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  • Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire after Trump announcement

    Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire after Trump announcement

    Just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a surprise bilateral ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, heavy fighting erupted across the Israel-Lebanon border on Tuesday, derailing hopes for a quick end to months of escalating violence.

    The sudden resumption of hostilities came as both sides remained publicly divided over the terms of the deal Trump claimed to have brokered. Per Lebanese official sources, the draft agreement outlines that Hezbollah would halt all cross-border fire into northern Israel, while Israel would end its airstrikes on southern Beirut – a decades-long stronghold of the militant movement. The Lebanese presidency issued an official statement confirming the terms, noting that negotiators would work to expand the truce to cover all Lebanese territory, and the Lebanese embassy in Washington earlier claimed Hezbollah had accepted the U.S. proposal. However, the militant group has never issued an official confirmation of its acceptance of the deal.

    Trump doubled down on his ceasefire push in a post to his Truth Social platform, saying he “hopefully” the two sides would end their conflict “for ETERNITY!” He also claimed that no Israeli troops would enter Beirut, and that any Israeli forces en route to the capital had already been turned back, following what he called a “very productive” call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But unconfirmed reporting from Axios contradicted this public posture, revealing that Trump privately called Netanyahu “fucking crazy” in off-air remarks, accusing the Israeli leader of putting planned peace talks between the U.S. and Iran at risk. Trump also claimed he held a productive call with Hezbollah representatives through intermediaries, saying both sides had agreed to a full halt to hostilities.

    The renewed violence erupted against a backdrop of months of escalating conflict that has already pushed the region to the brink of a wider war. Following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Hezbollah opened its front against Israel on March 2, launching widespread rocket attacks. In recent weeks, Israeli forces mounted their deepest ground incursion into Lebanese territory in more than two decades, carrying out waves of heavy aerial bombardment across southern Lebanon and issuing explicit threats to strike southern Beirut’s densely populated suburbs. That threat sent thousands of local residents fleeing the area this week, with massive traffic jams clogging routes leading out of the suburbs toward central Beirut, according to on-the-ground reporting from Agence France-Presse.

    By Tuesday afternoon, multiple official sources confirmed that hostilities had resumed. The Israeli military announced its air defense systems intercepted two projectiles launched from Lebanon into northern Israel, shortly after the Lebanese National News Agency reported fresh Israeli airstrikes targeting multiple locations in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu confirmed in his call with Trump that Israel would continue to strike terrorist targets in Beirut if Hezbollah did not end its attacks on Israeli towns and civilians.

    The latest clash also comes as the fourth round of U.S.-hosted direct negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese military delegations is set to open this Wednesday, following preliminary security talks held last week. A previous truce brokered in April has been almost entirely ignored, with both sides accusing each other of daily violations that justify retaliatory strikes. The human cost of the conflict has mounted sharply: Lebanon’s health ministry reports that at least 3,433 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, while the Israeli military confirmed two additional soldier deaths in southern Lebanon this week, bringing the total Israeli military fatalities to 27 since the start of the current escalation.

    International actors have moved quickly to call for restraint. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, released a statement urging all parties to respect a cessation of hostilities. In a confidential report to the UN Security Council obtained by AFP, Guterres also recommended that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission have its mandate extended when it expires at the end of the year, warning that a withdrawal would create a dangerous security vacuum. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also issued a statement Tuesday saying nothing could justify Israeli forces maintaining their presence deep inside Lebanese territory, a reference to Israel’s seizure of the strategic Beaufort Castle (locally called Qalaat al-Chakif) over the weekend. The castle, which holds commanding views over most of southern Lebanon, was used as an Israeli military base during Israel’s 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon that ended in 2000.

