders scheduled to begin on Thursday, 29 October, and retail availability from Friday, 6 November. The company’s Australian announcement, dated 28 October , lists a starting education price of A$3,039 including GST. The laptop will be offered in silver and space black, with deliveries and sales through Apple stores and authorised resellers due from 6 November. The M6 configuration includes a 12-core CPU, a 12-core graphics processor and 16GB of unified memory as standard, configurable up to 32GB. Apple also lists Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and three Thunderbolt 4 ports, alongside HDMI, an SDXC card slot and MagSafe charging. Apple claims up to 24 hours of battery life and improved graphics and AI performance over the M5 model. These are manufacturer test claims, rather than results of independent testing for this report. Australian pub...

Updated: 29 October 2026, 9:24 am AEDT (Sydney) Ashley Paul Griffith was extradited from Queensland to New South Wales on Wednesday, 28 October, to face 202 further charges relating to alleged offences against children, Queensland Corrective Services said. The agency’s statement said custody was transferred from its Escort and Security Branch to Corrective Services NSW at Tweed Heads that morning. Extradition had been approved earlier in October. Griffith was already serving a life sentence in Queensland, with a 27-year non-parole period, following his 2024 conviction for offences against 69 girls at early learning centres in Brisbane and Italy. The NSW proceedings concern additional charges and are separate from those convictions. ABC News independently reported the transfer , citing Queensland Corrective Services Minister Laura Gerber. She said he had left Queensland custody just after 6:30 am and crossed the border shortly after 8 am on Wednesday. Corrective Services said Griffith ...

Updated: 29 October 2026, 9:24 am AEDT (Sydney) Josh Inglis and Alex Carey shared an unbeaten 145-run partnership as Australia reached 4–330 at stumps on Wednesday, 28 October, taking a one-run first-innings lead over South Africa in the deciding Test at Newlands, Cape Town. Inglis finished on 85 not out and Carey also passed fifty, according to Cricket Australia’s day-two report . Their fifth-wicket stand rebuilt the innings after Marco Jansen dismissed Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green following a 126-run partnership. The completed session changed Australia’s position from the earlier middle-order setback. The visitors added 139 runs without losing a wicket in the final session, the Associated Press reported , moving past South Africa’s 329 with six wickets still available. Renshaw had made 74 and Green 65, while Travis Head contributed 41. Inglis struck nine fours and two sixes in his first Test appearance since December, AP reported. The three-match series is level at 1–1. Australia w...

Updated: 29 October 2026, 12:58 a.m. AEDT (Sydney) Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green shared a 126-run partnership for Australia before Marco Jansen dismissed both shortly before tea on the second day of the third Test at Newlands on Wednesday, 28 October. Renshaw made 74 and Green 65 in Cape Town. Their third-wicket stand repaired the innings after Simon Harmer removed Travis Head for 41 and Marnus Labuschagne without scoring, Reuters reported . Jansen then had Renshaw caught behind by Ryan Rickelton and Green caught by Harmer at slip. Australia reached tea at 191 for four, 138 behind South Africa’s first-innings 329. That was the interval score, rather than a final innings total. BBC Sport’s live reporting independently confirmed the partnership and dismissals, with play continuing into the evening session. Josh Inglis and Alex Carey took over the rebuilding task. The series is level at 1–1. Australia won the opening Test in Durban before South Africa levelled in Gqeberha. Wednesday’s b...

Updated: 28 October 2026, 12:25 p.m. AEDT Australia’s annual inflation rate increased to 4.3 per cent in September, up from 4.0 per cent in August, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Wednesday. Consumer prices rose 0.8 per cent during the month, twice the August increase. Housing made the largest contribution to the annual rise, with prices up 5.2 per cent. The ABS release identified higher new dwelling and electricity costs as contributors. New dwelling prices were 4.7 per cent higher than a year earlier. Transport prices rose 8.7 per cent over the year. Automotive fuel increased 9.4 per cent in September alone, which the bureau attributed to higher world oil prices. The annual trimmed mean measure of underlying inflation reached 3.6 per cent. August’s figure was revised down from 3.6 to 3.5 per cent following changes to seasonal factors. For the September quarter, the overall CPI rose 1.3 per cent, while the quarterly trimmed mean on its pre-October 2025 basis increased...

