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, 10:32 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: 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...