    Tehran, which has long provided financial and military support to Hezbollah, has insisted that Lebanon must be included in any final peace deal between Iran and the U.S. But Iran’s state-owned Tasnim News Agency reported this week that Tehran has suspended all diplomatic talks with Washington in response to Israel’s ongoing offensive in Lebanon, raising new doubts about the prospect of a wider regional de-escalation. For ordinary residents caught in the crossfire, the cycle of hope and violence has become a familiar pattern. Hadi, a 24-year-old resident of southern Beirut, told AFP he had dared to hope for a period of stability after Trump’s announcement, but “that feeling did not last long.”

  • Tesla, Polestar sales hit all-time monthly high in May as Aussie buyers ditch petrol cars in record numbers

    Tesla, Polestar sales hit all-time monthly high in May as Aussie buyers ditch petrol cars in record numbers

    Australia’s electric vehicle market has passed a historic milestone, with two leading automakers posting record monthly deliveries in May 2026 as skyrocketing petrol prices push thousands of drivers to abandon fossil fuel-powered cars. New data from the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) confirms that combined deliveries from industry leader Tesla and premium Swedish brand Polestar reached 6,681 units for the month – the highest monthly total for the two brands ever recorded in the country.

    Tesla dominated the historic results, delivering 6,433 battery electric vehicles alone. This figure marks the highest single-month sales total for any brand in the EVC’s entire dataset, outstripping the automaker’s previous record of 6,017 units set in March 2024. The Tesla Model Y alone accounted for 84% of the combined Tesla-Polestar total, with 5,605 deliveries in May.

    Compared to April 2026, the two brands’ combined sales surged 358%, while they jumped 61.4% against May 2025 figures. Year-to-date sales for the two brands hit 15,866 units by the end of May, representing 52.7% growth over the same period in 2025.

    Polestar, which launched in Australia in 2021 and has delivered roughly 8,500 vehicles to local customers to date, also contributed to the record. The brand notched 14% year-to-date growth by the end of May, with its Polestar 4 crossover leading performance with 39.6% year-to-date growth over 2025. Polestar Australia Managing Director Scott Maynard noted that strong consumer inquiry remained sustained through the month, and the brand is preparing for further expansion with upcoming launches of the updated Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 models.

    Industry leaders attribute this unprecedented growth to a perfect storm of financial pressure on petrol car owners, driven by global and domestic market factors. Geopolitical tension between the U.S. and Iran has disrupted global oil markets, with a ongoing maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – one of the world’s most critical oil shipping chokepoints – pushing global crude prices to near $100 a barrel, translating to pain at Australian petrol bowsers. Compounding this pressure, the Australian federal government’s temporary 26-cent per litre fuel excise cut is set to expire on June 30, with drivers bracing for an immediate sharp price jump when the full 53-cent per litre excise is reinstated.

    “Tesla’s record-breaking 6433 sales in a single month, the highest ever recorded in the Electric Vehicle Council’s dataset, shows more Australians are choosing electric,” EVC chief executive Julie Delvecchio said. “When fuel prices hurt, people look for alternatives. Electric vehicles offer exactly that, no trips to the servo, no price spikes at the pump, savings of around $3000 a year.”

    Tesla’s Australia and New Zealand Country Director Thom Drew linked the milestone to sustained consumer demand and the brand’s targeted product strategy for the local market. “This is not an isolated result. It reflects our sustained commitment to delivering world-class electric vehicles and an ownership experience that continues to raise the bar for the industry,” Drew said. “As the EV segment continues to mature and expand, Tesla remains at the forefront, not by chance, but by design.”

    Geographically, Australia’s eastern seaboard is leading the national transition to electric transport. Queensland posted the strongest year-to-date growth at 65.1%, followed closely by New South Wales at 63.3% and Victoria at 61.9%.

    Broader industry data from VFACTS confirms that EVs now hold a 16.4% share of all new car sales across Australia – meaning roughly one in every six new cars purchased in the country is now fully electric. Delvecchio noted that the record sales confirm a broader shift in consumer preference, as Australians increasingly prioritize vehicles that fit their lifestyle, perform reliably, and cut long-term motoring costs.