Updated: 28 October 2026, 8:18 a.m. AEDT Mitchell Starc took six wickets as Australia recovered from a difficult start to bowl South Africa out for 329 on the opening day of the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday, 27 October. Starc claimed the final six wickets of the innings, including the last four in six balls, Cricket Australia’s match report confirmed . The burst ended South Africa’s innings before stumps, leaving Australia yet to begin their reply. Pat Cummins had elected to field, but Marques Ackerman and Aiden Markram put on 158 for the first wicket. Ackerman made 95 and Markram 78 before Australia worked their way back into the contest. South Africa were eventually dismissed in 82.3 overs, according to BBC Sport’s day-one coverage . Cooper Connolly also reached a personal milestone, taking his first Test wicket when Matthew Breetzke was given lbw after an Australian review. Nathan Lyon dismissed Ackerman and captain Temba Bavuma as spin helped break the hosts’...

Updated: 28 October 2026, 3:18 a.m. AEDT Hailstones up to seven centimetres across struck parts of south-east Queensland on Tuesday, 27 October, while a lightning strike damaged Brisbane Airport’s western runway and disrupted flights. The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed hail measuring three to seven centimetres at Yamanto, Flinders View, Ripley and Mudgeeraba between 2.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. Queensland time, ABC News reported . The bureau classifies hail larger than five centimetres as giant hail. The afternoon storms swept across the Gold Coast and Ipswich. Nine reported that hail covered yards and streets in Augustine Heights and Redbank Plains, while more than 1,000 homes lost power. At Brisbane Airport, lightning struck the western runway shortly before 3 p.m. The runway remained closed at 6 p.m. Tuesday while engineers assessed the damage, according to Nine. An airport spokesperson said repairs were expected overnight, with the runway expected to be operational by Wednesday mo...

Updated: 27 October 2026, 9:20 p.m. AEDT Australian musician G Flip and Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause have announced their separation after more than four years together. The pair shared the news in separate social media statements on Monday, 26 October, in the United States. In a statement on their verified Instagram account , G Flip confirmed that the relationship had ended. The Melbourne-born singer and drummer said they would continue to love Stause, valued their shared memories and asked for privacy. Stause also confirmed the separation in a video, saying they had agreed to approach it with love and respect, Rolling Stone Australia reported on Tuesday . She spoke positively about their time together while describing the split as painful. The couple made their relationship public in May 2022, when Stause discussed it during a Selling Sunset reunion. She had appeared in the music video for G Flip’s song Get Me Outta Here . They held a wedding celebration in Las Vegas in May...

Updated: 27 October 2026, 11:22 a.m. AEDT Harry Kane won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in London on Monday night, 26 October, becoming the first English recipient since Michael Owen in 2001. The award was announced on Tuesday morning in Australia. The Bayern Munich and England striker finished ahead of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Sky Sports reported . Kane scored 73 goals for club and country during the season recognised by the award. The award organiser’s account put his Bayern total at 61 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions, alongside 12 goals for England. His 36 Bundesliga goals earned a second European Golden Shoe, while Bayern won a domestic treble. Kane’s club campaign included 14 Champions League goals and 10 in the German Cup. The organiser highlighted hat-tricks in his final Bundesliga appearance of the season and the cup final as part of the scoring run behind his success. Sky Sports said Kane also received the men’s strik...

Updated: 27 October 2026, 6:24 a.m. AEDT Reserve Bank assistant governor Brad Jones warned on Monday, 26 October, that rising retirement withdrawals and growing liquidity demands would make it harder for Australia’s superannuation sector to cushion future financial shocks. Speaking at the AFR Super and Wealth Summit in Melbourne, Jones said the sector had historically helped stabilise markets, including by buying Australian shares during the 2008 and 2020 crises. Recent stress testing by the RBA and APRA suggested funds were generally well placed to withstand substantial stress, according to the RBA’s published transcript . However, he said weekly net inflows of $1 billion to $2 billion had provided an important buffer. As more members draw down retirement savings, more funds will face net cash outflows, while foreign-exchange hedging will require more liquidity. Jones also highlighted concentrated service providers and the risk of an operational disruption occurring alongside financia...

