Investigative Journalism
US President Donald Trump has suggested his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping is no longer going to take place over a rare earths export dispute.
US President Donald Trump says on his social media site that “there seems to be no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea after China has restricted exports of rare earths needed for industry in the United States. Trump suggested that he was looking at a “massive increase” of import taxes on Chinese products in response to Xi’s moves. “One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America,” Trump posted on Truth Social. pic.twitter.com/5TcdNuNWv2 — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 10, 2025 “There are many other countermeasures that are, likewise, under serious consideration.” He added that he had not spoken to Xi because there was no reason to do so. “This was a real surprise, not only to me, but to all the Leaders of the Free World.” The United States and China had both agreed this earlier this year to ratchet down tariffs after negotiations in Switzerland and the United Kingdom yet tensions remain as China has sought to restrict US access to the difficult-to-mine rare earths needed for a wide array of US technologies. Trump said that China is “becoming very hostile” and that it is holding the world “captive” by restricting access to the metals and magnets used in electronics, computer chips, lasers and other technologies. with Reuters
Foreign minister-turned-chancellor of a top-tier university Julie Bishop has faced senators to discuss governance issues that have plagued the institution.
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop has defended her stewardship of one of Australia’s most prestigious universities amid allegations of bullying and widespread dissatisfaction on campus. Ms Bishop fronted a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra, making an in-person appearance after a scheduling change, to face serious questioning by her former colleagues. “We have been through a tumultuous time, possibly unprecedented, for the Australian National University and change and restructuring can be hard and can be painful for some in our community,” she told senators on Friday. “Like many universities across Australia and globally, the ANU is facing financial, operational and organisational challenges.” The former foreign minister said like all in the university sector, ANU had to make cutbacks. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) Among the challenges have been explosive bullying allegations levelled at Ms Bishop at a parliamentary hearing in August. In an emotional testimony, ANU demographer Liz Allen said Ms Bishop accused her of leaking confidential documents, blocked her from leaving a room and laughed when the academic became distressed. Dr Allen told the committee she considered suicide after the incident with Ms Bishop, and suggested the ongoing stress caused by university officials might have caused her to have a miscarriage. The 69-year-old, the Liberal deputy leader for more than a decade who served under three different prime ministers, defended her behaviour when confronted by Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi in the hearing. “I absolutely reject that there has been any bullying on my part, against any staff member or student or any member of the ANU,” she said. The Canberra-based institution regularly ranks at the very top of Australian universities. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) When asked about a union-led petition with more than 2000 staff and student signatures calling for her resignation, Ms Bishop said council still maintained confidence in her and no motion was moved for her to vacate the post. Labor senator Tony Sheldon hammered the former foreign minister for racking up $150,000 in travel expenses as well as her performance overseeing the university for more than five years. “There has been a period of considerable instability, and we are determined to put an end to that,” she said. “I don’t believe it’s for me to rate my performance. I didn’t do that when I was a politician … my (university) council has maintained its confidence in me.” Characterising her leadership as “chaotic”, Mr Sheldon asked if she would apologise for several governance failures which he described as “an absolute shemozzle and … an unmitigated stuff-up”. Bishop, a long-serving Liberal deputy leader, was a well-known jogger during her Canberra career. (Alan Porritt/AAP PHOTOS) “Don’t put words in my mouth,” she replied in a heated exchange. “I reject virtually every allegation that’s been made against me in the media … and I will continue do so.” He pushed Ms Bishop on nearly $800,000 being spent to set up a satellite ANU office in her home town of Perth while green-lighting job cuts. She argued the office was necessary to establish a national presence, raising the university’s profile through philanthropic connections raising some $10 million for the institution. Interim vice-chancellor Rebekah Brown struck a meeker tone vowing to rebuild a culture of trust with academics and students. The Greens’ Mehreen Faruqi was one of several senators to question Julie Bishop’s leadership. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) She was appointed in September after her predecessor Genevieve Bell resigned after scathing media reports of bullying and staff dissatisfaction. “I know trust cannot be rebuilt overnight, but I will do this by listening, showing up and acting consistently in the four weeks I’ve been in this role,” she said. ANU executives have been facing increasing pressure from academics and students over a now-abandoned cost-cutting plan which included forced staff redundancies. Ms Brown has cancelled the planned job cuts but warns work is still needed to get the university onto a sustainable footing. A university committee announced earlier in October it is conducting an an investigation into governance concerns led by former public servant and intelligence oversight head Dr Vivenne Thom to be completed in the five months.
The coalition's immigration lead wants cooler heads to prevail in the migration intake debate after weeks of inflammatory comments from Liberal colleagues.
The Liberals under Sussan Ley are determined to walk a moderate path on immigration, despite calls for a more populist approach championed by high-profile backbencher Andrew Hastie. This much was clear through a speech from the man spearheading the Liberals’ immigration policy, who swiped at right-wing colleagues creating internal tensions over the migration intake. Paul Scarr also took a pot shot at Hastie, the coalition’s former home affairs spokesman, who resigned his post last week after accusing the opposition leader of cutting him out of developing immigration policy. Mr Hastie called for a cut to mass migration and said, “we’re starting to feel like strangers in our own home”, a phrase that channelled the anti-migration “Rivers of Blood” speech given by white nationalist Enoch Powell in Britain in 1968. Andrew Hastie left the coalition frontbench citing disagreements over immigration policy. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) Addressing the comments directly, Senator Scarr noted Mr Powell’s speech was “inflammatory” and he was dumped from shadow cabinet afterward. Senator Scarr quoted a retort from Mr Powell’s then-colleague, which said “it would be a disaster” if the two major parties of government “sought to exploit or to gain political advantage from the deep feelings which are held about this topic”. “As shadow immigration minister, I feel the resonance of those words today,” Senator Scarr told the Migration Institute of Australia annual conference in Melbourne on Friday. “The debate with respect to Australia’s immigration policy must be had. It is an important debate. “But the debate must be based on evidence and facts. It must be measured and considered. “It must not seek to inflame emotion but rather to engage in good faith with respect to the issues that need to be debated in our national interest.” Populist immigration stances are helping conservative parties abroad, but Ley is not following suit. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) Senator Scarr also addressed immigration in the context of multiculturalism, noting that while one study showed half of Australians thought immigration was too high, three in four who felt this way also said multiculturalism was positive. Rather, anger at immigration stemmed from housing and economic issues which had to be addressed, he said. “This cannot be considered in isolation, we also have the housing supply issue and it is an issue. “The point I am making is that I recognise that you cannot get away from doing the hard work in developing an immigration policy. It is multifaceted. It is complicated. It requires analysis and detail. “Our immigration policy must be in our national interest, but, more than that, the debate in relation to immigration policy must be conducted in a way which is also in our national interest.” The Liberal party embarked on an apology tour following Senator Nampijinpa Price’s comments. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS) Senator Scarr and Ms Ley are factional allies. The speech signals Ms Ley is determined to eschew a more populist approach to immigration which has benefited right-wing parties abroad. The fact it was given at all, amid internal tensions over the approach, shows the leader is confronting the party’s disunity problem front-on. The immigration headaches for the Liberals began when firebrand Liberal Jacinta Nampijinpa Price made disparaging remarks about Indian-Australians which eventually led to her sacking. The comments sent federal and state colleagues into damage control and spurred Ms Ley to go on a multicultural listening tour across Australia. The Northern Territory senator, who jumped into the Liberal partyroom after May’s federal election drubbing in a failed attempt to run as deputy leader, also refused to support Ms Ley’s leadership and backed Mr Hastie as leader. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is styling herself as the Liberals voice of the populist right. (Russell Freeman/AAP PHOTOS) Senator Price’s renewed commentary has angered many in the Liberal caucus, saying it undermines Ms Ley’s tenure as she attempts to rebuild the party from its horror election loss. Mr Hastie has talked about his future leadership aspirations but says he has no plans to challenge. Whilst complaining about migration being too high, neither Mr Hastie or Senator Price have put forward any concrete policies on the matter. Neither has Senator Scarr: no immigration policies have been determined as Ms Ley waits for the findings of a review into the election defeat.
A mentally disabled man was left unsupervised and then fatally struck by a car. His care provider has now been slammed in the Federal Court.