    “We know Australians buy cars that save them money, suit their lifestyle and perform well,” Delvecchio said. “Record EV sales suggest more Australians are finding electric vehicles tick all three boxes.”

  • Australian sharemarket slips as wage hike and Middle East uncertainty rattle investors

    Australian sharemarket slips as wage hike and Middle East uncertainty rattle investors

    Australia’s benchmark sharemarket delivered a rollercoaster trading session on Tuesday, closing with modest losses after a dramatic late recovery that erased most of an early 100-point drop, as conflicting geopolitical developments out of the Middle East and a larger-than-expected minimum wage hike created widespread uncertainty among investors.

    The ASX 200, Australia’s primary blue-chip index, finished the day down 20.60 points, or 0.24%, to settle at 8708.80. The broader All Ordinaries index fared slightly better, slipping just 3.80 points, or 0.04%, to close at 8966, a near-flat finish. The Australian dollar edged slightly higher, gaining 0.15% to trade at 71.75 US cents by market close.

    For market observers, the day’s wild swings were far from unusual. IG market analyst Tony Sycamore noted that Tuesday’s triple-digit intraday range marked the third such extreme shift in the past four trading sessions, and the ninth in just one month. “This is a clear sign of a market grappling for direction, primarily stuck within a stubborn 8500 to 8700 range,” Sycamore explained. The afternoon turnaround, he added, received partial support from U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks downplaying rising geopolitical tensions that flared up over the weekend.

    Geopolitical volatility stemmed from mixed signals over a potential Middle East peace deal. While Trump posted on Truth Social that ceasefire talks between Israel and Hezbollah were “progressing”, and that a deal to extend the truce and reopen the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz could be reached within the next week, Iran pushed back against the prospect, threatening to suspend diplomatic relations and close the key shipping lane. The conflicting updates kept investors on edge through the first half of the trading day.

    Against this backdrop of macro uncertainty, the technology sector emerged as the clear outlier, driving the afternoon market recovery. The entire tech sector rallied 4.71% for the day, with standout gains from leading domestic tech names. Accounting software provider Xero climbed 7.47% to close at $87 per share, logistics tech firm WiseTech Global jumped 7.8% to settle at $42.23, and consumer safety tech company Life360 notched a 13.25% gain to reach $23.07 per share. Several other individual companies also posted strong gains on new contract wins: infrastructure firm SRG Global surged 16.56% to $3.66 after announcing $1.85 billion in new contracts spanning water, defence, energy, health and education; defence technology provider DroneShield gained 3.55% to $3.21 on a $24.9 million U.S. government contract; and medical imaging firm Pro Medicus rose an additional 10.81% to $160.08 following Monday’s announcement of a five-year contract with U.S.-based Visage Imaging.

    Offsetting these tech gains were broad declines across seven of the ASX’s 11 sectors. Healthcare stocks bore the brunt of the selling: biotech giant CSL fell 1.74% to $92.56, Sigma Healthcare dropped 1.71% to $2.87, and medical device maker ResMed slid 2.07% to $26.02.

    Retail and banking stocks also slumped after Australia’s Fair Work Commission announced a 4.75% minimum wage increase for the nation’s lowest-paid workers. The pay bump came in above current annual inflation of 4.2% and baseline national wage growth of 3.3%, stoking fears that higher labor costs will push inflation higher and force the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to implement additional interest rate hikes sooner than expected.

    Major domestic retailers felt the selloff immediately: Woolworths fell 1.85% to $34.41, Coles dropped 0.74% to $21.55, and hospitality group Endeavour Group slid 1.73% to $28.40.

    AMP economist My Bui explained that while the wage adjustment was a reasonable move to prevent low-income workers from facing negative real wage growth, its broad impact across the Australian workforce could put sustained upward pressure on inflation. As a result, AMP has updated its interest rate forecast to predict a third RBA rate hike as early as November, pushing the peak cash rate for this cycle to 4.85%. Bui added that there is even a risk the hike could come sooner, in June rather than August. Prior to Tuesday’s minimum wage announcement, AMP had projected the next rate hike would not occur until August 2026.