Updated: 27 October 2026, 1:19 a.m. AEDT Centrelink is pursuing about 147,000 outstanding income-apportioned debts after a prolonged pause, according to Nine’s reporting published on Monday, 26 October . Victoria Legal Aid supports restoring a six-year limit on social security debt recovery. The repayment process did not begin on Monday. Services Australia says it started writing to affected people from June 2026 and has been gradually restarting repayments, explanations of decisions and formal reviews. Income apportionment divided a person’s employment earnings across Centrelink reporting fortnights when the available information did not show exactly when income was earned. Services Australia says legislation has retrospectively validated payment rates and debts calculated using the method before December 2020. Nine reported that Victoria Legal Aid’s Miles Browne warned of confusion and difficulty finding evidence about payments made more than a decade ago. The Department of Soci...

Updated: 26 October 2026, 10:23 a.m. AEDT Reserve Bank of Australia chief economist Sarah Hunter said the bank had not yet finished tackling inflation, in a television interview broadcast on Sunday night, 25 October. The RBA’s published transcript says the Sydney interview for 60 Minutes was recorded on 21 October. Asked whether enough had been done after four interest-rate increases this year, Hunter said the task was not yet complete and that higher rates needed time to work through the economy. Hunter pointed to two pressures: an overseas oil shock feeding into Australian costs, and domestic demand remaining above what the economy could sustainably supply. She said the bank needed to prevent inflation from becoming entrenched. She acknowledged the strain on mortgage holders while also highlighting the effect of rising living costs on renters and lower-income households. Hunter said the bank was watching closely for signs of a sharp downturn and was not seeking a recession. ABC News...

Updated: 26 October 2026, 9:18 a.m. AEDT Australia’s Oscar Piastri finished seventh in the United States Grand Prix at Austin on Sunday, 25 October, as Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli took his ninth victory of the season. The race concluded on Monday morning in eastern Australia. Formula 1’s official race report confirmed Piastri’s position behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, who was fifth, and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in sixth. George Russell finished eighth behind the Australian. Nine’s live coverage independently reported that Piastri held off Russell to secure seventh at the Circuit of the Americas. Antonelli won using a one-stop tyre strategy while many rivals stopped twice. He finished 13.078 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with Max Verstappen third and Lewis Hamilton fourth. A late virtual safety car followed Valtteri Bottas pulling off the circuit, before racing resumed for the closing laps. The result brought Antonelli closer to the drivers’ title, but he did no...

Updated: 26 October 2026 at 3:21 am AEDT Tom Trbojevic scored three second-half tries as Australia came from behind to beat Fiji 36–22 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Sunday night, 25 October, securing a place in the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals. The NRL’s match report confirmed the result in front of 41,108 spectators. The lead changed four times, with Australia taking a narrow 12–10 advantage into half-time before Fiji moved back ahead shortly after the restart. Semi Valemei also finished with a hat-trick for the Bati. His second try put Fiji in front early in the second half, but Australia responded through Trbojevic before a Sam Walker penalty goal restored the hosts’ lead. James Tedesco helped create Australia’s comeback, with the Guardian reporting that he finished with three try assists. Trbojevic’s third try gave the Kangaroos breathing room, and Jacob Preston added his first international try to seal the win. Australia next face the Cook Islands in Townsville on Satu...

Updated: 25 October 2026, 7:18 pm AEDT A line of severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds to western New South Wales on Sunday, 25 October, as a broad storm system moved across eastern Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology’s noon AEDT briefing confirmed that storms had already produced damaging winds that morning and extended into north-east Victoria. The Guardian reported on Sunday afternoon that gusts of up to 100km/h had been recorded in the NSW central west around midday. It also reported a severe thunderstorm warning covering Sydney, greater Wollongong and parts of the Blue Mountains and surrounding districts that afternoon. The bureau said a cold front and trough were driving the outbreak. Its Sunday briefing identified damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain as risks across affected parts of NSW, the ACT, eastern Victoria and southern Queensland. Those hazards were forecasts, rather than confirmation that every area would experience them. Rain had already caused flash floo...