A company caring for a mentally disabled man who died after walking into traffic has been hit with a record civil penalty against an NDIS provider. Aurora Community Care’s “ongoing and flagrant disregard” for its obligations were slammed by a court on Friday after being sued over the death of a 38-year-old man with an intellectual disability. Justice Wendy Abraham on Friday imposed a $2.2 million fine against the provider following the March 2023 incident. The man left his Queensland residence without the knowledge of two on-site care workers and was fatally hit by a car. Aurora was placed into liquidation shortly after being sued in February 2024, but the Federal Court allowed the lawsuit to continue to send a message to other providers. The $2.2 million fine is the largest civil penalty against an NDIS provider. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) The man required two-on-one care at all times but, the night of his death, one carer was asleep while another was in a separate room and did not notice him leave the house. Aurora knew the man would try to leave the premises and there were no locks on his doors preventing him from doing so, Justice Wendy Abraham said in her judgment. Further, the court found Aurora repeatedly failed to properly care for the man for the 18 months they were engaged by his parents. “Aurora has, over an extended period, displayed an ongoing and flagrant disregard for its legal obligations as a NDIS provider,” Justice Abraham said. The company’s liquidators did not defend the case. The fine, due to the Commonwealth, is contingent on the court approving enforcement, with the company’s winding up delayed to allow for the case’s outcome. A Federal Court justice says Aurora displayed a flagrant disregard for its legal obligations. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS) The $2.2 million fine tops a $1.9 million penalty in January when a client of not-for-profit Valmar Support Services fatally choked on food. Aurora failed to notify the NDIS regulator of the use of chemical restraints more than 50 times, the judge said. The man’s access to television and Pepsi, which helped prevent him from engaging in harmful behaviour, was also restricted without approval. “(The man’s parents) trusted that Aurora would provide the supervision, support and safe environment their son needed,” Justice Abraham said. “Aurora did not provide those things.” The man’s death was a “tragedy that could have been prevented”, the regulator said. “This legal action and the significant penalty imposed by the court send a strong deterrent message to all NDIS providers to take their obligations seriously,” NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner Louise Glanville said. The NDIS Commission has already banned the sole director of the now-defunct Aurora. Mohamed Issak cannot be involved in certain NDIS activities until November 2034. Another NDIS provider – LiveBetter – has been fined $1.8 million and admitted to criminal charges over a woman’s bathwater burns death. Kyah Lucas died in Concord Hospital after receiving burns to more than 40 per cent of her body in a bath in February 2022. LiveBetter pleaded guilty in the NSW District Court to breaching its primary duty of health and safety regarding Ms Lucas. A sentence hearing is due to take place in March 2026.
In yesterday's Federal Court ruling, Justice McDonald forced Mary Kostakidis to continue her fight for free speech against the Zionist lobby.
Justice McDonald has forced journalist Mary Kostakidis to continue her lengthy and expensive fight against the Zionist lobby. What’s the scam? The scam is that Section 18 of the Racial Discriminating Act is so poorly drafted that it effectively enables the persecution through the courts of people for voicing (or sharing) an opinion about what’s happening in a war zone. Or in any kind of public conflict. Or, for voicing an opinion at all in a public forum. All that the law requires is for someone to claim they’re offended, and off to court we go. Although there will be some who criticise McDonald’s ruling, he is merely the arbitrator of poor legislation that has yet to be fully tested in court. Former SBS newsreader and journalist, Mary Kostakidis, was sued by the Zionist Federation of Australia for making racially motivated statements when sharing posts about the genocide in Gaza on X. Racial Discrimination Act put to test in Mary Kostakidis case Yesterday’s ruling was to decide if claims made by Kostakidis about the merits and substance of the case should be dismissed. The Court ruled in her favour on some points, dismissed many, and allowed for the ZFA to amend its statement of claim further. Kostakidis’ barrister Stephen Keim previously argued, Criticising a state’s actions or political ideology has nothing to do with racial discrimination. Perhaps the law says otherwise, perhaps it doesn’t. The case will now go to court sometime next year. ** Breaking: Interlocutory Judgement in my case today (NB journalists this is affects you) ‘It is not logically impossible that a particular news reporter, even when acting as a news reporter, might engage in particular acts because of people’s race or ethnic or national origin.… — 💧Mary Kostakidis (@MaryKostakidis) October 9, 2025 What are the implications for Australia if the ICJ rules against Israel in the genocide case?
A former Wallabies captain and now senator has been banned from a parliamentary social sports club after raising concerns about a gambling lobby's sponsorship.
Independent senator David Pocock is dismayed at being booted from a parliamentary social sports club after raising concerns about a gambling lobby sponsor. The Australian Parliament Sports Club hosts friendly games between MPs, their staff, public servants and journalists during parliamentary sitting weeks. Responsible Wagering Australia, a peak group for gambling companies, is a corporate sponsor of the club. The former Wallabies captain said he was “shocked to learn that the club was selling access to parliamentarians”. “Being kicked out of the club for raising concerns around gambling lobbyists buying access to the club shows the influence vested interests have here in parliament,” he said. Senator Pocock is critical of the federal government’s failure to respond to a landmark gambling harm inquiry that recommended banning online betting advertising. Independent MP Allegra Spender called the banning of Senator Pocock “an absolute disgrace” and resigned her membership. Club chief executive Andy Turnbull denies lobbying takes place on the field, saying the club was registered to be “on the safe side” given the membership included MPs and corporate sponsors. The sponsors, which also include alcohol, pharmaceutical and financial companies, have been listed in the club newsletter since at least 2024. Senator Pocock, who said he had not read the newsletter and wasn’t made aware when signing up, had queried a $2500 donation from Responsible Wagering Australia. David Pocock said he was “shocked to learn that the club was selling access to parliamentarians”. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) Mr Turnbull told Senator Pocock he intended to deregister the club following written confirmation from the Attorney-General’s Department, which administers the code. The department confirmed in an October email to Mr Turnbull, seen by AAP, that “based on the information you have provided … you would not have to register”. Mr Turnbull had told the department: “I re-confirm that both organisations have never been paid to make representations to government on behalf of others”. Senator Pocock took issue with the offer to deregister, saying it should be listed “if there are paying corporate members who interact with parliamentarians”. Mr Turnbull said he had no problem accepting gambling sponsors because the club had “taken the view that it must be agnostic with respect to its corporate members”. “It is not for the club to determine what is right or wrong in this respect when its own parliamentary members have such wide and diverse views on most matters,” he said in a September message. “Currently, sports gambling is not illegal nor a banned activity.” The chief of the group that organises casual sport accuses David Pocock of taking a cheap shot. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) Mr Turnbull again messaged Senator Pocock on Thursday evening, saying he had “become the first person ever to politicise the most apolitical operation in the parliament” after the ACT representative raised the issue at a parliamentary hearing. “I have, for the last 24 hours, just scratched my head in disbelief. It is inappropriate for you to remain a member of the club in these circumstances,” he wrote. “You chose a cheap shot that will have no effect on the outcome of your anti-gambling campaign. “I am sorry it has reached this point but you left me with no choice.” Responsible Wagering CEO Kai Cantwell said the group had complied with all disclosure and transparency requirements and parliamentary sports had never been about lobbying, which was done via proper channels and not on the field. “It’s about giving everyone who works in the building, not just parliamentarians, a rare chance to switch off from demanding schedules and enjoy an hour of exercise,” he said. “I’ve taken part in parliamentary sport for more than seven years, in a range of roles well before joining RWA, simply because it’s something I genuinely enjoy and value.” National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858
The PM's office is briefed all the time on a range of issues, says Anthony Albanese after a hearing was told of conversations over a plan to tax super balances.
