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Australia news — Achol Arok and Nick Visser
That’s a wrap on our live coverage for the day.
Before we go, let’s recap what made the top headlines:
Consent education advocate Chanel Contos urged Australia to enforce a social media opt-in algorithm to help reduce the influence of the “manosphere” on both men and women during a speech at the national press club, a move backed by independent MP Allegra Spender.
Australia will step up its support to fight transnational drug trafficking flowing through the Pacific, with Anthony Albanese announcing a $600m package at the Pacific Islands Forum.
The government and Qantas also confirmed more flights would travel between Brisbane and Koror, as part of the Palau Paradise Express direct air service.
Five Australians have been confirmed safe in the devastating Nepal-Tibet floods, meaning the number of unaccounted-for citizens has been revised from 43 missing on Tuesday morning to 38. Australia will also provide $8m in humanitarian and disaster relief supplies for Nepal.
Telstra did not prioritise systems that caused a major nationwide network failure and lacked the technical expertise to properly maintain them, an independent investigation into the telco’s 8 July network failure found.
Australia’s economy expanded by 0.4% in the three months to June, marking an expected, if less marked, slowdown in annual growth from 2.5% to 2.1% as rising interest rates and the high cost of living take their toll.
Victorian police have travelled to New South Wales this week to interview four people as part of their investigations into the sexual assault allegations linked to the Sydney Swans.
The NSW police commissioner has responded to a video that emerged over the weekend that shows a police officer boasting about “punching” a protester in the head “when he was down”, saying he does not “condone” the language but he needs to “understand the context of it”.
Police are investigating a potential case of mistaken identity after a man was shot dead in Sydney’s west. The alleged shooting marks the second incident of its kind in Sydney’s west being investigated as a case of mistaken identity this week.
Thanks for sticking around, we’ll see you tomorrow!
‘A possibility the wrong person has been shot’: NSW police investigate fatal shooting as a case of mistaken identity
Police are investigating a potential case of mistaken identity after a man was shot dead in Sydney’s west.
Emergency services responded to reports of a shooting at a Merrylands West home at about 3.15pm, where a man sustained a gunshot wound.
The victim, who is yet to be formally identified, was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.
Police have reviewed CCTV footage and identified a grey Audi sedan that was seen leaving the scene of the shooting.
Police said the property was a location known to police for organised crime.
At a press conference, Supt Simon Glasser said it is unclear what the male who was shot was doing at the location or what his involvement was. He said:
The person who we believe has been shot has no adverse holdings with police. People that are linked to this address are known to Sydney to organised crime.
The victim has no links that we’re aware of to organised crime.
It’s very early on in the investigation. However, there is a possibility that the wrong person has been shot by those offenders.
The alleged shooting marks the second incident of its kind in Sydney’s west being investigated as a case of mistaken identity this week.
One Nation accuses Liberals of ‘hubris’ over comments on majority government
In another interesting exchange from the Victorian housing debate, Warren Pickering accused the Liberal party’s housing spokesperson, David Southwick , of displaying “hubris” when suggesting they would govern in a majority come November.
Southwick told the crowd that while Liberals weren’t taking “anything for granted” and “no seat is safe”, he looked forward to working with his “Liberal National colleagues” to deliver a majority government.
To which Pickering replied: “Hubris, mate.”
One Nation suggests Latrobe Valley for nuclear plant
Continuing on our last post on the Victorian housing debate, while most of the conversation stayed on topic, the most fiery interaction involved a back and forth between parties on energy policy.
Sonya Kilkenny was asked about property taxes and said that, unlike states such as WA, New South Wales and Queensland, Victoria did not have the “luxury” of using resource royalties to prop up its finances.
One Nation’s Warren Pickering , however, said Victoria was the “most energy-abundant” state in the country and should utilise coal and gas.
We are transitioning to renewables because renewables will provide certainty to the grid. They will ensure lower energy prices and deliver the jobs of the future.
Kilkenny asked Pickering what community he would propose putting a nuclear reactor in. The One Nation state leader replied:
We’ll put the nuclear reactor where it makes viable sense to do so, where we’ve got existing power line infrastructure out at Loy Yang.
He received applause from the crowd, but it’s unlikely to be well received in the Latrobe Valley.
On Monday, Pickering was joined by Pauline Hanson in the region, where they announced the party would not allow Loy Yang A to close in 2035 as planned and would scrap Victoria’s 1983 ban on building nuclear power if it wins government in November.
NSW police commissioner defends decision to keep sniffer dogs at music festivals
The NSW police commissioner has defended the decision to continue using drug detection dogs at music festivals, despite the government expanding access to pill testing, saying “police have a really significant role in supply reduction”.
On Wednesday the NSW government announced pill testing would resume at music festivals from October, but there will be no change to the use of sniffer dogs at music festivals.