Updated: 25 October 2026, 3:20 pm AEDT The Moto2 and Moto3 races at Phillip Island have been cancelled because poor visibility is preventing the medical helicopter from operating, Australian Grand Prix organisers confirmed on Sunday, 25 October. The premier-class MotoGP race now has a provisional 4.30 pm AEDT start, with the pit lane due to open at 4 pm. The organiser’s 2.10 pm update announced both cancellations and the revised timetable. It followed an earlier 1.45 pm decision to cancel Moto3. The new start remains provisional while officials wait for visibility to improve. Motorsport.com independently reported the revised schedule and cancellations. It said the MotoGP race had originally been scheduled for 2 pm, making the proposed new start two and a half hours later. The decisions significantly reduce Sunday’s programme. The MotoGP warm-up, Australian Superbikes Race 3 and Legends Lap had already been cancelled earlier in the day. The latest announcement concerns the two support...

Updated: 25 October 2026 at 1:23 pm AEDT Track action at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island has been delayed until at least 3 pm AEDT on Sunday, 25 October, because poor visibility is preventing the medical helicopter from operating. Organisers confirmed the delay in a 12:30 pm update on their official race-day live blog . They said the MotoGP Grand Prix would run first once track activity could resume, with the next official update due at 2 pm. The MotoGP warm-up and Australian Superbikes Race 3 have been cancelled. A separate 12:35 pm announcement also cancelled the Legends Lap, which had been scheduled for 1 pm to 1:20 pm. Motorsport.com independently reported the delay, explaining that the medical helicopter must remain available in case a rider needs to be airlifted to hospital. The premier-class race had originally been scheduled for 2 pm. The announcements confirmed a delay to racing and cancellations of those supporting sessions; they did not announce cance...

Updated: 25 October 2026 at 9:18 am AEDT The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a widespread severe thunderstorm outbreak across eastern Australia for Sunday, 25 October, as a cold front draws in tropical moisture while crossing New South Wales. In its official Sunday national forecast , released on Saturday, the bureau said severe storms were likely from eastern Victoria through Canberra and western NSW, extending north into western Queensland. Storms may reach coastal areas, including Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, during Sunday afternoon and evening. That coastal progression remains a forecast, rather than confirmation that every location will experience a severe storm. Much of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania was also expected to receive rain before conditions cleared later. The bureau said a colder air mass would follow the front, with below-average temperatures already affecting southern Western Australia. The Guardian’s Saturday report , citing bureau meteorologist D...

Updated: 25 October 2026 at 8:23 am AEDT Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski retained the UFC featherweight championship by stopping Movsar Evloev in the second round at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning, 25 October, Australian eastern time. The UFC’s official results recorded the finish as a technical knockout from strikes at four minutes and 54 seconds of round two. The main event took place at Etihad Arena. Evloev had success in the opening round and remained competitive through much of the second, the promotion’s report said. Volkanovski then landed a right hand that forced the challenger back, followed him with further strikes and finished the contest on the canvas. CBS Sports’ live coverage independently confirmed the second-round stoppage, describing the referee waving off the fight as Volkanovski landed ground strikes and Evloev covered up. The result handed Evloev his first professional defeat. It also moved Volkanovski ahead of José Aldo for the most featherweight title-...

Updated: 25 October 2026 at 5:23 am AEDT Port Adelaide confirmed on Saturday, 24 October, that former forward Daniel Stewart had died at the age of 37. The club said it would honour him with black armbands at its first home match at Adelaide Oval in 2027. Stewart died on Friday, according to ABC News . The club described his sudden death as devastating and offered condolences to his family, friends and former teammates. Chief executive Matthew Richardson said Port Adelaide would provide support to people affected by Stewart’s death, including the players and staff who worked alongside him at Alberton. The announcement also acknowledged his connections with North Adelaide and Queensland club Labrador. Stewart played 36 AFL matches and kicked 31 goals for the Power between 2010 and 2013. Port Adelaide recruited the 200cm forward from North Adelaide through the 2009 rookie draft before promoting him to the senior list later that year, the AFL reported . He made his league debut against Ge...