Anthony Albanese has downplayed revelations his office sought a Treasury briefing on upcoming laws to increase taxes on large super balances. A Senate estimates hearing on Thursday was told the prime minister’s office had asked for a briefing on laws to put a tax on super balances above $3 million. The briefing was sought following concern from stakeholder groups over the policy, which had been floated in 2023 but has not been introduced to parliament. “There have been some conversations with the prime minister’s office. It’s probably not unusual for that to occur from time to time,” Treasury official Diane Brown told the estimates hearing. “It remains unlegislated, and so stakeholders continue to raise questions about the bill.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insists the Treasury briefing was the ordinary business of policy. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS) The prime minister said the request for a briefing about the policy was standard for incoming reform. “We receive briefings on policy all the time, as you expect the prime minister’s office to do. That’s what we do,” he told reporters in Brisbane on Friday. “There’s nothing unusual about that, that’s what occurs right across the full suite of policy issues. “Ask me about any policy, and I’ll tell you I’ve had a briefing, including housing, including everything else.” Mr Albanese said it was not a concern that groups had raised issues with the super tax changes. “People will raise policy issues from time to time. It’s called public discourse in this great democracy of ours.” “My government makes no apologies for the fact that we’re engaged with people. That’s what we do.” One independent MP says the government needs to consult more on its plan to tax big super balances. (Steven Saphore/AAP PHOTOS) The coalition have come out against the policy, while the Greens have called for the threshold to be lowered to $2 million. Labor would need the support of either party to pass through the super tax changes. Independent MP Nicolette Boele said the tax system needed to be made fairer, but consultation on the reform was needed. “People have been planning for decades for how they save for retirement and structure those investments,” she told ABC Radio. “Any changes that are made to super need to be considered and provide savers, like people looking to retire, with plenty of warning.”
Coal-fired energy will continue to power a state, with the industry's future guaranteed for decades under an energy road map that has outraged conservationists.
A state government plans to keep coal-fired power stations open for decades to come, potentially putting pressure on federal emissions targets. Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki will on Friday unveil a five-year energy roadmap that will officially axe the former Labor government’s plan to phase out coal-fired power generators by 2035. The long-awaited blueprint will call for coal-fired power plants in the state to keep burning until at least 2046, outraging conservationists. “This is a sensible and pragmatic plan built on economics and engineering,” David Janetzki says. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS) “Coal will remain part of the state’s generation mix for decades,” Mr Janetzki said in a statement on Friday. “The former Labor government’s decision to close coal units by 2035 regardless of their condition is officially abolished today.” The technical lifespan of Queensland’s coal-fired generators is now set to run until 2046 but the roadmap will allow the Liberal-National government to extend operations as needed. “This is a sensible and pragmatic plan built on economics and engineering, not ideology,” Mr Janetzki said of the roadmap covering the government’s goals for long-term coal, gas, wind, solar and renewables resources. “It will meet Queensland’s energy needs … it also provides investment certainty to private sector gas and renewables investors.” The move to keep coal-fired plants running looks set to put pressure on a federal commitment to cut emissions by 62 to 70 per cent by 2035 and achieve 82 per cent renewable electricity by 2030. The state’s targets may also be impacted with the LNP government committed to reaching net zero by 2050 while reviewing a commitment to cut emissions by 75 per cent by 2035. Conservationists slammed the government’s plan to keep coal-fired plants burning, saying it will expose Queenslanders to higher energy prices and more climate disasters. “This energy roadmap is designed to pander to fossil fuel-loving party members and donors,” Queensland Conservation Council Director Dave Copeman said. “Queensland LNP’s moves to axe renewable energy and storage projects, bank on expensive gas and keep Queenslanders chained to failing coal power stations are a recipe for higher power bills and less reliable energy. “If they continue down this road to fossil fuel fantasy land, they will … expose Queenslanders to more climate-driven disasters.” Conservationists slammed the Queensland government’s plan to keep coal-fired plants burning. (Dan Peled/AAP PHOTOS) The government’s plan will undercut Australia’s credibility on climate leadership at a crucial time, according to the Clean Energy Investment Group. Australia is bidding to host the world’s largest climate gathering, COP31, in 2026. “Clear and timely decisions on coal closures give investors the confidence to drive the energy transition,” Clean Energy Investment Group’s Marilyne Crestias said. “They are essential to unlock renewable and storage investment, cut emissions, and keep Queensland on track to meet its energy and climate targets. “The release of Queensland’s five-year energy road map marks an important moment for the state’s energy transition but it comes with several announcements that risk damaging investor confidence at a critical time.”
The prime ministers of New Zealand and Singapore have pledged to continue their alliance with the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
New Zealand and Singapore have signed a comprehensive strategic partnership, with their prime ministers pledging to continue to find ways to work together to maintain the international rules-based order. The nations have maintained political ties for 60 years, and in 2019 signed an enhanced partnership agreement that covered trade and economics, defence and security, and supply chains. “Singapore is one of our closest partners. As small states, it’s important we work side-by-side to keep trade open, strengthen security, and defend the rules-based order,” New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a statement following the signing of the agreement on Friday. “Through the CSP, we have committed to tackling the next generation of challenges together, from supply chain resilience and digital trade to climate change and maritime security,” Luxon added. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visited New Zealand after signing a pact with Australia. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) The nations also concluded an agreement on trade in essential supplies, formalising an arrangement that began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when air freight continued between the countries despite few passengers on flights. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at a joint press conference the legally binding agreement meant both governments had committed to not imposing export restrictions, even during times of crisis, on some key products like medicine and other essential supplies. “I think that’s an agreement that will give assurance to both our countries and to both our peoples that in times of need, we will always be there for one another,” Wong said. Wong, who leaves New Zealand on Saturday, visited Australia earlier in the week, agreeing an enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership between Canberra and Singapore that would deepen defence ties.
Inflation remains a risk in one sector of the national economy which is otherwise sitting pretty, the governor of the nation's central bank says.
Price rises in Australia’s services sector remain difficult to contain despite the national economy sitting in a good position, the central bank chief warns. Inflation is at 2.8 per cent according to the latest monthly reading, which is at the upper end of its target range of two to three per cent. But Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock says risks remain in the services sector, where inflation is yet to be fully tamed. Service professions such as hairdressing and sectors like health care are a big part of the economy. (Steven Saphore/AAP PHOTOS) “In Australia, like many countries overseas, services inflation does remain a little sticky,” she told a parliamentary hearing in Canberra on Friday. “It’s being offset by slightly lower goods inflation, but services inflation is still up around three per cent.” The services sector, which includes areas like education and health care and professions like hairdressing, accounts for a large slice of economic activity. Despite her concerns, Ms Bullock said Australia’s economy was generally in a “good spot”. “We’ve got a good unemployment rate so far. We’ve got inflation back in the band,” she said. Ms Bullock said the businesses were driving a greater share of economic growth than before, and growth in the public sector was starting to ease off. Borrowers would face higher repayments on homes bought with a smaller deposit, Michele Bullock says. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) The RBA boss also faced questions about government spending, energy prices and housing policy during her appearance before the Senate economics committee. Grilled about the federal government’s policy of allowing first-home buyers to get a mortgage with only a five per cent deposit, Ms Bullock said the central bank hadn’t produced any modelling on the measure but conceded it would likely push up house prices. “In the short term, it’s possible that housing prices might be a bit higher than they otherwise were,” she said. Ms Bullock also said borrowers who buy a property through the scheme could be exposing themselves to higher levels of risk in some areas. “Borrowers in such a situation will face higher repayment costs and they’ll take that into account when they’re deciding how much to borrow, and whether to get in with a small deposit or wait a bit of time,” she told the committee. “It’s possible they may not be able to recover the cost of the loan if the housing prices decline (and) they need to sell.”
Pope Leo XIV has criticised how wealthy people live in a "bubble of comfort and luxury" while the poor suffer.