Related: NSW government to resume pill testing at music festivals but rejects calls for wider community rollout
Drug detection dogs has been found to prompt risky drug taking. Police, security guards, bag searches and sniffer dogs at music festivals can lead to riskier drug use as people may “pre-load”, or take all of their substances at once, to avoid detection.
The police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, said of the decision to continue to use drug detection dogs:
Police have a really significant role in supply reduction... The way that we use drug detection dogs at festivals is designed to make sure that we are focusing on those who want to supply drugs.
But I make it clear, drugs remain illegal and harmful, and I want anyone thinking of using drugs at a festival to understand that there can be consequences to their health.
The Redfern Legal Centre has criticised the decision, pointing to a 2019 coroner recommendation that drug detection dogs be scrapped.
The centre’s police accountability lead, Rian Terrell , said:
Having police and drug dogs at festivals where pill testing is available will deter young people from getting their pills tested, undermining the harm reduction outcomes of the scheme.”
Testing will be more effective and save more lives without drug dogs present.
Victorian Labor use housing debate to announce 10-day planning process for small developments
We’re inching closer to the Victorian state election, which means plenty of politicians are on the event circuit.
The Australian Property Developers Association hosted the first debate this afternoon on housing, with the planning minister, Sonya Kilkenny , Coalition housing spokesperson, David Southwick , One Nation Victorian leader, Warren Pickering , and Family First’s Alex van der End subbing in after the Greens pulled out of the event.
Kilkenny kicked things off by announcing an expansion of its 10-day planning permit process to include developments of up to four homes on a block. She told the crowd:
Four homes that comply with the townhouse code will be approved in 10 days, council will not be able to object to the planning application. This is just one step in the reforms that we are delivering to ensure that we’re increasing supply so that more young Victorians ... are able to find a home close to the jobs that they want in the places they want to live, whether that is out in our greenfields or in our inner Melbourne suburbs areas that we know have been locked up for so long.
Southwick focused on the Liberals’ earlier annoucement that it would scrap the government’s target of 70% of new homes into established suburbs and 30% into growth areas, saying “wherever the market says is appropriate to build, we will build”.
Both the Liberals and One Nation said they would reduce the land tax threshold from the current level of $500,000 back to the old level of $300,000. Pickering also said he’d “roll back” windfall tax and impose a “two out, one in policy” for all regulatory requirements. He went on:
It was just baffling to me to understand how many new regulatory changes were introduced to Australian standards year after year after year with no revision of previous standards. There is so much overlap, and it’s it’s causing perpetual waste.
However, when asked which two regulations related to the housing industry he’d remove by the moderator, Michael Rowland , he couldn’t name any.
Australia and Pacific nations agree to maritime security deal to combat organised crime
Australia and Pacific nations have entered a maritime security deal to tackle increasing transnational and organised crime, including illicit drug trafficking.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and Pacific leaders have agreed to Waqa Moana, a Pacific-led maritime security initiative, on Wednesday.
Under the deal, the prime minister has announced a $600m support package.
The AFP will additionally invest $49m in new counter-transnational and organised crime programs across the region, adding to the $140m the AFP has pledged to contribute over the next four years to support regional security objectives.
Albanese has also announced a department of defence investment of $312m over the next 10 years.
Albanese has welcomed the “growing capability of Pacific countries to work together to address shared security challenges”. He said:
The Pacific is our home and our family. That’s why it’s in Australia’s interests to work with our Pacific partners to combat organised crime.
For the good of every country in the region, including our own – we need to work together to stamp out the illicit drug trade.
NSW police investigate fatal shooting in Sydney’s west
New South Wales police have launched an investigation into a fatal shooting in Merrylands West in Sydney.
Emergency services were called to a home around 3.15pm after reports of a shooting.
A man believed to be in his 30s sustained a gunshot wound and was treated by paramedics but died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified.
Three charged after suspected ketamine allegedly hidden in baby formula tin
Three people have been charged with drug offences after authorities allegedly found vacuum-sealed bags of suspected ketamine stored inside a tin of baby formula during a home search in Sydney’s south-west.
A man and woman, both aged 30, were arrested following the search where police also allegedly found another 3kg of suspected ketamine in foil packets in a suitcase and plastic container around the property.
Authorities said suspected MDMA tablets, about $30,000 cash, a replica firearm and other items suspected to be linked to drug trafficking were found.
The home search formed part of a wider federal investigation by the Australian Border Force (ABF) after officers allegedly detected ketamine and cocaine in a 26-year-old man’s luggage in July.
The Sydney couple have both been charged with five counts of drug offences each.
The 26-year-old man, from the Czech Republic, was charged with importing a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.