    Despite the overall negative close, investors found some reassurance in the market’s ability to recover from early losses, with the 100-point afternoon rebound turning what looked set to be a sharp drop into a modest decline by the closing bell.

  • Albanese government allocated almost $9m to defend CFMEU administrators, hearing told

    Albanese government allocated almost $9m to defend CFMEU administrators, hearing told

    The full scale of taxpayer spending on personal security for administrators of Australia’s powerful Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has been laid bare at a Senate estimates hearing, with total expenditures reaching almost $9 million amid credible death threats linked to organized crime networks.

    The disclosure on Tuesday laid out how public funds have been earmarked to protect two successive government-appointed administrators brought in to clean up the union after it was placed into voluntary administration in late 2024 over widespread allegations of organized crime infiltration.

    Michael Crosby, a former New South Wales union official who took over the administrator role last month, has been allocated $5.3 million over the next two years in the 2026-27 federal budget to cover 24/7 protective security services, officials told the hearing. His predecessor, Mark Irving, who held the position for just 20 months, received approximately $3.8 million in cumulative budget allocations for his personal safety.

    Australian Federal Police (AFP) assessments have confirmed that death threats against Irving were not only credible, but came from actors with both the means and motive to carry out the attacks, senior officials confirmed. Most threats did not originate from rank-and-file CFMEU members, instead coming from external organized crime groups that had previously operated illegal networks within the union. As of March 31, the AFP is running three active investigations into unlawful activity across the building and construction sector, and has already secured a number of high-profile arrests linked to the probes.

    The hearing also revealed that Environment Minister Murray Watt received close personal protection for an undisclosed period of time amid the ongoing tensions. Watt declined to share further details about his security arrangements in the public forum, noting that disclosing such information posed unnecessary safety risks. ACTU Secretary Sally McManus also received targeted security provision, but government officials confirmed that those costs were not covered by public funds.

    Watt, who defended the decision to draw on taxpayer funds rather than passing costs to CFMEU members, argued that the government carried a core responsibility to protect administrators appointed under federal legislation. The government’s move to place the CFMEU into administration disrupted the illegal business models of criminal networks and corrupt actors, many of whom held ties to both rogue union officials and unethical building employers, he explained.

    Pressed on why the CFMEU or its membership do not cover the security costs, Watt pushed back against alternative funding models. He questioned whether it would be fair to pass the costs to either construction workers (as CFMEU members) or to the broader industry of building employers, pointing out that the cleanup of criminal infiltration is a public responsibility mandated by the Australian Parliament. “Given the parliament had set up this administration scheme, there was a responsibility on government to pay for the personal protection of the person who took on that role from threats being made from outside the union,” Watt said.

  • Pay workers ‘as much as possible’, Nvidia’s Huang says

    Pay workers ‘as much as possible’, Nvidia’s Huang says

    As the global tech industry gathers in Taipei for the 2026 edition of Computex, one of the world’s largest annual technology trade shows, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has sparked industry-wide discussion with comments on worker compensation, just days ahead of his planned trip to South Korea. Huang’s remarks came in response to questions about a recent high-profile labor dispute at Samsung Electronics, where a looming strike by the company’s union was only avoided after leadership struck a last-minute bonus agreement with staff.

  • Eels don’t name Mitch Moses in potential Origin blow as Bulldogs star misses training

    Eels don’t name Mitch Moses in potential Origin blow as Bulldogs star misses training

    The build-up to the second State of Origin clash and this weekend’s round of the National Rugby League has been thrown into disarray, with a wave of injury updates, unexpected selection calls and Origin selection dilemmas shaking up teams across the competition.