Pope Leo XIV has criticised how the wealthy live in a “bubble of comfort and luxury” while poor people suffer on the margins, confirming in his first teaching document that he is in perfect lockstep with his predecessor Francis on matters of social and economic injustice. The Vatican on Thursday released the document, entitled “I have loved you,” which Francis had begun to write in his final months but never finished. Leo, who was elected in May, credited Francis with the text, cited him repeatedly, but said he had made the document his own and signed it. The 100-page document traces the history of Christianity’s constant concern for poor people, from biblical citations and the teaching of church fathers to the preaching of recent popes about caring for migrants, prisoners and victims of human trafficking. “I have loved you…” Jesus’ words provide the title for Pope Leo XIV’s first Apostolic Exhortation, “Dilexi te”, on love for the poor. You can read the full text of “Dilexi te” here: https://t.co/RRA7VnoDIQ — Vatican News (@VaticanNews) October 9, 2025 Leo credits especially women’s religious orders with carrying out God’s mandate to care for the sick, feed the poor and welcome the stranger, and also praises lay-led popular movements advocating for land, housing and work for the society’s most disadvantaged. The conclusion Leo draws is that the Catholic Church’s “preferential option for the poor” has existed from the start, is non-negotiable and is the very essence of what it means to be Christian. He calls for a renewed commitment to fixing the structural causes of poverty, while providing unquestioning charity to those who need it. “When the church kneels beside a leper, a malnourished child or an anonymous dying person, she fulfils her deepest vocation: to love the Lord where he is most disfigured,” Leo writes. Leo cites Francis frequently, including in some of the Argentine pope’s most-quoted talking points about the global “economy that kills” and criticism of trickle-down economics. Francis made those points from the very start of his pontificate in 2013, saying he wanted a “church that is poor and for the poor”. Pope Leo XIV calls for a renewed commitment to fixing the structural causes of poverty (AP PHOTO) “God has a special place in his heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed, and he asks us, his church, to make a decisive and radical choice in favour of the weakest,” Leo writes. Echoing Francis, Leo rails against the “illusion of happiness” derived from accumulating wealth. “Thus, in a world where the poor are increasingly numerous, we paradoxically see the growth of a wealthy elite, living in a bubble of comfort and luxury, almost in another world compared to ordinary people,” he said. Francis’ frequent criticism of capitalism angered many conservative and wealthy Catholics, especially in the United States, who accused the Argentine Jesuit of being a Marxist.
Some of the Australians aboard an activist flotilla to Gaza are due to return home after Israeli forces intercepted their ships and detained them for days.
Australians detained by Israel after attempting to sail a symbolic aid shipment to Gaza are set to return home and tell their tales. Juliet Lamont, Hamish Paterson and Abubakir Rafiq are due to land in Sydney on Friday while Bianca Webb-Pullman will touch down in Melbourne after more than a month at sea with the Global Sumud Flotilla. Their ships were intercepted off the Gazan coast and the group were detained in Israel, where some allege they were assaulted and threatened, then deported to Jordan. Julie Webb-Pullman has vowed to give her daughter Bianca a big hug, having only limited contact after the activist threw her phone overboard before Israeli naval forces boarded her vessel. “On the one hand, she’s happy for herself to be free, but on the other hand, it’s a very limited happiness,” Ms Webb-Pullman told AAP. “She’s still got the same concerns she had when she left. “She will certainly keep fighting until Palestine is free.” After her daughter’s experience, Ms Webb-Pullman urges the Australian government to impose sanctions and cut ties with Israel until it complies with international law. “It is absolutely shameful that these civilians have had to do what our government should have done,” she said. Australia’s maritime union has faced pressure to follow Italian counterparts in striking over Gaza. (Daniel Pockett/AAP PHOTOS) The Maritime Union of Australia, of which fellow flotilla participant Mr Paterson is a member, echoed these calls as they welcomed his return. “Our attention must refocus on the ongoing atrocities occurring in Gaza and on a lasting peace and justice for the Palestinian people,” the union’s deputy national secretary Warren Smith said. The historically progressive union has faced pressure from some members to follow their Italian counterparts, who implemented a nationwide strike on ports to stop the shipment of arms and supplies to Israel. The federal government insists it has not exported weapons or military parts to Israel since October 2023, even though Australia is part of the global supply chain for F-35 fighter jets accessed by Israel. Mr Smith urged the government to end any trade in arms bound for Israel. “If wharfies knew they were handling arms bound for Israel … they wouldn’t touch them,” he said. Israel and designated terror group Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage deal as part of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end violence in Gaza.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire after two years of brutal war, but the future of the Middle East remains as uncertain as ever.
The global push to give Palestinians their own nation appears no closer to fruition, a leading expert warns, despite Israel and Hamas signing on to the first stage of a 20-point peace plan. The warring sides have agreed to lay down their weapons, marking a turning point in the conflict that flared after Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023. Since then, tens of thousands of Palestinians, many of them women and children, have been killed in ongoing Israeli attacks, according to local authorities. Some world leaders including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have expressed hope the ceasefire could lead to a two-state solution, which would mean Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side in their own nations. An ANU expert has warned of a long path ahead for Palestinian ambitions. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) But Anas Iqtait, a senior lecturer at the Australian National University’s Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, said the Israeli government had made clear it did not support a two-state solution. “The two-state solution is dead,” he told AAP. “Facts on the ground don’t support it. The Israeli bureaucracy doesn’t support it.” Under the deal brokered by the United States, Hamas will release the remaining Israeli hostages it has been holding in Gaza and Israel will free nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners, potentially including the leaders of some Palestinian political parties. Israeli forces would withdraw from most of Gaza to an agreed-upon point, US President Donald Trump said. Dr Iqtait said the initial elements of the deal were likely to be honoured but any progress beyond that would be uncertain. “Are we going to see a permanent end to the war? Are we going to see Israel withdraw from the Gaza strip? Are we going to see the lifting of the humanitarian blockade that has been in place for a very long time?” he asked. US President Donald Trump’s administration has brokered the deal with Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) “These are questions that remain to be addressed.” Despite the long-term uncertainty about the future of the Middle East, the prime minister and opposition leader both cautiously backed Mr Trump’s peace plan, saying it provided a path out of the conflict. Anthony Albanese said the deal gave the world “cause for real hope”. “The past two years have been full of dark days,” he told parliament on Thursday. “Today we see a ray of light.” Sussan Ley hailed the agreement as the “start of the end of this war, and the beginning of enduring peace”.
China curbs export of five new rare earth elements, weeks before US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Xi Jinping.
China has dramatically expanded its rare earths export controls, adding five new elements and extra scrutiny for semiconductor users as Beijing tightens control over the sector ahead of talks between leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The world’s largest rare earths producer also added dozens of pieces of refining technology to its control list and announced rules that will require compliance from foreign rare earth producers who use Chinese materials. The Ministry of Commerce’s announcements follow US politicians’ calls on Tuesday for broader bans on the export of chipmaking equipment to China. They expand controls that Beijing announced in April that caused shortages around the world, before a series of deals with Europe and the US eased the supply crunch. “The White House and relevant agencies are closely assessing any impact from the new rules, which were announced without any notice and imposed in an apparent effort to exert control over the entire world’s technology supply chains,” a White House official told Reuters on Thursday. The new curbs come ahead of a scheduled face-to-face meeting between Trump and Xi in South Korea at the end of October. China’s move may be discussed during President Donald Trump’s talks with President Xi Jinping. (AP PHOTO) “This helps with increasing leverage for Beijing ahead of the anticipated Trump-Xi summit in (South) Korea later this month,” said Tim Zhang, founder of Singapore-based Edge Research. China produces over 90 per cent of the world’s processed rare earths and rare earth magnets. The 17 rare earth elements are vital materials in products ranging from electric vehicles to aircraft engines and military radars. Exports of 12 of them are now restricted after the ministry added five – holmium, erbium, thulium, europium and ytterbium – along with related materials. Foreign companies producing some of the rare earths and related magnets on the list will now also need a Chinese export licence if the final product contains or is made with Chinese equipment or material. This applies even if the transaction includes no Chinese companies. The regulations mimic the rules the US has implemented to restrict other countries’ exports of semiconductor-related products to China. It was not immediately clear how Beijing intends to enforce its new regime, especially as the US, the European Union and others race to build alternatives to the Chinese rare earth supply chain. “We’re likely entering a period of structural bifurcation — with China localising its value chain and the US and allies accelerating their own,” said Neha Mukherjee, a rare earths analyst with Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. In a nod to concerns about supply shortages, the ministry said the scope of items in its latest restrictions was limited and “a variety of licensing facilitation measures will be adopted”. China’s latest restrictions on the five additional elements and processing equipment will take effect on November 8, just before a 90-day trade truce with Washington expires. The rules on foreign companies that make products using Chinese rare earth equipment or materials are to take effect on December 1. The ministry also said overseas defence users will not be granted licences, while applications related to advanced semiconductors will be approved on a case-by-case basis. Rare earth minerals are found in smart phones, electric windows and power steering. (AP PHOTO) The new rules apply to 14-nanometre chips or more advanced chips, memory chips with 256 layers or more, and equipment used in the production of such chips, as well as to related research and development. These advanced chips are used in products from smartphones to AI chipsets that require powerful computing performance. The rules will also apply to research and development of artificial intelligence with potential military applications. South Korea, home to major memory chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, is assessing the details of the new restrictions and will continue discussions with China to minimise their impact, its industry ministry said in a statement to Reuters.