NSW police commissioner responds to footage of police officer boasting about punching Sydney anti-Herzog protester
The NSW police commissioner has responded to a video that emerged over the weekend that shows a police officer boasting about “punching” a protester in the head “when he was down”, saying he does not “condone” the language but he needs to “understand the context of it”.
The police body-worn camera footage, which was widely shared on social media over the weekend, revealed a male police officer telling his colleagues during the 9 February rally at Sydney town hall protesting against a visit by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog: “I fucking pumped that cunt.”
A female officer can be heard replying, “So funny,” before the male officer says: “Then I punched him in the head when he was down.”
Guardian Australia understands the video relates to legal proceedings from a protester who was charged with assaulting police. They were one of three protesters who on Friday had the charges against them dropped.
The police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, was asked about the video on Wednesday during a press conference. He said:
The language is something that I don’t condone, but I need to understand the context of it. I think it’s appropriate that I leave that to the Lecc [Law Enforcement Conduct Commission] to actually conduct their investigations.
The police minister, Yasmin Catley , was also asked about the video during the same press confernce. She said:
I do not condone that language whatsoever. But what I would ask is, do we not all agree that we should have an independent investigation into this matter, and don’t we all agree that that should be at arm’s length of the government and the police? Yes, we absolutely should, because that’s the right thing to do, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
The police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, is investigating allegations of police brutality at the protest after it was referred for investigation by Greens MP, Sue Higginson .
Related: Footage of police officer boasting about punching Sydney anti-Herzog protester raises questions about conduct
Police not expecting update on sexual assault investigation linked to Sydney Swans for eight weeks
Victorian police have travelled to New South Wales this week to interview four people as part of their investigations into the sexual assault allegations linked to the Sydney Swans.
Separate to the investigation, in August five Sydney Swans players were stood down for the rest of the season for breaching the club’s standards, including drinking and bringing women back to their hotel after their round 23 win over Essendon.
Police said they spoke to four men aged between 25 and 30 this week in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Police said they believe they have now identified all parties who were in the room at the time of the alleged incident and are not looking for anyone further.
The investigation remains ongoing. No one has been arrested or charged in relation to the allegations.
AFP raid Melbourne property in alleged corruption probe
The Australian federal police are searching properties in Melbourne on Wednesday as part of their investigation into alleged corruption within the building industry.
An AFP spokesperson confirmed in a statement that it had executed warrants in the Melbourne suburb of Keilor.
The search warrants are part of the AFP’s response to allegations of corruption in the Victorian building industry.
Further comment will be made at an appropriate time.
Last month, the premier, Ben Carroll , announced a royal commission into “the nature and extent of corruption, criminal conduct and serious misconduct in relation to major construction projects in Victoria”.
That’s all for me. Achol Arok will take it from here and guide you into the evening. Take care!
First home loan applications hit three-month high, brokers’ company says
First home buyers’ loan applications hit a three-month high in August, Loan Market reports.
The mortgage brokers’ group has previously recorded falling loan applications from all groups over the months leading up to June, in the wake of interest rate rises and the budget’s cuts to investor tax breaks.
Investor loan applications fell back to their lowest numbers so far this year in August, after a slight pickup in July, Loan Market said. Separate Reserve Bank data earlier this week showed credit growth for property investors slowed sharply in July.
First home buyers’ applications bounced back from their decline and rose 6% from July to August, Loan Market reported. We reported on early signs of this recovery last week:
Related: Australia’s first home buyers are still taking out loans as property investors step back, data shows
While separate data on other owner-occupier applications was not reported, pre-approvals for owner-occupier loans have dropped 12.6% in August 2026 compared to the same month last year, the group said. Investors’ pre-approvals have more than halved, down 55% in August 2026 from 2025.
Australia to provide $8m in humanitarian and disaster relief supplies for Nepal
The Australian government is providing $8m in humanitarian support to Nepal, including nearly 1,500 hygiene kits, hundreds of menstrual kits and 2,200 solar lights with phone chargers.
An air force aircraft carrying the humanitarian and disaster relief supplies was set to arrive in Nepal today.
The plane will also carry five large community lighting towers, 432 shelter tool kits that include shovels, saws and machetes, and nearly 900 tarpaulins and rope.
There are 18 Australian response team personnel in Nepal to support the crisis response, the government says.
Chalmers hails ‘resilient’ economy, but experts less impressed
Here’s what Jim Chalmers , the treasurer, had to say about this morning national accounts figures which showed economic growth was weak but better than expected in the June quarter:
This is a robust result in challenging international circumstances. It shows the resilience of Australia’s economy in the face of global uncertainty and conflict.
Annual growth in Australia was as strong or stronger than every major advanced economy – equal to the United States and much stronger than the rest.
While global circumstances are challenging and people are under pressure, we’ve got a lot going for us and we can see some of this reflected in today’s figures.