Updated: 25 October 2026, 3:44 a.m. AEDT (Sydney) Four people were taken to hospital after shots were fired from a vehicle outside a licensed premises in Loganholme, south-east Queensland, on Saturday evening, 24 October, police said. Reports of the shooting on Bryants Road were received at 8.15 p.m. AEST. Queensland Police’s statement , issued at 10.30 p.m. AEST on Saturday, said the four injured people’s conditions were being assessed. The vehicle involved was seen leaving the scene. Police said they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public. They had not released further information about the injured people or the circumstances surrounding the incident in that statement. Nine’s reporting independently confirmed that four people had been hospitalised and that police were called to Bryants Road following reports of gunfire from a vehicle. The victims’ medical conditions remained unconfirmed in that report. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident t...

Updated: 22 October 2026, 11:20 a.m. AEDT (Sydney) The Bureau of Meteorology warned of further flash flooding in parts of south-east Queensland on Thursday, 22 October, as a slow-moving thunderstorm brought heavy rain to the Moreton Bay region. ABC News reported that members of the public had rescued motorists from floodwaters overnight. In its 10:06 a.m. AEST warning , the Bureau said the storm was near Mount Mee and Wamuran and could produce rainfall leading to flash flooding. The warning covered parts of Somerset, Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast council areas. It forecast the storm would affect Dayboro and Woodford by 10:50 a.m. AEST. The Bureau recorded 168 millimetres at Sheep Station Creek in Morayfield in the three hours to 7:30 a.m., and 159 millimetres at Caboolture’s Short Street over the same period. These figures use Queensland’s local time. ABC’s reporting said police were receiving calls about people driving into floodwaters, after rescues in two separate incidents. It al...

Updated: 22 October 2026, 7:25 a.m. AEDT NEXTDC cut its revenue and earnings forecasts on Wednesday, 21 October, after delayed electricity-network upgrades pushed back expansion at its M3 Melbourne data centre in West Footscray. In its ASX announcement , the company said Jemena had suspended parts of the required network works because of community and stakeholder opposition. The next increase in grid supply is now expected in FY28, delaying delivery and billing of contracted capacity. NEXTDC lowered FY27 net revenue guidance to $475 million–$500 million from $615 million–$640 million. Its underlying EBITDA forecast fell to $245 million–$265 million from $385 million–$410 million. Both revised ranges exclude the affected M3 contracts. ABC independently reported that shares fell about 40 per cent following Wednesday’s announcement. Residents and councils had opposed power-pole upgrades, including over consultation concerns. The filing also reduced FY27 capital-expenditure guidance to $4...

Updated: 22 October 2026, 06:21 AEDT Australian website operators are being urged to check and update PHP after two critical software vulnerabilities triggered an international security response on Wednesday, 21 October. ABC reported that the Australian Signals Directorate said cyber.gov.au and other Australian government websites had experienced outages in connection with the issue. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s 21 October alert says the flaws, tracked as CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619 and known as “php2shell”, can let an attacker run code remotely without authenticating. It says PHP installations serving web requests are affected. CISA identifies PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35 as the updated versions that fix the vulnerabilities. It urges organisations to inventory their PHP systems and prioritise patching those exposed to the internet. For systems that cannot be updated immediately, including unsupported PHP 8.1 or earlier versions, the agenc...

Updated: 22 October 2026, 5:20 a.m. AEDT Reserve Bank deputy governor Andrew Hauser warned in Sydney on Wednesday, 21 October, that Australia’s inflation outlook had become “materially worse” than the bank’s August forecast, as policymakers prepare for their November interest-rate meeting. Speaking at Citi’s Australia and New Zealand Investment Conference, Hauser said the RBA was still finalising its forecasts. The bank’s published transcript identifies higher oil prices, the AI and technology investment boom, and domestic capacity constraints as continuing sources of inflation pressure. Hauser said oil prices were about a third above the level assumed in August. He also pointed to rising technology prices and Australian data-centre construction, while services inflation remained sensitive to limits on the economy’s capacity. He warned that business surveys and the RBA’s liaison work showed some companies were beginning to regard inflation of 3–3.5 per cent as normal. At the same time...