The Government has calculated preliminary costs for the treatment and storage of high-level radioactive waste from AUKUS submarines. They’re just not willing to share the costs with those that have to pay for it
The Government has calculated preliminary costs for the treatment and storage of high-level radioactive waste from AUKUS submarines. They’re just not willing to share the costs with those who have to pay for it. Rex Patrick reports. According to the Defence Capability Manual, when Defence proposes a capability acquisition to the Government, it is supposed to present multiple options and their total cost of ownership. In Senate Estimates last year, Senator Lidia Thorpe asked about the radioactive waste costs for AUKUS, “There’s no costing as yet; is that right?” Vice Admiral Jonathon Mead, head of the Australian Submarine Agency, responded, “That’s correct”. That means the total cost of ownership for AUKUS has never actually been calculated. We know the price tag for AUKUS is $368B, but that price doesn’t include radioactive waste storage and disposal. Whatever that extra cost is, it’ll be big. Trillion dollar AUKUS subs plus nuclear waste in perpetuity? Total cost of ownership It seems over the past year, the Government has decided it might be a good idea to understand how much it will cost to deal with AUKUS waste. MWM FOI’ed the Australian Submarine Agency for “cost estimates for a solution for the treatment and storage of high-level radioactive waste from AUKUS”. A Defence FOI decision maker responded to the request, advising, “I have identified one document that falls within the scope of the request.” She then went on to advise that MWM and the Australian public can’t see it. Figure 1 – You can’t see the nuclear waste costs (Source: Defence FOI) While the decision-maker is concerned that the information is preliminary (even though the Government can stamp “preliminary” on the document), surely having access to preliminary information is better for those who have to pay for it (you and me) than having no information at all? Maybe it’s a case of “we can’t handle the truth”. The number will be big. Senate exchange The Australian Submarine Agency appeared at Senate Estimates this week. Greens Senator David Shoebridge decided to try his luck getting the costing data. The Agency wasn’t very cooperative. Vice Admiral Mead advised the Senate that his Agency was only in the “early stages” of the costing process. The Chief Financial Officer, Ms Marlena Davis, testified that the FOI document contained “initial data collection” which was “deliberative” and was also “national security information”, even though the Agency made no national security claim in the FOI decision. Senator Shoebridge asked for the document to be produced to the Senate. Minister Jenny McAllister agreed to consider his request, but noted the claims made by the Chief Financial Officer. So, after all that, we don’t have any idea what the cost will be. All we can be sure of, no matter what it is, is that it’s you and I that will be paying for it. AUKUS waste plans. The hitchhiker’s guide to nuclear approvals
Crypto exchange Gemini says it views new regulations being developed by the federal government as a positive as it launches Australian services.
A crypto exchange founded by American tech entrepreneurs and twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss is promising to work closely with regulators as it expands its presence in Australia. Gemini has appointed crypto executive James Logan as its Sydney-based country head, registered as a digital currency provider with regulator AUSTRAC and added a local banking partner, allowing them to accept instant money transfers using Australia’s New Payments Platform. “Obviously I’m very excited to come on board as the head of Australia for Gemini,” Mr Logan told AAP. “There’s a lot of plans here, there’s obviously a lot of work, six to eight months worth of work, that’s gone into planning.” Gemini plans to grow its Sydney-based team and add roles in compliance, marketing and growth in the future, “so that we can sort of deeply understand and have boots on the ground to understand from Australian consumers what we need to build,” said Saad Ahmed, Gemini’s Singapore-based head of Asia-Pacific. Gemini serves customers in more than 60 countries and has facilitated over $US200 billion ($303 billion) in trading volume. Mr Ahmed said Gemini had a culture of compliance with regulations and welcomed the new crypto rules being developed by the Albanese government. “We welcome regulation, and I think we feel very confident that whatever the regulation is we will be able to use our existing methodologies, processes, workflows, whether it’s related to compliance, whether it’s related to governance, whether it’s related risk, and bring that to Australia to be compliant with whatever the regulations are here,” he said. Mr Logan echoed that sentiment, saying the new rules would be a positive for the crypto industry. “I think with the new regime that’s coming in, consumers will have more confidence in the space once there’s official regulatory oversight,” he said. “I think the banking sector probably will have a similar response as well, which will be overall, a good thing for the industry.” Some crypto exchanges have had issued with finding a local banking partner, with Binance Australia notably losing their ability to offer Australian dollar bank transfers in 2023 after payment provider Cuscal withdrew its services. Gemini was holding an official launch party on Thursday night at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
More taxpayer bailouts could be on the horizon for ailing facilities after a $600 million lifeline to one mining giant.
Taxpayers could be tapped to bail out more smelters and refineries after a mining giant received a $600 million lifeline for two ailing facilities. A day after Glencore’s funding injection, the Tasmanian government has called for another funding package to back an aluminium smelter in the island state’s north. Industry Minister Tim Ayres on Thursday did not rule out further rescue deals after state and federal governments pitched in for a three-year deal to keep the Mount Isa copper smelter and Townsville copper refinery running, protecting 600 jobs. Tasmanian Energy Minister Nick Duigan called on the federal government to help Bell Bay Aluminium. (Ethan James/AAP PHOTOS) Bell Bay Aluminium should be next in line to receive help, Tasmania’s Energy Minister Nick Duigan said. The Rio Tinto-owned aluminium smelter is renegotiating the price it pays for power with Hydro Tasmania but needs a federal subsidy to stay afloat, he said. The smelter’s 10-year deal with Hydro Tasmania has a December 31 deadline, sparking fears it will close at the end off the year with talks stalling. “The gap between what Hydro Tasmania is currently offering and what Bell Bay Aluminium needs is not something the Tasmanian taxpayer can fund alone,” Mr Duigan said. Bell Bay Aluminium employed about 600 people, supported hundreds more and accounted for more than 10 per cent of the state’s total goods exports, he said. Tomago Aluminium smelter officials are in talks with the federal and state governments for funding. (Michael Gorton/AAP PHOTOS) Soaring power prices and international competition are set to spark more bailout demands, with Australia’s largest energy user – the battling Tomago Aluminium smelter in NSW – already in the queue. Representatives for Tomago, which is also majority-owned by Rio Tinto, are in talks with the federal and NSW governments over a bailout reportedly worth more than $1 billion with thousands of jobs up in the air. Senator Ayres said the government was “watching the situation in these smelters and heavy industry closely” when asked if he was expecting further bailout packages after the Glencore deal. In February, the Albanese government announced a $2.4 billion bailout for South Australia’s Whyalla steelworks, while a $135 million package for Nyrstar’s smelters in Tasmania and South Australia was unveiled in August. Minister Tim Ayres says subsidies make the international copper trade an “unfair” playing field. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) The lifeline was thrown to Glencore to bolster facilities that were part of a crucial strategic sector for Australia, Senator Ayres said. Volatile markets and subsidies from foreign governments had made the international copper trade an “unfair” playing field for Australian producers, he added. The $600 million Glencore lifeline might not be enough to save its Mount Isa facility with the future of a key supplier up in the air. The copper smelter relies on a nearby Dyno Nobel fertiliser plant for production. Dyno Nobel might shut down the fertiliser plant if it does not find a new buyer by March, potentially jeopardising Glencore production and the lucrative bailout. “Dyno Nobel is looking forward to engaging with Glencore over the coming weeks to understand the impact of the deal reached on its manufacturing operations at Phosphate Hill,” Dyno Nobel told AAP. A consortium urged the federal government to support critical mineral industries. (Kim Christian/AAP PHOTOS) David Whittle, the co-founder of the Critical Minerals Consortium, said Australia needed to preserve critical mineral industries but “ultimately, we also need to get paid for it”. China’s successful 40-year project to exert control over supply chains for its vast manufacturing capability had major implications. “There needs to be some wheeling and dealing on the part of the federal government with our partners to ensure that they’re helping with this – we’re the providers,” Dr Whittle said. “This opportunity is only going to be realised if we can get some preferential deals of some kind with our trade and security partners, so that they are providing enough funds to these mines … to make it worthwhile to actually produce these minerals in Australia.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated he would discuss the preferential supply of critical minerals when he meets US President Donald Trump.