And here are a couple of (less positive) early impressions from economists: Stephen Smith , a partner at Deloitte Access Economics, said:
Today’s national accounts data confirm that the Australian economy is going sideways.
Without the spending on motor vehicles, household consumption growth would have been closer to just 0.1% in the quarter – far too weak to suggest households are shrugging off cost-of-living challenges.
Today’s accounts show too little growth and too much inflation.
Brendan Rynne , chief economist at KPMG, said:
The latest national accounts data … reveals an Australian that is at the crossroads.
Growth is stalling, it is cheaper to hire people than it is to invest in capital, productivity is continuing to go backwards, wages are falling in real terms and the ‘free gift’ that improving terms of trade offers has reversed.
These results continue to raise the bigger policy picture of what needs to happen differently to turn around Australia’s declining standard of living.
The outlook can best be summarised as continuing to muddle along.
Albanese says the government retains hope for positive news out of Nepal, but it’s a ‘very difficult time’ for many
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese , is speaking in Palau, where he is visiting for the Pacific Islands Forum. He said today’s news that another five Australians had been confirmed safe in Nepal after the floods was good news, but the government still holds grave fears for the 38 other missing citizens.
We hope, of course, for positive news … and we’re doing everything we can to work with authorities. We think of all of the families at this very difficult time. And also for the very broader Nepalese–Australian community that is a large and growing larger community as well.
Social media ‘one of society’s biggest challenges’: Chalmers
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, says social media algorithms are one of the biggest challenges facing society today, hitting out at the business model of big platforms seeking to polarise users.
Sexual consent campaigner Chantel Contos spoke today at the National Press Club in Canberra and Chalmers was asked about her push for platforms to be required to offer opt-in functions for algorithms.
“From a personal point of view, if you made a short list of the biggest problems that we’ve got in our society, I think the role of social media would be on that list,” he said.
Chalmers said content on big platforms is too often divisive and violent.
What President Obama said not that long ago, which is social media has become about affirmation rather than information … I think that’s a really neat way of describing what we’re up against as a country.
It is a huge challenge, and our society, our social cohesion, the way that we come at big problems, including in my part of the shop, in the economy, is hampered, not helped, by the way that algorithms are dominating people’s day.
Communications minister expects Telstra to act ‘without delay’ after report into network failure
Anika Wells , the federal communications minister, said she expects Telstra to act “without delay” on the findings and recommendations in an independent investigation into the telco’s nationwide network failure in July.
The report found a lack of ownership and oversight of curtain functions led to the outage, which was triggered by a software update not being done on a GPS card. An ongoing and separate investigation by the industry watchdog could result in fines of up to $30m per breach.
This was an outage that should not have happened, and it caused an extraordinary disruption across the country which impacted people, businesses and transport.
What this report has unearthed is concerning and clearly shows there have been preventable failures.
Australians rightly expect to reach Triple Zero when they need it most, and telcos are legally obligated to ensure that connection occurs.
The industry must learn from its mistakes and continue to rebuild trust with Australians by ensuring networks do not succumb to preventable failures.
Carroll says erecting statue for Victorian state leaders a ‘stupid waste of money’
In a sometimes fiery press conference, Carroll described the Jeff Kennett -era policy of erecting a statue for state leaders who have served more than 3,000 days in office as a “stupid waste of money”. On Saturday, he scrapped the $134,000 statue of Daniel Andrews .
This morning, he said 50% of the contract had already been paid out:
I am aware of design work completed and 50% of the contract being paid. I have now set up a process where the contract will be fulfilled for an alternative subject, an alternative location based on an independent panel that will give me advice. This was a Jeff Kennett, stupid waste of money, 3,000 days. In the Labor party, our statues are fixing up our roads, building better hospitals and better schools.
Victoria premier’s pothole blitz continues with $270m commitment
The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll , was in Epping, in Melbourne’s north, this morning to announce that if re-elected, his government will spend $270m to improve an intersection that locals say isn’t safe.
The funding also includes the doubling of the number of lanes from two to four across 3.6km of Findon Road.
The announcement follows his press conferences on Sunday and Monday about his pothole blitz .
Carroll was asked about the edict sent out by police management to ignore increasingly overcrowded cells when making bail decisions, first reported by the Herald Sun. He said it was “the right thing” that cells were “more full” than before.
I want to congratulate the chief commissioner, and I want to congratulate every hard-working Victorian. People being put into custody, whether it’s a police cell or a jail cell, is the right thing. I make no apology for our cells being more full than they ever have before. This shows our laws are working. That we’re focusing on making sure there’s accountability, that there’s consequences.
He said a “very simple way to not go into a cell” was to not “do the wrong thing in the first place”.
Carroll also denied he had plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 despite it being in Labor’s party platform. He said he’s seen many Labor policies “get developed” but “not implemented” during his 30 years in the party.