    The most high-profile disruption hits New South Wales Blues head coach Laurie Daley, who faces a critical selection call in his playmaker group just weeks out from Origin II on June 17. Eels star Mitchell Moses, who was in line for a recall to the Blues starting side after missing the series opener with a hamstring injury, has not been named in Parramatta’s squad for their Monday night showdown against Canterbury Bulldogs. Initial assessments had suggested the injury was minor, but the latest Parramatta injury update confirms Moses is not expected to return to competitive play until either round 15 or 16.

    This timeline rules Moses out of any chance to prove his match fitness before the Blues name their Origin II squad early next week. With Moses sidelined, 22-year-old Ethan Strange, who was thrown into the starting five-eighth role last minute after Moses’ injury two days before Origin I, is now the firm favourite to retain his spot in the side for the second clash.

    Over at the Bulldogs, captain Stephen Crichton’s absence from Tuesday’s training session sparked rumours of a fresh shoulder injury ahead of both Monday’s club clash and potential Origin selection. However, the club confirmed the rest was planned, as the side is gearing up for five days of leave following the match. Bulldogs winger and potential Origin debutant Jacob Kiraz, who also took a light session on an exercise bike instead of full training, backed up his captain’s fitness.

    “I’m sure ‘Critta’ will be sweet,” Kiraz told reporters, addressing the injury rumours. The young winger, who is currently in contention to earn his first Origin cap, said planned rest was a necessary move following a string of physically demanding matches. “It’s a long turnaround. We’ve had a couple of big games the last couple of weeks, so probably the best thing is to (rest a bit),” he explained. When asked about his own potential Origin selection, Kiraz remained focused on his club commitments: “I guess it’s always nice to hear (your name in the mix). I know it’s probably the answer none of you want to hear, but being honest, I’m just worried about the Bulldogs at the moment. The Blues had a good win and I thought (Blues rookie Tolu Koula) has been outstanding.”

    In another major selection shock, Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire has dropped starting five-eighth Ezra Mam following the side’s embarrassing home defeat to the previously winless St George Illawarra Dragons. Tom Duffy will step into the starting five-eighth role for the Broncos, with Xavier Willison shifting to lock, and Grant Anderson returning from injury to fill the gap left by injured starter Pat Carrigan.

    South Sydney Rabbitohs have received a major boost ahead of their upcoming clash, with star trio Brandon Smith, David Fifita and Campbell Graham all named to return to the starting side. Their returns offset the continued absence of star fullback Latrell Mitchell, who remains sidelined with his ongoing injury issue.

    The Rabbitohs’ opponents Manly Sea Eagles have been given clearance to select Blues winger Tolu Koula, who missed recent action after suffering a head knock in the opening Origin clash. Koula’s Blues teammate Haumole Olakau’atu is also set to return to the Manly side this week.

    Other key selection updates across the league include: Sydney Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase has been named in the reserves, in line for an earlier-than-expected return from injury; Newcastle Knights will field Fletcher Sharpe at five-eighth after regular starter Sandon Smith was ruled out with a calf injury; defending premiers Penrith Panthers have welcomed back their entire Origin trio – Nathan Cleary, Brian To’o and Isaah Yeo – who were rested for the previous round; and Cronulla Sharks will hand a starting start to hooker Jayden Berrell after rookie Blues representative Blayke Brailey suffered a broken arm in recent action.

  • Between ballet and war: Japanese dancers pursue dreams in Russia

    Between ballet and war: Japanese dancers pursue dreams in Russia

    Deep in Russia’s historic Volga region city of Nizhny Novgorod, two Japanese ballet artists have built their entire lives around the rigorous, demanding craft they traveled halfway across the world to master – even as geopolitical upheaval and the ongoing war in Ukraine have created unexpected disruptions to their daily routines.