Updated: 21 October 2026, 11:22 am AEDT Brendan Nugent was remanded in custody after his first appearance at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 21 October, over the alleged car attack on independent federal MP Helen Haines. He did not apply for bail and is due back in court on 4 February for a committal mention, ABC court reporters said . The 43-year-old Tarrawingee man faces charges of dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official. He was not required to enter a plea at the brief hearing. The charges remain allegations and have not been proven. ABC reported that Magistrate Allison Vaughan set 24 December as the deadline for police to provide their brief of evidence to the defence. The magistrate also requested an immediate medical assessment for Nugent. Further details of the alleged offending were not aired in court. BBC journalists attending the hearing independently confirmed that no bail ...

Updated: 21 October 2026, 5:24 a.m. AEDT (Sydney) The Reserve Bank of Australia’s payments policy chief, Ellis Connolly, defended the card surcharge changes at a Sydney conference on Tuesday, saying consumers should be able to pay the price they see advertised. Speaking at the AFIA Conference on 20 October, Connolly said cards now account for 75 per cent of consumer payments. He said the RBA was monitoring implementation and wanted greater clarity for shoppers at checkout. For businesses, he said the bank was looking for reductions in interchange charges to flow through to the fees merchants pay their payment providers. Domestic interchange changes took effect on 1 October, while adjustments for international cards are due on 1 April. Connolly also pointed to requirements for large merchant payment providers and card networks to publish more fee information. The aim is to help businesses compare providers and identify better deals. The comments came after the surcharge ban took effect ...

Updated: 20 October 2026, 23:27 AEDT (Sydney) Victoria Police charged a 43-year-old Tarrawingee man on Tuesday evening over the alleged vehicle attack that critically injured independent MP Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta office on Monday. The man, identified by ABC News as Brendan Nugent , faces dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and the Commonwealth offence of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official. In a statement published at 7:39pm on Tuesday , police said he would be held overnight to appear at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 21 October. The charges are allegations and have not been determined by a court. Police allege a white Toyota LandCruiser struck Haines, 65, outside an office on Murphy Street at about 3:35pm on Monday, 19 October. They said the incident was targeted. A member of the public initially restrained the man before he was taken into custody at about 3:40pm. Detectives searched a property on Great A...

Updated: 20 October 2026, 6:18 a.m. AEDT Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the joint counterterrorism unit has been activated after independent MP Helen Haines was struck by a vehicle outside her Wangaratta electorate office on Monday, 19 October. Speaking to the ABC’s 7.30 that evening, he described the incident as deliberate but said it was too early to establish the motive. The ABC’s report of its interview with Albanese confirms his account of the investigation. The Guardian separately reported that Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police, ASIO and counterterrorism investigators were involved. The unit’s involvement does not establish a terrorist motive. Albanese said investigators were not yet in a position to explain what was behind the alleged attack. Haines, the 65-year-old federal member for Indi, remained in a critical condition in a Melbourne hospital on Tuesday morning, the ABC’s morning update reported . She was flown to The Alfred after being struck near...

Updated: 19 October 2026, 10:51 p.m. AEDT Independent federal MP Helen Haines was critically injured after being struck by a vehicle outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday, 19 October. A 43-year-old man has been arrested. Victoria Police said a white Toyota LandCruiser struck a 65-year-old woman outside an office on Murphy Street at about 3:35 p.m. A passer-by detained the driver after he left the vehicle, and police took him into custody. The man, from Tarrawingee, was to be interviewed over the incident. Police said they seized a knife from inside the Toyota and were investigating whether the collision was intentional. Their statement said it was not yet known whether the two people knew each other. ABC News identified the injured woman as Haines , the member for Indi, and reported that she had been flown to Melbourne for emergency surgery. Her family thanked first responders and asked the public and media to respect their privacy. The investigation remains...