Tiny wallaby detected for the first time in 50 years
Australia’s second smallest wallaby, the nabarlek , has been detected at two new locations in Western Australia’s vast Kimberley region, described as like “finding a needle in a haystack”.
Images and scats showed the 1.2kg rock-wallaby on Yampi Sound Training Area on Dambeemangaddee Country – one of 20 priority places in the federal government’s Threatened Species Action Plan.
A second population was also confirmed around 170km away in the north-east of Dambeemangaddee Country – the first detections of the species on mainland Dambeemangaddee Country in over 50 years and the first record for Yampi Sound Training Area.
Australians stay at home and splurge on EVs
High fuel prices dragged on household spending in the three months to June, with Australians filling up their car less and putting off overseas travel as airlines pushed up their fares to compensate for more expensive jet fuel.
National accounts figures showed consumption lifted by a weak 0.4% in the quarter – but even that was double the previous quarter’s pace.
The Middle East conflict disrupted overseas travel, slashing the usual pilgrimage north of the equator.
Grace Kim , Australian Bureau of Statistics’ head of national accounts, said “the number of Australians travelling overseas for the northern hemisphere summer fell for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic”.
Instead, we splurged on fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, with record sales of EVs and hybrids bolstering spending and the economy.
Vehicle purchases jumped by 10% in the quarter as Australians continued to shift away from gas guzzlers in an attempt to protect themselves from pain in the pump, both today and in the future.
The household saving rate lifted to 6.5%, from 6.4% in March.
One Nation’s popularity slips as Albanese records lowest approval as prime minister
Labor’s national primary vote has dropped five percentage points in a month, falling to 26% in the latest Guardian Essential poll as Anthony Albanese records his lowest approval rating as prime minister.
And despite One Nation’s win in Saturday’s Secret Harbour byelection in Western Australia, the poll showed the national primary vote for Pauline Hanson ’s party dropping five percentage points since May. The party recorded a primary vote of 23% in the latest poll, down from a peak of 28%.
Labor and the Coalition both recorded primary votes of 26% in the new results. That position represented a rise for the Coalition, from 22% in July, while Labor was down from 31%.
The poll has a margin of error of about 3%.
Related: Guardian Essential poll: One Nation’s popularity slips as Albanese records lowest approval as prime minister
Women leaving management roles due to home demands
Australian women are less likely than men to stay in high-paid roles because of domestic expectations, AAP reports, despite entering those roles at the same rate.
Equality Agency’s chief executive, Christine Castley , said most companies were still struggling to retain females in the best-paid positions, particularly in industries saturated by men, as they were expected to do a far greater share of at-home labour.
Women were far more likely to take on part-time roles than their male counterparts as a result, and most management jobs are full-time positions.
“That means people who are predominantly in the part-time workforce generally tend not to stick with it because they have to make choices about priorities,” Castley said.
That choice is usually falling on women, particularly when it comes to family responsibilities.
Promotion of paid parental leave for both genders and flexible working hours were key to creating better retention in management roles, she said.
Australia’s economy expanded by 0.4% in the three months to June, marking an expected, if less marked, slowdown in annual growth from 2.5% to 2.1% as rising interest rates and the high cost of living take their toll.
National accounts figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the three-monthly growth rate in real GDP ticked up from 0.3% in the March quarter.
Economists had expected the economy to grow by only 1.9% in the year to June, and 0.3% in the quarter, which suggests the economy is not slowing as quickly as the RBA predicted in its latest set of forecasts.
Grace Kim, ABS’s head of national accounts, said:
Economic growth remained subdued in the June quarter as households continued to behave cautiously. While increased spending and business investment occurred in pockets of the economy, imports supported much of the growth, moderating its contribution to overall GDP growth.
Telstra outage driven by lack of oversight and expertise, investigation finds
Telstra did not prioritise systems that caused a major nationwide network failure and lacked the technical expertise to properly maintain them, AAP reports.
An independent investigation into the telco’s 8 July network failure, which left thousands of Australians unable to make calls or access data, was released on Tuesday.
A lack of ownership and oversight of the functions that led to the outage were identified as key contributing factors by Technology Audit Partners in the report. The investigation also found a further eight triple-zero calls did not go through to emergency services during the outage.
The outage was triggered by a software update not being done on a GPS card, which resulted in incorrect date information.
A separate ongoing Australian Communications and Media Authority investigation into the outage could result in fines of up to $30m per breach.
Hiker missing overnight on South Australia’s Mount Remarkable found ‘safe and well’
Some good news from South Australia this morning: a missing hiker has been found “safe and well” after failing to return from a hike yesterday at Mount Remarkable.
Officials were first notified she had not returned around 9pm last night, but said the woman was found about 10am this morning.