    Thirty-two-year-old Jotaro Kanazasi first made the decision to move to Russia 14 years ago, drawn to the country’s unrivaled legacy in classical ballet, home to world-renowned institutions like Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre and St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre. Speaking in measured Russian, Kanazasi explains his choice was rooted in a desire to grow and reach his full potential as a professional dancer. Today, he holds the position of principal dancer at the Nizhny Novgorod Opera and Ballet Theatre, located roughly 400 kilometers east of Moscow, where he seamlessly transitions from iconic role to iconic role: the scheming sorcerer Rothbart in Swan Lake, the tragic noble Albrecht in Giselle, and more. When many foreign artists made the choice to leave Russia immediately following the start of the 2022 full-scale military campaign in Ukraine, Kanazasi made the deliberate decision to stay.

    For 20-year-old Haruka Takemi, who has now lived in Russia for six years, the draw of Russian ballet was similarly life-altering. “I love Russian ballet and I have always dreamed of being a professional dancer, but Japan does not have a national-level ballet school that offers the training I needed,” she explains. “That is why I chose to move here.”

    Both dancers say they prioritize their craft above all else, and only follow breaking news about the war in Ukraine very loosely. Takemi notes that it is her family back in Japan that monitors current events closely, constantly sharing news articles and updates to make sure she stays informed. That dynamic reflects the broader geopolitical context of their lives: Japan has stood firmly with Ukraine since the start of the Russian offensive, joining Western nations in imposing sweeping economic sanctions on Moscow, while Russia has introduced strict new censorship laws over the course of its military campaign, unmatched since the Soviet era.

    “I am either at the theatre rehearsing or performing, or at home resting – it is a constant cycle. I work all the time, and I only focus on ballet,” Takemi says, adding that her family back home is the one who carries the worry for her safety.

    Nizhny Novgorod, despite sitting more than 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, has not escaped the ripple effects of the conflict. In recent weeks, a major Lukoil oil refinery located in the nearby city of Kstovo was hit in a Ukrainian cross-border strike, part of Kyiv’s regular targeting of Russian military and energy infrastructure designed to weaken Moscow’s ability to sustain its offensive. The digital space has also seen significant changes: Russia has imposed sweeping new digital restrictions over recent months, particularly limiting open access to mobile internet, and many popular foreign apps are now blocked.

    “There are difficulties with internet access, so we have to use a VPN to connect,” Takemi says. “But it is important for me to stay in touch with my family, so they know I am safe.”

    Valeri Konkov, director of the Nizhny Novgorod ballet company, notes that Japanese dancers are far from an anomaly in Russia’s professional ballet scene. Many are graduates of the country’s most elite ballet academies, including the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, St. Petersburg’s legendary Vaganova Academy, and the Perm State Ballet School. For Japanese artists, building a sustainable career in classical ballet in their home country remains incredibly challenging, even now. Despite all the disruptions and uncertainties that have come with the conflict, Kanazasi says his resolve to stay has never wavered.

    “As long as I am still able to dance, I will stay here,” he says.

  • Teen, 16, dies after allegedly stolen car rolls on Stuart Hwy in the Northern Territory

    Teen, 16, dies after allegedly stolen car rolls on Stuart Hwy in the Northern Territory

    A 16-year-old boy has lost his life after a stolen vehicle, at the center of a damaging multi-vehicle crime spree through a Northern Territory town, crashed and rolled on one of Australia’s major intercity highways. The sequence of dangerous events unfolded on Monday night in Katherine, a regional community located roughly 320 kilometers southeast of Darwin, according to Northern Territory Police.

    Authorities allege the trouble began just after 10:30 p.m. Monday, when offenders broke into a residential property on Zimin Drive and stole a parked car. The group of young people driving the stolen vehicle traveled to the local Charles Darwin University campus, where they abandoned the first stolen car before stealing two additional vehicles from the area.