A first-of-its-kind fine for the loss of 220,000 people's health data underlines the need to view cybercrime as more than just a technological risk, expert say.
A landmark fine imposed after hundreds of thousands of pathology patients had their details leaked has been seen as a “vivid reminder” to corporations about protecting private data. Medlab Pathology was hit with a cyber attack and ransomware demand by a malicious actor known as the Quantum Group in February 2022. About 86 gigabytes of data was taken and published on the dark web four months later, including the personal and health details of more than 223,000 individuals. Medlab’s parent firm Australian Clinical Labs was sanctioned by the Federal Court on Wednesday, receiving a $5.8 million fine in a landmark decision that is the first of its kind. Hackers published the personal and health details of more than 223,000 individuals on the dark web. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS) Justice John Halley found the company failed to protect the personal data of patients and did not conduct a proper assessment of whether there had been a data breach after the attack Australian Clinical Labs, one of nation’s largest private pathology providers, also failed to swiftly notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The commissioner was notified in July 2022, while the public were told in October 2022. Despite operating in “a high cyber threat landscape”, the company did not take steps to identify vulnerabilities and deficiencies in Medlab’s IT systems when it acquired the company in December 2021, the judge said. Organisations need to view cybercrime as a business risk, a cyber security academic says. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS) Justice Halley said the privacy law breaches were “extensive and significant”. “I am satisfied that the contraventions, given the nature of the information posted on the dark web, had at least the potential to cause significant harm to individuals whose information had been exfiltrated,” he wrote. The company had admitted its misconduct, co-operated with the commissioner, had not deliberately flouted the law and did not gain financially from the breaches, he said. Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind called the judgment a “turning point” for the enforcement of privacy law in Australia. “This should serve as a vivid reminder to entities, particularly providers operating within Australia’s healthcare system, that there will be consequences of serious failures to protect the privacy of those individuals whose healthcare and information they hold,” she said. Thursday’s penalty was a wake-up call for businesses to meet their duty of care to protect customer data, cyber security academic Matthew Warren told AAP. Yesterday the Federal Court ordered Australian Clinical Labs to pay $5.8 million in civil penalties in relation to a data breach by its Medlab Pathology business in February 2022. These are the first civil penalties ordered under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) https://t.co/1cW2VkXul9 pic.twitter.com/9c7dTo3mUG — Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (@OAICgov) October 9, 2025 Organisations had to see cybercrime as a business risk, rather than just a technological one, and invest in the infrastructure to protect against these kids of attacks, Professor Warren said. “The government’s going to start holding companies to account when they fail in this duty of care,” the director of the RMIT Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation said on Thursday. In an ASX announcement in September, the firm again apologised to customers and employees who were impacted. “While the Medlab Cyberattack was isolated to the newly acquired Medlab business, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the protection of patient data, data governance and continuously improving our cybersecurity systems and controls,” the company wrote. The 2021 acquisition cost Australian Clinical Labs $70 million.
Electrifying factories could significantly reduce carbon emissions by allowing heavy industry to store and use heat like power in a battery.
Upgrading factories to store and use heat like power in a battery has been touted as a low-cost way to decarbonise heavy industry. The potential of emerging electrothermal energy storage technologies – like batteries but for heat rather than electricity – has been assessed by Climateworks Centre for one of the Australia’s heavy industry hotspots, Gladstone. Senior project manager at the think tank, Calvin Lee, said smarter timing of heat use by manufacturers “is key to cutting emissions, power prices and strengthening the grid”. “‘Right now Australia’s biggest lever in an energy emergency is increasing supply and turning on expensive coal and gas,” Dr Lee said. “Demand management – allowing industries to shift power use up and down like a giant battery – would add another much-needed emergency tool to the nation’s toolbelt.” Smarter use of energy in manufacturing is being sold as an effective way to lower carbon emissions. (Brenda Strong/AAP PHOTOS) Australia is chasing a 62-70 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emission by 2035 and in 2022, industry accounted for 17 per cent of the nation’s total climate pollution. Cutting emissions from manufacturing is challenging, however, especially for heavy industry reliant on extremely high processing heat. The aluminium, clinker, cement, lime and various chemicals produced in Gladstone require industrial heat across the temperature spectrum, with significant opportunities for electrification in parts of the lower-temperature alumina and aluminium processing. Fuel switching to low carbon alternatives such green hydrogen – once it becomes commercially available – and bioenergy for higher-temperature functions should pave the way to a near 80 per cent emissions reduction by 2040, as charted by Climateworks. Under this scenario, a sevenfold increase in electricity demand can be expected alongside major growth in renewables-intensive green hydrogen. Dr Lee said such an explosion in demand for electricity has the potential to push up prices, with that uncertainty already posing a barrier to companies looking to to electrify. Electrothermal energy storage has been framed as a fix. “You charge up in the middle of the day when electricity is plentiful, when it’s cheap, and then discharge the battery so you’re releasing all that heat when electricity expensive, for instance, in the mornings or in the evenings,” Dr Lee told AAP. “And so that lets you constantly produce heat throughout the day while while avoiding the use of expensive electricity”. His organisation views government as a partner in the shift towards flexible, low-carbon industry heat, including via low-cost financing pathways in recognition of steep upfront costs. Modelling by Climateworks suggest precincts such as Gladstone could save big money on energy. (Marion Rae/AAP PHOTOS) Were the precinct to lean into flexible energy demand management, the modelling suggests Gladstone industries could save $3 million a day in operating costs. A flexibly electrified Gladstone industrial sector could also provide 4.4 gigawatts of flexible power by 2040, equivalent to three of Queensland’s largest power stations, and lower wholesale power prices. Operating costs for flexible heat are calculated as roughly the same as conventional gas-fired boilers at present. But going forward, Climateworks says the gas-centric, business-as-usual approach will become increasingly expensive as carbon penalties under the Safeguard Mechanism start to bite and wholesale gas prices remain volatile. Australian manufacturers have been warning of collapse without government intervention to secure affordable gas supplies, as underscored by BlueScope Steel chief executive Mark Vassella at the National Press Club on Wednesday.
Nikkei resumes rise, China stocks up on return from break; Israel and Hamas agree first stage of ceasefire deal; Oil, gold dip on lessened geopolitical risk.
Asian stock markets resumed their ascent on Thursday as investors doubled down on all things AI-related, while gold held atop $US4,000 ($A6,073) and the dollar retained its recent hefty gains. Oil prices dipped as geopolitical tensions eased a little on news that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire plan to end the two-year conflict. US President Donald Trump said he might travel to Egypt this weekend to discuss further steps in the deal. In equity markets, a resumption of the bull run in AI-related tech saw the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reach record highs as funds were again rewarded for buying the dips. “The AI Theme remains intact as we see another stream of multi-$bn investment come into the space,” wrote analysts at JPMorgan in a note. “Investors can talk all they want about the ‘circularity’ of this AI investment cycle, but these daily headlines are being rewarded with strength until proven otherwise.” They noted estimates for earnings growth in the tech sector had risen to 20.9 per cent for the looming reporting season, from 15.9 per cent back in June. Some 81 per cent of the stocks in the tech sector have seen estimates increase, led by Nvidia and Apple . Earnings overall are expected to grow 8.0 per cent for the third quarter, with revenue up 6.3 per cent. A jump in tech pushed Japan’s Nikkei up 1.4 per cent and back toward all-time peaks. Data showed offshore funds bought a net 2.5 trillion yen ($A24.90 billion) worth of Japanese shares in the week through October 4. Stocks in Taiwan climbed 1.2 per cent to a fresh record, while MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan firmed 0.3 per cent. Chinese blue chips added 0.4 per cent as they reopened from a week-long holiday. Beijing announced new restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals and equipment that have been a sticking point in trade talks with the United States. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures steadied after Wednesday’s gains. EUROSTOXX 50 futures eased 0.2 per cent as did FTSE futures and DAX futures. Bond markets were largely unruffled by minutes of the last Federal Reserve meeting that showed a majority of members cautioned about upside risks to inflation even as they sanctioned an easing in policy. Futures continue to imply a 94 per cent chance of another quarter-point cut in November, and have 44 basis points of easing priced in by year-end. “While most Fed officials want to cut further, some participants want to approach further cuts with caution,” economists at Citi wrote in a note. “We expect that further labour market weakening will push most Fed officials to support cutting the policy rate at each of the next four meetings.” Yields on 10-year Treasuries were down a fraction at 4.115 per cent, having also shrugged off a middling auction of new notes on Wednesday. In currencies, the dollar held near eight-month highs on the yen at 152.54, having surged 3.5 per cent so far this week amid concerns about more Japanese government borrowing. The euro steadied at $US1.1641 ($A1.7675), after touching a six-week low of $US1.1598 ($A1.7610) overnight when data showed German industrial output suffered the biggest monthly fall in over three years in August. Gold eased 0.2 per cent to $US4,031 ($A6,120) an ounce, but remains 3.9 per cent higher on the week so far. The metal has been buoyed by the prospect of a series of US rate cuts, along with investor demand for assets that cannot be debased by governments and buying by central banks for reserves. There is also in part a desire to hedge against the risk of a sustained decline in the US dollar and a selloff in bond markets as governments need to borrow ever more. Oil prices slipped as news of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire lessened one potential threat to supplies. Brent dropped 0.6 per cent to $US65.89 ($A100.04) a barrel, while US crude eased 0.7 per cent to $US62.12 ($A94.32) per barrel.
Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza now has the backing of Israel and Hamas, drawing praise from Australia's political leaders.
Australia cautiously welcomes a deal that could seal an end to the Israel-Hamas war, but leaders warn of a long way to go before lasting peace can be secured. The agreement announced by US President Donald Trump is a much-needed step towards ending the conflict, the prime minister and foreign minister said in a joint statement. “Australia welcomes President Trump’s announcement that Israel and Hamas have signed off the first phase of the plan to bring peace to Gaza,” Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong said on Thursday. “We urge all parties to respect the terms of the plan. “There is a very long road to recovery in Gaza, securing long term peace and building the Palestinian state.” pic.twitter.com/YA4E0sgEUZ — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 9, 2025 Mr Trump said Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of his 20-point peace plan. “All parties will be treated fairly!” the president said in a post on his online platform Truth Social. “This is a GREAT day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America.” Under the deal, Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed line and is expected to relinquish its hold on the majority of Gaza. The remaining Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023 will likely be released from Gaza starting from Saturday, according to Israeli officials. Almost 2000 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released from Israeli prisons as part of the agreement. With the approval of the first phase of the plan, all our hostages will be brought home. This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel. From the beginning, I made it clear: we will not rest until all our hostages return and all our goals… — Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 8, 2025 Earlier on Thursday (AEDT), Mr Trump said he might travel to Egypt in the coming days to seal the agreement. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and her foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said the deal should “inspire hope” at home and abroad. “All fair-minded Australians will welcome this announcement,” they said in a joint statement. “Today marks a hopeful first step towards the release of hostages held for over two years, the end of this war, and the beginning of enduring peace.” Liberal frontbencher and former Australian ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma said the Middle East shouldn’t be Australia’s main focus, but there could be a role for the government to play in the region. “As this process becomes further advanced, we would be open-minded to ways that we could assist in a meaningful way,” he told AAP. The two-year war between Israel and Hamas has inflamed community tensions in Australia. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS) Jewish groups have been supportive of the peace plan as it ensures the return of the remaining hostages. The Australia-Palestine Advocacy Network has previously slammed Mr Trump’s proposal, claiming it offers no justice or peace and fails to guarantee sovereignty for Palestinians. The two-year war that has ravaged Gaza and inflamed community tensions in Australia was sparked by Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left around 1200 Israelis dead. The militant group took 251 hostages, some of whom have been released in previous deals and some of whom have been killed. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 people, many of them women and children, according to local authorities. The ongoing bombardment has been declared a genocide by a United Nations commission of inquiry, a finding disputed by the Israeli government.
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The headmaster of The King's School is under fire from teachers, parents and old boys following the 'clip over the ear' incident.
The headmaster of The King’s School, Tony George, is under fire from teachers, parents and old boys following the ‘clip over the ear’ incident. Michael West reports. The headmaster of The King’s School, Tony George, will take the stage on Monday morning at the inaugural Australian Character Education Summit to be held in the Trophy Room at King’s expansive 148-hectare campus. Holding forth amid the gathering of education luminaries, George is slated to discuss “key values” in leadership, values-based education, and the character traits needed to be a successful school leader. Yet the very leadership success of the King’s headmaster has become the subject of intense scrutiny. As revealed in these pages, Tony George is under investigation for an incident earlier this year when he “clipped a boy over the ear” in a religious education class in front of around 100 boys and teachers in the Futter Hall. They were said to be shocked. The King’s School headmaster controversy deepens as boy is ‘clipped over the ear’ George then went “on leave,” and the school soon confirmed that an investigation into the incident was underway – and that investigation is still underway and unlikely to wrap up before the Character Education Summit next week. It is not merely the Futter Hall incident, however, which has the school community concerned; the School Council is under pressure over the renewal of Tony George’s tenure at Australia’s oldest and largest school on a number of fronts. Feverish anticipation “The TKS community’s feverish anticipation of news from School about a decision on the Headmaster is at breaking point,” one senior source in the school community told MWM. “The Year 12 Graduation Day [last week], with 800-plus attendees, was rife with speculation. The rumour mill is on overdrive.” Whether in the staff rooms, on the sidelines of the rugby at the JS White Oval or in the chambers of Sydney’s Anglican Synod, it is not merely the “clip over the ear” incident that is affecting King’s morale, but questions over the colourful headmaster’s managerial style and performance. Staff exodus A missive by a senior staff identity, obtained by MWM, which has made its way to the school Council, cites “a worrying staff exodus”, “leadership style”, failure to attend meetings, and concern over George’s appointment from a little-known school, St Stephens in Western Australia. “Ultimately, there has been much reputational damage associated with his tenure,” says the email. “These, in large part, have been generated by decisions made by TG. It seems that the only time that TKS appears in the mainstream media, these are stories that focus on decisions he has made, be that the request for a lap-pool or first-class/business class tickets to the Henley Regatta or ill-timed attacks on wokeness culture. “While I’m sure the Head had no intention to harm the student at the centre of the current scandal, at the very least it reflects a reckless and dangerous lack of judgment.” Tony George declined requests for an interview for this story, and King’s public affairs did not respond to questions. MWM spoke with former staff, old boys and parents. Big business King’s is big business. It is a tax-free charitable institution, dominated at council level by Sydney’s Anglican Church, but also an institution subsidised by taxpayers to the tune of $17m a year. Last year, King’s recorded revenue of $117m. Income has risen from $92m in 5 years, assisted by the school’s controversial decision to apply, and obtain, $8m in JobKeeper subsidies during Covid. It is fair to say that many other wealthy private schools and well-heeled golf clubs and others helped themselves to JobKeeper with no need for it, yet King’s is one of the wealthiest, and while the school helped itself to $8m in JobKeeper, the leadership declined to pass through a $2.5% pay rise for the teaching staff. If the teachers were restless then, they are furious now, say King’s sources. “The 2025 Staff Engagement Survey results have fallen through the floor. There is pervasive staff room unity and calls for a ‘revolt’ if TG returns to the job in Term 4″. Captain’s calls and the Common Room The note to the Council accused George of “destroying the Common Room” (where teachers gather daily before and after lessons). “Having announced that he would not recognise the right of the Chairman of the Common Room to speak on behalf of staff even though she had been elected by the staff as their representative, the Head then refused to meet with or allow the IEU [independent teachers’ education union] representation to meet with the staff.” “… there has been a worrying exodus of staff from TKS. These have included a great many Heads of Department as well as many other talented teachers many who have left due to a clear lack of direction from above. In addition to the loss of several excellent and high-performing staff, there has also been the appointment of several staff of questionable abilities due to several ‘Captain’s Calls’”. Concern over captain’s calls extends beyond the Common Room. George also stands accused of “high bursar turnover” and extravagant spending on projects, and lack of transparency. The Arms Race Key among these was King’s decision to splash $15m on a 16-hectare property at Naamaroo Drive in Lindfield, up from the Lane Cove River. They acquired it from the Uniting Church, with some observers claiming there was not enough discussion or disclosure of the deal. Yet the strange thing is, there is no development approval for King’s to redevelop the land for educational purposes, which makes the $15m price-tag seem ritzy and a run-through of the King’s financial statements sheds little light on acquisitions and valuations on individual projects launched by George, which have not yet come to fruition. The Lindfield property is presently zoned Private