She was uninjured and did not require any medical treatment.
Police investigating reported theft of 5,500 sheep in western Queensland
Police are investigating the reported theft of 5,500 Dorper sheep from a western Queensland farm.
The sheep were allegedly stolen from a property on Blackall-Isisford Road outside Blackall, about 962km west of Brisbane, between February and May this year.
The stolen animals were worth more than an estimated $1.7m. They are fitted with white National Livestock Identification System tags and are Dorper sheep, a breed with white wool but a black face.
Detective senior sergeant Paul Elliot from the Rural and Stock Crime squad encouraged anyone with information about the theft or who had seen Dorper sheep matching the description in the area to come forward.
Investigators are particularly interested in speaking with anyone who observed suspicious stock movements, livestock transport activity, or other unusual behaviour in the area. Elliot said:
Livestock theft investigations can be complex, often spanning large geographical areas, which is why we work closely with producers, saleyards, transport operators and industry stakeholders to identify offenders and disrupt criminal activity.
Australian government bond yields hit 15-year high
Australia’s 10-year interest rates have climbed to 5.23% and the highest in more than 15 years as global bond markets are roiled by fears of stubbornly high inflation, the war on Iran, and ballooning government debts and deficits, especially in the United States.
Higher borrowing costs threaten to put further pressure on federal and state budgets, where interest costs are already among the fastest rising expenses.
Oil prices are pushing higher again after Iran reportedly attacked tankers attempting to pass through the gulf of Hormuz, triggering a fresh wave of American strikes that shattered weeks of relative calm.
The international Brent crude benchmark passed $US95 a barrel on its way to its highest price since 24 July, threatening to once again drive petrol prices higher over coming days and weeks.
Kristalina Georgieva , the IMF’s managing director, in a statement marking the end of the G20 finance ministers’ meeting in the US, said the world economy had navigated this year’s disruptions relatively well.
But she rattled off a laundry list of worries:
First, the energy shock is not over. Second, public debt – at almost 100 per cent of GDP worldwide – now exceeds its post-World War II highs and is set to climb further.
Third, the disinflation process has stalled in many countries. Mounting fiscal pressures are pushing core bond yields upward and the interplay between fiscal and monetary policy worries markets.
Last, but not least, the future impact of AI on productivity and financial stability is dogged by unknowns.
Albanese meets with Palau president as flights between two nations to increase
Anthony Albanese has met with Palau’s president Surangel Whipps Jr at the Pacific Islands Forum this morning.
On Wednesday, the government and Qantas confirmed more flights would travel between Brisbane and Koror, as part of the Palau Paradise Express direct air service.
Qantas will also increase flights to twice weekly during Palau’s peak season, starting this December.
Queensland man arrested and charged on allegations of hate crime offences
A Queensland man has been charged with hate crime offences after a joint investigation by Queensland police and the Australian Federal Police.
Official said they began an investigation into allegations of ideologically motivated threats of violence. On 27 August, they arrested a man, 52, in the Queensland town of Mossman and seized an electronic device.
The man has since been charged with two counts of threats with circumstance of aggravation, including serious vilification or hate crime. Police will allege the offences relate to abusive, threatening and antisemitic content directed towards a religious organisation.
The man is due to appear in court later this month. AFP detective supt Anthony Conway said in a statement:
Harm to social cohesion at a local community level ultimately impacts on Australia’s national security – we will not allow divisive and hateful rhetoric to grow and spread more widely.
Sydney’s ferry services hit by protected industrial action today from 9am to 2pm
Members of the Maritime Union of Australia employed by Sydney Ferries are engaging in a five-hour work stoppage, with no ferries operating during that period. Services after the stoppage are expected to be significantly affected, and customers should continue to plan ahead and allow extra travel time.
Members of the union will also undertake a ban on selling, collecting or validating tickets and fares from 1pm today until 2am Thursday.
MUA members are seeking a 5% wage increase and guaranteed annual increases in subsequent years. MUA deputy branch secretary Paul Garrett said:
Our members kept Sydney Ferries running throughout Covid, dealt with a fleet of 13 overseas-built and defect ridden vessels that were not fit for purpose, and have continued to work long and demanding hours to keep the public moving.
They have always demonstrated their commitment to the job and to the travelling public, and they are now asking for a fair wage increase to catch up with the spiralling cost of living in this city.
House prices could fall 10%, analysts predict, as fourth interest rate hike looms
The prospect of the steepest property market downturn in history will not stop the Reserve Bank from delivering a fourth interest rate hike as it battles to bring inflation back under control , economists say.
New data from Cotality revealed house prices are now falling in more than 90% of Australian suburbs, amid a perfect storm of higher borrowing costs, a weak economy, and a once-in-a-generation change in the tax treatment of property investors.