    Over the following hours, the young drivers engaged in reckless, threatening behavior through Katherine’s central business district, police confirmed. The occupants of the stolen vehicles taunted responding officers and hurled objects, including a hammer, at police patrol cars while driving erratically through the town center. Acting Commander Mark Grieve of NT Police clarified that officers made the decision not to initiate a pursuit, a choice driven by the extremely dangerous driving that already put innocent bystanders at risk. In a separate pre-crash incident, Grieve added, a stolen vehicle drove past a parked police car whose officers were responding to an unrelated call, and threw objects at the unoccupied patrol vehicle.

    By roughly 6 a.m. the next day, Tuesday, one of the stolen vehicles carrying a group of teenagers rolled over on the Stuart Highway just north of Katherine. First responders arrived quickly at the crash site, transporting three 14-year-olds to a local hospital for treatment of injuries. The 16-year-old driver suffered critical trauma and could not be saved, dying at the scene of the crash.

    In the aftermath of the incident, police located two additional girls near the crash site, and investigators are working to confirm how many people total were in the vehicle when it rolled. The Stuart Highway was temporarily closed to all traffic to allow for forensic crash investigation, reopening once evidence collection was completed.

    Grieve described the incident as both tragic and deeply complex, noting that the series of dangerous criminal acts put the entire local community at grave risk. “We are investigating a significant series of offences, as well as the death of a 16-year-old male following extremely dangerous driving behaviour that placed the lives of the community at risk,” Grieve told reporters. “Our investigators will work to establish the full circumstances surrounding these events, and we continue to appeal to anyone with information to come forward.”

    The acting commander also highlighted a growing, nationwide concern: rising dangerous criminal activity among young people, a trend that has impacted the Northern Territory in particular. “It’s a trend and one we’re probably starting to see more of, we’ve been seeing it for quite a bit of time, unfortunately youth engage in this type of behaviour and see it as a bit of a game,” he said. “The youth space we’re dealing with is quite complex in nature, in the NT we’re trying to grapple with an increase in youth behaviours in the criminal space. It’s not only NT but Australia-wide and it’s not just a policing problem, it needs to be a whole community approach whether education, health or parental responsibility, it’s a big question to answer.”

    NT Police are continuing to urge any member of the public with details about the sequence of events leading to the crash to contact their investigators to assist with the ongoing inquiry.

  • Western Australia leads population boom as nation’s total tops 28 million

    Western Australia leads population boom as nation’s total tops 28 million

    Australia has hit a landmark demographic milestone this week, with its total population officially crossing the 28 million threshold early Tuesday, according to real-time data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

    The ABS’s population clock, which generates continuous live estimates by tracking births, deaths and net international migration, ticked past the 28 million mark in the early hours of Tuesday. Current demographic trends show the nation adds one new resident to its population every 75 seconds on average.

    Digging into state-level growth data, Western Australia (WA) stands out as the primary engine of this national population expansion. ABS demography chief Phil Browning confirmed that WA recorded a 12-month growth rate of 2.2% between September 2024 and September 2025, outpacing every other state and territory across the country. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Tasmania recorded the nation’s slowest annual growth, with its population expanding by just 0.3% over the same period. These divergent state growth trends aligned exactly with forecasts published in last year’s annual population statement from Australia’s Centre for Population.

    While the nation celebrates the 28 million milestone, official projections paint a slowing growth picture for the coming year. The Centre for Population’s latest outlook forecasts that national population growth will cool to 1.3% for the 2025-2026 period, driven by two key factors: a projected decline in net overseas migration and a continued drop in national birth rates that is set to hit a historic new low.

    The report projects Australia’s national fertility rate will fall to a record low of 1.42 children per woman in 2025-2026 – far below the 2.1 children per woman rate required to sustain stable long-term natural population growth without migration. Net overseas migration, which surged to unprecedented highs in the post-pandemic 2022-2023 period, is also expected to continue normalizing to pre-pandemic levels, with the centre projecting net migration of 260,000 for 2025-2026. This pullback is largely attributed to a drop in temporary arrivals, particularly students and international visitors holding travel and study visas.