Recreational and has a conference centre in the bushland, and one school source said the idea behind the acquisition was that the land would be developed into a “feeder school” for King’s main campus at Parramatta and/or a centre for Christian leadership. “The problem was that members of the OBU (Old Boys Union), the King’s School Foundation and the school executive were unaware,” said one source. Private schools, public subsidies: with $50k fees per child per year, how can tax breaks be justified? Land banking and launching extravagant building projects (in independent school-land they call it the ‘Arms Race’) is by no means contained to King’s, yet the school already sits on the largest chunk of land of any in Australia, 130 hectares. Then there is Tudor House, the feeder school on the Southern Highlands, with 69 hectares, and the Futter Park rural estate with 5,042 hectares near Harden in NSW. One source said of the Lindfield acquisition – “this on top of boarding staff underpayments, bursar turnover, rising legal and consulting costs, no capital project improvements”. Under Tony George and the previous head, Tim Hawkes, King’s has performed well academically. At ATAR (the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank), students have been getting good marks relative to other schools. This has brought disaffection among old boys, however, due to the changing demographics and ‘culture’ of the school, as King’s has actively marketed for bright children from overseas, even showcasing its education wares at fairs in China to attract academic talent. And so the decision to renew the tenure of Tony George has the King’s School Council under pressure. Corporate governance is a concern, one Synod source telling MWM the Anglican clergy voting as a ‘bloc’ and backing the headmaster had become contentious. Another source said the clergy did not vote as a bloc but did generally back the incumbent. The Council is against the wall on this, he said. If they don’t renew George’s tenur,e they may face a legal claim and ensuing negative press (as was the case recently with rival GPS schools Shore and Cranbrook), and if they do, they face continuing unrest by staff and old boys … and the spectre they they will have to “own” any further mishaps. Cranbrook and the private school “arms race”. How far is elite school funding out of whack?
An Australian professor has been praised for the "blue-sky" research that netted him the highest honour in science, along with two colleagues, at the age of 88.
A humble Australian professor has won science’s most prestigious prize by doing what he loves, after pondering on “big chemistry thoughts” for decades. The University of Melbourne’s Richard Robson has been honoured with a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in developing a new form of molecular architecture alongside alongside Japan’s Susumu Kitagawa and American-Jordanian Omar Yaghi. The three laureates created molecular constructions with large spaces, through which gases and other chemicals can flow. Congratulations to Prof Richard Robson for winning the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Prof Robson created a new class of coordination polymers, known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). His models inspired an entirely new field of chemistry. Read more 👇https://t.co/0Wtekitk4p — School of Chemistry | University of Melbourne (@ChemistryUoM) October 8, 2025 The technology can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide or store toxic gases. The Nobel Prize committee noted the materials had a remarkably large surface area, for example, a porous material roughly the size of a sugar cube could contain as much surface area as a large football pitch. The trio of chemists worked separately but added to each other’s breakthroughs, which began with Professor Robson. The 88-year-old produced the first metal-organic frameworks in the early 1990s and continued to explore different forms over the following decades. He’s worked as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Melbourne since 1966. University Vice-Chancellor Emma Johnston congratulated Prof Robson on receiving the highest possible recognition for his achievements. “This is the kind of blue-sky research that not many people get the opportunity to explore, and even fewer make the kinds of breakthroughs Professor Robson has achieved,” Prof Johnston said. Prof Robson won the prize alongside his colleagues Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi. (AP PHOTO) “Australia needs to recognise that this long-term fundamental research is what allows us to then translate that research into products, like the ability to store and transfer hydrogen safely.” Deputy Vice-Chancellor Mark Cassidy hopes the prize will inspire a wave of research to advance metal-organic frameworks into products vital to Australia’s push toward renewable energy solutions. “Professor Robson is a humble man who has achieved this honour by simply doing what he loves, going into the lab every day, talking with students, thinking big chemistry thoughts for decades and running experiments,” Prof Cassidy said. Prof Robson told The Associated Press he was “very pleased of course and a bit stunned as well”. “This is a major thing that happens late in life when I’m not really in a condition to withstand it all,” he said. “But here we are.” The University of Melbourne has a history of Nobel winners, including Elizabeth Blackburn for her work in physiology or medicine in 2009, Sir James Mirrlees who was recognised for his research in economic sciences in 1996, and immunologist Peter Doherty who was also recognised in 1996.
Despite predictions a five per cent deposit scheme will drive up house prices, analysts say the government policy could be good news for the nation's renters.
Lower rents shape as a bonus consequence of rules allowing first home buyers to get a mortgage with just a five per cent deposit, analysts say, even though the policy is likely to push up property prices. The key election promise from Labor was aimed at making it easier for young Australians to get on the property ladder. Allowing more people to buy their own house or unit could also reduce demand for rentals and pressure on rents, Domain chief of research and economics Nicola Powell said. “What that will do is fast-track a lot of tenants transitioning to being home owners, which should also help ease the demand,” she told AAP. The rapid rent increases over the past three years have likely come to an end, a report shows. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS) But the policy isn’t all good news, with experts warning the decision to remove a barrier to getting a mortgage – saving for a deposit – could increase demand among homebuyers. Treasury modelling suggests cheaper deposits will push up house prices by half a per cent over six years, but the insurance council has warned the impact could be as large as 10 per cent in the first year alone. A report from Domain, released on Thursday, also shows the string of rapid rent increases over the past three years has likely come to an end, with rent growth across Australia’s combined capital cities remaining flat for two consecutive quarters. House and apartment rents are at record highs, but they’ve remained mostly steady over the past quarter. In Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra, average house rents didn’t change over that period. Brisbane and Hobart ticked up, and Darwin outstripped all other capitals with a 5.9 per cent increase. House and apartment rents in capital cities have been mostly steady over the past quarter. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS) For apartments, average rents in Hobart and Perth went backwards. Unit rents in Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin increased and all other capitals remained steady. Vacancy rates remain low, meaning landlords may still hold the upper hand in price negotiations. But Dr Powell said any further rent increases were likely to be unaffordable for many Australians. “We’re slowly starting to see a rebalance occur … tenants can only keep up so much,” she told AAP. An influx of new rental properties has also helped ease demand, as has lower population growth.
The organisers of the Edinburgh Oktoberfest had to pour away 7000 litres of beer after events were cancelled over Storm Amy.
The organisers of Edinburgh’s Oktoberfest had to pour away 7000 litres of beer after events were cancelled over Storm Amy, which swept across Scotland last weekend. The annual festival featuring German beer, food and live music had been due to take place in a large tent in a park from Friday to Sunday. However, on Friday evening, the organisers announced that the closure of the park “due to extreme weather” meant the events on Friday and Saturday had been cancelled. Due to forecasted wind speeds of up to 60mph associated with #StormAmy Princes Street Gardens and all gated public parks will close from 4pm this afternoon and tomorrow. Site inspections will be carried out before re-opening on Sunday (October 5). Plan ahead and take care. pic.twitter.com/Pc8D58myjd — The City of Edinburgh Council (@Edinburgh_CC) October 3, 2025 Storm Amy brought heavy rain and winds of up to 160km/h to Scotland from Friday and into the weekend, causing widespread disruption to transport and power networks. On Monday, the festival organisers said the event would be rolled over to next year, with ticket holders set to be contacted by email “We were not prepared for this, no insurance, and now have to destroy 7000 litres of good beer, thousands of bratwurst and schnitzel and much more. We wish we could distribute it to you all,” the email said. “But let’s fight the wind together. Next year, we will bring fresh beer and make the best party ever with all of you.”