Shane Oliver , AMP’s chief economist, said average home values would continue falling for the next six to nine months, by which time property prices nationally would be about 10% down from their recent peak.
“That would be the worst in the postwar period,” Oliver said, although the figure is not hugely out of line with previous property market corrections in the order of 8% – most recently in 2022-23.
Related: House prices could fall 10%, analysts predict, as fourth interest rate hike looms
‘No one with a brain’ wants more affordable houses via taxation, Bragg says
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg said no one wants to buy houses in Australia at the moment due to a system of high taxation, high regulation and a sinking economy.
Bragg spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, lamenting the state of the economy without saying that falling house prices could make it easier for first home buyers to afford property. He said:
If you want to get more affordability, the way you get there is more supply, not through more taxes, because more taxes actually destroys the ability of younger people to pay a reasonable level of rent.
It reduces the number of houses people can live in, and so no one wants to see affordability pursued through more taxes. No one with a brain would do that. And so what we’re seeing now are the consequences of these terrible tax grabs.
Bragg was asked multiple times if there was an ongoing correction in the housing market. He said values were “being smashed” because the tax burden was too high, including by banning self managed super funds from investing in property.
Until you have a government that is prepared to do the heavy lifting on taxes, on reducing regulation, you’re not going to see that supply-side revolution. That’s what you need to see. The only way to solve the housing crisis is to build out of it.
Could shark drones keep swimmers safe at Australian beaches?
Rescue officials searching for missing hiker at South Australia’s Mount Remarkable
South Australia police say emergency services are hunting for a missing hiker at Mount Remarkable, in the state’s mid north, after the woman did not return last night.
Officials said an alarm was raised around 9pm last night, with PolAir dispatched to the area to begin searching overnight. Emergency services have also been conducting ground searches along trails for the missing woman.
Police patrols, mounted operations and SES volunteers will gather at Mount Remarkable this morning to continue the search.
‘Grave concerns’ for 38 Australians missing after Nepal-Tibet flooding
The federal government holds “grave concerns” for the 38 Australians still missing in the deadly flooding disaster, Anne Aly says.
The minister for multicultural affairs spoke to ABC’s News Breakfast earlier, after the news a total of five Australians that were unaccounted for as of Tuesday morning had made contact.
We hold grave concerns for those 38 Australians still missing. There are real logistic issues, including communications to find out where people are …
For those families that are still waiting, those 38 individuals unaccounted for, we understand that it’s a really concerning time, and we’ll continue to do what we can to try and locate those people.
Ride share driver charged on allegations of committing sexual acts during booking
A ride share driver will face court in Sydney today over multiple allegations of sexual acts, including one allegedly committed in the city’s CBD last weekend.
NSW police said officers began an investigation last week after reports the driver had allegedly performed a sexual act on himself during a trip. A passenger, a 23-year-old woman, was on board at the time.
Police arrested a man, 28, yesterday. He was charged with three counts of carrying out a sexual act with another without consent and two counts of sexually touching another person without consent. Police will also allege in court the man was involved in three other, unrelated incidents of a similar nature between January and April outside his occupation as a ride share driver.
He was refused bail and will appear before court today.
Canavan says ‘feminisation of curriculum’ has led to rise of ‘manosphere’
Ahead of Chanel Contos’s address to the National Press Club, Matt Canavan has blamed the “feminisation of our curriculum” for the proliferation of algorithms serving up “manosphere” content.
The Nationals leader said, as a “father of four boys” he believes society needs to have a “deep, hard look” at why kids are “attracted to this stuff online”.
Speaking to Channel Nine’s Today, he claimed boys are “sick and tired of getting lectures about how bad men are at school”.
They’re sick and tired of the feminisation of our curriculum and the lack of direction and leadership that they’re given. Maybe we should look at getting more male teachers in. That used to be an agenda. I don’t know what’s happened to that, but maybe we should have more male role models in schools.
I just know young boys often feel that they don’t get any kind of instruction, leadership. They’re not cherished there. They’re patronised.
The senator went on to say society needs to “marshal” young boys’ energy.
They’re full of testosterone. … I just worry some of the solutions here don’t really understand what goes in a young boy’s mind.
‘Great news’ that five Australians found safe in Nepal amid grave concerns for those still missing
The minister for the defence industry, Pat Conroy , said the revelation that five Australians have been confirmed safe in Nepal since yesterday morning is “great news”, but said the government still had grave concerns for the 38 others still unaccounted for.
Obviously having five citizens confirmed safe, which is great news for those Australians and their families, reduces the numbers of unaccounted Australians down to 38.
But we are very concerned for the safety of those 38 that have not had contact with their families or next to kin since the disaster struck. And we’re really focused on establishing their whereabouts and supporting their families in this very difficult time and supporting the people of Nepal in what is tragic circumstances.