  • Bumper pay rise set to cost households two rate hikes

    Bumper pay rise set to cost households two rate hikes

    Starting July 1 this year, 2.8 million Australian workers — roughly one-fifth of the nation’s total workforce — will see their pay packets grow, following a landmark ruling from the Fair Work Commission announced on Tuesday. The independent industrial tribunal greenlit a 4.75% increase to the national minimum award wage, lifting hourly earnings from $24.95 to $26.44, and weekly minimum pay to $1004.90, up from $948. The adjustment applies to all workers whose pay is set by modern awards and are not covered by enterprise agreements, and it was designed to help low-income households keep pace with years of elevated cost-of-living increases.

    The final wage decision landed between the two extreme proposals put forward ahead of the ruling: trade unions had pushed for a more aggressive 6% increase to offset persistent inflation, while industry business groups argued that a more modest 3.5% bump would be manageable for already strained employers. In welcoming the outcome, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers framed the adjustment as a balanced, sustainable real wage increase that aligned with the federal government’s formal submission to the Fair Work Commission, noting it was a raise millions of working Australians both needed and earned.

    However, leading economic analysts have warned that the larger-than-expected pay hike could exacerbate the nation’s ongoing inflation challenges, paving the way for additional interest rate increases from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) that will deepen financial pressure on mortgage holders across the country.

    AMP senior economist My Bui explained that while the commission’s choice to avoid negative real wage growth for low-income workers is logically understandable, the sheer scale of the workforce impacted means the adjustment will likely add broader inflationary momentum to the economy. “Tuesday’s decision is only expected to add less than 0.6 percentage points to annual wages growth next year, but the real risk is that wage pressures spill over into other parts of the private sector,” Bui noted. She added that elevated wage growth will further entrench sticky services inflation, as businesses pass higher labour and input costs through to consumers, at a time when goods prices already remain elevated.

    CreditorWatch chief economist Ivan Colhoun echoed this concern, pointing out that the pay rise will hit already struggling businesses with extra cost pressure, particularly in the four labour-intensive sectors that account for more than two-thirds of all award-reliant employment: retail, hospitality, healthcare and social assistance, and administrative and support services. “While the larger than expected minimum wage increase will be welcome for the lowest paid, many businesses and the RBA are unlikely to be as happy,” Colhoun said. “The rise will add to business costs at a time of already elevated inflation, higher interest rates and at least a temporary surge in fuel costs.” He added that the higher wage baseline will make it marginally harder for the RBA to pull inflation back to its target range of 2-3% annually.

    RBA governor Michele Bullock has already implemented three interest rate hikes this year in an aggressive effort to cool stubborn inflation. Prior to the Fair Work Commission’s announcement, AMP had forecast one final rate hike by August 2025. But in response to the wage ruling, the firm updated its outlook: AMP now expects the RBA will deliver another rate increase as early as November this year, pushing the peak cash rate for this cycle to 4.85%, with an outside risk that the hike could come even sooner than forecast.

    Inflation projections have also shifted upward. AMP now forecasts that annual inflation will climb to 4.8% by the end of the June quarter, before easing only to 4.1% by the end of 2025 — still well above the RBA’s 2-3% target range. Recent official data has already signaled that underlying inflation pressures remain persistent in the Australian economy: while annual headline inflation edged down from 4.6% in March to 4.2% in April, that decline was driven largely by temporary federal government policies including a halving of the fuel excise and a GST rebate. The RBA’s preferred trimmed mean inflation measure, which strips out volatile price swings to show underlying trends, rose to 3.4% for the 12 months to April, confirming that core price pressures are still building.

    For Australian mortgage holders, the outlook means a double whammy of financial strain: not only will higher wages fuel further inflation, but it will also force the RBA to keep tightening monetary policy, pushing monthly home loan repayments even higher just as many households are already struggling to keep up with cost-of-living increases.