Updated: 19 October 2026, 10:53 a.m. AEDT Australian basketballer Ben Simmons will undergo surgery after tearing his right Achilles tendon during Sacramento Kings practice on Sunday, 18 October, in the United States. An MRI confirmed the injury following a live drill, according to the NBA’s report of the Kings’ announcement . The injury is a major setback to Simmons’ planned return to the NBA after signing with Sacramento in September. The 30-year-old had been preparing for the new regular season with the Kings. Yahoo Sports independently reported the team’s confirmation of the tear and planned operation. Its report said the Kings had not provided a timetable for his return. ESPN reporter Shams Charania described the injury as season-ending, as quoted in the NBA’s coverage. That reported outlook is separate from the team’s recovery guidance: no official return date was announced in the statements reviewed. Sacramento is scheduled to open its regular season against the Los Angeles Clip...

Updated 19 October 2026, 9:53 a.m. AEDT Kylian Mbappé scored twice as Real Madrid defeated Sevilla 4–1 at the Bernabéu on Sunday, 18 October, moving to 21 points in LaLiga ahead of next weekend’s meeting with Barcelona. Arda Güler opened the scoring in the 30th minute with a left-footed strike from outside the penalty area. Mbappé doubled the lead seven minutes later after a backheel pass from Jude Bellingham, according to Madrid’s official match report . The France forward added a Panenka-style penalty in the 63rd minute after being fouled. Manu Bueno replied for Sevilla in the 80th minute, but Yan Diomande restored the three-goal margin two minutes later with a solo run and finish. ESPN’s report and match data independently confirmed the result and scorers. Madrid sit third on 21 points, six behind Barcelona; Sevilla have 14 points from nine matches. Éder Militão returned from injury as an 85th-minute substitute, the home club said. Madrid’s next confirmed assignment is against RB L...

Updated 19 October 2026, 5:50 a.m. AEDT Scott Boland took two wickets in successive deliveries as South Africa ended a rain-shortened opening day of the second Test against Australia at 2–20 in Gqeberha on Sunday, 18 October. Only 12.2 overs were possible at St George’s Park. Cricket Australia’s coverage confirmed the stumps score and a revised 9:45 a.m. local start for Monday, equivalent to 6:45 p.m. AEDT. Boland dismissed Aiden Markram and David Bedingham in consecutive balls in his second over after replacing Nathan Lyon in Australia’s side. Temba Bavuma survived the hat-trick delivery, according to Cricinfo’s match report . Captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl, but rain delayed the start by 90 minutes. A further interruption brought an early lunch before the players returned briefly. Play was eventually abandoned at 4:15 p.m. local time. Australia entered the match leading the three-Test series 1–0 after a 214-run win in Durban. The visitors have yet to begin their f...

Updated: 18 October 2026, 3:20 am AEDT (Sydney) Liverpool came from behind to beat Brentford 2–1 at Gtech Community Stadium in London on Saturday, 17 October. Victor Muñoz and Alexander Isak scored after the interval as Brentford suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season, according to the home club’s match report . Keane Lewis-Potter had put Brentford ahead with a header in the 44th minute. The hosts then lost Yehor Yarmoliuk to a red card in first-half stoppage time, leaving them to defend their lead with ten players. Muñoz equalised in the 62nd minute after receiving a pass from Florian Wirtz. Isak completed the turnaround eight minutes later, finishing after Bradley Barcola headed down a cross from Alexis Mac Allister. Brentford ended the match with nine players when Vitaly Janelt received a second yellow card in stoppage time. The 2–1 full-time result is also confirmed in The Guardian’s match report.  

El Niño can favour drier conditions in parts of Australia, but it does not switch off rain. The Bureau of Meteorology says Australia’s rainfall depends on several interacting climate influences, so a strong Pacific event does not automatically produce equally strong effects everywhere. In its September explanation of the current El Niño , the Bureau notes that unusually warm surrounding oceans can supply moisture and energy to rain systems. Indian Ocean conditions, seasonal changes and individual weather systems can strengthen or outweigh the Pacific influence. During winter, north-west cloudbands and cold fronts drew on tropical moisture, helping bring rain to parts of the interior. That is why a wet spell and El Niño can occur together. National averages also hide regional differences: rain in one area does not mean every district has received enough. For the months ahead, the Bureau recommends checking its regularly updated long-range forecasts , which account for multiple climate d...