Spender backs Contos’s call for social media opt-in algorithms
Independent MP Allegra Spender said the Australia government has an “opportunity” to make social media algorithms safer for all Australians, not just young people.
The government is considering the change, saying social media was playing a “huge role” in the increase in sexual violence among teenagers and choking. Chanel Contos’s Teach Us Consent has campaigned for the tech giants’ algorithms to be opt-in only.
Related: Australia could make social media algorithms optional and follow UK ban on pornography depicting strangulation
What we see is that the algorithms as they are currently running, in certain circumstances, can serve content that has real damaging effects potentially across our community. And so I think creating an opt-in for people to make the default of social media safer and to give people really active choice in relation to social media makes a lot of sense.
The MP went on to say the under-16s social media ban was “not really working” and there was still a lot of work to do to see if the ban could be more effective:
Let’s be honest that the challenges of social media don’t stop when you’re 16. You know, many adults struggle with … particularly the addictive nature of social media. And at the same time, we know that some of those issues that both Asio has highlighted and also the misogynistic content don’t just stop when you’re 16.
Five Australians confirmed safe after Nepal-Tibet flooding
Five Australians have been confirmed safe in the devastating Nepal floods, meaning the number of unaccounted-for citizens has been revised from 43 missing on Tuesday morning to 38.
Of the five Australians confirmed safe, one was found in Nepal, one in Tibet and three outside the crisis-hit area.
These Australians had not spoken to families and next of kin since the disaster struck seven days ago.
Dfat has received nearly 800 calls in relation to the floods, with 18 Australian personnel having travelled to Nepal to join staff on the ground.
More humanitarian and disaster relief from Australia is due to arrive in Nepal this afternoon.
This post was amended on 2 September 2026. An earlier version misstated the number of people who had been found.
Related: Relief as Australians missing in Nepal-Tibet flood disaster found alive
Drug testing to resume at NSW music festivals
Drug testing will resume at New South Wales music festivals from October, but will not be rolled out into the wider community despite calls from peak health and harm reduction groups.
On Wednesday the state government announced NSW Health will consult with the music festival industry and harm reduction organisations to roll out pill testing at up to 15 music festivals each year.
There will be no change to the use of sniffer dogs at music festivals, a government spokesperson confirmed, which have been found to prompt risky drug taking.
Related: NSW government to resume pill testing at music festivals but rejects calls for wider community rollout
Good morning, everyone. Nick Visser here to take over. Let’s dive in.
Albanese announces $600m package to combat drug smuggling in Pacific
Australia will step up its support to fight transnational drug trafficking flowing through the Pacific, with a $600m package.
Anthony Albanese announced the new investment at the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, which aims to stop the contraband arriving in Australia.
The increase in drug flow across the Pacific is a huge problem in several countries: linked to increased gang activity in Samoa and Tonga, and a sharp rise in the HIV rate in Fiji.
Heightened activity is showing up in Australian Federal Police interventions of narcotics in the region.
In 2025, about 4.6 tonnes of illicit drugs were seized by local and international law enforcement, the Australian Federal Police reported.
In the first five months of this year, 17 tonnes have been picked up – mostly cocaine.
The new package – which will be opt-in for Pacific countries – will include enhanced aerial surveillance, and police and border training.
“Drug trafficking is having a devastating impact on Pacific communities,” Pacific minister Pat Conroy said.
“This initiative responds to the calls of regional leaders to do more, and to step up regional coordination to address this scourge.”
Contos to call for social media opt-in algorithm to reduce influence of the ‘manosphere’
Consent education advocate Chanel Contos will urge Australia to enforce a social media opt-in algorithm to help reduce the influence of the “manosphere” on both men and women.
Contos will deliver a speech about the harms of social media algorithms in Australia in an address to the National Press Club in Canberra at midday.
This is crucial, and the detail in any reform will determine its success – as will be the overall strength of the proposed Digital Duty of Care reforms that are needed in their own right. It is too easy for Big Tech to design schemes that appear as structural reform but actually suit them just fine.
The Teach Us Consent CEO will point to examples of algorithmic harms such as the “manosphere”, accusing bad actors of jumping on to “a market opportunity” that has misogyny “at the heart of its business model”.
It usually starts with something as harmless as a workout video, or motivational content. Very quickly, boys and men are taken into the “manosphere”, communities that persistently promote the idea that emotional control, material wealth, and physical appearance and dominance, especially over women, are markers of male worth.
This is harmful to the individual man consuming this content, and then anyone else close to him in life, including other men, but disproportionately women and girls.
Related: Australia could make social media algorithms optional and follow UK ban on pornography depicting strangulation
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser with the main action.
Before we go, let’s recap what made the top headlines:
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Achol Arok and Nick Visser. Published 2 Sept 2026, 08:48 am.
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